From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: New Feature: Call's Court Date: 02 Dec 1999 20:51:00 -0700

New Feature : Call's Court

BYU Coach Nathan Call to Answer Subscriber Questions

Every Wednesday, starting Dec. 8, BYU assistant basketball coach Nathan Call will answer your questions in a new feature named Call's Court! Email your questions to "callscourt@cougarfan.com" anytime. The person who submits the best question each week will win a BYU basketball T-shirt! Start emailing your questions today!

About Coach Call

Nathan Call, 29, joined BYU's coaching staff in April, 1997. He had been an assistant coach to Jeff Reinert at Utah Valley State College for three seasons. Coach Nathan Call He joined the staff at UVSC after an outstanding basketball career at BYU. At UVSC, he helped the Wolverines to records of 22-10 in 1994-95, 29-6 in 1995-96, and 24-8 in 1996-97.

An All-WAC point guard, he earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1992 for BYU. That year he led the Cougars to a 25-7 record, the Western Athletic Conference title and an NCAA tournament berth. He was named to the WAC's all-defensive team and set a BYU record for career games with 129.

The two best seasons for assists were produced by Call, 204 assists in 1991-92 and 164 assists in 1990-91. Called the most underrated player in the Western Athletic Conference, the gritty point guard routinely excelled with the toughest defensive assignments.

Twice Call answered the offensive challenge in heroic fashion in 1992. At Colorado State he drove the length of the court in the closing seconds of regulation to knot the game at 62-all. In overtime the 5-11 senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., scored six of his 23 points to lead BYU to victory. A couple weeks later in Provo, again in the closing seconds of the game, Call drove the length of the court against Utah, but dished off to Gary Trost for the winning layup.

At Tulsa (Okla.) the honorable mention All-America scored a career high 30 points and was named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Call served an LDS Church mission to La Paz, Bolivia.

Before playing at BYU, Call was a standout athlete at Capistrano High in California. He earned All-CIF honors in basketball, football, and baseball, and was named Southern California High School Athlete of the Year.

Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: News Recap (12/3/99) Date: 03 Dec 1999 14:50:33 -0700

News Recap (12/3/99)

Selected articles included here. See all the latest news at: http://CougarFan.com

Get your BYU gear!

Click here for the
CougarFanzz Store!

Motor City Bowl Tickets Now on Sale

Now that the Bowl situation is finalized and the Cougars are headed to Detroit for the Holidays, you can make your plans to attend the game. Make sure to purchase your tickets through the Marriott Center Ticket Office so that BYU gets credit for all tickets sold to BYU fans. Cougar Club members will receive priority seating through Monday, December 6. Applications will be accepted by phone at (801) 378-BYU1 or (801) 322-BYU1, walk up or by mail.

The BYU Alumni Association and the Cougar Club are planning a trip for those interested in attending the game. The official BYU tour will leave the morning of Sunday, December 26 from Salt Lake City International Airport and return Monday, December 27 after the game. Call BYU Travel Services at 801-378-3872 for reservations.

Arizona Defeats BYU Basketball 86-62
See: http://espn.go.com/ncb/2000/991201/recap/bawaaq.html

Rick Anderson had 10 of his career-high 16 points in a crucial stretch of the second half as the No. 4 Wildcats beat Brigham Young 86-62 on Wednesday night.

Mekeli Wesley had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars (2-1), who were averaging 91.5 points after routs of California Riverside and Southern Utah. Terrell Lyday scored 18 points.

Arizona led 38-29 at halftime, and Wright scored five points in the first 1:21 of the second half, helping the Wildcats open a 45-32 lead. But Wesley had eight points during a 10-0, three-minute run by BYU that got the Cougars within two, 48-46, with 13:33 left in the game.

Parting the Sea of Hype for the Real MWC Bowl Story (Provo Daily Herald)
See: http://www.heraldextra.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports/7DE86BF1CEDA03FA8725683C0026E54D

With the Liberty Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl both passing on BYU this week, Ute fans have been boasting that they were chosen over the Cougars, and that the Y has sunk to third-best in the conference. Wrong.

The fact of the matter is that some major arm twisting took place in order for the Cougs to be left alone, thus enabling them to accept a bid to play undefeated Marshall (assuming they win their conference championship game against Western Michigan tonight) in December 27th's Motor City Bowl. MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson and others coaxed those bowl selections into place to allow the conference to have three bowl teams.

Meads Says Utah Is Out (HeartlandHoops.com)
See: http://heartlandhoops.rivals.com/default.asp?p=2&sid=401&stid=103724

Garner Meads, the 6'9" power forward from Brighton High says that apparently Utah is out of the race for his services since they haven't contacted him in the last two weeks. He now says that he is likely to decide between BYU and Stanford. He still doesn't know when that decision will be made.

Staley, Morris Earn Sporting News All-America Honors (BYUCougars.com)
See: http://www.byucougars.com/football/releases/19991202_ftb_rel.html

BYU freshman Luke Staley was selected to the Sporting News All-America Freshman team Thursday, while senior linebacker Rob Morris was named to the publication's All-America second team, marking his second postseason All-America selection this season.

The above URL features a complete listing of the Sporting News All-American Teams.

Word is Out: Cougs Taking Aim at NCAA Volleyball (Salt Lake Tribune)
See: http://www.sltrib.com/1999/dec/12031999/sports/2431.htm

Tonight marks the beginning of NCAA Tournament play for the Women's Volleyball team, and they have big plans. Back in September, Caroline Bower predicted that the team would go all the way to the national championship. The 26-4 Cougars open the tourney tonight at 7:00, hosting Princeton in the Smith Fieldhouse. BYU has won 20 of its last 22 matches, and had won 28 consecutive home matches before dropping the MWC championship game to CSU last weekend. Here's to the beginning of another streak.

BYU / Iowa Wrestling Match Has Taken a Saving Theme (BYU NewsNet)
See: http://newsnet.byu.edu/noframes/show_story.cfm?number=6914&year=current

BYU's wrestling program was earmarked for extinction this spring, but now forces are in motion to keep the program alive. A coalition has formed with the goal of raising $7 million by March 31, 2000 in order to save the program. Part of that effort is centered around Saturday night's dual match against the #1 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in the Delta Center. Iowa, which has won nine of the past 10 national championships, scuttled earlier plans to make the trip to Utah in an effort to help save the BYU wrestling program.

"In a way we're under siege and we're banning together to save our sport," BYU head coach Mark Schultz said of the meeting. Organizers of the event are hopeful that BYU can break the current record for an indoor wrestling meet, which is 17,000. The Delta Center has a capacity of 19,991. An added feature of the meet will be the attendance of wrestling legend Dan Gable, who is considered to be the best wrestler in U.S. history. He will give a 15 minute speech about the sport at the conclusion of the meet.

Other Articles featured at CougarFan.com
See: http://CougarFan.com

College Football Playoff Could Begin in 2002 (USAToday.com)
Jepsen Wrestles with Future (CNNSI.com)
Late Bowl Bid Leaves BYU in Tough Position (Provo Daily Herald)
BYU Excited About Bid; Louisville Perturbed (Charleston Daily Mail)
Rivers Key for Cougar Hoops (Provo Daily Herald)
4-0 Women's Basketball Heads to Kansas (BYUCougars.com)
WVB Begins New Season in Opening Round of NCAAs (Deseret News)
Cross Country Recruit Rohatinsky Running to the Top (Provo Daily Herald)
IceCats Will Play Host to No. 1 Team (BYU NewsNet)
Cougs Promise Better Effort in Bowl (Provo Daily Herald)
Rare BYU Visit Tested Young Arizona (Arizona Daily Star)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: News Recap (12/7/99) Date: 07 Dec 1999 13:24:19 -0700

News Recap (12/7/99)

Selected articles included here. See all the latest news at: http://CougarFan.com

3D"Ge=

Click here for the
CougarFanzz Store!

Motor City Bowl Tickets; Buy 3, Get 1 Free -- Send a Missionary!(BYUCougars.com)
See: http://www.byucougars.com/football/releases/19991206_ftb_rel.htm= l

Brigham Young University announced tickets for the December 27th Motor City Bowl in Pontiac, Mich., are now on sale at the BYU ticket office.&nb= sp; Fans can purchase individual tickets for $32 each or take advantage of a buy three, get one free offer. Tickets for the game are available locally by calling 378-BYU1 or toll free from across the country at (800) 322-BYU1. The buy three, get one free offer is only available throu= gh the BYU ticket office.

In order to ensure the University is credited with its guaranteed allo= tment of ticket sales to the game, BYU officials are asking fans to contact BYU directly to purchase their tickets.

In an effort to support the missionary efforts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fans are also being encouraged to participat= e in a program that would send missionaries from the Michigan Detroit Missi= on and their investigators to the bowl game.

=93People in this part of the country are very excited to have BYU pla= ying in the Motor City Bowl,=94 Detroit Mission President Rulon Robison said.&= nbsp; =93I=92m very much in favor of this program that will allow our missionar= ies and their investigators to attend the game. I believe it will be a very productive experience for the missionary effort here in Detroit.=94

Fans wishing to participate can contact the BYU ticket office and requ= est tickets for the missionary program. The buy three, get one free off= er is also valid for the missionary program. Those tickets will be del= ivered to President Robison and distributed to missionaries and their investigat= ors.

Men's Basketball Tonight vs. Arizona State

Opponent:        Arizona State Sun Devils
Time:          = 7:00pm MST
Place:          = ; Provo, UT
TV:          &n= bsp;   KSL-TV in Utah (SportsWest)
Radio:          = ; KSL 1160 in Utah
Internet Radio: http://www.k= sl.com

A Day with a Role Model: Shawn Bradley (CougarFan.com)=
See: http://cougarfan.com/teams/basketball_m/news/1999/12-06.html

John Ahlander, co-owner of CougarFan.com, had the pleasure of getting to know former BYU basketball star Shawn Bradley this summer, and shares his experience in this article. The opportunity of seeing Bradley off the court was eye-opening.

"As I spent the two months in his ward, I learned more about Shawn Bra= dley that made me look up to his character and not just his height," John writ= es. "When I root for Shawn Bradley on the court, I'm rooting for him not only as a basketball player and a BYU alum, but also for a friendly, righteous man who knows he has been blessed with material things, but has not forgo= tten Who gave it all to him."

Fan Opinions of Flag Issue (Provo Daily Herald)
See: http://www.daily-he= rald.com/dh/dharc1999.nsf/4b499bca6a38efe4852567a2004c781e/872567a2007a0e= b08725683e0026d032

At the BYU - Utah football game a few weeks ago, a male Utah cheerlead= er taunted BYU fans with a large U flag, and a fight between a BYU fan and the cheerleader ensued. Last week, the Daily Herald asked readers their opinion on whether BYU should ban the large team flags from future football games.

Various responses from fans are listed at the above URL. Interes= tingly enough, the names of the owners of CougarFan.com show up on some of the comments, though one of the submissions was made by another person with the same name as one of the co-owners.

BYU Currently 6th in Sears Directors' Cup (nacda.com)
See: http://www.nacda.com/sears/current/div1/fall/div1-99fal= l02.html

Brigham Young University is currently 6th in the 1999-2000 Sears Direc= tors' Cup standings. The Cup, which is presented annually by the National Association of College Directors of Athletics to the school with the best all-around athletic program, awards points for national finishes by up to 20 sports per school in any given year.

Fueled by a national championship by the women's cross country team, BYU currently has 122 points (first place Michigan has 202). Most of the fall sports should score points for the Y. The Cup is awarde= d to the school with the highest point total at the conclusion of the acade= mic year.

Meads: Everyone Wants Talents of Brighton Star (Salt Lake Tribune)
See: h= ttp://www.sltrib.com/1999/dec/12071999/sports/3951.htm

This article is an wonderful piece on one of the top basketball recrui= ts in the nation, Garner Meads. BYU is in the enviable position of bei= ng one of the final few schools that Meads is considering. Included in the article is a list of injuries that the overzealous teenager has endured. All told, he has broken 15 bones during his life.

The article also gives insight to the personality of the young star, and details his success-oriented attitude. Meads has managed to ear= n straight A's through his high school experience, and has served in leader= ship positions in scouting, at school and in church. "Religion is import= ant to me," he says. "I like going to church every Sunday." He will ser= ve an LDS mission before playing any college ball.

Wesley's Play Garnering Lots of Attention (Provo Daily Heral= d)
See: http://www.heraldextra.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports= /03552A858E90FFC98725683F0026CD1B

Cougar post player Mekeli Wesley has made a huge turnaround from last year's sub-par performance. Currently averaging nearly a point per minute of playing time, the junior's 22 points per game doubles last seas= on's figures. He's knocking down 61 percent of his shots, and has gone 4 of 7 from downtown, which is pretty impressive for a post player.

Denver's coach called the 6'9" Cougar the best big man on the floor during the BYU - Arizona game, and Denver center Steve Simmons predicted that Wesley will be one of the MWC's standouts. "I feel so much mor= e comfortable in the open floor this year," said Wesley. "It's like night and day."

Other Articles featured at CougarFan.com
See: http://CougarFan.com

Cougs Lose Big Recruits -- Fisher Twins Commit to Utah (Salt Lake Trib= une)

Cougars Face Devilish Odds Tonight (Provo Daily Herald)

Sports Talk Radio Is "Blowing Up" All Across Utah (Provo Daily Herald)=

List of College Bowl Games (CNNSI.com)

Lyday, Vranes, Montague Drawing Rave Reviews (Provo Daily Herald)<= /li>

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: BB Post-game : BYU 78, ASU 67 Date: 07 Dec 1999 23:37:13 -0700

BYU 78, ASU 67

Game Recap

Mekeli Wesley scored a game-high 26 points, and BYU held all-Pac-10 guard Eddie House to 0-16 shooting, as BYU (4-1) defeated ASU (4-3) in Provo 78-67.
ASU opened the game with full-court pressure leading to a ragged style with many fouls and turnovers. With 3:49 remaining in the first half, BYU had built an 8 point lead, 27-19. ASU quickly responded by scoring 6 points in 45 seconds to cut the lead to two, the margin of the halftime score. BYU led at the half 33-31.
Behind the scoring punch of Awvee Storey, who ended with 22 points, Arizona State came out hot to start the second half pushing out to a 51-46 lead.
The turning point in the game was with 9:00 left in the game, and the score tied at 56. ASU hit a three pointer, but it was waved off because the coach had called a timeout one second before the shot. After the timeout, Wesley stole the ball and fed the ball to Michael Vranes on the break. Vranes missed the driving layup, but Wesley cleaned up the offensive boards, made the basket, and got fouled on the play to make the score 59-56. That play resulted in the first three of nine straight BYU points that put the game out of reach for ASU.
Wesley led BYU in points (26), rebounds (9), and assists (4). Terrell Lyday and Silester Rivers added 17 and 10 points for BYU, respectively.
Notes:
BYU outscored ASU the last ten minutes 24-11.
Nathan Cooper continued his free throw line mastery. He was 2-2 tonight to make his season numbers 13-14 (93%).
Matt Montague left the game temporarily to have stitches put in a huge gash over his left eyebrow. He returned to lead a 14-1 run in the second half. He suffered the injury after a hard foul on a layup attempt. Tomorrow, Matt will have it restitched.
This is the first game in Eddie House's career where he did not make a field goal.
ASU's Tanner Shell, who was recruited by BYU, played only 4 minutes in the first half, but notched 3 fouls.
For quotes from players and coaches, see:
http://cougarfan.com/teams/basketball_m/news/1999/12-07b.html

Box Score

1st Half 2nd Half Final Score

BYU
33

45

78

ASU
31

36

67

Statistics

ARIZONA ST (67)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t a pf   tp
Storey          34 9-13   4-6   5-7 2 5   22
Redhage         29   4-6   4-6   2-4 4 3   12
Prewitt         14   2-3   2-3   1-2 0 5    6
Mason           18   1-2   0-0   0-1 3 4    2
House           36 0-16   5-6   1-5 3 1    5
Knight          12   1-4   0-1   1-2 1 2    2
Dodd            22   2-5   0-0   0-1 0 0    5
Smith            9   0-2   2-2   0-1 0 4    2
Shell           11   1-5   0-0   0-0 1 4    2
Allen           15   3-6   1-2   2-5 0 2    9
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 23-62 18-26 12-28 14 30   67
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.371, FT-.692. 3-Point Goals:
3-16, .188 (Storey 0-1, House 0-4, Knight 0-1,
Dodd 1-3, Shell 0-2, Allen 2-5). Team rebounds:
4. Blocked shots: 1 (Redhage). Turnovers: 11
(Mason 2, Prewitt 2, Allen, Dodd, House, Redhage,
Shell, Smith, Storey). Steals: 4 (House 2, Allen,
Prewitt).
BYU (78)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t a pf   tp
E Nielsen       26   1-2   0-0   2-3 1 4    2
Lyday           37 6-12   2-2   0-4 1 2   17
Wesley          28 6-15 14-18   4-9 4 4   26
Montague        29   1-1   3-4   0-4 2 1    5
Vranes          25   2-5   2-4   1-6 2 5    8
Rivers          25   4-5   2-4   1-3 0 3   10
Christensen     12   1-1   1-2   0-1 0 0    4
Cooper          18   2-5   2-2   1-3 1 3    6
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 23-46 26-36 9-33 11 22   78
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.500, FT-.722. 3-Point Goals:
6-12, .500 (E Nielsen 0-1, Lyday 3-5, Wesley 0-1,
Vranes 2-3, Christensen 1-1, Cooper 0-1). Team
rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 2 (E Nielsen 2).
Turnovers: 13 (Montague 4, E Nielsen 2, Lyday 2,
Vranes 2, Wesley 2, Rivers). Steals: 5 (Wesley 2,
E Nielsen, Lyday, Montague).

Other Scores of Interest

#6 Connecticut 78, #2 Arizona 69
#25 Utah 77, Utah State 42

Looking Ahead

Dec. 10: Cougar Classic 1st Round vs. Texas Southern, 7pm

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: News Recap (12/10/99) Date: 10 Dec 1999 09:45:56 -0700 News Recap (12/10/99)
Selected articles included here. See all the latest news at: http://CougarFan.com

Click here for Christmas g= ifts
at the CougarFanzz Store!<= /center>

Victory Over Devils More Than Just a Win (Deseret News)
See: = http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145009458,00.html?
Tuesday night's win over Arizona State was big for BYU's basketball team in a lot of ways. For the first time this season, one team did= n't go into the game heavily favored. Everyone knew that the game could go either way, and much to the credit of the Cougars, they played some great ball and came up with an eleven point win. The team also show= ed great character by coming back from a slump early in the second half, goi= ng on a 14 - 1 run to take charge of the game.
"This shows we can come together as a team," said guard Terrell Lyday.= Lyday drew the defensive assignment of guarding ASU star Eddie House, and he responded in great fashion, holding him to 0 of 16 shooting from the field. It was the first time in House's 99 games as a Sun Devil tha= t he hasn't made a field goal. Sophomore point guard Matt Montague suffered a deep gash that required 20 stitches over his left eye, but cam= e back from the locker room to spark the second half run.

Staley Expects to Play in Motor City (Salt Lake Tribune)
See: h= ttp://www.sltrib.com/1999/dec/12081999/sports/4289.htm
BYU's most talented running back says that he'll be ready to go on Dec= ember 27 when the Cougars take the field against Marshall in the Motor City Bow= l. True freshman Luke Staley was sorely missed during the Wyoming and Utah games when he sat out with a pulled calf muscle. Without his backfi= eld presence, the Cougs were forced to rely on a one-dimensional offensive attack, and the opposing defenses focused on stopping the pass, thereby stopping BYU's offense.
After suffering the injury at San Diego State at the beginning of Nove= mber, Staley assumed he'd be ready to go the next week, but that wasn't the cas= e. "I've never had a pull," he said. "So I was thinking, 'Yeah, I'll play.' " However, he soon found out that it's hard to run on one leg. = ; In fact, this week marked the first time he was able to run in a month.&n= bsp; Now, he can't wait to get back into a game, because playing is much bette= r than watching from the sidelines. "It sucked," he said. "It was a hard thing to do. All you can do is just sit there and cheer them on."

Women's Basketball Blows Out Nebraska, 81 - 57 (BYUCougars.c= om)
See: http://www.byucougars.com/basketball_w/results/19991209_wbkb= _res.html
Riding its best three-point shooting of the season, the BYU women=92s basketball team dominated a favored Nebraska squad to win, 81-57, Thursda= y night. Though Nebraska led early, the Cougars (6-2) took over to lead, 24-23, with just under nine minutes left in the first half. The Cou= gars did not trail again en route to the 24-point win, handing Nebraksa its worst home loss in six seasons. BYU sank a season-best 14 three-poi= nters as a team, converting on a phenomenal 54 percent of its attempts from out= side.
Senior forward Jill Adams led the Cougars with 21 points, 15 of which came from three-point shots, while forward Cady Williams was just behind with 19 points. Mountain West Conference Player of the Week freshma= n Erin Thorn also contributed 15 points, and guard Alisha Griffeth came off the bench to go three for three from outside to chalk up 11 points overal= l.
=93This was an excellent team effort,=94 BYU head coach Trent Shippen = said. =93We got to a great start in the second half and led the rest of the way= . This was an awesome win. We=92re playing well on the road, and no q= uestion, this helps our confidence.=94 The Cougars will conclude their ten-d= ay road trip Saturday afternoon at Northern Iowa.

Injured Rivers Making Waves On the Court (Salt Lake Tribune)=
See: h= ttp://www.sltrib.com/1999/dec/12091999/sports/4524.htm
Although Silester Rivers isn't 100 percent after injuries to both ankl= es, he is headed in the right direction. Coach Cleveland's comments hav= e charted the progress of the big man throughout the season. "He's not remotely in basketball shape," Cleveland said after BYU's first exhib= ition game. "It'll take a month or more before he is. He has to pus= h himself in practice." His comments on Rivers have been progressivel= y more complimentary with each game. After the Denver game, Coach Cle= veland said, "The best thing about this game was that 'Les' didn't limp the enti= re game." After playing a great 25 minutes vs. ASU, Coach Cleveland said, ""Silester's defensive contribution was so important. When he stopped Storey, that gave us some offensive opportunities as well."

Women's Volleyball Faces Tough Road to Final Four (Salt Lake Tribune)
See: h= ttp://www.sltrib.com/1999/dec/12101999/sports/4871.htm
After playing a tough schedule early on in the season, the women's vol= leyball team has been able to coast for most of November and December. That will change in a hurry tonight when the #12 Lady Cougars meet up with #4 Florida tonight at 6:00 in the NCAA tournament. Over the past seven years, the Gators (32-2) have made five appearances in the final four.
However, BYU coach Elaine Michaelis wonders if Florida's success this year is partly due to playing in a weak conference. "It's just that they're kind of an unknown quantity because of strength of schedule," Mic= haelis said. If the Cougars can win tonight, they will face either Pacific (30-2) or Northern Iowa (30-0) tomorrow. Two wins this weekend will send them back to the Final Four in Hawaii for the first time in six year= s.

Lyday's Ownership of House Boosts His, Team's Stock (Provo Daily Herald)
See: http://www.heraldextra.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports= /18116EDB8F8D2D0487256841002C6CEA
ASU's Eddie House, who ranked second in scoring in the PAC-10 last yea= r behind Arizona's Jason Terry, has been given the nickname "the Assassin," and was named by ESPN Magazine as one of the "scariest" players in the country. That's why it's so amazing that guard Terrell Lyday was able to keep him from scoring a single bucket in Tuesday night's contest.= He spent the first few minutes in House's face, contesting shots and harr= assing him, and after that House never could find his rhythm.
Lyday wants to prove that he can play with the big boys, and so far he's doing pretty well. "I'm just trying to get to the NBA," he sai= d. "I want to be able to compete at any level."

Cleveland's Expectations Now Higher (Standard Examiner)
See: http://www1.standard.net/stories/byu/12-1999/FTP0200@by= u@07byubk@Ogden.asp
Just three short years ago, BYU's basketball team was suffering throug= h an ignominious 1-25 season, and already coach Steve Cleveland is talking about being a part of March Madness next spring. "When we speak to the players, our only goals are to get to the NCAA Tournament," Cleveland said. "There is no reason to talk about anything else.
Although the Cougs have blown out three of their five opponents so far this year, Coach Cleve isn't satisfied. He seems to be able to poin= t out ways that his team can improve after each game, and his team seems to be listening. "The players on this team realize I expect a lot out of them this season, that I would raise that level of expectation," Cleveland said. "For the first to seasons, personally, I wanted to get some confidence and some continuity growing in the program. Now we need more than that," he added. "We need to at least put ourselv= es in a position to accomplish our goals of reaching the NCAA Tournament."

Cougar Classic Likely Headed for Extinction (Deseret News)
See: = http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145009732,00.html?
For the last quarter century, BYU has hosted the annual Cougar Classic in Provo. However, such weekend invitationals are a dying breed in college basketball, and school officials say that the difficulty of attra= cting high profile teams to the tournament may spell its doom. "We may have it only for another year," said senior associate athletic director Pete Witbeck. "It's the way things are going now. These class= ics are a thing of the past."
The Y is now considering hooking up with Utah to host a double header in the Delta Center in future years. "We'd like to do a conference-= versus-conference matchup, to give BYU and Utah fans the chance to cheer for (the Mountain West Conference) against teams from another conference. That's the theory behind it," said Athletic Director Val Hale. "One challenge is getting teams out here. Another is finding a corporate sponsor and putting together an attractive financial package."

Other Articles featured at CougarFan.com
See: http://CougarFan.com

BYU Bowl Tickets Selling Fairly Well (Provo Daily Herald)

NewsNet Sports Editor: Basketball Deserves More (BYU NewsNet)

Here's a Primer on Marshall from the Resident Expert (Provo Daily Hera= ld)

Bradley Keeps Perspective Off the Hardwood (Provo Daily Herald)

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: BB Post-game: BYU wins Cougar Classic! Date: 11 Dec 1999 23:56:17 -0700

BB Post-game: BYU wins Cougar Classic!

Send your questions about this game or the team to Coach Nate Call at: callscourt@cougarfan.com

Game Recap

Michael Vranes and Nathan Cooper scored 15 points each to lead Brigham Young to a 66-53 victory over Weber State in the championship game of the Cougar Classic Saturday night.
With Weber State (4-3) holding top scorer Mekeli Wesley to 12 points, about half his average of 23, shooting duties for BYU (6-1) fell to Vranes and Cooper, who both came into the game averaging eight points.
Each contributed four points in a 10-2 run that pushed the Cougars ahead 53-37 with 11:03 to go.
Harold Arceneaux contributed six of his 14 points as the Wildcats closed to the gap to ten, topped of with an Eddie Gill basket with 3:33 remaining to put the score at 61-53. But BYU finished off the scoring with five free throws.
Eight of Vranes' points came early in the first half, when the Cougars went on a 15-3 run to take a 22-10 lead.
Wesley, who came through with 10 of his 12 points in the second half, grabbed eight rebounds and was named tournament MVP. Terrell Lyday added 12 points for BYU.
Stephan Bachmann led Weber with 15 points, and Arceneaux added 10 rebounds.
Earlier in the consolation game, Texas Southern beat Western Oregon 82-77 in overtime.
Lyday and Arceneaux were named to the all-tournament team along with Mike Vanderhoff of Western Oregon and Chris Miller of Texas Southern.
For quotes from players and coaches, see:
http://cougarfan.com/teams/basketball_m/news/1999/12-11b.html

Box Score

1st Half 2nd Half Final Score

BYU 35 31 66

Weber 24 29 53

Statistics

WEBER ST (53)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t a pf   tp
Arceneaux       38 6-18   1-3 2-10 2 1   14
Gatto           29   2-4   1-1   2-6 2 3    5
Bachmann        37 7-13   1-4   3-5 0 4   15
Gill            40 2-14   4-4   0-5 5 5    8
Moore           30   1-7   0-0   1-2 1 2    3
Thurig           3   0-0   0-0   0-0 0 0    0
King             5   0-0   0-0   0-0 0 0    0
Woods            8   2-2   0-0   0-1 0 1    4
Morrison        10   1-1   2-2   0-0 0 1    4
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 21-59 9-14 8-29 10 17   53
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.356, FT-.643. 3-Point Goals:
2-11, .182 (Arceneaux 1-3, Gill 0-5, Moore 1-3).
Team rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 3 (Arceneaux,
Bachmann, Gill). Turnovers: 12 (Arceneaux 4,
Bachmann 2, Gill 2, Thurig 2, Gatto, Morrison).
Steals: 8 (Gill 4, Arceneaux 3, Bachmann).
BYU (66)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t a pf   tp
Wesley          40 6-14   0-1   2-8 1 1   12
E Nielsen       23   1-5   2-3   3-6 0 3    4
Montague        34   0-6   1-2   1-6 9 2    1
Lyday           36   5-8   1-1   0-4 1 1   12
Christensen      8   2-4   0-0   0-2 0 0    5
Cooper          22   3-4   7-8   0-4 2 1   15
Vranes          29 6-14   1-2   2-5 3 2   15
Rivers           8   1-1   0-0   1-1 2 4    2
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 24-56 12-17 9-36 18 14   66
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.429, FT-.706. 3-Point Goals:
6-16, .375 (Wesley 0-1, Montague 0-2, Lyday 1-3,
Christensen 1-3, Cooper 2-3, Vranes 2-4). Team
rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 3 (Wesley, Lyday,
Christensen). Turnovers: 15 (Vranes 3, Wesley 3,
Cooper 2, Lyday 2, Montague 2, Christensen, E
Nielsen, Rivers). Steals: 6 (Wesley 3,
Christensen, Cooper, Montague).

Other Scores of Interest

#25 Utah 78, Washington St. 66
#2 Arizona 79, #5 Michigan St. 68
New Mexico 62, Southern Utah 57
Wyoming 90, Montana St. 86
Portland St. 72, Air Force 71

Looking Ahead

Dec. 18: South Carolina St. (Provo, UT), 7pm MST

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: News Recap (12/13/99) Date: 13 Dec 1999 07:51:10 -0700 News Recap (12/13/99)
Selected articles included here. See all the latest news at: http://CougarFan.com

Click here for Christmas gifts
at the CougarFanzz Store!

BBall Post-game: BYU Wins Cougar Classic! (CougarFan.com)
See: http://cougarfan.com/teams/basketball_m/news/1999/12-11.html
Michael Vranes and Nathan Cooper scored 15 points each to lead Brigham Young to a 66-53 victory over Weber State in the championship game of the Cougar Classic Saturday night.
With Weber State (4-3) holding top scorer Mekeli Wesley to 12 points, about half his average of 23, shooting duties for BYU (6-1) fell to Vranes and Cooper, who both came into the game averaging eight points.
Wesley, who came through with 10 of his 12 points in the second half, grabbed eight rebounds and was named tournament MVP. Terrell Lyday added 12 points for BYU.
Lyday and Arceneaux were named to the all-tournament team along with Mike Vanderhoff of Western Oregon and Chris Miller of Texas Southern.

Staley Reinjures Knee in Practice, May Miss Bowl (Deseret News)
See: http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145010300,00.html?
About an hour into BYU's first post-season football practice, freshman sensation Luke Staley aggravated his ACL injury when trying to make a cut on a snowy field. Associate media relations director Jeff Reynolds said, "It could be nothing. Fortunately, he was wearing a brace that may have prevented his knee from tearing more."
More should be known about Staley's status for the bowl game today, and any information will be posted at CougarFan.com as soon as it becomes available.

Women Spikers' Season Ends at Hands of No. 4 Florida (BYUCougars.com)
See: http://www.byucougars.com/volleyball_w/results/19991210_wvlb_res.html
BYU�s inability to handle the strong serving of No. 4-ranked Florida proved to be the difference Friday as the Cougars were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in three games by the powerful Gator team.
The Cougars fell behind early in the first game, 6-1, but fought back to within one point at 12-11 on a Nina Puikkonen and Caroline Bower block before losing the game 15-12. The Cougars dropped the final two games 15-8, 15-10.
"Florida was very tough tonight, but I think we could have played better," senior Mari Carpenter said. Florida, who has advance to the Final Four in each of the past three seasons and five of the last seven, improves to 33-2 overall with the win and advanced to the East
Regional finals Saturday.

BYU Needs to Ante Up for Indoor Practice Facility (Provo Daily Herald)
See: http://www.heraldextra.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports/552525817CDEC42687256845002D235F
BYU's football team took the practice field on Friday in a snowstorm, and the results were less than desirable. The team did the best they could to run their routes and execute their offense, but when you're slipping and sliding on a snowy field, it's kind of hard to perform. Many feel that BYU's 7-13-1 record in bowl games is a result of not being able to prepare.
"There is some light at teh end of the tunnel," said athletic director Val Hale, referring to the proposed indoor practice facility and office complex that's still in the planning stages. Currently, the coaching staff is telling recruits that the facility should be completed within their collegiate careers.

Hey, Disbelievers: Cougs Were Right, You Were Wrong (Provo Daily Herald)
See: http://www.heraldextra.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports/FE3707D36CC7E32487256845002D322B
At the beginning of basketball season, Mekeli Wesley predicted that this year's version of BYU basketball would win 18 games this season, and those who believed him were few and far between. Now, with the Cougars sitting at 6-1, owning victories over quality opponents such as Arizona State and Weber State, Wesley's prognostication is looking more and more achievable.
"I still think that's a good number," Wesley says. "I still think that's an attainable goal. We don't use the word rebuilding around here anymore. It doesn't fit. We have higher expectations." Wesley understands the importance of staying level-headed though. "We can't let six wins go to our heads," he added. "It's a loooong season."

Super QB Paces Herd to Perfection (Standard Examiner)
See: http://www1.standard.net/stories/byu/12-1999/FTP0235@byu@10marshall@Ogden.asp
One half of the success that Randy Moss enjoyed during his collegiate career is still playing ball at Marshall. Chad Pennington, who connected with Moss for score after score, had his finest year of football yet as a senior for the Thundering Herd. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career came during the second half of the Mid-American Conference championship a week and a half ago, when he led his team to an amazing comeback over Western Michigan.
Pennington was one of five collegians invited to the Downtown Athletic Club over the weekend to participate in the Heisman festivities, which is impressive, considering the lack of respect that the small school has received en route to a perfect 12-0 season. Besides a 13-10 victory over Clemson to open the year, and the last-second squeaker in their conference championship, Marshall has pasted just about everybody they've played. Now BYU hopes that they can buck that trend.

Y Hoop Fans Missing Revival (Deseret News)
See: http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145010692,00.html?
With one of the premier basketball arenas in the nation, BYU stood near the top of the attendance rankings throughout most of the 1980's. For the last few years, however, not many fans have made it through the Marriott Center's portals. Partly due to the "down years," and partly influenced by other factors, fan support has dwindled to an average of under 10,000 in the 22,000 capacity forum. Fans should realize that if they're waiting for the team's restoration to its glory days, the future is now. This is an exciting team to watch, and they're playing quality ball.
Also important to keep in mind is the fact that crowd support will help the team in close games. Speaking of the fans at Saturday night's Cougar Classic championship game against Weber State, coach Cleveland said, "It was a nice crowd tonight and they were really supportive. We need them. I'm not going to go out in the public and plead for the fans to come out. But I believe this group (of players) really responds when people are in the stands"

Other Articles featured at CougarFan.com
See: http://CougarFan.com

Weber State's Woes in Provo Continue (Deseret News)

Coach / Player Quotes from the BYU - Weber St. Game (CougarFan.com)

Cougars Unwrap a Winning Team Ahead of Schedule (Provo Daily Herald)

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: Pro Watch (12/13/99) Date: 13 Dec 1999 23:10:09 -0700 Pro Watch - 12/13/99

National Football League

Week 13

Player Stats Result

Travis Hall, Atlanta 5 tackles, 2 sacks W: Atlanta 35, New Orleans 12

Lee Johnson, New England 4 punts, 162 yds, 40.5 avg. W: New England 13, Dallas 6

Chad Lewis, Philadelphia 1 rec, 11 yds, 1 TD L: Arizona 21, Philly 17

Spencer Reid, Indianapolis 1 tackle (special teams) W: Indianapolis 37, Miami 34

Played, but no stats: Itula Mili, Seattle (backup TE); John Tait, Kansas City (backup Tackle);
Larry Moore, Indianapolis (starting Center); Kurt Gouveia, Washington (backup Linebacker);
Morris Unutoa, Tampa Bay (Long Snapper);

Did not play: Ty Detmer, Cleveland (backup QB); Steve Young, San Francisco (concussion);
Tim McTyer, Cleveland (injured-arm); Jason Andersen, New England (backup Center);
Dustin Johnson, Seattle (injured); Evan Pilgrim, Atlanta (not active); Joe Wong, Miami (injured);

Week 14

Player Stats Result

Travis Hall, Atlanta 6 tackles, 1 pass defl. L: San Francisco 26, Atlanta 7

Lee Johnson, New England 5 punts, 222 yds, 44.4 avg. L: Indianapolis 20, New England 15

Ty Detmer, Cleveland 6-13, 89 yds, 1 TD, 0 Int W: Cincinnati 44, Cleveland 28

Chad Lewis, Philadelphia 1 rec, 19 yds, 0 TDs L: Dallas 20, Philly 10

Spencer Reid, Indianapolis 1 tackle (special teams) W: Indianapolis 20, New England 15

Played, but no stats: Itula Mili, Seattle (backup TE); John Tait, Kansas City (backup Tackle);
Larry Moore, Indianapolis (starting Center); Morris Unutoa, Tampa Bay (Long Snapper);
Jason Andersen, New England (backup Center);

Did not play:Steve Young, San Francisco (concussion); Tim McTyer, Cleveland (injured-arm);
Dustin Johnson, Seattle (injured); Evan Pilgrim, Atlanta (not active); Joe Wong, Miami (injured);
Kurt Gouveia, Washington (backup Linebacker);

National Basketball Association

Player

Shawn Bradley (C), Dallas Mavericks

DATE OPP RESULT MIN FGM-A FTM-A OFF DEF TOT AST ST BL TO PF PTS

12/11 Suns W 120-115 19 1-4 1-2 2 4 6 0 2 4 0 3 3

12/ 8 @ Jazz L 79-85 24 5-9 2-2 3 4 7 1 1 1 0 3 12

12/ 7 Grizzlies L 95-104 29 2-5 0-0 0 4 4 0 0 6 1 6 4

12/ 5 @ Bucks L 97-103 22 0-8 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 3 0

12/ 4 @ T'wolves W 103-84 38 3-5 1-2 1 8 9 1 1 2 2 4 7

12/ 2 @ Bulls W 101-95 23 2-2 2-2 0 5 5 1 0 6 0 6 6

11/ 30 @ Cavs L 99-106 26 5-6 1-2 2 1 3 1 0 1 2 4 11

11/ 29 @ Knicks L 82-107 28 6-8 3-4 0 3 3 3 0 2 1 2 15

Bradley currently ranks 4th in the NBA in Blocks per Game (2.95).

Danny Ainge Bails as Suns Coach for Family Reasons (The Sporting News)
See: http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/articles/19991227/199967.html
"For Danny Ainge, the choice was as simple as it was difficult. Being a father and husband, he decided, was more important than being an NBA coach.
"Just six weeks into the season, Ainge abruptly resigned as coach of the Phoenix Suns on Monday because he said he needed to devote more attention to his wife and six children."

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: BBall Rankings, Stats Date: 13 Dec 1999 23:59:48 -0700

Basketball Rankings, Stats

National Rankings

BYU and Opponents

USA
Today AP Sagarin's
Comp. Rank RPI* Result

BYU - - 43 111

Southern Utah - - 218 288 W 92-64

Arizona 3 4 1 1 L 62-86

Denver - - 303 287 W 81-58

Arizona State - - 86 87 W 78-67

Texas Southern - - 224 256 W 76-61

Weber St - - 158 142 W 66-53

South Carolina St - - 304 297 Next

South Alabama - - 219 266

Florida Intl - - - 199

UC Santa Barbara - - 221 205

UC Irvine - - 129 125

Utah St - - 123 150

UNLV - 42 31 44

Utah 25 28 67 212

Wyoming - - 87 121

Colorado St - - 120 52

Air Force - - 259 271

New Mexico - - 107 95

San Diego St - - 258 160

* RPI = The RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. It is used by the NCAA as one of their factors in deciding which teams to invite to the NCAA tournament and where to seed them.

National Statistics

Team Statistics for BYU
(National Ranking, Statistic)

Category Rank Stat

Field Goal Percentage
8
51.6%

Free Throw Percentage
13
77.1%

Individual Statistics for BYU Players
Players in the Top 50 Nationally

Player Category
Rank
Statistic

Mekeli Wesley Scoring 13 22.2 pts/g

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: News Recap (12/15/99) Date: 15 Dec 1999 15:37:41 -0700 News Recap (12/15/99)
Selected articles included here. See all the latest news at: http://CougarFan.com

Click here for Christmas g= ifts
at the CougarFanzz Store!<= /center>

Danny Ainge Bails as Suns Coach for Family Reasons (The Spor= ting News)
See: http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/articles/19991227/199967.html
Related articles:
http://www.azcentral.c= om/news/1214ainge.shtml
http://www.= azcentral.com/sports/suns/1214colangelo.shtml
http://www= .azcentral.com/sports/columns/1214casscol.shtml
Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, former BYU star Danny Ainge resigned from his position as head coach of the Phoenix Suns on Monday. "I love coaching, but anybody can coach," Ainge said.&nb= sp; "My wife has just one husband and my children have just one father. Some of you may think I'm jumping ship. I don't believe I'm jumping ship. I'm diving overboard to save my family."
"Danny is a unique person and a good friend," the Suns' Rex Chapman said. "For him to walk away from one of the best jobs in pro sports for the sake of his family makes a heck of a statement."

Cougars Closer to Postseason Play (Standard-Examiner)
See: http://www1.standard.net/stories/byu/12-1999/FTP0295= @byu@14byunotes@Ogden.asp
Prior to this season, BYU basketball coach Steve Cleveland said, "From this point forward, our goal will always be to qualify for postseason pla= y." With a good start to the season, the team has proven that their goal shou= ld be attainable this year. At the beginning of last week, the Cougars sat at 3-1 and had three quality teams on the upcoming schedule. After winning all three games, the Cougs have to be feeling good about their situation. "Going 3-0 this week was huge for us," said Mekeli Wesley. "It will help us a lot as the season goes on."
"This was a big week for us, especially in terms of reaching our goal of playing after the season is over," added Cleveland. "But still, we haven't reached the level this team will be capable of in upcoming yea= rs." He also added, "We still have some very tough games ahead of us this year= ."

Hendershot, Reynolds Receive All-America Honors (BYUCougars.= com)
See: http://www.byucougars.com/soccer_w/releases/19991214_wsoc_rel.h= tml
Maren Hendershot, a senior forward from Colorado Springs, Colorado was named to the First Team NSCAA/Adidas All-America, while teammate Staci Reynolds, a junior defender from Salt Lake City, Utah was named Second Team NSCAA/Adidas All-America. This is the second All-America citat= ion for Hendershot and the first for Reynolds.
The duo were also honored as NSCAA/Adidas West All-Region First Team earlier this month. Another BYU Cougar, junior forward Sara Reading from Plano, Texas was named to the NSCAA/Adidas West All-Region Second Team.
BYU=92s women=92s soccer team finished the 1999 season ranked 20th nat= ionally after compiling a 21-4, 5-1 record, a first-ever Mountain West Conference title, and a third straight NCAA championships appearance.

Wesley Collects MWC Player of the Week Award (mountainwestco= nf.com)
See: http://www.fansonly.com/schools/mwc/sports/m-baskbl/sp= ec-rel/121399aaa.html
Drawing off the strength of a 26 point performance against Arizona Sta= te, Mekeli Wesley was named the Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Pla= yer of The Week. Wesley averaged 20.6 points (23-44 from the field) and 9 rebounds per game over a three-game span. He shot 76 percent from the foul line (16-21), including a MWC-high 14 free throws made in 18 attempt= s vs. Arizona State. Wesley also dished out seven assists and had six steals for the week.
Wesley leads BYU in scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg) in 199= 9. This is his first player of the week honor this season and the second of his career.

Morris Named 2nd Team All American (Utah County Journal)
See: http://www.ucjournal.com/StoryLink.php3?id=3D1249372&c=3D= 1130302&s=3D8
Although he missed four and a half games during the middle of the seas= on with injury, Rob Morris was named to AP's All-America second team on Mond= ay. The link above includes a complete listing of the AP's first, second and third teams.

Look Out Basketball World, Here Come the Cougars (Deseret News)
See: = http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145010906,00.html?
A confessed BYU basketball skeptic, columnist Jared Eborn has admitted that the Cougars are back. In his weekly rankings of the collegiate teams in the state, he moved BYU up one notch over Utah State, but left them behind Weber State, saying that the Wildcats had a bad week.
He predicts that the Cougars will beat South Carolina State on Saturda= y, running their record to 7-1.

Other Articles featured at CougarFan.com
See: http://CougarFan.com

MWC Basketball Teams Appear to Be Improving (Deseret News)

Suns' Thoughts on Ainge's Retirement (NBA.com)

Ainge's Laudable Choice Might Mean More Time for Us (Deseret News)=

Ainge by the Numbers (CBS Sportsline)

Basketball Rankings / Stats (CougarFan.com)

BYU Divers Score High at SLAP Invite (Salt Lake Tribune)

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: Call's Court Date: 15 Dec 1999 22:48:08 -0700 --------------A1465218C1C3F2FF1A96AF6C Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit [CougarFan.com] Call's Court Every Wednesday, assistant basketball coach Nathan Call answers your questions in a feature named Call's Court! Email your questions to "callscourt@cougarfan.com" anytime during the week. One person will be chosen each week to win a BYU basketball T-shirt! This week's winner is marked with **. Email your questions today! Remember to include your full name and hometown. Question From Ed Clayson: I really enjoyed watching the first 30 minutes of the Arizona game. The last 10 minutes the cougs seemed to have a hard time running their offense, and the defense didn't play as tough. Was this due to something Arizona was doing, or do you think the cougars were just worn out? The spacing looked much better this game than in years past. Is this something you have practiced this year? Coach Call: After watching the film of the game it was easy to see, we played great offensive game for 30 minutes. Our defense was solid during the entire game except for a few missed rebound block out assignments. We were able to match their energy and kept their crowd out of the game, until we stop scoring in the second half. This was a result of mental mistakes on offense, turnovers, or missed lay-ups, which led to easy basket for them. There crowd really came alive and we lost energy. I don't think we wore down physically. We have made a lot of improvements on offense. There are many reasons why we are better. The main reason the spacing looks better is our players have played in Coach Cleveland system for a period of time. We have 6 players back from last year and the team played 6 games in Europe this past summer. With talent being equal, the veteran team will always play better than an inexperienced team. **Question From Brent Romney: There was a kid out of Liberty, MO who was a pretty good basketball player. So good, in fact, that Stanford offered him a scholarship, even willing to hold the scholarship until the young man finished a special task. The task, a 2-year Mormon mission for this young son of a black father and Caucasian mother. His name....Nick Robinson. Where was BYU in the recruiting process? How does one of the top rated programs in the country find and recruit this LDS kid, even holding his scholarship for his mission, when BYU is no where to be found? Coach Call: We are very familiar with Nick and his abilities. The entire coaching staff saw Nick play the summer before his senoir year. There are many young LDS men who have great basketball abilities across the country. We wish everyone of them could come to BYU and have a scholarship. We are limited by the NCAA to 13 scholarships. When Coach Cleveland was hired at BYU there were 14 players promised scholarships. This was a very interesting time for BYU basketball. Coach Cleveland knew he had to improve the talent level to win but he didn't have any scholsrships to do it. Coach has done a great job of fixing this problem and improving our team at the same time. We could have used more scholarships that year but we didn't have enough to sign every player we wanted. It would be great to have a young man like Nick in our program. We signed two great high school players in the same class as Nick. Mark Bigelow, the 1999 WAC Freshmen of the year, is currently on a mission in Florida. Daniel Bobik, one of the top high shool players in Southern California, is the other player who is also on a mission in the Dominican Republic. Recruiting is the life blood of every program. We have worked extremely hard these past two years. Our efforts are paying off. The BYU basketball recruiting class for this year is ranked #28 in the country by ESPN. We are still very high on the list of another great high school player that might push us into the top #15. The coaching staff is very excited about this season and the future of the program. Question from John Flagg: The team seems to be playing the best defense I've seen in years. I notice the coach's get on everyone's case for defensive mistakes, or lack of effort (concentration) except Wesley, and to me he is probably the weakest player on D. Is this just my perception, as I only see games and not practice, or is Wesley treated differently? Coach Call: We started the year focusing on defense. We understand we need to become a more consistent defensive and rebounding team. When an opponent scores on one single player he also scores on the other players on the court, the BYU coaching staff, the other players on the bench, and the fans. We are all in this together. We take pride in our team. We win as a team and we lose as a team. Everyone is accountable to the team, even the student managers. We look at every possession in practice and in the games to point out the defensive break downs. Mekeli has improved his defensive a lot since last year. He has worked hard on becoming a better defensive player. Sometimes in practice we have video taped just one player to show them how they are playing defensively. Mekeli has been singled out more than any other player that our players started call it "the Mekeli CAM". Question from Lee Tanner: I noticed in the Weber State game that Matt Montague's man would sag off of him and onto Wesley. Matt was very hesitant to shoot and when he did he was not very effective. What kinds of things can and will the coaches do to assist Matt in knowing when to shoot and to make a better percentage of his shots? Coach Call: Matt is doing a great job running the team this year. Both he and Todd have played well at the point guard position for us. It is great having two solid point guards because sometimes players have off nights. Matt and Todd will not be asked to score a lot of points for us this year, but they need to hit the open shot when they are left open. Our players know what is a good shot and what is a bad shot, because we talk about it everyday in practice. We watch film after every game. We also work on skill development in practice everyday, which includes shooting. We are not concerned with Matt's percentage. It will go up because he works extremely hard on it everyday. Matt is becoming more comfortable with his shot each game. He understands he will become a more effect point guard the better shooter he becomes. The more games he plays the more confident he becomes. --------------A1465218C1C3F2FF1A96AF6C Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Call's Court

Every Wednesday, assistant basketball coach Nathan Call answers your questions in a feature named Call's Court! Email your questions to "callscourt@cougarfan.com" anytime during the week. One person will be chosen each week to win a BYU basketball T-shirt! This week's winner is marked with **.
Email your questions today! Remember to include your full name and hometown.
Question From Ed Clayson: I really enjoyed watching the first 30 minutes of the Arizona game. The last 10 minutes the cougs seemed to have a hard time running their offense, and the defense didn't play as tough. Was this due to something Arizona was doing, or do you think the cougars were just worn out? The spacing looked much better this game than in years past. Is this something you have practiced this year?
Coach Call: After watching the film of the game it was easy to see, we played great offensive game for 30 minutes. Our defense was solid during the entire game except for a few missed rebound block out assignments. We were able to match their energy and kept their crowd out of the game, until we stop scoring in the second half. This was a result of mental mistakes on offense, turnovers, or missed lay-ups, which led to easy basket for them. There crowd really came alive and we lost energy. I don't think we wore down physically. We have made a lot of improvements on offense. There are many reasons why we are better. The main reason the spacing looks better is our players have played in Coach Cleveland system for a period of time. We have 6 players back from last year and the team played 6 games in Europe this past summer. With talent being equal, the veteran team will always play better than an inexperienced team.
**Question From Brent Romney: There was a kid out of Liberty, MO who was a pretty good basketball player. So good, in fact, that Stanford offered him a scholarship, even willing to hold the scholarship until the young man finished a special task. The task, a 2-year Mormon mission for this young son of a black father and Caucasian mother. His name....Nick Robinson. Where was BYU in the recruiting process? How does one of the top rated programs in the country find and recruit this LDS kid, even holding his scholarship for his mission, when BYU is no where to be found?
Coach Call: We are very familiar with Nick and his abilities. The entire coaching staff saw Nick play the summer before his senoir year. There are many young LDS men who have great basketball abilities across the country. We wish everyone of them could come to BYU and have a scholarship. We are limited by the NCAA to 13 scholarships. When Coach Cleveland was hired at BYU there were 14 players promised scholarships. This was a very interesting time for BYU basketball. Coach Cleveland knew he had to improve the talent level to win but he didn't have any scholsrships to do it. Coach has done a great job of fixing this problem and improving our team at the same time. We could have used more scholarships that year but we didn't have enough to sign every player we wanted. It would be great to have a young man like Nick in our program.
We signed two great high school players in the same class as Nick. Mark Bigelow, the 1999 WAC Freshmen of the year, is currently on a mission in Florida. Daniel Bobik, one of the top high shool players in Southern California, is the other player who is also on a mission in the Dominican Republic. Recruiting is the life blood of every program. We have worked extremely hard these past two years. Our efforts are paying off. The BYU basketball recruiting class for this year is ranked #28 in the country by ESPN. We are still very high on the list of another great high school player that might push us into the top #15. The coaching staff is very excited about this season and the future of the program.
Question from John Flagg: The team seems to be playing the best defense I've seen in years. I notice the coach's get on everyone's case for defensive mistakes, or lack of effort (concentration) except Wesley, and to me he is probably the weakest player on D. Is this just my perception, as I only see games and not practice, or is Wesley treated differently?
Coach Call: We started the year focusing on defense. We understand we need to become a more consistent defensive and rebounding team. When an opponent scores on one single player he also scores on the other players on the court, the BYU coaching staff, the other players on the bench, and the fans. We are all in this together. We take pride in our team. We win as a team and we lose as a team. Everyone is accountable to the team, even the student managers.
We look at every possession in practice and in the games to point out the defensive break downs. Mekeli has improved his defensive a lot since last year. He has worked hard on becoming a better defensive player. Sometimes in practice we have video taped just one player to show them how they are playing defensively. Mekeli has been singled out more than any other player that our players started call it "the Mekeli CAM".
Question from Lee Tanner: I noticed in the Weber State game that Matt Montague's man would sag off of him and onto Wesley. Matt was very hesitant to shoot and when he did he was not very effective. What kinds of things can and will the coaches do to assist Matt in knowing when to shoot and to make a better percentage of his shots?
Coach Call: Matt is doing a great job running the team this year. Both he and Todd have played well at the point guard position for us. It is great having two solid point guards because sometimes players have off nights. Matt and Todd will not be asked to score a lot of points for us this year, but they need to hit the open shot when they are left open.
Our players know what is a good shot and what is a bad shot, because we talk about it everyday in practice. We watch film after every game. We also work on skill development in practice everyday, which includes shooting. We are not concerned with Matt's percentage. It will go up because he works extremely hard on it everyday. Matt is becoming more comfortable with his shot each game. He understands he will become a more effect point guard the better shooter he becomes. The more games he plays the more confident he becomes.

--------------A1465218C1C3F2FF1A96AF6C--
Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: Pro Watch (12/20/99) Date: 20 Dec 1999 22:17:42 -0700 Pro Watch - 12/20/99

National Football League

Week 15

Player Stats Result

Travis Hall, Atlanta 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble L: Tennessee 30, Atlanta 17

Lee Johnson, New England 6 punts, 297 yds, 49.5 avg. L: Philadelphia 24, New England 9

Ty Detmer, Cleveland 13-24, 153 yds, 1 TD, 0 Int L: Jacksonville 24, Cleveland 14

Chad Lewis, Philadelphia 1 rec, 4 yds, 0 TDs W: Philadelphia 24, New England 9

Spencer Reid, Indianapolis 1 tackle (special teams) W: Indianapolis 24, Washington 21

Itula Mili, Seattle 1 rec, 8 yds, 0 TDs L: Denver 36, Seattle 30

Played, but no stats: John Tait, Kansas City (starting Tackle);
Larry Moore, Indianapolis (starting Center); Morris Unutoa, Tampa Bay (Long Snapper);
Kurt Gouveia, Washington (backup Linebacker);

Did not play:Steve Young, San Francisco (concussion); Tim McTyer, Cleveland (injured-arm);
Dustin Johnson, Seattle (injured); Evan Pilgrim, Atlanta (not active); Joe Wong, Miami (injured);
Jason Andersen, New England (backup Center);

National Basketball Association

Player

Shawn Bradley (C), Dallas Mavericks

DATE OPP RESULT MIN FGM-A FTM-A OFF DEF TOT AST ST BL TO PF PTS

12/18 T'wolves L 104-108 35 5-13 2-2 5 5 10 3 0 2 0 1 12

12/16 Knicks L 93-100 27 4-5 0-2 3 7 10 0 0 4 0 2 8

12/14 Spurs L 93-111 35 3-8 0-0 2 7 9 3 2 6 2 6 6

Bradley currently ranks 4th in the NBA in Blocks per Game (2.95).

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: News Recap (12/21/99) Date: 21 Dec 1999 13:12:37 -0700 News Recap (12/21/99)
Selected articles included here. See all the latest news at: http://CougarFan.com

Click here for the
CougarFanzz Store!

Cougars Kick It Into High Gear (Provo Daily Herald)
See: http://www.heraldextra.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports/A81BD33FFFAF215B8725684D0027A4AC
Over the weekend, the BYU football team got two solid workouts in, highlighted by pass scrimmages. This week, the work will be directly connected to scouting reports and film sessions of #11 Marshall, BYU's opponent in December 27th's Motor City Bowl. So far, players and coaches alike have been impressed by the tape on the Thundering Herd.
Luke Staley's condition is still day-to-day, and he is expected to see "guarded appearances" in practice this week, as team physicians keep an eye on his left knee, which is sore following a scope procedure to prepare a torn ligament.

ESPN Calls BYU Basketball a Team to Watch (ESPN.com)
See: http://espn.go.com/ncb/s/991220weeklywatch.html
Included in ESPN.com's list of teams to watch is Brigham Young. The blurb on the Cougars states, "Steve Cleveland has turned the corner with the Cougars. BYU is 7-1, and now that Silester Rivers is healthy, the Cougars have a realistic chance to challenge for the top three in the Mountain West. If BYU can get through winnable road games at South Alabama, Florida International and UC Santa Barbara, the Cougars should be taken very seriously."

Heshi Robertson Happy for Second Chance (Deseret News)
See: http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145013009,00.html?
After starting 24 games for BYU the past two seasons, senior cornerback Heshimu Robertson will finally play in his first bowl as a Cougar in the Dec. 27 Motor City Bowl. But that fact is not what has him excited for the upcoming experience. Turns out, the game will be an impromptu reunion for the Robertson clan. Hedgemon Robertson, Heshi's father, has several family members who live in Detroit. "That's the excitement for me," said the 5-foot-9 senior from Long Beach, CA. "I've got 10 tickets, and I'm going to get eight or 10 more for my dad's family."
Robertson was suspended before the 1998 Liberty Bowl for violating the school's honor code, and he says it was his family that helped him through that tough situation. "Last year, I had the best Christmas in my life," he said. "I saw my family, and I spent a lot of time with them. I needed that. They are number one in my life, and they gave me motivation (to return to BYU)." Robertson has never watched the Cougars' loss to Tulane in the Liberty Bowl, and he said he doesn't plan to in the future. Nor does he dwell on the suspension. "I got over that obstacle I my life," he said. "It's in the past now."

Younger Ainge Scores 32 in HS Tourney with Dad Watching (Las Vegas Sun)
See: http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bk-prep/1999/dec/20/509615345.html
Just a week ago, Austin Ainge could only have dreamed he'd look up into the stands at this week's Reebok Holiday Prep Classic and see his father. Yet that's exactly where Danny Ainge sat on Saturday, watching his eldest son's opening-round game at Green Valley High School five days after his stunning announcement that he was resigning as the Phoenix Suns head coach.
"It feels strange," Danny Ainge said. "Phoenix is playing Sacramento tonight, and I feel like I'm missing something. "I want to be there, but obviously I'm excited to be here. I had to make some tough choices, and just participating in these kinds of events was one aspect of my decision."
On Saturday, the younger Ainge's Highland club fell, 64-60 in double overtime to Jordan High of Long Beach, CA, but not before the 6-2 point guard displayed the skills that have already earned him a scholarship to BYU -- his father's alma matter. With a shooting touch reminiscent of his father's, Ainge knocked down three 3-pointers and converted 15-of-20 attempts from the line. He also showed an ability to create shots off the dribble, challenging Jordan's highly touted 6-8 center Travon Bryant in the pant on more than one occasion. Ainge finished with 32 points -- more than any other player on Day One of the tournament. He also played his best with the pressure on, calmly sinking a long 3-pointer at the buzzer of the first overtime to extend the game.

Former Cougar Lineman Bateman Publishes Church Book (Daily Herald)
See: http://www.daily-herald.com/dh/dhtoday.nsf/Sports/A1226CA60914F6258725684B002A68A5
Former BYU lineman Eric Bateman has traded in his shoulder pads for pens. Along with Deseret Book, Bateman has published a three-volume historical church work called "The Prophets Have Spoken." He got the idea for the project as a missionary in Ohio, and began work on it while at BYU.
The work, which is comprised of three 1100 page volumes, contains every public speech on record by LDS Church presidents. "It is a very valuable addition," said Robert Millet, Dean of Religious Instruction at BYU. "What Eric's work has done is provide sermons in their entirety and in context which is very valuable."

Frustrated Young Watches and Waits to Decide His Future (San Jose Mercury News)
See: http://www.sjmercury.com/columnists/killion/docs/ak121599.htm
For most of the past 11 weeks, Young has buttoned up his discouragement with being unable to play football and marched through his routine. He is at the 49ers facility. He is on the sidelines. He is in the meeting rooms. He is everywhere except in uniform and on the field.
"Despite the fact that I can't play, I think that I should stay the course and be disciplined about it," he said. "I hoped that I could keep the continuity of the guys in the meeting room, to help the team stay focused. You do whatever you can do. It's what you do as a professional."
And what you also do as a professional football player is avoid making an off-season decision until the off-season. Which is why Young won't say what he plans to do, doesn't even seem sure himself what he plans to do. "I can't play and I want to play," he said. "If I stay focused and intent on what's happening with my team, then I can make a more rational decision at a more rational time, which is the off-season. I'm trying to keep it really simple. I figure the bigger stuff will just come over time."

Other Articles featured at CougarFan.com
See: http://CougarFan.com

Heshi Robertson Happy for Second Chance (Deseret News)

Cougs Land Hot Lineman Recruit (Provo Daily Herald)

List of BYU Football Recruits (Provo Daily Herald)

Contrary to Reports, Meads Hasn't Made Up His Mind (Deseret News)

Michigan-Bound Cougars Have a Tour Guide (Deseret News)

Possible Football Recruit Eating His Way to Success (South Carolina Herald)

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: FB Pre-game: Marshall -- Monday 11:30 a.m. MST Date: 24 Dec 1999 15:56:09 -0700 Merry Christmas!

FB Pre-game: Marshall

Quick Facts

Team Marshall University Thundering Herd

Location Pontiac, MI

Day Monday, 12/27/99

Time 11:30 p.m. MST

Television ESPN

Internet Radio http://www.KSL.com

Records BYU 8-3, Marshall 12-0

Latest Line Marshall by 3.0 points

Game Overview

BYU makes its 22nd bowl appearance since 1974 on Monday. It is the 11th bowl in which the Cougars have participated, and one of the few bowl games in the county featuring two ranked teams. Although Monday's forecast for the Detroit area calls for snow and freezing temperatures, the players may get too warm during the contest, as they will be protected in the Pontiac Silverdome, home of the Detroit Lions. This marks the first time in BYU's history that they have played in a dome. This year's game offers eerie similarites to last year's Liberty Bowl, in that the Cougars received an at-large bid to play against an undefeated team that is led by a high-profile quarterback. Last year's opponent, Tulane, entered the game ranked #10, while Marsall is currently ranked #11. According to team members, there is one big difference from last year -- the players are ready to go this time. At the end of last season, BYU lost stars Ronney Jenkins and Heshi Robertson to Honor Code suspensions, and some players just gave up and "went through the motions" in preparation for the Liberty Bowl. Practices have been much more energized this year, and the team feels prepared for their matchup with Marshall.
The Cougars gained one thing from Tulane last year -- the shotgun. Its implementation seemed to revitalize this year's squad, and the result was plenty of yards and scores. As the season progressed, however, the Y's offense seemed to bog down a little, and the team ended the regular season on a sour note with two straight losses that dropped them into a three-way tie for the MWC Championship. While many factors had a hand in the late-season slide, popular opinion says that the loss of effective running backs to injury had the biggest impact on the team. Freshmen Luke Staley and Fahu Tahi were both hobbled during the last few games, and Staley missed the final two losses. While Tahi is back to 100 percent, Staley once again tweaked his knee in practice a couple of weeks ago, and is listed as day-to-day. Fullback Kalani Sitake is out for the season after breaking his leg at Wyoming, but Donny Atuaia is available to step in for him. If the Cougars can run the ball effectively, it will prevent Marshall from following the lead of the teams that have beaten the Y by dropping seven or eight defenders into pass coverage.
BYU's defense has played solidly throughout the year, but statistically has done much better since the season's midpoint. Through the first five games, the Cougar D was allowing 117 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD, 2 passing TDs and 29 points per game. Over the last six games, opponents have only mustered 10 total touchdowns, six of which came in the last two games. The opponents' scoring average also dropped, going to 14.2 points per game. Through the first five games, the defense had recorded 11 sacks, while over the last five games, BYU has registered 30 sacks. The Cougar defense has recorded at least one interception in nine of their last 10 games.
Marshall is a program with an interesting history. In November of 1970, a tragic airplane crash claimed the lives of all 75 players, along with the entire coaching staff. The next twenty years saw Marshall struggle to rebuild, but by the mid 1980s, the team had become one of the elite DI-AA programs in the nation. In 1991, the Herd made a great post-season run, but fell to Youngstown State in the DI-AA National Championship. The following season, Marshall exacted revenge, defeating Youngstown State 31-28 to claim its first ever national championship. In 1996, the Thundering Herd repeated as national champions, with freshman Randy Moss making a name for himself. The following year, Marshall made its way back to Division 1-A football for the first time in nearly 30 years, and Moss broke the NCAA record for touchdown catches in a season with 25. Chad Pennington broke Ty Detmer's record of TD passes by a sophomore, leading the nation with 39. Although Moss left to play in the NFL after a sensational sophomore year, the team has stayed solid. Since rejoining the D-I ranks, Marshall has posted records of 10-3, 12-1, and 12-0, and has qualified for a Motor City Bowl berth each year. 1999 marks the Thundering Herd's 16th consecutive winning season, and ninth consecutive season with 10 or more wins. This unit from a small town in West Virginia entered the 1999 season as the only team in the nation with over 100 wins in the 1990s. After making it through the entire season undefeated, the Herd found themselves teetering on the brink of disaster in the Mid-American Conference Championship when Western Michigan took a 23-0 lead on them midway through the third quarter. However, Marshall rallied, making a dramatic comback to win the game 34-30 as time ran out. The thriller kept their NCAA-leading streak of 16 consecutive wins alive.
Marshall's offense usually doesn't waste any time in moving the ball downfield. About two-thirds of the Herd's scoring drives this season have taken less than three minutes to orchestrate. Senior quarterback Chad Pennington came in fifth in the Heisman ballotting, and is a projected first-round NFL draft pick. He has a big frame and a strong arm, and used it this season to complete 68 percent of his passes for 3,800 yards, 37 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions. His 100th career TD pass came in the closing seconds of the Mid-American Championship win over Western Michigan.
Although Marshall's offense makes all the headlines, their defense is also tough as nails. Ranked #2 nationally in scoring defense, MU has only allowed 11 points per game this season, and has knocked a handful of quarterbacks out of games through the course of the year. A close inspection of the team statistics listed below is enough to show just how well-rounded this unit is. Their front seven is possibly the most talented that the Cougars will face this year, and their defensive backfield boasts two players ranked nationally in the top 50 for interceptions.

Implications

BYU can regain some of the early-season hype that it enjoyed by knocking off a highly ranked, undefeated opponent. A loss would put the Cougars at 0-5 in bowl games played east of the Mississippi River.
Marshall wants to finish the season as one of only two undefeated teams in the nation. While they are favored to win, they know that BYU will be the stiffest test they have faced this season. A loss would give credence to the argument that their record has come as a result of a weak schedule.

Players to Watch

BYU
#3 Brian Gray (DB) -- "Gray Death" will be looking to shut down one of the most potent passing games in the nation. Over the season, teams have learned not to throw in the direction of this all-MWC cornerback, but with Marshall's offense, he ought to see plenty of action on Monday.
#7, Kevin Feterik (QB) -- For the first time in quite a while, this lefty will be considered the "other" quarterback on the field. His strong senior season has helped to land him a prominent place in the fabled BYU quarterback record books, and he will be looking to end his career as a Cougar on a high note.
#14, Margin Hooks (WR) -- His 1,067 yards receiving in 1999 were the best in the conference, and his seven TD catches were a team best. He's on pace to become the leading receiver in BYU history early in his senior season next fall.
#44, Rob Morris (LB) -- The "Freight Train" passed up the NFL to come back for one more season at the Y. He has proven that he's all heart as he ranked second on the team in tackles, despite missing 4 1/2 games early in the season due to injury. His leadership will be key to slowing Marshall's offensive attack.

Marshall
#3, Nate Poole (WR) -- This tall, lanky junior is the favorite target of Chad Pennington. He ran track for Marshall this spring and had success in the triple jump and 4 x 100 meter relays. With over 70 receptions and over 1100 yards on the season, he has attracted a lot of attention from pro scouts.
#10, Chad Pennington (QB) -- The heart and soul of the team, Pennington is one of the most productive quarterbacks in NCAA history. He is one of only 10 QBs to have thrown for over 100 career touchdowns. Throughout the course of this season, he has been a candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, the Heisman Trophy, and practically every other conceivable award. Though not necessarily nimble-footed, his 33-yard rumble set up the game-winning score in Marshall's conference championship victory. You can visit the official Chad Pennington site at http://www.HerdQB.com and find out more about him.
#42, Rogers Beckett (DB) -- Last year as a junior, this free safety recorded 108 tackles. Beckett was the only player from the MAC to be listed on the Thorpe Award "watch list." He sat out for a month after suffering a concussion at the end of October, but he returned to have a huge game against Ohio on November 27, and was named the Mike Fox / Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
#83, James Williams (WR) -- Talk about multi-tasking -- besides holding down a starting job at receiver and running track for Marshall, this speedster is also the top kick returner in the nation. He had the longest reception of the Herd's season last year, a 91 yard score. His 13 touchdowns on the season are a team best.

Records to Watch

BYU holds the current NCAA record of 311 consecutive games without being shut out.
Kevin Feterik is currently fifth on BYU's career passing list. With 326 yards, he will surpass fourth-place John Walsh, and 336 yards would put him above third place Robbie Bosco.
Kevin Feterik ranks ninth for career touchdowns at the Y with 53. Steve Sarkisian is just one ahead of him in eighth place, and Gifford Nielsen has 55 to rank seventh.
Owen Pochman overtook Kurt Gunther for first on BYU's all-time scoring list. He currently has 248 points as a Cougar and will look to extend on his record.

Injury Report

BYU
Luke Staley (RB) -- After missing the last two regular-season games with a severe calf bruise and a knee injury, Freshman All-American Luke Staley has been listed as day-to-day prior to the Motor City Bowl.
Tyler Nelson (DB) -- This senior safety has been cleared to play after missing the final four games of the regular season with a shoulder injury.
Kalani Sitake (RB) -- He suffered a broken ankle in the Wyoming game and will not play.
Jeff Holtry (LB) -- This standout was lost for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL against San Diego State.
Marshall
David Foye (WR) -- The third most productive receiver for the Herd this season, Foye will miss the game because of a broken jaw he suffered in a November 26 matchup with Ohio.

Statistics

Team Statistics (National Ranking, Statistic)

BYU Marshall

Category Rank Stat Rank Stat

Rushing Offense (yds/g)
100

101.4

70

140.3

Passing Offense (yds/g)
8

324.3

7

325.1

Total Offense (yds/g)
13

425.6

7

465.33

Net Punting (yds/punt)
52

35.6

30

37.5

Punt Returns (yds/ret)
111

5.5

110

5.6

Kickoff Returns (yds/ret)
25

22.5

8

24.7

Scoring Offense (pts/g)
28

30.2

7

36.8

Run Defense (yds/g)
14

102.9

11

100.7

Pass Defense (efficiency)
39

113.6

3

92.2

Total Defense (yds/g)
21

308.3

7

293.0

Scoring Defense (pts/g)
32

20.9

2

11.2

Turnover Margin
74

-0.27

4

1.08

Individual Statistics - Players in the Top 50 Nationally

Player Category
Rank
Statistic

BYU

Kevin Feterik Pass Efficiency 15 138.9 rating

Kevin Feterik Total Offense 7 316.1 yds/g

Margin Hooks Receiving Yards 17 97.0 yds/g

Margin Hooks Receptions 34 5.5 rec/g

Jesse Sowards Punting 12 43.7 yds/punt

Jaron Dabney Kickoff Returns 30 23.6 yds/ret

Owen Pochman Field Goals 6 1.6 fg/g

Lucas Staley Scoring 17 8.7 pts/g

Owen Pochman Scoring 26 8.2 pts/g

Marshall

Chad Pennington Pass Efficiency 3 171.4 rating

Chad Pennington Total Offense 5 325.3 yds/g

Nate Poole Receptions 25 5.9 rec/g

Nate Poole Receiving Yards 19 93.5 yds/g

Maurice Hines Interceptions 43 0.42 ints/g

Rogers Beckett Interceptions 50 0.40 ints/g

Curtis Head Punting 50 41.1 yds/punt

James Williams Kickoff Returns 1 32.9 yds/ret

Doug Chapman Scoring 45 7.1 pts/g

Hypothetical Game
(If the the teams played an exactly average game)

BYU Marshall

Score
21

29

Total Offense (yds)
359

387

Rushing Offense (yds)
101

122

Passing Offense (yds)
258

265

Turnovers
2

2

Go Cougs!

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: Correction: FB Pre-game: Marshall -- Monday 11:30 a.m. MST Date: 27 Dec 1999 00:24:27 -0700 We incorrectly stated the starting time for the Motor City Bowl in the pre-game message we sent on Friday. The starting time is 11:30 AM Mountain Standard Time. We had incorrectly typed 11:30 PM in the body of the message. We hope that doesn't ruin anyone's plan for a midnight bowl bash! Go Cougs!
Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "CougarFan.com" Subject: FB Post-game: Marshall 21, BYU 3 Date: 27 Dec 1999 17:45:24 -0700

Marshall 21, BYU 3

Game Recap

Doug Chapman scored three touchdowns and Marshall's defense did the rest as the No. 11 Thundering Herd completed an undefeated season by beating BYU 21-3 on Monday in the Motor City Bowl.
"It was a dream come true for the whole team," Chapman said.
Chapman, who rushed for 133 yards, ran for two TDs and hooked up on a pass play with Chad Pennington for another as Marshall (13-0) remained one of three unbeaten Division I teams in the country.
Marshall, 35-4 since moving up to Division I, has played in the Motor City Bowl all three years. It lost the inaugural game and won the last two.
"So many heroes today," Marshall coach Bob Pruett said. "It's unbelievable."
BYU (8-4), co-champion of the Mountain West Conference, got its lone score on Owen Pochman's 28-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was all Marshall after that and the Mid-American Conference champions broke the game open with two touchdowns in a 1:44 span during the second half.
"We just kept believing something would happen," BYU defensive end Setema Gali said. "There's miracles that happen out there in games. Unfortunately, not for us today."
The game had been billed as a shootout between Pennington and BYU's Kevin Feterik. But Pennington, who came in with 3,799 yards passing and 37 TD tosses, completed 17 of 28 passes for 207 yards with one interception.
Feterik, who passed for 3,554 yards and 25 TDs this season, could never escape the pressure from Marshall's quick defenders. He was 6-of-11 for 125 yards before being forced from the game early in the third quarter with a deep shoulder bruise.
"It was pretty hard," Feterik said. "I threw about three more passes after I got hurt. It just kept getting worse."
Freshman Bret Engemann and Charlie Peterson finished for the Cougars, but they were no more successful than Feterik.
Marshall finished with 354 yards while holding BYU to 204 yards. The Cougars had minus-16 yards rushing.
"Number one, we were unable to make plays," BYU coach LaVell Edwards said. "They made a couple. That was the difference in the ballgame."
The Cougars drove 57 yards in 10 plays on their second possession and took a 3-0 lead on Pochman's field goal.
It looked like it might be BYU's day when Billy Malashevich missed a field goal early in the second quarter for Marshall, but the Cougars' luck soon went sour.
Pennington's underthrown pass was intercepted by Jared Lee at the BYU 30 shortly after the first of Malashevich's three misses, but Marshall's Nate Poole forced Lee to fumble on the return attempt and Lanier Washington recovered for Marshall.
Given new life, Pennington and Chapman hooked up on a 30-yard touchdown pass play with 8:18 left in the half -- on the first snap -- to give the Herd a 7-3 lead.
"Credit Marshall. They did a nice job," Edwards said. "We get the interception, fumble it right back. Next play, they score."
A 16-yard interception return by Rogers Beckett set Marshall up at the BYU 1 and Chapman dove in for the score two plays later for final score with 14:07 left in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total

BYU
3

0

0

0

3

Marshall
0

7

7

7

21

1st Quarter:
    BYU - FG Pochman 28
2nd Quarter:
    Marshall - Chapman 30 pass from Pennington (Malashevich kick)
3rd Quarter:
    Marshall - Chapman 87 run (Malashevich kick)
4th Quarter:
    Marshall - Chapman 1 run (Malashevich kick)

Statistics

BYU MAR

First downs
12

14

Rushes-yards
30-(-16)

31-147

Passing yards
220

207

Passes
16-29-2

17-28-1

Punts
5-48.3

4-42.8

Fumbles-lost
2-2

0-0

Penalties-yards
8-81

11-84

Time of Possession
30:31

29:29

-- PASSING --
BYU - Feterik 6-11, 125 yds, 0 int, 0 TDs = 150.0 pass efficiency
            Engemann 6-11, 45 yards, 1 int, 0 TDs = 70.7 pass efficiency
            Peterson 4-7, 50 yds, 1 int, 0 TDs = 88.6 pass efficiency
Marshall - Pennington 17-28, 207 yds, 1 int, 1 TD = 127.5 pass efficiency
-- RUSHING --
BYU - Atuaia 2-19, C Peterson 3-7, Hooks 1-7, P Peterson 1-4, L Staley 7-3, Stearns 1-minus 1, Tahi 4-minus 4, Engemann 3-minus 24, Feterik 8-minus 27
Marshall - Marshall-Chapman 14-133, Turner 7-15, Poole 1-5, Greenleaf 1-4, Pennington 8-minus 10
-- RECEIVING --
BYU - Hooks 4-108, Atuaia 4-35, Pittman 3-24, Ofahengaue 2-19, Horton 1-24, Nuno 1-8, Tahi 1-2
Marshall -Williams 5-95, Chapman 4-40, Cooper 3-30, L Washington 2-25, Poole 2-13, Kellett 1-4

Looking Ahead

Next Game, Next Season: @ Pigskin Classic vs. Florida State, August 26, 2000

Copyright 1999, CougarFan.com
Tell your friends to sign up!
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from CougarFan Insider, go to http://CougarFan.com/insider, or send an email to: majordomo@xmission.com with "subscribe byuinsider" OR "unsubscribe byuinsider" in the body of the message.

	1st Half	2nd Half	Final Score
BYU	33	45	78
ASU	31	36	67

Player	Stats	Result
Travis Hall, Atlanta	5 tackles, 2 sacks	W: Atlanta 35, New Orleans 12
Lee Johnson, New England	4 punts, 162 yds, 40.5 avg.	W: New England 13, Dallas 6
Chad Lewis, Philadelphia	1 rec, 11 yds, 1 TD	L: Arizona 21, Philly 17
Spencer Reid, Indianapolis	1 tackle (special teams)	W: Indianapolis 37, Miami 34
Played, but no stats: Itula Mili, Seattle (backup TE); John Tait, Kansas City (backup Tackle); Larry Moore, Indianapolis (starting Center); Kurt Gouveia, Washington (backup Linebacker); Morris Unutoa, Tampa Bay (Long Snapper);
Did not play: Ty Detmer, Cleveland (backup QB); Steve Young, San Francisco (concussion); Tim McTyer, Cleveland (injured-arm); Jason Andersen, New England (backup Center); Dustin Johnson, Seattle (injured); Evan Pilgrim, Atlanta (not active); Joe Wong, Miami (injured);

	USA Today	AP	Sagarin's Comp. Rank	RPI*	Result
BYU	-	-	43	111
Southern Utah	-	-	218	288	W 92-64
Arizona	3	4	1	1	L 62-86
Denver	-	-	303	287	W 81-58
Arizona State	-	-	86	87	W 78-67
Texas Southern	-	-	224	256	W 76-61
Weber St	-	-	158	142	W 66-53
South Carolina St	-	-	304	297	Next
South Alabama	-	-	219	266
Florida Intl	-	-	-	199
UC Santa Barbara	-	-	221	205
UC Irvine	-	-	129	125
Utah St	-	-	123	150
UNLV	-	42	31	44
Utah	25	28	67	212
Wyoming	-	-	87	121
Colorado St	-	-	120	52
Air Force	-	-	259	271
New Mexico	-	-	107	95
San Diego St	-	-	258	160

Category	Rank	Stat
Field Goal Percentage	8	51.6%
Free Throw Percentage	13	77.1%

Team	Marshall University Thundering Herd
Location	Pontiac, MI
Day	Monday, 12/27/99
Time	11:30 p.m. MST
Television	ESPN
Internet Radio	http://www.KSL.com
Records	BYU 8-3, Marshall 12-0
Latest Line	Marshall by 3.0 points

	BYU		Marshall
Category	Rank	Stat	Rank	Stat
Rushing Offense (yds/g)	100	101.4	70	140.3
Passing Offense (yds/g)	8	324.3	7	325.1
Total Offense (yds/g)	13	425.6	7	465.33
Net Punting (yds/punt)	52	35.6	30	37.5
Punt Returns (yds/ret)	111	5.5	110	5.6
Kickoff Returns (yds/ret)	25	22.5	8	24.7
Scoring Offense (pts/g)	28	30.2	7	36.8
Run Defense (yds/g)	14	102.9	11	100.7
Pass Defense (efficiency)	39	113.6	3	92.2
Total Defense (yds/g)	21	308.3	7	293.0
Scoring Defense (pts/g)	32	20.9	2	11.2
Turnover Margin	74	-0.27	4	1.08

	BYU	Marshall
Score	21	29
Total Offense (yds)	359	387
Rushing Offense (yds)	101	122
Passing Offense (yds)	258	265
Turnovers	2	2

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
BYU	3	0	0	0	3
Marshall	0	7	7	7	21

	BYU	MAR
First downs	12	14
Rushes-yards	30-(-16)	31-147
Passing yards	220	207
Passes	16-29-2	17-28-1
Punts	5-48.3	4-42.8
Fumbles-lost	2-2	0-0
Penalties-yards	8-81	11-84
Time of Possession	30:31	29:29