ShareThisLAS VEGAS - They placed just two players on the preseason all-conference team, perhaps their lowest total in 10 years. They are picked to finish third in the Mountain West Conference, are breaking in a new quarterback, and at the league's just-concluded media gathering, they took a back seat in some respects to not only TCU and Utah, but Air Force as well.
BYU's football program is on the verge of a mediocre season after four years of posting 10 wins or more.
Or so it would seem.
"Some people might be writing us off, but we're OK with that," allowed offensive tackle Matt Reynolds. "In our minds, we have the potential to be as good, if not better, than any team in our conference."
Added defensive back Andrew Rich, after acknowledging more hype at the meetings has followed the Utes, Frogs and Falcons this year: "We are looked at as being in a rebuilding year, but we don't look at it that way. In our locker room, we don't talk about anything but continuing our string of success."
The rebuilding talk is not without merit.
The Cougars face the task of finding replacements in the four up-the-middle positions coach Bronco Mendenhall considers the most important to the team's success: free safety, quarterback, middle linebacker and center.
But Mendenhall exuded a relaxed, easy confidence the past two days, and at times got a little bit cocky, a little bold - especially when asked to describe the significance of Utah having six players taken in the last NFL Draft, while BYU had just one (two, if you count Harvey Unga going in July's supplemental draft).
What does Mendenhall know about the 2010 Cougars that a lot of the so-called experts are missing?
"I am a big believer in the collective," he said. "I am completely confident the pieces will fall into place when they are supposed to. It is early, but that can't be rushed. My job is to design the program to give us our best chance to play good football as fast as possible. But we have good players. We have good people, and we just try to find out who they are as quickly as we can."
For inspiration, the 2010 Cougars are looking to 2007. Max Hall was replacing John Beck at quarterback, Utah-killing tight end Jonny Harline was gone, as was Curtis Brown, the school's all-time leading rusher at the time.
After starting 1-2, the Cougars reeled off 10 straight wins and finished 11-2.
"The best teams we've had at BYU, and the ones I've enjoyed the most, (were) about the collective, not the individual," Mendenhall said. "The idea is, I have such trust and belief in the kids who come, and their abilities. I think it will work itself out."
So, the Cougars say they are focusing on team goals, rather than who is going to replace Hall, Dennis Pitta and Harvey Unga.
"That kind of helps diffuse any pressure on one given spot," Mendenhall said.
Still, the coach knows that history shows the Cougars are strong when they have an experienced quarterback, and mostly struggle when they don't. He said Tuesday that he doesn't want the starting quarterback battle to split the team or overshadow that collective effort he has instilled, but said that wish won't force him to chose a starter too early. The coach said for the first time that two quarterbacks could play in every game this season, and BYU's first depth chart lists four quarterbacks - junior Riley Nelson, freshman Jake Heaps, sophomore James Lark and freshman Jason Munns - as possible starters.
"I would love to have a starter named before the season, but I won't be held to that if it is not clear yet," Mendenhall said. "It might take a couple of games into the year (to determine the most capable starter)."
E-mail Jay Drew at drew(at)sltrib.com
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Salt Lake Tribune
