With win, Cougars officially become MWC team to beat

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It wasn't pretty, but BYU deposited a "statement game" in the bank Saturday night in New Mexico.

The Cougars are clearly the team to beat in the Mountain West.

No program in the short history of the conference has won more consecutive games, including more consecutive games on the road, after BYU held on to defeat New Mexico.

"I'm proud of these guys," said BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae. "It isn't easy to come here and win on the road and they did it, were tough, overcame mistakes and leave here with a big win."

Saturday's game was supposed to be a measuring stick, a tell-tale, if you will, for the Cougars.

First, for the defense. The Lobos were the first big offensive test since Bronco Mendenhall's Great Confession at Tulsa; that he didn't have the Cougar defenders properly prepared when the Hurricane tattooed BYU for 595 yards in a 55-47 shootout.

Was Mendenhall just covering, or telling it like it was?

Of that nearly 600 Tulsa yards, 490 of came on just 22 completions by Paul Smith. Mendenhall had Bryan Kehl and company work on 70 percent run plays leading up to the trip to Tulsa and with 15 days to prepare, the Hurricane offense had BYU looking like cardboard cutouts, clueless as a hooked tuna.

Second was rookie Max Hall, the league's total offense leader.

On Saturday he faced the Lobos' 3-3-5 front with as many as 24 players subbing in all game and blitzes pitched everywhere from Sante Fe to Yale Avenue and to test Hall's mettle, his mental toughness, his resolve displayed bravely in the first four starts of his career. Tougher and more complicated than Arizona or UCLA to figure out, this was a Rocky Long gauntlet that would reveal much about the upstart sophomore.

Well, Bryan Kehl and Quinn Gooch both intercepted Lobo QB Donovan Porterie and linebacker Chris Bolden jumped on a New Mexico fumble on a punt return at crunch time to pace a solid BYU defensive effort. The Cougars held the Lobos to 103 fewer yards total offense then they average and 13 points below their average.

Tulsa was a fluke.

And Hall?