BYU football: San Diego State's style familiar to Cougars, Mendenhall

"They're good. They're an effort-based defense," said Cougar offensive coordinator Brandon Doman. "First and foremost, they're a run-stopping defense, and they like to blitz, put pressure on the quarterback. They do a very effective job doing all of those things. We need to find a way to run the ball effectively and protect the passer. If we do those two things, I have great confidence in the plan to throw it. Then we're going to have to match or exceed their effort. We've been able to do that for a lot of years. I believe this group can do that. Otherwise, we'll have a really tough bowl game. It's going to be tough anyways, but it won't be any fun if we don't do any of those things."

Doman said the 3-3-5 "poses challenges in pass protection and running the ball. I don't think we have to cram the ball down their throat. I kind of look forward to the chess match a little bit. Hopefully we can do a better job offensively. I'm excited about the game and the plan that we have."

BYU quarterback Riley Nelson is looking forward to playing San Diego State.

"When I watch them on film, they play really hard, they respect the game and they're a good team," he said. "When you play teams that have a good record but you can't tell don't play hard and take it for granted, it gets you on edge. San Diego State isn't that way. Their coach and their players really respect the game. They play with tenacity and intensity. That's what you want in an opponent. Hopefully we can match that. It will be a good, exciting game."