Best of the 2000's Counting Down the Mountain West Top 10 Teams: #7 2009 BYU Cougars

by Jeremy Mauss on Jan 19, 2010 11:00 PM PST in Best of the 2000's Comment 14 comments

Now, it is time to continue the countdown of the decades best team, and now we move to the number seven spot.

# 7 2009 BYU Cougars (11-2)

This year's BYU team was somewhat of a failure because they experienced the high of highs by beating Oklahoma on opening weekend and then they lost to Florida State a few weeks later and the season felt lost. This team did rebound after that loss as well as the TCU loss to finish with the schools fourth straight ten win season. This squad featured seven All-Mountain West first or second team players, and per usual had a great offense.

A fifth straight visit to the Vegas Bowl was again facing BYU, but his time they were motivated and thoroughly beat down Oregon State, and made the season not as bitter. Some BYU fans were still somewhat upset with an impressive 11-2 season since they used to be the mid-major power, but have not been to a BCS bowl yet.

This team had a boatload of talent with the all time winner at quarterback with Max Hall, all time leading rusher in Harvey Unga, and the best tight end in school history with Dennis Pitta.

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This season really changed my perception of BYU

I didn’t think they had the athletes to compete with Oklahoma, they won.

I didn’t think they had the athletes to beat with Utah, they won.

I didn’t think they had the athletes to beat Oregon State, and once again they won.

Although they were crushed by TCU & FSU, I’d say this was a very good season for BYU.

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by Michael Rueckert on Jan 19, 2010 11:09 PM PST reply actions

I agree it was a good season

But some BYU fans felt it could have been better since they beat Oklahoma but then lost to a mediocre FSU team.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Jan 20, 2010 5:25 AM PST up reply actions

Agreed

I’m okay with the loss to TCU (even though they made all of us look pathetic with their poor performance in Tucson), it’s the loss to FSU that peev’s me off. BYU finished with the 21st best rushing defense in football but we gave FSU over 300 yards… not to mention 54 points.

by vaughnzipper on Jan 20, 2010 7:30 AM PST up reply actions

The best TE in the history of College Football

Not just at BYU.

by vaughnzipper on Jan 20, 2010 7:24 AM PST reply actions

You would think he would have won a Mackey award at least once. . .

. . .I mean, if he’s the best TE in the history of college football. . .

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Jan 20, 2010 9:12 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Just look at the stats

All time leader in receptions and yards. Probably 2x’s more successful than any 2 Ute TE’s combined.

by vaughnzipper on Jan 20, 2010 8:10 PM PST up reply actions

Yet, despite the fact that he's the all-time leader in receptions and yards, he received very limited accolades.

I think he is probably the best TE in the history of BYU (although there is some good competition for that title), but he’s not even an All-American (other than a couple of 3rd-team selections) and to say he’s the greatest TE of all time for College Football without having been named an all-american is just utterly ridiculous.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Jan 21, 2010 10:55 AM PST up reply actions

He should have won the Mackey

But it went to a more named school in the Florida TE, but it is a stretch to say the greatest TE ever. I have not looked at the history of TE’s and I am sure he is one of the best but best ever.

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by Jeremy Mauss on Jan 21, 2010 11:41 AM PST up reply actions

I would expect more from you than that

You may hate BYU but how can you deny what he did? How is calling him the best TE ever “utterly ridiculous”? He is the statistical leader in every major TE category yet you think he shouldn’t even be considered among the best… because that would be utterly ridiculous.

You’re basing your argument off of the rivalry, not fact. You know darn well if he had those #’s in a BCS conference he would have won the award. He got jobbed this year and last. He blasted Hernandez in each stat category yet the power of the BCS influenced everyone away from Pitta.

Being a Ute I would think you would show a little more inteligence.

by vaughnzipper on Jan 21, 2010 2:56 PM PST up reply actions

It has nothing to do with the rivalry.

Pitta is a great tight end. The best in the history of the MWC (1999-2010), absolutely. But I’m not 100% sure he’s the best tight end in the history of BYU (Chad Lewis or Gordon Hudson both are probably better BYU tight ends, and were both first-team all-americans) and there are a lot of historical tight ends that rank above Pitta (guys like Kellen Winslow Sr, Keith Jackson, Jay Novacek, the aforementioned BYU tight ends, etc.)

I’m not saying he didn’t deserve the Mackey award, but the fact that he didn’t win it and wasn’t a consensus all-american as a Junior or a Senior shows me that he might not even be the best tight end this year, much less the best ever.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Jan 21, 2010 3:35 PM PST up reply actions