Cougars have not given up on BCS

With his team facing fourth-and-18 deep in its own territory with 1:34 remaining against rival Utah, Brigham Young coach Bronco Mendenhall was considering what he could have done differently.

But after Cougars quarterback Max Hall hooked up with wide receiver Austin Collie for a 49-yard pass play to keep the drive alive, Mendenhall was confident his team could win, and it did.

Harvey Unga scored on an 11-yard run and Hall hit Collie for a 2-point conversion pass to give BYU a 17-10 victory Saturday at Provo, Utah.

The Cougars (9-2) ran their winning streak to eight games and wrapped up their second straight Mountain West Conference title.

BYU, which also has won 12 home games in a row and 15 consecutive MWC games, climbed to No. 19 in the coaches poll, No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the BCS standings.

The Cougars would have to finish as one of the top 12 teams in the BCS to qualify for an automatic bid to one of the five BCS bowls. Aside from beating San Diego State this Saturday, the Cougars would need plenty of outside help to crack the coveted top 12.

Mendenhall said BYU has a decent chance and that his players, not him, set several preseason goals that included playing in a BCS game.

“They knew they were close last year, and their hopes were to compete in one of those (BCS) games this year,” Mendenhall said Tuesday. “It’s not completely ruled out this year — 10-2 might be enough.”

Even if the Cougars fail to play in a BCS game, they appear well on their way to realizing a couple of Mendenhall’s goals when he became BYU’s coach.

“At my very first press conference, I said I wanted us to be dominant in the Mountain West Conference and return to national prominence,” he said. “I do know being undefeated in the league, two years to this point, reflects dominance.”

• RUSHING DEFENSE — BYU is the only team in the country that hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher this season. The Cougars limited Utah to 124 yards on the ground, with Darrell Mack leading the Utes with 56 yards on 14 carries.

• FAB FROSH — Unga, the MWC offensive player of the week, became the first BYU freshman running back to gain more than 1,000 yards in a season, topping the milestone against Utah. He rushed for 141 yards on 23 carries to reach 1,050 yards, also giving the Cougars a 1,000-yard rusher for three straight seasons for the first time.

• COLLIE CATCHES ON — Collie, a sophomore, had five receptions for 126 yards against Utah, his fourth straight 100-yard game and fifth of the season. He also had a 98-yard game against New Mexico.

• WINNING TRADITION — BYU has won four MWC titles since joining the league in 1999, and the Cougars have captured 23 conference crowns overall.