By KIMBER KAY
Will BYU have a winning team this year? Looking at the lineup of seniors, it looks like it just might make it back to a bowl game.
What difference do seniors make? Duane Busby, executive assistant to LaVell Edwards, said seniors are more inclined to pull off a win in a close game because they want to end their collegiate career on a high note. There were 26 seniors on the 1996 team that went all the way to the Cotton Bowl.
Most people assume that leading the team is the job of the quarterback. While this is true for the offensive, the defense has a reputation of being aggressive and pumping up the team.
Shay Muirbrook was a great example of a good leader. Tom Ramage, special teams coordinator and defensive line coach, credits Muirbrook's example for helping the team pull off a 14-1 season.
'Shay was a great football player; very aggressive -- a real competitor,' Ramage said. '(The defense) respected him, liked him, followed him.'
Busby said that compared with the 1996 season, last year might seem like a letdown. But he said last year's team wasn't that bad.
All the losses were close and usually in the last quarter. There were only eight seniors last year, but more than 20 are expected to play in the 1998 season.
One of the captains returning from last year is Brad Martin, who started last year at linebacker. Other seniors this year will be defensive linemen Ed Kehl and Darren Yancy, and safety Jason Walker.
How well they perform during spring practice will give some indication of what is in store this fall. During the three weeks of practice, the coaches start getting an idea of how the team will look, and they analyze the plays and individual players to find what needs polish.
Ed Kehl, senior defensive end, said he likes pumping up the team. Kehl said being a leader on the field is not talked about, and being a senior doesn't guarantee others will look to them either.
'You have to prove it on the field,' Kehl said.
Byron Frisch, a junior on the defensive line, is also looked toward for leadership.
'I really don't say much,' said Frisch, who also said he prefers to rally other players by his performance. 'Anytime you make a big play, it helps the team.'
Historically, teams with an abundance of seniors perform extraordinarily well. They have what it takes to pull it everything together and win when it really matters.
Leadership is an intangible element. It isn't something you can break down into statistics. 'You have a feeling,' said Busby, 'this team will gel.'