"Add that to playing eight new guys and trying to trust each other. Plus, the speed of the game, we're not as fast as some of the other guys; that's just the way it is."

Today the Cougars face a QB, Ryan Lindley, who should be named the league's freshman of the year.

Right now, Lindley ranks second only to BYU's Hall (25.11) in completions per game (20.50) in the Mountain West. He's got talented and speedy receiving targets and piled up 311 yards passing against Wyoming. He'll surely complete passes against the Cougars — but how many, for what length and for how many scores?

Will that make the difference in an Aztec upset?

No, because SDSU's defense cannot stop the run, and Hall and Company will be able to choose how they want to make the Aztec defense pay.

Unleashing Harvey Unga and Fui Vakapuna might be the choice of the day.

Another factor is just how motivated is Chuck Long's team to put up a fight today.

Obviously, oddsmakers, who note that a struggling New Mexico offense put up 70 points on the Aztecs, believe the Cougars will be completely capable of naming the margin today.

Still, it will be interesting to see how Hill's crew does against one more up-and-coming quarterback who can and will make some plays.

This is a crucial transition game for BYU's defense, despite being heavily favored.

Andrew Rich is a big corner at 6-foot-3. There are things he cannot do as well as Johnson — namely, recover and react as fast in moving his bones in position to make a play. But when he does, he can lay down some hits in a way laws of physics prevent Johnson from doing, plus his added height may come in handy.

Freshman corner Brandon Bradley (shin bruise) practiced Wednesday, and his role is another mystery today.

It will be an interesting morph of a safety to corner at a time the Cougars have to get bodies ready for the trip to Air Force. There, where they'll encounter the masters of chop blocks, guys who are absolutely motivated to put up a fight to the finish.

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com