because their perception is that they would be a bunch of "white Mormon pushovers" (a phrase used by my buddy who is a huge Texas A&M fan), when in reality BYU's defense is no more aggressive than other top defenses, such as USC, Florida St., and South Carolina. I remember watching the defense of Lou Holtz's teams at Notre Dame & noticing that every WR, RB, and TE was pushed to the ground after every play. After every reception or carry, there was a swarm of defenders on the ball. This is the sort of attitude that prevails on defense at BYU, and it is quite rare.

Bronco Mendenhall is one of the top defensive minds in the game, and has never coached a defense that wasn't overly aggressive, as exemplified by the job he did at New Mexico turning a nobody named Brian Urlacher into an All-American. Don't judge BYU's defense by its perception.