The fact of the matter is this. BYU won. Sure, they played like crap. They should have beaten UCLA by more than they did, given the players on the field. This wasn't the statement game they needed. There's plenty of things that BYU did wrong but ultimately it comes down to the facts, which are: BYU won, BYU has a 10 game winning streak. Football is over. I'm going to enjoy the next 8 months, because regardless of any "should have's " or "BYU sucks" or whatever you want to say, it all comes down to the fact that next year BYU will be going for win #11. Enjoy the next 8 months, I will!

Did you listen to Kehl after the game? He said "Next year: BCS!" Are you disagreeing with a BYU player?

I agree with this: A win is a win! BYU is 11-2 for the 2nd year in a row. Go Cougars!

Just checking: is it ok to critize the Cougars on this board? If somebody were to say something negative--does the point merit consideration or just an automatic slandering of the author?

I'm not referring to Airwolf, he and you all have a long enough history to predict that no matter what he says you will all be up in arms like he raped your grandmother and, like Slugger said, threaten to run him over. This has been 7 pages of crap, mostly yours.

That said, it is embarrasing that there are those who excused BYU's poor play by the fact that UCLA was motivated and trying to win because they had an interim coach that like!!! Excuse me...they had a coach who wanted to prove something so they actually played hard? If that's the excuse then we'd better hope that all the teams we play are ambivalent about winning and don't like their coach.

I expected the Cougars to play better against a pretty bad team. UCLA is not as good as BYU made them look (Davis and Price are however). 34 rushing yards?!?

I figured that I would feel better today about the game but that's not the case. We had a primetime game against a wounded opponent that was given every excuse to lose by the media--we were expected to kill them and we needed the hand of God to squeak out a 1 point win.

I take solice in that the team is young--but that doesn't explain how their athletes were on another level and we simply got out-muscled on both lines. If we can't game plan for bigger, stronger, and faster opponents, how are we to expect to be in the BCS? Something needs to change before I jump on the BCS bandwagon that EVERYONE OF YOU WERE ON BEFORE THIS SEASON STARTED.

Congratulations Cougars for winning a bowl game, it's not an easy thing to do. It was a good season that should set the stage for what needs to be an excellent season next year. I love this team, that doesn't prohibit me from being disappointed in them. I hope the coaching staff continues to learn and that the team doesn't plateau any time soon.

gordito wrote:

Just checking: is it ok to critize the Cougars on this board? If somebody were to say something negative--does the point merit consideration or just an automatic slandering of the author?

I'm not referring to Airwolf, he and you all have a long enough history to predict that no matter what he says you will all be up in arms like he raped your grandmother and, like Slugger said, threaten to run him over. This has been 7 pages of crap, mostly yours.

That said, it is embarrasing that there are those who excused BYU's poor play by the fact that UCLA was motivated and trying to win because they had an interim coach that like!!! Excuse me...they had a coach who wanted to prove something so they actually played hard? If that's the excuse then we'd better hope that all the teams we play are ambivalent about winning and don't like their coach.

I expected the Cougars to play better against a pretty bad team. UCLA is not as good as BYU made them look (Davis and Price are however). 34 rushing yards?!?

I figured that I would feel better today about the game but that's not the case. We had a primetime game against a wounded opponent that was given every excuse to lose by the media--we were expected to kill them and we needed the hand of God to squeak out a 1 point win.

I take solice in that the team is young--but that doesn't explain how their athletes were on another level and we simply got out-muscled on both lines. If we can't game plan for bigger, stronger, and faster opponents, how are we to expect to be in the BCS? Something needs to change before I jump on the BCS bandwagon that EVERYONE OF YOU WERE ON BEFORE THIS SEASON STARTED.

Congratulations Cougars for winning a bowl game, it's not an easy thing to do. It was a good season that should set the stage for what needs to be an excellent season next year. I love this team, that doesn't prohibit me from being disappointed in them. I hope the coaching staff continues to learn and that the team doesn't plateau any time soon.

A win is a win. Next year, we shoot for BCS. GO Cougars!

A few points to make here

This and the Utah victory taught us alot about the status of the football program. They are winners. Even when they are playing crappy, like against UCLA, they know they will find a way to win. They don't give up. Even though they are athletically inferior they make up for it in other areas.

I am confident BYU will learn from their mistakes in this game. I am happy they won but this game revealed many areas for improvement. I was especially disappointed how their line totally dominated us. I wonder how the game would have ended if UCLA were healthy, I suppose they wouldn't even be in this bowl game if they were healthy.

I think we all know the title of this thread is itself absurd. One only needs to look at the evidence to easily disprove this ignorant topic. Perhaps this has already been mentioned but Hawaii is in the BCS, they have the weakest schedule and it took them overtime to beat lowly Nevada. BCS talk is not absurd, if we won every game in triple over time, regardless of the caliber of opponent, we would be in the BCS.

gordito wrote:

Just checking: is it ok to critize the Cougars on this board? If somebody were to say something negative--does the point merit consideration or just an automatic slandering of the author?

I'm not referring to Airwolf, he and you all have a long enough history to predict that no matter what he says you will all be up in arms like he raped your grandmother and, like Slugger said, threaten to run him over. This has been 7 pages of crap, mostly yours.

That said, it is embarrasing that there are those who excused BYU's poor play by the fact that UCLA was motivated and trying to win because they had an interim coach that like!!! Excuse me...they had a coach who wanted to prove something so they actually played hard? If that's the excuse then we'd better hope that all the teams we play are ambivalent about winning and don't like their coach.

I expected the Cougars to play better against a pretty bad team. UCLA is not as good as BYU made them look (Davis and Price are however). 34 rushing yards?!?

I figured that I would feel better today about the game but that's not the case. We had a primetime game against a wounded opponent that was given every excuse to lose by the media--we were expected to kill them and we needed the hand of God to squeak out a 1 point win.

I take solice in that the team is young--but that doesn't explain how their athletes were on another level and we simply got out-muscled on both lines. If we can't game plan for bigger, stronger, and faster opponents, how are we to expect to be in the BCS? Something needs to change before I jump on the BCS bandwagon that EVERYONE OF YOU WERE ON BEFORE THIS SEASON STARTED.

Congratulations Cougars for winning a bowl game, it's not an easy thing to do. It was a good season that should set the stage for what needs to be an excellent season next year. I love this team, that doesn't prohibit me from being disappointed in them. I hope the coaching staff continues to learn and that the team doesn't plateau any time soon.

1. There is a difference in criticizing vs just plain being negative and spewing lies. I am still critical of the "end-of-the-half" play-calling. Bone-headed, yes. But to say that because we didn't "kill" UCLA is grounds for us NOT to be moving in the DIRECTION of a BCS bowl game is ludicrous. (I'm not directing this at you, specifically, rather, a poster who will remain nameless...) Rather, if we had LOST, then that would have hurt our chances for a pre-season ranking. We WON - a W is a W. I'm sure Michigan would take a "W" against Appalachian St. I'm sure USC would GLADLY take a "W" against lowly Stanford. I'm sure WV would love to replay that Pitt game again... If those teams had won those games, the BCS bowl picture would be DRAMATICALLY didn't. But they lost; we didn't.

2. Everybody seems to forget that this "wounded" animal in UCLA was on all sides of the ball. Wrong. The offense had key injuries, yes. But this was the same defense we faced against at the beginning of the season - the same personnel and the SAME motivation. They had something to prove. This game was a defensive struggle and defense (and special teams) are what won the game.

3. As for a "wounded" animal analogy, that's when an animal is most dangerous. Never underestimate them - your opponent. I'm sure that's what Bronco and the staff were preaching in the locker room and in practices.

4. A lot of people have expressed that because we got pushed around on both sides of the ball, that we don't deserve to be in a "BCS conference" or couldn't compete in a "BCS conference". Remember, membership comes with its rewards - BCS-type recruits. Go ask all those teams who recently joined the Big East how the $ and recruits made a difference in the programs.