Posted on: Saturday, September 7, 2002

BYU QB says he got rid of the ball in time

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

Brigham Young University quarterback Bret Engemann isn't sure how he got "the pass off," and Hawai'i isn't sure he did, but they both agree that the play was perhaps the biggest in the Cougars' 35-32 victory last night.

Trapped in BYU's end zone by Warrior defensive end La'anui Correa midway through the third quarter on first-and-10 from the BYU 5-yardline, Engemann just barely avoided a sack and a two-point safety, the officials ruled.

"I have no idea how I got the pass off," Engemann said. "But I did."

UH coach June Jones said, "That was very questionable in my eye. I thought it was a safety."

Both sides, however, agreed that the play and the nine-point turnaround it sparked when BYU drove 95 yards for a touchdown and go-ahead score, 21-17, were a turnaround in the game.

"It was huge," Engemann said. "My knee was real close (to being down) and that would have been two points. And all of the points were big in this game."

Correa, who blew past the tight end blocking on the play, said, "I had him with the ball back (cocked) going down, but the referees said it wasn't a safety. I asked them and they said, 'No.' "

"I was just thinking, 'I can't get sacked for a safety here,' " Engemann said. "When we got out of that and drove down for the (go-ahead) touchdown, that set the tone for us."

'The Sparkplug'

Marcus Whalen's nickname is "the sparkplug" and the BYU football team found out how much it missed one.

With Doak Walker award winner Luke Staley out with a knee injury suffered the week before and Whalen under suspension, the Cougars' running game was ground to a halt in Hawai'i's 72-45 victory last year.

Last night, with Whalen running for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, the Cougars pulled out a victory.

The Cougars' excitement over his return was matched only by Whalen's appreciation of being back after being involved in two scrapes with the law and being suspended from school.

"I learned a lot from that and have grown up and matured," Whalen said. "Being forced to be away from the game made me work harder to get back on track for this season."

He was reinstated in December. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, he and a former teammate stole beer and sandwiches from a convenience store. He also was arrested for possessing an open container of alcohol.

Short snaps

• Scouting report: Linebacker Chris Brown, center Lui Fuata, guard Vince Manuwai and punter Mat McBriar topped the list of Warriors that NFL scouts have been watching here this week.

• Injury report: Special teams performer Jonathan Kauka suffered a sprained knee and is not expected to be ready for the next game, Sept. 21 at Texas-El Paso, team officials said. Kauka is scheduled to undergo an MRI today after the Warriors return home.

• End zone celebration: After each BYU score, fans in the stands flung compact disk-sized tortillas into the end zone.