BYU Faces Fight Over Air Time : College football: Expect Penn State to try a hard-hitting approach to Brigham Young’s passing attack tonight.

Those looking for insight into how tonight’s Holiday Bowl game between Brigham Young and Penn State could unfold might want to turn to the film from the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.

That was the last time Penn State, known for conservative offenses and rugged defenses, played a team that boasted proudly of a potent passing game and talented quarterback.

The opponent was Miami, the quarterback Vinny Testaverde. And the result was a 14-10 victory in which Penn State secured its second national title in five seasons.

With that kind of history as a guide, it is little wonder that as soon as the Cougars clinched the Western Athletic Conference title and Holiday Bowl berth five weeks ago, they went about obtaining a copy of that three-year-old Fiesta Bowl film.

They will attempt to put what they saw and what they might have learned to use tonight when No. 19 BYU (10-2) and No. 18 Penn State (7-3-1) meet for the first time at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium at 5 p.m.

“We figured it would be worth a look,” said BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, whose 4,560 passing yards this season were the most by a sophomore in NCAA history. “They must have done something right that game, because they sure made it rough on Miami.”

The Lions intercepted five Testaverde passes, including one at the goal line in the final seconds to end Miami’s last-minute attempt at a rally.

“What we saw (on film) is that they just play hard,” Detmer said. “They didn’t do anything special; they just played a great game.”

Detmer can only wonder if he is in for more of the same when his turn comes.

“They are a lot more physical than most of the teams we play,” Detmer said. “You can see they really hit hard.”

Penn State’s hardest hitter might be the senior Andre Collins, one of five finalist for the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football. Collins has issued a quiet but sobering warning to the Cougars.

“With any good passing team, you want to hit hard,” Collins said. “You want the receivers to think before they catch the ball. You want the quarterback to worry about being hit.”

Strength against finesse. The differences between the two teams could hardly be clearer.

“It’s going to be the classic running team against the classic passing team,” said BYU tight end Chris Smith, the team’s leading receiver with 60 catches for 1,090 yards. “They also have a real strong defense, but our defense can be extremely strong against the run.”

Statistically, Smith is correct. The Cougars are 36th in the country in rushing defense, allowing 137.7 yards allowed per game. But this selfishness might have something to do with their vulnerability against the pass and the fact they play in the pass-oriented WAC. BYU ranked 104 out of 106 National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Division I-A teams in passing defense, surrendering 266.9 yards per game. That could be a concern for BYU, but it might be somewhat lessened by the fact that the Lions have had trouble moving the ball through the air. They are averaging only 118.6 passing yards, not the kind of low-output passing attack the Cougars have become accustomed to in the WAC.

Part of Penn State’s problem has been at quarterback, where Coach Joe Paterno has had trouble choosing between junior Tom Bill and sophomore Tony Sacca. Bill started the first two games, and Sacca took over as starter for the next nine. In naming Sacca the starter against BYU, Paterno said both should play.

“My quarterbacks know we’re going to have to pass the ball if we want to win,” Paterno said. “They have accepted that challenge, and they have worked hard at practice.”

But if they can’t, Penn State can always turn to senior Blair Thomas, its All-American running back. Thomas, who sat out last season following reconstructive knee surgery, rushed for 1,341 yards, the fourth-best season total in school history. And his career total of 3,301 yards is second on the school’s all-time list to Curt Warner’s 3,398.

The Cougars do not have such a publicized alternative to their passing game--senior fullback Fred Whittingham has gained 617 yards, scored eight touchdowns and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. Their offense clearly is designed around the pass.

BYU ranked second to Houston in passing offense, averaging 394.3 yards per game, and second in total offense, averaging 540.4. Their 40.3 points per game provide an interesting contrast to the Lions, who are averaging just 19.0. That would not be enough to win most games if not for a defense that is allowing just 11.8.

The Lions’ three losses came in the only games in which they allowed more than 13 points: Virginia (14-6), Alabama (17-16) and Notre Dame (34-23).

“This is a big test for us nationally,” Detmer said. “We know we have to score a lot of points on them if we want to win, and they don’t give up that many.”

Detmer said he figures something has to give against the Penn State defense. His greatest hope might be that, unlike Testaverde, it’s not him.