Paul M. Banks has an exclusive with the legendary College football coach
LaVell Edwards Stadium is one of the largest in college football. It has averaged 60,524 fans per game, making BYU the only non-BCS school ranked within the top 40. Their stadium is named for the man who brought an exciting pass-happy brand of football to the program. Edwards is a legend among college football coaches: sixth all-time in wins. And two Coach of the Year awards. Since he brought an exciting air attack to Provo, the school earned two remarkable records: the only team from a non-BCS conference to win a national title (1984) and the NCAA record for most consecutive games without being shutout (361 games over a 28 year span).
Edwards came to Northwestern University this past month to present senior Eric Peterman with the ARA National Sportsmanship award. After his presentation, I asked him a few questions about the state of the game, beginning with his opinion on the college football postseason…
“I don’t like the BCS, because the school I was at is not part of the BCS, and the BCS controls all the finances and it’s really not the best thing for college football per say, for all college teams. But the playoff system as opposed to the bowls and all those kinds of things, I don’t know. Everyone’s got an opinion on that. I’ve always liked the bowl games, and I don’t know if I’d ever be in favor of a playoff system. I think you’d still be having the same kind of issues as what you have now. There’s always going to be that third team that’s left out- like Auburn was a couple years ago or Texas this year,†Edwards responded.
And what about Utah, an undefeated team that is just not lucky enough to be from one of the 6 BCS Conferences?
Well, they deserve to be in it ‘cause they had a heck of a year. They went undefeated, beat Michigan, beat Washington, well everyone beat Michigan, but it’s still Michigan. I think they need to have an opportunity for a non-BCS school to play in the bowls. Two out of the first three non BCS teams, Boise St. and Utah won the bowl game; of course Hawaii got beat badly by Georgia last year. I think they’ll give Alabama a game because they’re a good team.
Tell me about the challenges of running a clean program that can be successful both on and off the field…
I think there’s greater interest in college football by outside people donating a lot of money and stuff like that, and I think their expectations are unreal now. I think they’re higher than they ever have been. I think it’s maybe gotten a little bit out of control with the salaries they’re paying now and the contributions from so-called moneyed people; and I think that’s an area that hopefully we can get in check a little bit. They’re firing coaches now during the season, and you never ever used to see that. They’ll hire a guy for a couple years; and if he doesn’t win x number of games or go to a bowl game or whatever, they’ll fire him and keep changing. From that standpoint, that’s a part I don’t like- putting all that pressure on it.
Did you think the spread would ever reach this level of popularity?
I never thought I’d see the Big Ten throw the football like they do. All those years we were throwing the football and spreading it out, you know it was pretty well pooh-poohed by the big schools- saying you couldn’t win with it consistently. Now everyone’s doing it, and they expanded it from what we did. They’re running the option out of the spread formation, and the different things they’re doing with it are very creative. They do a good job with it.
Tell me what you think about the strides you’ve seen Northwestern make as a program this year and during the last decade or so…
It was great from what Gary Barnett did and then it seemed to kind of slip back again. Then when Randy Walker came in and started to spread things out and running more of this spread offense, throwing the ball and opening it up quite a bit more than it had been done around the country, it seemed to spark another great interest in the program, and Pat Fitzgerald has kept that going.
Tell me about being a part of the Holy War, the Desert Dual…
Sporting News called and wanted me to select who I thought had the toughest rivalry game of everybody, and I said you’d have a hard time convincing anybody around the country that the BYU-Utah game, at least locally, nothing bigger than that, and I’m sure that’s how all rivalry games are: Texas-Oklahoma, Ohio St.-Michigan, you name it…Â
Don’t forget Illinois-Northwestern…
Yeah, I guess that’s a pretty good rivalry too, so everyone’s got their own rivalries; and they’re are all on the same day, that’s what’s neat about college athletics.
Paul M. Banks is a contributor for NBCChicago.com and The Washington Times
I did this exclusive before the Utah-Alabama Sugar Bowl. he was right (as was I, in my pick of the Utes) now that makes 3 of 4 for non-BCS conference teams in BCS games..showing you that reform is badly needed!
I agree and like what Lavell says.