BYU is literally just two plays away from being undefeated this season and with mastermind Bronco Mendenhall leading the way, it is no surprise that the defense is what is keeping them close in games.
BYU’s defense has become a national force. The Cougar defense denied Boise State any points Thursday night – a first for Boise State since 1996.
Cougar fans are not used to seeing their defense outperform the offense. There is a reason BYU was known as “QB U” for decades.
According to running back turned safety, Mike Hague, when Coach Mendenhall took back control of the defense in 2010, things changed quickly.
“You could almost cut the atmosphere, it was just weird. It was just a different feel,” Hague said. “We all walked in here on offense, we looked over at the defense and they were ready to go.”
Since then the Cougars have allowed fewer than 17 points per game, becoming one of the top defenses in the nation.
The most noticeable change for fans was the gray shirts that became somewhat of a trend among BYU players.
“We call it our work shirt and people just think it’s ugly,” said Hague. “My own family told me not to wear it because the rest of our jerseys looked really cool but we had these gray jerseys hanging out.”
Far from a fashion statement, these gray shirts have become a symbol of unity for the players and coaches. They may not provide superhero strength, but with the Cougars’ defensive prowess, BYU fans can’t complain.
