ASSOCIATED PRESS BYU receiver Todd Watkins gives new offensive coordinator Robert Anae a speedy deep threat.

Hawaii’s Anae
back at BYU

PROVO, Utah » Robert Anae was part of the greatest season in Brigham Young football history, an offensive lineman on the Cougars' national championship team.

Now, 21 years later, the Kahuku alumnus is in charge of restoring the once-prominent BYU offense, which has sputtered in three straight losing seasons.

"Not only do I answer to our fans, but I also answer to guys that I played with and that have played here before. The expectation of the tradition here is pretty high," said Anae, in his first season as offensive coordinator at his alma mater.

The Cougars (1-1) have the weekend off after splitting games with No. 17 Boston College and Division I-AA Eastern Illinois. The results were as mixed as the record, just three points against BC followed by 45 against Eastern Illinois.

Anae is looking for more consistency next week when BYU is home against Mountain West Conference newcomer TCU. So is Bronco Mendenhall, who pursued Anae when Mendenhall learned last December he was taking over as BYU's head coach.

Anae spent the last five seasons coaching the offensive line at Texas Tech, which has led the nation in passing the last three years. The Red Raiders run the ball even less often than the Cougars did as they established their passing prowess, which has dwindled the last few years.

"The biggest flaw I think of all offense is hesitation. When people are hesitating, that's when the offense sputters," Anae said.

Since leading the nation in offense with 542.8 yards per game in 2001, BYU hasn't been higher than No. 50 nationally the last three years under former coach Gary Crowton, who resigned after last season. BYU ranked 102nd with 314.6 yards a game in 2003, but rebounded slightly last fall to 48th with an average of 384 yards.

Anae, who has a doctorate in sociology from BYU, is being patient as the Cougars try to revive their reputation.

"The guys have taken to it, and I think they've invested wholeheartedly into it," Anae said.

The Cougars moved the ball well at times against Boston College, but self-destructed on several drives and ended up with just a field goal on the scoreboard. John Beck passed for 330 yards in his first game running Anae's offense, completing 41 of 60 attempts.

"I never would have ever guessed that we'd score three points against Boston College. It was very surprising and very disappointing," Beck said. "It doesn't matter how much you move it. If you don't get it in the end zone, then you can't win ball games."

Mendenhall was defensive coordinator at New Mexico when Texas Tech scored 115 points in three straight victories over the Lobos from 2000-2002. The last was a 49-0 shutout, which Mendenhall still hasn't forgotten.

"It was a natural fit in not being able to stop Texas Tech for three years in a row," Mendenhall joked.

Mendenhall leaves the offense entirely up to Anae, whose system is more about control than big plays. Through two games, BYU's longest pass play has been 31 yards.

"He's bringing consistency and he's bringing in simplicity and he's bringing in a mind-set of staying the course. You're not seeing an offense that's maybe as variable from week to week," Mendenhall said.

Anae said he has plenty to work with in Beck and his receivers, including speedster Todd Watkins, who caught his first two touchdown passes of the season last week. Running back Curtis Brown already has 10 catches, more than a third of his 27 total for last season, and junior college transfer Nathan Meikle leads the team in catches with 11.

Anae, in his 12th year as an assistant, has seen plenty of offenses. He played for former BYU coach LaVell Edwards, helping the Cougars to a 13-0 record in 1984. He also saw firsthand an even more passing-oriented offense at Texas Tech under coach Mike Leach, who helped turn around Oklahoma in one year before taking over the Red Raiders.

"I'm not sure you mess with principles like that," Mendenhall said.