Cougars withstand Vegas heat

LAS VEGAS — As soon as BYU finished its exciting 27-20 overtime win over UNLV in Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, quarterback Matt Berry went looking for the game ball.

And why not? He probably wanted to give it to the guy who made the game-winning touchdown catch, Toby Christensen. Or, if Berry snagged it for himself, who'd want to take it away? Wins by these Cougars are scarce as world peace these days. So, after playing error-free ball in the final minutes, BYU players celebrated hard as UNLV's losing streak was extended to three.

Berry delivered a perfect 10-yard touchdown strike to Christensen in overtime to lift the Cougars past the Rebels. The win ended a two-game losing streak by the Cougars (4-5, 3-3) who now prepare for a Thursday night game against Boise State in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

"We're a talented team, we just can't afford to make mistakes," Berry said. In this clash between two solid defenses, BYU overcame five turnovers, including two Berry interceptions, to etch out the victory. When it counted, trailing UNLV 20-13 with 4:56 to play, the Cougars played perfect football.

Trailing by a touchdown with regulation winding down, Berry led the Cougars on a 78-yard, last-gasp, game-tying drive that ended with the 6-foot-5 sophomore diving over Jake Kuresa and Scott Jackson into the end zone with 29 seconds in the game. It was the third BYU run play inside UNLV's 3-yard line.

This time there were no blowups like at Wyoming, or in Provo against Air Force or Stanford.

"We're going 4-0 from this point on," offensive line coach Lance Reynolds yelled to his players heading into overtime.

The Cougars won the coin flip to go first in overtime and Berry to Christensen delivered. When the Rebels got their chance, BYU's defense forced UNLV's Larry Croom to reverse his field for an 8-yard loss. After a UNLV incompletion, Brady Poppinga collared UNLV quarterback Kurt Nantkes as K.C. Bills came in for the kill, forcing Nantkes to throw up a fly ball pass which Aaron Francisco intercepted to end the game.

"The key to this game was how our defense played and shut them down after we turned the ball over and how our offense played without mistakes when it counted," BYU head coach Gary Crowton said.

"I think the big defensive play was getting Croom to reverse his field on that play," Cougar defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall said.

"We've been in a lot of games this season where turnovers took us out of it," Crowton said. "If we stop doing that, we have a chance to be a good football team."