The two coaches won't talk during this week and they don't talk much during the season. Mendenhall said he called Long before New Mexico played Tulsa in September to share advice he gleaned from the Cougars' loss last year to the Golden Hurricane.

Despite the friendship between Mendenhall and Long, BYU linebacker David Nixon said he doesn't notice anything unusual out of his coach when preparing to play New Mexico.

"All the players he coached there are all gone," he said. "From that side of it, there's not much emotion. But the great thing is, he had experience with that defense. He knows how to beat it, he knows where it's vulnerable. He knows the weak spots. That aids our offense. As for the weekly game plan, nothing changes."

BYU'S BEST STARTS: This marks only the fifth 5-0 start in BYU history. The others were in 1979, 1981, 1984 and 2001. In each of those seasons, the Cougars ended up winning at least 11 games.

REED'S RETURN: BYU wide receiver Michael Reed, who underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago, is scheduled to return to the lineup Saturday after missing the Wyoming and Utah State games.

For the BYU offense, it's not a moment too soon.

"Mike adds a lot of stabilization to our offense. He's so clutch in critical situations in catching the ball," Mendenhall said. "Now, rather than the focus being only one side of the ball, at least on the perimeter, you have confidence on both edges. We've seen the last two weeks the impact Mike really has had on our program."

NELSON AND HOOKS UPDATE: Linebackers Grant Nelson (kidney illness) and Terrance Hooks (knee surgery) are practicing again after being sidelined during the off-season. Both are "likely" to play against TCU on Oct. 16, Mendenhall said.

"For us to get them back is huge," Nixon said. "We're not sure if they'll be able to contribute right away, but they have experience. I think they'll contribute right away, hopefully."

Fab five (and oh)

BYU has enjoyed only five 5-0 starts in its history. Here's a rundown on those seasons:

Year: 1979
Start: 5-0
First loss: Game No. 12, vs. Indiana (38-37) in Holiday Bowl
Final record: 11-1

Year: 1981
Start: 5-0
First loss: Game No. 6, vs. UNLV (45-41)
Final record: 11-2

Year: 1984