BYU football: Win isn't easy

SAN DIEGO — Somehow it was fitting that BYU reached a notable milestone — earning its 500th all-time victory — here at Qualcomm Stadium, the site of so many memorable Cougar wins over the years.

Saturday's game between BYU and San Diego State didn't come down to the waning seconds, but it did feature plenty of big plays and great quarterback performances. And the outcome wasn't decided until late in the fourth quarter.

At times it was reminiscent of past Holiday Bowls, as well as high-scoring shootouts with the Aztecs that the Cougars have staged in this venue.

In the end, No. 18 BYU put up big offensive numbers, overcame defensive deficiencies and held on to defeat upstart SDSU, 38-28.

"We're competing for conference championship. When you're doing that, the teams at the top of the league get everybody's best," said Cougar coach Bronco Mendenhall. "That's what we got again."

"I've come to the conclusion that every team we play is going to battle us hard," said running back Harvey Unga. "It's one of those things where we have to play to the best of our ability. It's a big thing when you're ranked. There's a target there. … (The game) was a little too close."

Senior Max Hall turned in a vintage BYU quarterback effort, completing 27 of 39 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Hall also had 14 carries for 47 yards and a TD. For the second straight week, he didn't throw an interception. Hall showed flashes of Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer and Steve Young ?— calling his own number, improvising, scrambling around on the field and leading his team to the end zone.

"Max, the last two weeks, has played exceptional. We're not turning the ball over, and he's running the football," Mendenhall said. "He's staying healthy, he's getting first downs, and he's a competitor. I think our offense played very well and our defense played well enough to win. The combination was a Mountain West Conference victory on the road and that's something I'm always happy to win."

"That was one of those games where at the end you feel really good to win the game. It was a battle," Hall said. "San Diego State's coaches and players did a phenomenal job. They played really hard and gave us everything we could handle. We battled for four quarters and did what we had to do to win the game. … That's the best San Diego State team we've played since I've been here."

The Cougars, who ran 91 plays and rolled up 512 yards of total offense, improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in league play. Next up? A big showdown against undefeated TCU next Saturday in Provo.