A STORYBOOK ENDING
In the first season of Mountain West Conference competition the conference crowned three champions in football, and all three were invited to bowl games. All three co-champions finished with identical records of 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the conference. Colorado State was the first team to be selected to a bowl, accepting an invitation on Monday, Nov. 29. Later that day, the Las Vegas Bowl extended an invitation to Utah, and on Wednesday, Dec. 1, the final one of two at-large bowl slots in the country was filled by BYU. The Cougars accepted the bid and were forced to wait another two days for word of its opponent - the winner of the MAC championship game between Marshall and Western Michigan.
Here's how they clinched… BYU was the first to claim the championship with a 30-7 win over San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium Nov. 7. Utah guaranteed itself a share of the title with a 20-17 win in Provo Nov. 20, and with the win, kept CSU and Wyoming in contention. CSU then clinched the title with a 35-17 win at UNLV on Nov. 27, and later that day, Wyoming lost to SDSU, 39-7, and its hopes for a bowl bid as co-champion were diminished.
The MWC bowl schedule:
Utah vs. Fresno State, EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl , Dec. 18
BYU vs. Marshall, Motor City Bowl, Dec. 27
Colorado State vs. So. Miss., AXA Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31
COACHES, TRADITION ARE HALLMARKS OF MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL
This is a new conference in name only. Since 1996, all eight schools had competed as members of the WAC.
Speaking of tradition… the first series between two MWC teams started in 1899, when Wyoming and Colorado State faced each other. Prior to forming the MWC, six of the eight schools had played at least 120 games vs. MWC teams. Colorado State has played the most games vs. MWC teams (320 total prior to 1999).
The success and experience of its coaches are also hallmarks of the MWC. Prior to 1999, league schools had head coaches with a combined 94 years of head coaching experience and an overall winning percentage of .646. The MWC coaching ranks include numerous conference championships (WAC, Pac-10), Coach of the Year awards and NFL coaching experience. UNLV’s John Robinson coached in eight bowl games while serving as head coach at USC and took the Los Angeles Rams to six postseasons, including two NFC Championship appearances. SDSU’s Ted Tollner took USC to two bowl games, winning the Rose Bowl and Pac-10 title in 1984, before moving on to the professional ranks where he spent a total of seven years in the NFL as an assistant coach for three different organizations. Earlier this season, Air Force’s Fisher DeBerry became the winningest service academy coach with 125 wins in games vs. Army and Navy. At BYU, LaVell Edwards is in his 28th season at the helm and has taken the Cougars to 22 bowl games. In fact, his 251 coaching victories ranks seventh all-time among active NCAA Division I-A coaches. The most cohesive unit in the country, BYU has not had a change in its coaching staff for five straight years. Meanwhile, Ron McBride at Utah recently posted his eighth winning season in 10 years. Colorado State’s Sonny Lubick has been named conference coach of the year three times (1994, ’97 and ’99) and won at least a share of four conference titles in his seven seasons. The former offensive coordinator at Miami (Fla.) from 1989-92, Lubick is the school’s all-time winningest coach and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 9, 1998. The two newer coaches to the group are Wyoming’s Dana Dimel (three seasons) and New Mexico’s Rocky Long (two seasons). Dimel posted back-to-back 8-win seasons in his first two years at Wyoming. Long recently served as defensive coordinator in the Pac-10 (UCLA, 1996-97) and Oregon State (1991-95).
MWC vs. OTHER CONFERENCES
Collectively, MWC teams were 21-11 (.656) vs. all non-conference opponents during the 1999 regular and 7-5 vs. conferences affiliated with the Bowl Championship Series. In its inaugural season, the MWC compiled the following records vs. BCS opponents - Pac-10 (4-1), Big 12 (3-1), Big Ten (0-1), SEC (0-1), ACC (0-1). In total, MWC faced 12 BCS teams during the 1999 regular season. The MWC is 14-6 vs. other non-conference opponents.
EXPOSURE
Fifteen (15) regular season games were televised nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 or Fox Sports Net. On September 25, the Mountain West Conference reached a milestone by surpassing the one million mark in total attendance (all games, home and away). The next milestone came in the final week of play, when the MWC total attendance reached the two-million mark (2,024,413). The average home attendance in the MWC was 34,634 (1,489,291/43 games). BYU led the conference, averaging 65,185 per game (6 home games), which included a conference-high mark of 65,942 vs. arch-rival Utah on Nov. 20.
In total, 30 of the 50 games (60 percent) that included at least one MWC team this season was televised by either one of the national or regional networks, or as point-to-point broadcasts.
ON THE ROAD
MWC had fared better on the road than at home through the first nine weeks of the season. Prior to the Nov. 13 games, only four teams had won at least one conference home game. They were: BYU (vs. Colorado State and Air Force), Colorado State (vs. Utah), Utah (vs. SDSU) and New Mexico (vs. UNLV). Both Air Force (vs. UNLV) and Wyoming (vs. BYU) captured their first MWC home victories on Nov. 13. SDSU won its first home conference game in its season finale vs. Wyoming Nov. 27, 33-7. UNLV was the lone team to go winless at home. Overall conference road record in ’99: 16-12.
HOW THE MWC RATES
According to the Jeff Sagarin ratings that were released at the conclusion of the regular season, the Mountain West Conference ranked sixth (6th) behind the Big Ten, Southeastern, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-10 Conferences. In fact, the newest Division I conference ranked higher than the Big East (7th), Conference USA (8th), WAC (9th) and Mid-American (12th). The three co-champions were all rated among the top-30 in the country. Utah led the MWC at No. 24, followed by BYU (No. 25) and Colorado State (No. 30).
TURNAROUND IN THE MAKING
UNLV hired one of the most respected coaches in college football to turn around its program. The Rebels had one of the top 15 most significant turnarounds in Division football this season, going 0-11 last season and finishing 3-8 in ’99. Fresno State, the WAC representative playing Utah in the 1999 Las Vegas Bowl, went from 5-6 a year ago to 8-4 this fall to post the sixth-best turnaround in ’99.
MWC CHANGES EMPHASIS FROM OFFENSE TO DEFENSE
(statistical data based on games through Nov. 27)
MWC teams, under their former conference (WAC), were nationally known for their passing offense and the option. High-scoring games were the norm out west in recent years. However, on 19 occasions, MWC teams scored 15 points or less vs. opponents and in 38 games, MWC teams scored just 20 points or less.
This season was tremendously different, and the change in emphasis will likely be an asset for the three teams preparing for bowl games.
All three starting quarterbacks of 1999 bowl game opponents rank among the 10 most efficient quarterbacks in the country. According to the NCAA statistics released November 27, Marshall’s Chad Pennington ranks third nationally with a 171.9 rating, followed by Fresno State’s Billy Volek (152.9, 4th) and Southern Miss’ Jeff Kelly (143.7, 10th).
Utah is fifth-best nationally in defending the air game and will challenge Fresno State (391.75, 46th). BYU has allowed on average 113.6 yards passing per game and will need to be effective against the third-ranked passing offense in the nation in Marshall, which averages 328.8 passing yards per game. BYU’s strength, behind quarterback Kevin Feterik, is its passing offense. The Cougars rank eighth in passing offense with 324.3 yards per game and scored 30.2 points per game (30th nationally).
Colorado State, which ranks 71st nationally and sixth in the MWC in defending the passing game, faces a strong quarterback in Kelly but as a team Southern Miss produces just 210.8 yards per game (61st nationally) and 28.2 points.
Four of the eight conference teams rank among the top 35 nationally in total defense, while only three teams are in the top 30 in scoring - Utah (33.0, 15th), BYU (30.2, 28th) and Colorado State (29.8, 30th). Air Force, which is known for the option, ranks second in rushing offense with a 285.5 yard average.
PARITY
Several conference coaches stated at media day in July 1999 that the champion of the MWC will likely finish with two losses. They stand corrected -- the three conference champions finished with 5-2 conference marks. Even head-to-head competition amongst the three champions could not determine a leader. BYU had a run of six straight and could have won the title out-right with two wins at the end of the season. Both Utah and Wyoming kept BYU on its toes with defeats. First Wyoming handily gave the Cougars their first MWC loss in Laramie with a 31-17 defeat. The following week, Utah captured its fourth win in as many trips to Cougar Stadium. Colorado State had the second-longest winning streak of the season, closing out with five victories in the regular season. Wyoming and Utah put together two different strings of three wins, but only BYU and CSU could put together winning streaks of four or more games.
REALITY CHECK
The MWC coaches and media picked BYU to win the inaugural title, followed by Air Force, San Diego State and Utah, respectively. BYU did win a share of the title, but Air Force finished the season seventh in the conference, just one place removed from the conference cellar for only the second time in school history, and closed out the season with two losses before national TV audiences. San Diego State closed on a high note with a 39-7 win over Wyoming, an opponent in contention for a share of the championship, and placed a conference-high 11 players on the all-conference teams. The bottom line - the Aztecs were picked to finish third but share fifth-place with New Mexico. Utah and Colorado State became the surprise teams toward the end of the conference race. CSU started the season with an upset of 14th-ranked Colorado on national TV and two weeks later lost to BYU, 34-13, without the services of MWC offensive player of the year Kevin McDougal. MWC Coach of the Year Sonny Lubick led the Rams, which were picked to finish 5th by the coaches and 6th by the media, to a share of the title with a 35-17 road win over UNLV in the season finale. Utah can also claim a share of the championship, which is far better than the preseason prediction of a fourth-place finish. The MWC race was so close that Wyoming was just one victory away from making it a four-way tie for first place. Prior to the season, the predictors expected Wyoming to finish fifth (coaches) or sixth (media). On November 20, the Cowboys were tied for second place. A week later in the season finale at San Diego State, Wyoming’s bowl hopes and a conference championship were diminished after losing to the Aztecs on ESPN’s prime time college football broadcast, 39-7.
PAC-10 TIES
Five of the eight MWC head coaches had coached in the Pac-10 as a head coach or assistant coach prior to holding their current positions. Both Robinson and Tollner were head coaches at USC. In fact, Tollner has been an assistant to both Robinson (at USC) and LaVell Edwards (at BYU). Rocky Long was an assistant coach at two Pac-10 schools - UCLA and Oregon State, and Sonny Lubick (Stanford, Miami) and Ron McBride (Arizona, Wisconsin) have gained valuable coaching experience in the Pac-10 and other major conferences. Dana Dimel, the youngest coach in the Mountain West, was hired away after spending 10 seasons at Kansas State, where he served most recently as offensive coordinator.
Both LaVell Edward and Fisher DeBerry have been at their respective institutions for several years and rank among the top six nationally for active tenure at their schools.
SCHEDULING FACTOR
Wyoming opened the 1999 season at defending national champion Tennessee, and BYU looks to follow suit in committing to play Florida State in the 2000 Pigskin Classic on August 26.
In 2000, MWC teams have seven games vs. Pac-10 teams, and play traditional national powers Florida State, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Colorado and Ole Miss.
LONGEVITY IN PROVO
According to a recent survey of each Division I program, BYU has one of the most experienced and stable coaching staffs in the nation. 1999 marked the fifth season with a single staff change for BYU, marking it the most cohesive coaching staff at the Division-I level. BYU coaches have an average tenure of 15.5 years at BYU, the third-highest average in the nation behind Penn State (19.9) and Florida State (15.7).
SEVEN MWC STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Seven Mountain West Conference football players were selected as first-team Academic All-Americans.
District VII
QB Cale Bonds, AFA Englewood, Colo. 3.80 Biochemistry
RB Scott Becker, AFA Granger, Ind. 3.74 Civil Eng.
OL Mike Robert, AFA Crockett, Texas 3.32 Civil Eng.
DL Jason Dressen, WYO Ft. Morgan, Colo. 3.59 Education
District VIII
RB Nick Morgan, Utah Salt Lake City 3.66 Business
DB K. Christianson, Utah Provo, Utah 3.79 German
LB H. Christianson, Utah Provo, Utah 3.86 German
