The BYU coach, now enjoying a 16-game home win streak and the nation's longest win streak at 15 games, said he wouldn't change a thing, 21-3 was just dandy.

A year ago in Albuquerque, the Lobos trailed just 28-24 with seven minutes to play and if the Cougars hadn't gotten six UNM turnovers, they'd have lost the game.

On the other end of the stadium, Long didn't hide his displeasure with an officiating call that nullified a fourth-quarter touchdown, a screen pass and run by Bryant Williams that would have drawn the Lobos to within four points at 14-10 with just over seven minutes to play.

On that play, an official flagged right tackle Bryon Bell for a block in the back of a Cougar defender, who appeared to slip and fall. Long called it a momentum changer — a key element in the outcome of the game when the Cougars led just 14-3.

Long called it "criminal" and "ridiculous."

Strong words.

"It's amazing when one team has pull and the other one doesn't," Long said to reporters as he walked out of the media interview room.

Ouch.

I agree with Long on the call — it was ticky and weak — but unlawful?

Long will probably get over it when he sees film of BYU defensive ends Ian Dulan and Jan Jorgensen pulled down and tackled just steps from making a play most of the second half.

It was like calf roping at a rodeo.

Yeah, we're back to conference play circa the early '80s, when the Cougars rattled off championships, enjoyed perches in the rankings and complaints were plenty, from opponents and fans.

Norm Chow was once a weekly whipping boy — even after wins.

"The thing people don't know, is this isn't easy. It's tough. Conference games are tough and they are going to get tougher," said coach Reynolds.

"In 1984 we trailed several times in games with just two minutes left; one of those was at Pittsburgh. We have to improve, we must improve, but it isn't easy to win these games; other guys are doing good things to try and stop you."

Indeed. BYU's third down conversions Saturday was 4 of 12. They once led the NCAA this season at about 79 percent.

It gets no easier this week for Mendenhall's squad when they travel to Fort Worth for a Thursday night game with TCU that features the nation's No. 1 defense. The Frogs escaped with a 13-7 win over Colorado State in Fort Collins Saturday — the same kind of grind-it-out physical game.

Mendenhall said the focus for his Cougars was to simply manage points and the Lobos got just three.

He told his team the win over the Lobos was his most satisfying win of the season so far.

"The difference in the game today was turnovers," said Mendenhall.

"We took the ball away twice and never gave it up. As we go down the stretch of who wins this conference it will be who gets the most turnovers. Turnovers are the most relevant statistic on the night."

And it'll be so, too, Thursday in Texas.

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com