Yeehaw!

BYU 55, UNLV 14

I don't get to see many BYU games(being in Texas and no ESPN gameplan availble through my cable provider) but someone I met through CougarBoard graciously invited me over to watch it. He had a nice setup - a projection tv(a projector hooked up to his satellite signal) which used a blank spot on the far wall as a screen. The projector was directly overhead from where we were sitting. It was very nice. I brought the chips & soda.

The team started slow but UNLV turned it over a couple of times(via interception) deep in their own territory and BYU seemed to have no trouble scoring inside of the redzone. It was 27-7 at halftime after BYU scored 20 2nd quarter points. You can guess the rest.

It was pretty cool watching the game in such a nice setting but I sure was bushed by the time it was over. My work schedule has screwed up my sleep schedule to the point where I often get really tired in the evening. The game didn't get over until after 6pm Saturday evening and I was lucky to get home in one piece. Its a solid hour drive from Rockwall(where I watched the game) to Denton. Still, it was great to be able to see the whole game and to see the Cougars do so well. 2 more games to go - @Wyoming and at home against Utah.

Winning either one would clinch BYU's first winning season since 2001. Winning both would be better, of course. 7-4 would be an attractive record to shop around to the bowls. I, unlike some on CougarBoard, am not going to assume or predict victories in either of these games. BYU lost too many games in the first half of the season for me to be too confident about victories from one week to the next. Every week, I just kind of hold my breath and hope for the best. Call it 'The Crowton Effect.' Anyhow...

I think BYU has a good chance at Wyoming but Laramie is a difficult place to play in so I'm afraid that the Cougars may stumble here. I sure hope not.

I'm not even going to try to call the Utah game. They have really had BYU's number the last few years. They have a good passing qb and BYU's pass defense has been really porous. Good news: Utah's running D has been equally porous and BYU has a HUGE(think 310 and go north from there) offensive line and a couple of pretty good running backs. Utah really hates BYU, though. Really. Quite a bit more, it seems to me, than the other way around. This often translates to BYU preparing like its just another game and Utah preparing like they are on fire. BYU shows up a step slow and hands made out of clay and then Utah goes crazy; long pass plays and long punt returns and the like. And home field advantage doesn't seem to matter that much to BYU in this game because the schools are less than an hour apart and Utah always travels well to BYU. If BYU can control the clock by moving the ball with the running game it will improve their chances of winning quite a bit.

Here's hoping that we win out!!!!!

GO COUGARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!