Mendenhall, Cougars go for bowl eligibility
Barring an upset, Brigham Young should cruise to its sixth victory Saturday against Colorado State, earning coach Bronco Mendenhall a spot in the Cougars’ record book.
BYU (5-2, 3-0 Mountain West) is a 211/2-point favorite over Colorado State (1-7, 1-4, and a victory would qualify the Cougars for a third straight bowl game for the first time since 1994. It also would make Mendenhall the first BYU coach to lead the team to a bowl in his first three seasons.
Mendenhall on Tuesday said perennial bowl appearances help BYU’s quest to return to national prominence.
“Consistency in postseason play is a sign of success and should be viewed as a sign of national respect,” Mendenhall said. “The more frequently we can play in the postseason, maybe the program can get back to what it once was.”
BYU, which played in the past two Las Vegas Bowls, participated in a school-record 17 straight bowl games from 1978 through 1994.
* CONFERENCE DOMINANCE — BYU has won a league-record 11 consecutive MWC games and can equal its longest conference streak since winning 12 in a row in the Western Athletic Conference from Nov. 20, 1982, to Oct. 19, 1985.
Ohio State is the only school with a better conference record in the last 15 games, going 15-0 in the Big Ten. BYU is 14-1 in the MWC and Boise State is 14-1 in the WAC.
The past three MWC champions have finished with an 8-0 conference record, with BYU the lone remaining unbeaten team in the MWC this season.
* NO PLACE LIKE HOME — The Cougars can equal their MWC record of 10 straight home wins with a victory Saturday at Edwards Stadium. BYU was the nation’s most dominant home team last season, winning all six games in Provo, Utah, by an average of 35.2 points. The Cougars have continued to roll at home this season, winning by 24.3 points per game.
Also, BYU ranks 27th in the nation in home attendance, averaging 64,516 per game, and has played in front of three straight sellouts this season for the first time since 1999.
* HIRED GUN — Following the 2004 season, Mendenhall was one of 13 coaches hired for his first head coaching job at the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) level. Mendenhall has the best record among the group, going 22-10. Utah’s Kyle Whittingham is next at 21-13, and Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis is 20-13.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0354.