BYU football: Cougars took time to savor win

PROVO — While big Jan Jorgensen was growing up in the little town of Helper, Utah, he was an unabashed Florida State fan.

The BYU senior defensive lineman cheered for longtime coach Bobby Bowden, and former Seminole stars like Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Charlie Ward and running back Warrick Dunn.

"I loved Florida State as a kid," Jorgensen said.

On Saturday, he will get a chance to line up against the Seminoles (1-1), who will make their first-ever trip to Provo. It will also mark the Cougars' 2009 home-opener.

"It's exciting," Jorgensen said, "to be able to go out there and play against them."

BYU (2-0) jumped two spots to No. 7 in the Associated Press poll on Sunday after Saturday's 54-3 blowout of Tulane. In the visiting locker room at the Louisiana Superdome following the game, coach Bronco Mendenhall admonished his team to savor the win through the rest of the weekend and not think about Florida State — until today.

In past years, Mendenhall would give his team only a few minutes, or seconds, to celebrate a victory, then urge the troops to immediately start preparing for the next opponent. But with the emphasis this year on enjoying the journey, rather than fretting about the destination, things are different.

"Our common goal, and approach, this year is on Monday is when I'd like them to acknowledge that," Mendenhall said. "I don't plan on thinking about (Florida State) until then and I've asked (the players) not to. It's too hard to win football games and it goes too fast not to enjoy the small moments when you have them. That was the advice I gave them. Whether they can do it or not, whether I can do it or not, we'll see."

Quarterback Max Hall admitted that not looking ahead to the Seminoles would be difficult.

"Obviously we're going to think about them. But I'm going to enjoy this one," Hall said Saturday. "I'm going to go to church on Sunday, and relax a little bit, let our bodies heal up, then we're back at it on Monday. I'm sure I'll watch some film (of FSU) on Sunday."

Florida State opened the season ranked No. 18 in the preseason poll before its last-second, 38-34 Labor Day loss to Miami at home in Tallahassee. The Seminoles fell short on fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line with an incompletion in the end zone as time expired.