Nov. 15, 1999

Nov. 15 - LARAMIE - Hello, Columbus.

"Well, Dana's gotta be back in the Ohio State picture," a press-box wag said Saturday night after the Wyoming Cowboys upset No. 15 Brigham Young 31-17 and their fans tore down the goal posts.

This goes back three years when Dana Dimel, then 34, took the Wyoming job as the youngest Division I-A coach in the land. Somewhere in those early interviews, Dimel mentioned it would be nice someday to be the Ohio State coach. Dimel grew up within shouting distance of Columbus' Ohio Stadium. So the Buckeyes struggle while the Cowboys have made a U-turn on a highway that seemed littered with failure.

"Give the credit to the character of these players," said Dimel, moments after his team had dispatched of BYU, the second Utah team the Cowboys had upset in two weeks. "They would not quit."

But the coach has to figure in this. After a disheartening fourth-quarter loss at home to rival Colorado State, and with games looming against the two top teams in the Mountain West Conference, it was the perfect spot for Wyoming to mail in the season.

Instead, Dimel grabbed his team by the throat. He became more involved in the coaching, delivering instructions from the press box. The only coaches who have done that this season were (a) lame or (b) suspended from standing along the sideline.

Furthermore, he had realized his mistake in creating a controversy at quarterback. Although junior Jay Stoner had been injured and ineffective the first six games, Dimel decided Stoner would be the player the Cowboys would sail with until the ship capsized.

Both moves have paid off for Dimel.

There can't be many quarterbacks anywhere playing better than the Colorado Springs product since his return from exile. The past three games, Stoner has passed for more than 900 yards and made big plays.

"I thought Stoner was particularly impressive," said LaVell Edwards, who after 28 years as BYU's coach knows something about quarterbacks.

After two years of season-ending, back-to-back losses that ruined championship and postseason dreams, the Cowboys (6-3, 3-2 MWC) may be steaming toward a different ending. This now appears to be a team no one would relish playing. Closing successes against New Mexico and San Diego State could mean a bowl game. And an MWC championship? Well, if Air Force beats CSU and Utah whips BYU ...