Cougs keep it simple

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Bring together two Mountain West Conference football teams traveling in vastly different directions, mix in a stifling BYU defense playing off a methodical and time-consuming Cougar offensive squad and blend in game-determining field position, and you've got a recipe for a 24-3 Cougar victory Saturday night over reeling Colorado State.

It was a somewhat nondescript result in that fans will mostly remember Fui Vakapuna's wasn't-then-was touchdown run (or touchdown "roll" — see story on Page D2) and Curtis Brown's final-minute was-then-wasn't touchdown (a 37-yard burst erased by a penalty).

They should be talking about the Cougar defense, which stymied CSU all game and had the Ram faithful pulling out of the Hughes Stadium parking lots by the third quarter.

"This is one more game that they've done exactly what we've asked them to do, giving us a great chance to win by holding the points down," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall.

With their sixth consecutive victory, the Cougars improve to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play, while CSU — faltering for its fourth straight defeat — drops to 4-5 and 1-4.

"Our 'D' just stepped it up for us big time," said BYU quarterback John Beck. "My hat goes off to the defense today. I thought they played amazing."

No argument from senior linebacker Cameron Jensen.

"I haven't heard much of the statistics," he said. "But what matters is points, and they only got three on us. That's really the focus of our defense."

The statistics were just as compelling. The ailing Ram rushers managed just 26 yards, thanks in part to five BYU sacks. With 151 total yards, CSU couldn't convert on third down until twice in an inconsequential fourth quarter.

About the only thing the defense didn't do was create a CSU turnover.

"I thought the field position was the most critical deterrent in keeping the points down," said Mendenhall, adding, "It's hard to drive the ball over 80 yards right now against our defense."

And, while admitting the Cougar offense can seem unspectacular and left points on the field and off the scoreboard Saturday, Mendenhall said it is proving to be effective, as demonstrated by 112 yards rushing and 290 more on Beck's 22-of-30 passing and 6-yards-per-play average.