The career stat lists on CougarStats do not include bowl game stats for players prior to 2002, the year that the NCAA started including bowl games in their official stats. For a long time, I’ve wondered how much of a disadvantage this gives the older players. Would it make much of a difference in the top 10 rankings if pre-2002 bowl statistics were included?
For passing and rushing leaders, the bowls make no difference. The top ten is unchanged. For scoring and receiving, the leaders would change.
RECEIVING
Dennis Pitta is BYU’s all-time leader in receptions with 221. 15 of those catches were in bowl games. Matt Bellini is third with 204. If Bellini’s 24 bowl game receptions were included in his career totals, he would take over the top spot with 228.
Official receiving leaders:
| 1 | Pitta, Dennis | 221 |
| 2 | Collie, Austin | 215 |
| 3 | Bellini, Matt | 204 |
| 4 | Hooks, Margin | 189 |
| 5 | Odle, Phil | 183 |
| 6 | Hudson, Gordon | 178 |
| 7 | Mahe, Reno | 166 |
| 8 | Drage, Eric | 162 |
| 9 | Brown, Curtis | 157 |
| 10 | Christensen, Todd | 152 |
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Receiving leaders with pre-2002 bowl games included:
| 1 | Bellini, Matt | 228 |
| 2 | Pitta, Dennis | 221 |
| 3 | Collie, Austin | 215 |
| 4 | Drage, Eric | 195 |
| 5 | Hooks, Margin | 194 |
| 6 | Hudson, Gordon | 192 |
| 7 | Odle, Phil | 183 |
| 8 | Mahe, Reno | 173 |
| 9 | Heimuli, Lakei | 161 |
| 10 | Christensen, Todd | 160 |
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If the NCAA did not change the rule in 2002 and no bowl game stats were included, Pitta would still be #1, but Bellini would hold the second place spot ahead of Austin Collie.
Receiving leaders with no bowl game stats:
| 1 | Pitta, Dennis | 206 |
| 2 | Bellini, Matt | 204 |
| 3 | Collie, Austin | 198 |
| 4 | Hooks, Margin | 189 |
| 5 | Odle, Phil | 183 |
| 6 | Hudson, Gordon | 178 |
| 7 | Mahe, Reno | 166 |
| 8 | Drage, Eric | 162 |
| 9 | Christensen, Todd | 152 |
| 10 | Bellini, Mark | 146 |
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RECEIVING YARDS
Austin Collie officially has the most receiving yards in BYU history and if pre-2002 bowl stats were included he would still hold the title. However, Eric Drage has more yards in regular season games.
Official receiving yards leaders:
| 1 | Collie, Austin | 3,255 |
| 2 | Drage, Eric | 3,065 |
| 3 | Pitta, Dennis | 2,883 |
| 4 | Hooks, Margin | 2,841 |
| 5 | Bellini, Matt | 2,635 |
| 6 | Odle, Phil | 2,548 |
| 7 | Hudson, Gordon | 2,484 |
| 8 | Bellini, Mark | 2,429 |
| 9 | Smith, Chris | 2,367 |
| 10 | Kozlowski, Glen | 2,223 |
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Receiving yards leaders with pre-2002 bowl games included:
| 1 | Collie, Austin | 3,255 |
| 2 | Drage, Eric | 3,227 |
| 3 | Hooks, Margin | 2,953 |
| 4 | Pitta, Dennis | 2,883 |
| 5 | Bellini, Matt | 2,868 |
| 6 | Hudson, Gordon | 2,600 |
| 7 | Bellini, Mark | 2,600 |
| 8 | Odle, Phil | 2,548 |
| 9 | Smith, Chris | 2,463 |
| 10 | Kozlowski, Glen | 2,330 |
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Receiving yards leaders with no bowl game stats:
| 1 | Drage, Eric | 3,065 |
| 2 | Collie, Austin | 3,029 |
| 3 | Hooks, Margin | 2,841 |
| 4 | Pitta, Dennis | 2,742 |
| 5 | Bellini, Matt | 2,635 |
| 6 | Odle, Phil | 2,548 |
| 7 | Hudson, Gordon | 2,484 |
| 8 | Bellini, Mark | 2,429 |
| 9 | Smith, Chris | 2,367 |
| 10 | Kozlowski, Glen | 2,223 |
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POINTS SCORED
The biggest loser in this little experiment is Mitch Payne, bless his heart. In the official stats Payne leads Owen Pochman by a single point. If you add Pochman’s bowl stats, he takes over #1 with 341 points. If you take away Mitch’s bowl stats, he gets passed by Pochman and Mitch’s big brother Matt.
Official scoring leaders:
| 1 | Payne, Mitch | 334 |
| 2 | Pochman, Owen | 333 |
| 3 | Payne, Matt | 312 |
| 4 | Staley, Luke | 290 |
| 5 | Unga, Harvey | 266 |
| 6 | Gunther, Kurt | 243 |
| 7 | Willis, Jamal | 240 |
| 8 | Brown, Curtis | 218 |
| 9 | Hamilton, Waymon | 192 |
| 10 | Heimuli, Lakei | 192 |
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Scoring leaders with pre-2002 bowl games included:
| 1 | Pochman, Owen | 341 |
| 2 | Payne, Mitch | 334 |
| 3 | Payne, Matt | 316 |
| 4 | Staley, Luke | 290 |
| 5 | Unga, Harvey | 266 |
| 6 | Gunther, Kurt | 258 |
| 7 | Willis, Jamal | 252 |
| 8 | Brown, Curtis | 236 |
| 9 | Hamilton, Waymon | 198 |
| 10 | Heimuli, Lakei | 192 |
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Scoring leaders with no bowl game stats:
| 1 | Pochman, Owen | 333 |
| 2 | Payne, Matt | 312 |
| 3 | Payne, Mitch | 308 |
| 4 | Staley, Luke | 290 |
| 5 | Unga, Harvey | 254 |
| 6 | Gunther, Kurt | 243 |
| 7 | Willis, Jamal | 240 |
| 8 | Brown, Curtis | 200 |
| 9 | Hamilton, Waymon | 192 |
| 10 | Heimuli, Lakei | 192 |
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