BYU football: The Cougars' 'Fantasic Four'

LAS VEGAS — To the BYU offense, they're the Fantastic Four.

Since they started playing together at the beginning of the 2007 season, quarterback Max Hall, wide receiver Austin Collie, tight end Dennis Pitta and running back Harvey Unga have made countless big plays, and they've helped lead the Cougars to 21 wins over the last two seasons.

For all of the success they've enjoyed, though, they've also battled adversity. Each is looking to bounce back from a 48-24 loss at Utah last month and finish the season with a victory against Arizona. And each has his own intriguing storyline entering Saturday's Las Vegas Bowl.

Wide receiver Austin Collie, a junior, has acknowledged recently that he could forgo his senior year for the National Football League draft. When asked Wednesday about his future, Collie didn't want to talk about the NFL because he said it hasn't been on his mind.

"All I'm focusing on is getting better this week and making sure I bring my 'A' game against Arizona and making sure the team is ready," Collie said.

Collie, who earned second-team All-America honors Tuesday, leads the nation in receiving yards (1,419) and yards per game (118.2). In three seasons, he has become the school's all-time leader in receiving yardage. He has accumulated 3,136 yards, surpassing the school record of 3,065 set by Eric Drage.

This record-breaking season started inauspiciously for Collie, who suffered a stress fracture in his leg before fall camp opened. After missing almost all of camp, he struggled early on, dropping a handful of passes at Washington.

Since then, he's been on a tear, putting together a current streak of 10 straight games with 100-plus yards, including a nine-catch, 156-yard performance against Colorado State.

Collie said he and his teammates are motivated to play well in the Las Vegas Bowl.

"This is a chance to prove ourselves again after the loss at Utah. Arizona is going to be ready to play," he said. "I think we're going to play one of our best games."

Saturday's contest could be a prelude to his senior year, or a final opportunity in a game situation to impress NFL teams.

Quarterback Max Hall

After a six-turnover performance against the Utes, the junior QB is eager to redeem himself Saturday.

"I'm hungry. I'm anxious. I have a sense of urgency to get back on the field and to play well," he said. "After my showing against Utah, obviously, I was glad that I had another chance to come out and play.

"That would be tough to end the season on a performance like that and have to think about it the whole off-season. Hopefully, maybe winning this game can maybe ease that burden a little bit, help me regroup and learn from my mistakes and get ready for next year."