BYU football: Rebels have Cougs' full attention

LAS VEGAS — Lest his team become overconfident or complacent this week as it prepares to face a beleaguered UNLV squad, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall hopes there's an antidote to such feelings.

Mendenhall is counting on last year's close game against UNLV in Provo — an interception by Andrew Rich in the end zone on the last play of the game preserved a 42-35 Cougar victory — to overshadow what happened last week, when the Rebels were demolished by in-state rival Nevada, 63-28.

"There weren't many games that I remembered from a year ago, but I do remember the last play of the UNLV game," Mendenhall said. "I'm sure our players have a lot of respect for UNLV, the personnel they have returning."

"UNLV's going to play us tough. They played us tough last year, down to the wire," said BYU quarterback Max Hall. "I'm sure they've been waiting for this game to play us for a couple of weeks now. I think they're going to give us everything they've got."

"We can't underestimate them at all," said BYU linebacker Matt Bauman. "We're fired up to keep things rolling."

While the Nevada loss was on the road, UNLV has played well at home this season, beating Hawaii, 34-33, and dropping a game in the waning moments to Oregon State, 23-21.

Said Mendenhall, "It seems the Rebels play with an increased kind of urgency at home."

That urgency could be heightened even more this week, now that UNLV coach Mike Sanford is squarely on the hot seat. University President Neal Smatresk told the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week that "we are concerned for our student-athletes, we are concerned for our fans, and we'll be keeping an eye on the situation on a game-to-game basis to see how things go. We're going to be watching."

How's that for pressure?

Sanford has said this week that quarterback Omar Clayton, who is nursing an injured throwing shoulder, is expected to play on Saturday (8 p.m., The mtn.) against BYU. What he doesn't know is how much Clayton will play.

Clayton didn't get on the field in the loss to Nevada, as backup Mike Clausen completed 26-of-50 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown. This week in practice, the Cougars have been preparing to face both quarterbacks.

"They're both good players," Mendenhall said. "There's kind of a change of pace and a subtle difference in the offense when each player is running it. But both are capable."