In case you missed my announcement last Friday, my blog has a new format and a new home:
It can now be found by going here:

http://blogs.sltrib.com/byu/index.php

Happy game day, everyone.

I have some news related to this blog for you today. Barring some unforeseen snafus, this is most likely my last post on this particular platform (google-based blogger).

Several Trib staffers have already moved their blogs to a new platform, and my switch-overs (BYU and recruiting) are scheduled to take place today.

So don't be alarmed when you click on this blog later today, or tomorrow, and it looks different that what you are accustomed to. If you're still seeing this old blog, as of now, we have moved! Click here to get to the new blog and bookmark it!

You can still get to this blog via the same address, and the archives will still be available if you want to look up past blogs.

However, if you have subscribed to my RSS feed, that address is changing and you will need to re-subscribe once the switchover is complete.

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My advance story in today's newspaper is about the future of the BYU-Utah State series. You can access that story here in case you missed it.

BYU AD Tom Holmoe confirmed that next year's game will be in Logan, and that the 2011 and 2012 games will be in Provo. Both sides are talking about another three-year arrangement that will begin in 2013, but so far nothing has been signed.

No reason to think that something won't be worked out, however,

"I have made it clear to my athletic director, I would like to have the game on a yearly basis. Again, I think it is great for the state," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall.

There are 33 players on USU's roster from the state of Utah, and 46 players from Utah on BYU's roster. Obviously, many played against each other in high school, or were on the same teams.

"That part always adds a different level of intrigue to the game. And you usually see it after the game as players visit a little longer than they normally do."

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Tribune columnist Gordon Monson wrote about USU coach Gary Andersen's history with BYU in today's paper. Check that article out here.

By the way, Mendenhall told an interesting story earlier this week about almost being on the same coaching staff at Northern Arizona as Andersen and USU defensive coordinator Bill Busch.

When Mendenhall was an assistant at Northern Arizona, he helped persuade the head coach there to hire Andersen. However, after Andersen got the job, Mendenhall got a job a week later at Oregon State, and left Flagstaff.

But Mendenhall had paid an extra month's rent on his apartment in Flagstaff, so he Andersen and Busch stayed in Mendenhall's apartment their first month as Northern Arizona coaches.

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Finally, a few more comments from BYU's Jan Jorgensen and Coleby Clawson about playing USU tonight.

Jorgensen: "It is their championship game, and so they are going to get super-hyped and juiced for this game, but we will be up there too. I am not going to say we won't be as hyped for them. We will be up for it, too, and we will be up there to match that excitement."

Clawson on last year's game: "Utah State just controlled the momentum at the end of the game, and I think it almost felt like a win to them, because they controlled the momentum at the end of the game. So that is going to be a big thing -- to be able to come out and stay consistent. Last year, we kind of slowed down in the second half."

A lot has been made of last year's 34-14 BYU win over Utah State, and how the Aggies scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and were close to scoring another at the end of the game.

BYU outgained USU 406-322 in that game and took advantage of several Aggie turnovers to turn it into a rout in the first quarter. Credit the Aggies for fighting back, but the Cougars helped USU's cause by committing penalties.

In all, BYU was flagged 12 times for 123 yards in that game.

Along with cutting down on the mistakes, the Cougars know they must slow down USU's top two weapons tomorrow night to be successful.

Last year, Robert Turbin ran for 74 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries, and QB Diondre Borel recovered from a horrible start to run for 40 yards (on 19 carries). Borel was 10-for-15 for 114 yards passing in the game, with one pick.

Here's BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall's take on Turbin:

"I really like [Turbin] at running back. Not only is he physical, but he is fast. The plays that you do see him breaking away, nobody is catching him. And he is big. It is a unique combination to be big, physical and fast, and that is pretty uncommon.

"From a year ago, I know our players were very impressed after playing him and thought he was one of the best running backs that we had seen. So I am sure they will remember."

Here's his take on Borel:

"Really athletic. We had a hard time getting him on the ground a year ago. And when you consider how they are using him now with a little bit of option and some of the zone read series, I think that they understand what their strengths are, and are using him at even a higher level than a year ago.

"And again, the two players from a year ago that our players were impressed with -- not only have I talked about the running back, but those two players in a combination -- they are doing a nice job because those two players are the ones touching the ball most of the time.

With the ball in both those players hands, I think it is a smart move by the coaching staff."

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BYU senior linebacker Matt Bauman has been selected as one of 154 semifinalists for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the 2009 NFF National Scholar- Athlete Awards.

Semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

Bauman started all 13 games at inside linebacker in 2008 and the first three games this season. He led the team in tackles last year with 108, including 50 solo. A finance major, Bauman was a 2008 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American and is a three-time Academic All-MWC honoree.

The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29.

Our BYU football story in today's paper, written by Martin Renzhofer is about cornerback Brian Logan and how teams such as Colorado State have noticed his 5-foot-6 stature and are picking on him, especially near the goal line.

Here's a link to that story.

Generally, BYU coaches and players have praised Logan's play, saying he is an upgrade from their starter at the position last year, Brandon Howard.

"Not only tonight, but just in how he has played in the first four games. I thought he has played very well," coach Bronco Mendenhall said after the CSU game. "Tonight, he had a few pass interferences, and certainly was tested, but he battled I think from beginning to end, and that's all I can ask.

"We can work on the execution, we can work on his technique and everything else. As long as he is willing and will play hard, which he did. So I thought it was still a positive performance."

Mendenhall said the trade-off for Logan's lack of height is his tackling ability.

"There are some guys that are short and play big, and I think to this point he has. He is an excellent tackler. He just needs to play with a little bit better leverage so he can track the ball and time his jumping better. And he was trailing or at least even, so he wasn't able to elevate and that is when you are not very tall, that's a problem."

Defensive end Jan Jorgensen was quoted in the article, but here's more of what Jorgensen had to say about Logan:

"An example [of what Logan adds] is his open-field tackling. Guys get the ball over there in the flat, and that little guy comes over and he will lay them out. He doesn't let them get yards. Which is something we haven't had in the last couple of years.

He also does a good job being physical with the receivers. Receivers don't like to get touched. They like to go out there and run around and do whatever they want. And he does a very good job of getting in their head and getting them frustrated."

Kyle Collinsworth, the 6-foot-6 combo-guard from Provo High who committed to BYU basketball coach Dave Rose on Wednesday afternoon, told me he would like to play one season for the Cougars and then leave on a church mission.

A little more on Collinsworth's commitment, now that the proverbial "dust" has settled a little bit:

* Scout.com gives him four stars and ranks him as the No. 99 prospect in the nation. The service calls him the No. 20 small forward in the nation, although one of Collinsworth's biggest strengths is his versatility. He can play the 1, 2 or 3 spot in college, most scouts say.

* Rivals.com gives Collinsworth three stars and says he is 125th nationally. Not sure why, but Scout.com generally rates western states players higher than Rivals.com does. That's especially true in football, it seems.

* Collinsworth narrowed his choices to Virginia and BYU in recent weeks, but it should be noted that before he started narrowing his list he had offers from some of the top programs in the country. Arizona State, UNLV, USC, Stanford and Utah were all pursuing him heavily at one point or another, and Kansas, UConn, UCLA and others were looking at him very, very closely.

* Collinsworth told me this afternoon that he pretty much decided on Sunday (upon returning from his official visit to BYU) that he was going to commit to BYU. He called coach Dave Rose at 4 p.m. today, was in Rose's office and committing at 5 p.m., and was returning my call at 5:15 p.m.

* Unlike a few recruits I have dealt with over the years, Collinsworth shies away from publicity. He said it was a relief to get the decision out of the way.

* College basketball recruiting is cutthroat. A couple programs, despite having been told no weeks ago, were calling Collinsworth as late as today to gauge any last-minute interest.

* Collinsworth said two big factors in his decision were "BYU's awesome coaching staff" and BYU's style of play. "Their style fits me," he said.

* Collinsworth's brother, Chris, is 6-foot-9 and on a church mission in Australia (he was the victim of a stabbing attack last year) and has about seven months left before he re-joins the Cougars.

Kyle probably won't reach 6-9, but he will likely be listed at 6-7 during his time at BYU.

* As a junior, Collinsworth earned Tribune 4A MVP honors after leading Provo to the state championship game. He averaged around 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists a game on a slow-down, defense-oriented team.

Cougar nation is justifiably buzzing over news tha Provo High combo-guard Kyle Collinsworth committed to BYU basketball coach Dave Rose today.

The BYU baseball team also recently picked up a huge commitment, getting a pledge from the top prospect in Arizona, center fielder Jaycob Brugman.

For more on Brugman, check out our recruiting trail blog here.

Just got off the phone with Kyle Collinsworth, the 6-foot-6 combo guard from Provo High School.

Collinsworth has committed to BYU, he said.

The senior said he decided this afternoon to commit to BYU, and called coach Dave Rose to set up an appointment.

At around 5 p.m., in Rose's office, Collinsworth relayed the news.

"He was pretty excited, it seemed," Collinsworth said.

Collinsworth is widely regarded as the top prep basketball player in Utah, and one of the top 100 in the country, according to some recruiting Web sites.

BYU defensive end Brett Denney isn't on the Cougars' PAT team, but don't be surprised if he starts lobbying coaches to put him there.

Denney's brother, Ryan, a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from punter Brian Moorman on a fake field goal play in Sunday's 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was the second-straight season in which Ryan Denney, who played for the Cougars from 1998-2001, has caught a TD pass on a fake field from Moorman, the holder.

Brett Denney said after practice Tuesday that he talked to his brother about the Moorman-to-Mormon TD, but that Ryan Denney wasn't "too excited" about the play because the Bills lost.

"It is fun for him, but when your defensive end is the only one scoring a touchdown for your team, I don't think it is as much fun as you would want it to be," Brett said.

As for the "Lambeau Leap" that Ryan Denney took into the Bills' crowd after the score, he told Brett that "last year, my celebration was kind of lame, so I thought I would give that a try."

Brett Denney joked that he has "thought about" asking the coaches to put him on the PAT team.

"I would say, hey, look what the Denneys can do," he said.

Another Denney brother, John Denney, is the deep snapper for the Miami Dolphins. John Denney played for BYU from 2002-2004.

Reporters' Mountain West Conference preseason all-conference ballots are due today. So I have switched gears a little bit in the middle of football season to study the men's basketball scene in the conference and finalize my ballot.
The preseason rankings, all-conference selections and other preaseason individual honorees will be announced at next week's MWC media day in Denver.

Here's what I came up with. Feel free to give me your thoughts in the comments section.

How they will finish:

1. BYU
2. San Diego State
3. Utah
4. New Mexico
5. UNLV
6. Wyoming
7. Colorado State.
8. TCU
9. Air Force

My five-member all-conference team:

Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Tre'Von Willis, UNLV
Jonathan Tavernari, BYU
Carlon Brown, Utah
Afam Muojeke, Wyoming

Note: I also considered New Mexico's Roman Martinez, Utah's Luka Drca, San Diego State's Billy White and TCU's Zvonko Buljan.

Preseason Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Note: I also thought about Tavernari; No other candidates really jump out.

Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Darington Hobson, New Mexico

Note: This is the most difficult pick to make, because it can't be a freshman. BYU's only candidate would be Logan Magnusson, the transfer from SLCC. I've read some good things about Hobson, so I went with him. Really, it is a crapshoot.

Freshman of the Year: Tyler Haws, BYU

Note: Some might see this as a homer pick, but I'm going to call it a familiarity pick. I know what Haws can do, and from the reports I've been getting about preseason workouts, Haws is looking very good for the Cougars. Of course, BYU's other freshman, Brandon Davies, also merits consideration.

One of the BYU-related articles in today's paper, which you can find here, focused on Harvey Unga's broken pinkie finger.

I wasn't able to include a lot of details, due to space limitations, for the printed version of the newspaper, so here's a little more on Harvey's fourth finger.

Unga said it happened on BYU's first offensive play from scrimmage, an 11-yard run by Manase Tonga, against CSU.

"I was just blocking a guy, and my hand got caught in his pads," he said. "He was going one way. I was going the other. I tried to shove him, but it just got caught up in there, and it snapped."

Unga said "it hurts like any other broken finger, I am assuming," but is not something he can't manage. Asked if he will play on Friday, he said, "as far as I am concerned, yeah, unless something else comes up."

As reported earlier, coach Bronco Mendenhall said Unga will probably have surgery on the finger when the season is over. Here's Unga's take:

"I hope it is healed by then. If not, then yeah. But if not, then yeah, I will probably have surgery. But I really don't know what the deal is. How it is going to feel, whether it is going to stay broken or whatever. We are playing it by ear right now."

Unga said he doesn't think he will have trouble holding onto the ball.

"Not particularly, no," he said. "The only thing holding me back is that stupid cast that they are having me put on for practice to protect it. But other than that, I don't fnd it too [hard]...I got four more good fingers that I will try to hold onto the ball with. Then just always try to cover it up with the left hand as well."

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Apparently, some television broadcasters have taken to calling the Unga-Tonga backfield combo the "Pineapple Express."

Asked about that, Unga said:

"I don't mind it. I am not big into the name callings and all that funny stuff. I just come out here and play the game and have fun. They can call us whatever they want. As long as we are winning, I will be happy."

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Here's Unga's thoughts on playing Utah State:

"It is going to be a tough game. Utah State is a good, talented team. They went down to Texas and played a good game down there. They have a lot of physical guys, and some good coaches up there, the coaches that left from the U. to help out there, and whatnot. I think they have great coaches.

This team has a lot of potential. And any instate rival game, whether it is Utah, Utah State, Weber, Dixie, whoever it is, there is always that kind of grudge match where teams come out to give it their all and play their best.

Not to say that other teams don't give it their best, but I think there is a lot more intensity when it seems to be the rivalry."

Asked what he remembered about last year's game in Logan, Unga replied:

"I remember it was a little closer than I wanted it to be. A little too close for my comfort. And they came out there, they were ready to play for the most part. They made some mistakes and we capitalized on their mistakes. But they are going to come down here to play as well. So last year was last year. We can't do much about it. We just got to focus on this game this week."

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BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall was asked if USU's crowd reaction last year was impressive.

"I think it impressed on [BYU's players] a lot. I was impressed that the fans would be cheering like that, when the team was down that far and didn't have a chance to win. But it mattered that they could score, it mattered that they could compete. I don't think anyone on our team will forget that, and I think they are preparing for a tough game. Utah State is much improved," he said.

Naturally, the big question for BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall after Tuesday's practice was the condition of Harvey Unga, who wore a soft cast on his right hand.

Having addressed that topic (Unga has a broken pinkie finger where his knuckle meets his hand) Mendenhall called the practice "nice" and crisp."

"A lot of mental work today," he said. "I was impressed."

Addressing other issues, Mendenhall said that defensive end Bernard Afutiti is practicing with the team again, periodically, but will not play this season. The plan is to have Afutiti eligible to enroll in winter semester classes and participate in spring ball.

"He has a lot of academic work to do, and a lot of other things that I have asked him to do that he will have to complete by winter semester," Mendenhall said.

As far as injuries are concerned, Mendenhall said linebacker Matt Bauman (sprained knee) "is ahead of schedule."

The coach said nose tackle Russell Tialavea (sprained knee) won't play Friday against USU and is "probable" for UNLV.

He said the same applies to defensive end Vic So'oto (probable for UNLV) after So'oto underwent surgery Tuesday for a broken finger.

BYU running back Harvey Unga has a new injury on his hands -- literally -- but Cougar fans shouldn't be alarmed.

Unga practiced Tuesday with a soft cast on his right hand, and after practice coach Bronco Mendenhall said Unga has a broken pinkie finger.

Mendenhall said the injury is "inoperable" and that Unga will not miss any games.

He broke it the second play of the game against Colorado State, but still managed to run for more than 100 yards and score three touchdowns.

Unga has battled a hamstring injury the first four games of the season.

Just filed a story about the progress BYU quarterback Max Hall is making. It should be online later this afternoon and in tomorrow's newspaper.

Earlier this afternoon, Hall participated in a conference call with five or six reporters from around the state.

Mostly, he talked about the kind of challenge the Cougars expect to get from the Utah State Aggies on Friday.

"I would imagine [the Aggies] are pretty intense about it. I don't know for sure, but I would think this is a big game for them, to play us.

The game between Utah State and BYU is always a battle. It is always a fight, and that would sure pump up their season, if they could get a win. So we also knows what it means to us, to keep our season going, and to reach our goals. So like I said, it is going to be a great game, a great battle, and a good test for us. So we are looking forward to the challenge."

Hall was asked if the Cougars "got frustrated" in the second half of last year's game.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "Maybe our productivity wasn't quite where it was in the first half. But to go down there in that environment, and win an instate game was a good deal for us. So we got a lot of criticism from people who think we kind of sputtered in the second half, or whatever. But the bottom line is we won the game, and we are excited to play them again, and to play them at home."

While acknowledging that Utah State is always motivated when it plays BYU, Hall said the Cougars will also be up for the game.

"I think we get up for every game. I think right now we just love playing football. We love coming out on a Saturday, or this week a Friday night, and competing and playing the game. And we are just having a blast doing it.

"It is an instate game. One of our goals is to win the instate battle, and it starts with Utah State. So they are going to be gunning for us. You know they are going to do everything they can to win the game, and it is going to be a battle. So we look forward to the challenge and to play a good Utah State team this year."

Finally, Hall was asked about Riley Nelson, the former USU quarterback who is now his backup at BYU.

"Riley is a stud," he said. "I think he learned the offense really fast, and he has been very good as a backup quarterback. We challenge each other to memorize scripts and plays, and coverage recognition. And we do a lot of things together. I think he is going to be a great quarterback here in the future. It would be awesome if we could get him in and play against Utah State on Friday night."

For once, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall didn't have to field the most questions during the Mountain West Conference coaches teleconference on Tuesday morning.

That distinction went to new New Mexico coach Mike Locksley, who was grilled by reporters over the incident that came to light Monday (but actually happened a week ago Sunday) regarding Locksley punching UNM assistant J.B. Gerald.

Referencing the punch and some allegations of sexual harassment leveled at Locksley prior to the season, Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review Journal asked simply, "What is going on over there?"

Locksley said the program, which is 0-4 after losing to lowly New Mexico State on Saturday, is not in as bad of shape as it might appear. He said 22 first-year players are playing a lot, and predicted brighter things ahead.

Seemingly, it can't get much worse.

Wyoming coach Dave Christensen is also having a tough day -- for altogether different reasons. Christensen was replaced by an assistant coach for the call because he is apparently passing kidney stones at a Laramie hospital.

The assistant said Christensen is expected to be back for practice this afternoon, though.

Tough guy.

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Here are a few of Mendenhall's comments from this morning:

Opening statement:

"After our first MWC game, our football team is excited to continue to grow and improve.
We had a hardfought game on Saturday. We have a lot of respect for Colorado State. They are a very good football program. We were glad to get a win, and in a MWC game, which is most important.
So now we have a chance to play an interstate rivalry game, which is always a great atmosphere in our home stadium on Friday night before General Conference. So our team is excited about it."

Why was CSU able to complete seven passes of 15 yards or more?

"There was just one particular route that kind of gave us a little difficulty. And it was an interesting choice. We made a decision earlier in the week, knowing that Colorado State had had quite a few plays of over 25 yards -- and the giant plays were the ones that we thought could end up beating us.

So we made a choice in scheme -- we didn't necessarily play a given route successfully -- but it did limit them from going over the top of us.
And so it was partly tradeoff, and partly execution."

Why did you bring less pressure against CSU?

"Just a matchup vs. Colorado State. On any given day, our identity will change a little bit in terms of pressure. We are sometimes in between, based on what we think their threats are, and what their weaknesses are.
To this point, for the most point, I think we have managed it well."

Was last year's game against Utah State competitive?

"I think Utah State was very competitive. Not only was the team competitive, their fans were certainly into the game. As I remember, I don't remember much from the game, but I do remember the end. And Utah State was trailing, and trailing by a fairly large margin. Yet the fans were clearly behind their team by supporting them right to the end in a pretty chaotic environment. So I was impressed."

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Mendenhall might have been impressed by how USU fans stuck around to the end of the 34-14 loss (BYU led 34-0 heading into the fourth quarter) and how some fans ran onto the field to "celebrate" the 20-point loss, but BYU defensive end Jan Jorgensen used other words to describe the atmosphere last year in Logan.

"Yeah, I do remember that," said Jorgensen, when asked if remembered the fans' reaction. "It is more comical, I think, than anything else."

Jorgensen, whose father, Jeff, played for Utah State, said playing BYU is like a bowl game for the Aggies.

"I remember us playing really well in the first half, and then kind of falling into a lull the second half. It is something we can't do this year," he said.

Classified as a "newcomer," BYU backup quarterback Riley Nelson could officially talk to reporters after the Oklahoma game. But with the Cougars playing Nelson's former school, Utah State, this week, we decided to hold off on a story about Nelson's transfer until now.

That story is in today's Tribune, and here's a link if you missed it.

I spent quite a bit of time talking to people about Nelson's situation, and Nelson was gracious enough to talk at length about the transfer (although he still prefers to not divulge all his reasons, saying some are personal).

Anyway, here are some comments that didn't make it into the story, but are still helpful nevertheless in understanding what happened.

Quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman on Nelson's progress:

"We are really pleased with it. He's had two drives and two touchdowns. He has a long ways to go, but in overall ability and leadership, work ethic, all those types of things -- intangibles -- I think he possesses all that stuff.

"Now it is just a matter of poise, and poise comes from confidence, which comes from repetition. He just doesn't get enough reps as we would like. But boy, to get in a game and play, that is why he is here. That is why he is our backup.

If he can get into eight or 10 games, which would be a remarkable thing. That would be ideal."

Nelson on how things are going overall at BYU:

"Things are going well. I am adjusting to both football and school. It is different from fall camp, where everything is just football. Now there are other demands on your time. I am slowly but surely adjusting, and I am loving it."

Nelson on the reaction he expects to get Friday from USU fans who attend the game in Provo: "I haven't thought about it, and I am not going to think much about it. Whatever it is, it won't effect the game or how we play or anyting like that, so I am not going to worry too much about it."

Nelson on feedback he has received from friends and former teammates regarding his transfer:

"When I go back up to Logan, it is to be with my family. So I spend the majority of my time with them. When my friends drop by, or I go out with them, there is no negative feelings -- at least from what I have experienced."

Nelson on rumors of a gag order on Riley Nelson comments at USU (Aggie players have said there's a gag order; school officials said there is not):

"I find that funny. But I think it is good. The focus needs to be on the field and the football that is going to be played, and not so much on the off-the-field things that really have no influence on what is taking place on the field."

Nelson on his opportunities at BYU so far:

"I am happy with the opportunities that I have been given, and I just prepared mentally throughout the week to be prepared for whatever situation I am placed in. Whether it be at the end of the game, or whether I am called on during the course of a game.

I just prepare to be ready, and to take advantage of the opportunity and do whatever I can to help our team progress and to win."

Nelson on his reaction when backup QB Brenden Gaskins stepped aside and demoted himself so Nelson could be the No. 2 QB:

"The word I would use to describe it is admiration. I feel like that shows the measure of his character. And I am very fortunate to be able to interact day in and day out with both him and Max. They are both men of great integrity and great character. And to be able to interact with them and learn from them and be on the same team as them, it is a great opportunity."

Nelson on his reaction when Jake Heaps committed to BYU:

"Excitement. It really shows the direction that this program is headed in -- which is obviously onward and upward. It is really exciting to have Jake come, along with all the other recruits. Because they are very good ball players and they will contribute a whole lot to our team, and contribute a lot to accomplishing the goals that we have."

Nelson on how is deep-rooted USU family has handled the transfer news:

"The are definitely going to be cheering for the Cougars next Friday. They are Riley Nelson fans all the way, and my grandfather and my father and my whole family has a deep love for me, and I know that, because I feel like they are going to support me in whatever righteous decision I make."

Nelson on their initial reaction:

"They had very little to do in my decision-making process, and were probably just as surprised as anybody. But like I said, I have felt nothing but support and love from them. Because my decision was such a personal one, I didn't really receive much advise, whether to go here, or whether to go there. I was presented with the opportunity, and it was left up to me, and it was the decision that I made."

Like BYU, Utah State held its weekly news conference this morning, with coach Gary Andersen and running backs Robert Turbin and Michael Smith making comments and answering questions.

Here are their replies regarding questions related to BYU, courtesy of the USU sports information department:

Robert Turbin

On BYU: "They are a very good team, especially on defense. They do a few things differently than they did last season. So we will watch film and get better. We will get ready for the game."

On differences in BYU's defense: "They stunt a lot more than they did last season. They do a lot of different things with the linebackers and defensive ends. They do a lot of the things that Utah does on defense. They try to do some of those confusing things. They have put that into their defense so we are really going to have to evaluate them and figure those things out."

We are going to have to stay in and help out with the offensive line. The most important thing is going to be protecting Diondre Borel when he goes back to pass."

They have a good defense, but it doesn't concern me. We are just going to have to be ready for it. We are going to have to play attention to detail. We will be ready."

On momentum from last year's game against BYU: "It gave us a lot of confidence. Towards the end of that game we believed in our abilities. We believe we can do a lot of things against BYU as far as scoring points and racking up yards. That was a big confidence boost for us at the end of that game last year. So we are a lot more confident in what we can do against them."

Michael Smith

On BYU: "I haven't seen much film on them. I now they have a good defense and a good quarterback. I watched them play Florida State. Florida State was really fast, and that is what we have to be. We have to play fast. We have to know our assignment and execute."

Gary Andersen

On BYU: "They are a tremendous football team. They have won 10 games consistently for years and years. Bronco has done a great job. They have tremendous football players. Their scheme is very consistent as far as being good on both sides of the football. Offense, defense and special teams are aggressive enough. They have good players sprinkled around. I think they do a good job year in and year out on offense, defense and special teams of using their best players."

"The defense, they seem to be a little bit more aggressive then they have been in the past. They have played very well this year. The Oklahoma game speaks for itself. I have spent some time watching them, they are a good defensive football team."

"I have watched more of their offense, and I have great respect for them. They have a great quarterback. Max is obviously going to play quarterback for a long time past college, he will continue to play probably as long as he wants to in the NFL. I do know this: If you just sit back there and say you are going to play base defense and put them in a position to dink and dunk the football underneath you and don't respect the run and throw game you are going to have a major issue."

"You have to put pressure on the quarterback. If you just let him sit back there and he feels at home and at peace, you are going to have some issues. They have a quality offensive line in front of him. They have a great stable of running backs. Usually it is about two deep. This year there are three or four of those guys that are tremendous running backs. They use those guys to run the ball and catching it out of the backfield."

"Every year after I break down BYU I end up coming back and saying the same thing to myself, it is a throw offense and a run offense, but it is almost an option mentality. With a lot of teams you can look at it and say, they are going to go to this guy in this situation or that guy in that situation. BYU makes you defend the whole field in every personnel grouping that they have, which makes them very dynamic. Then they get the football to their playmakers."

"The bottom line for us is to be able to execute at a very high level. They are going to have success on offense. They have success on offense every single week. You have to find a way to get them off pace and play extremely hard. We have to get turnovers and get our offense on the field. Then on offense you have to control the football. You have to control the ball and score on offense."

The Mountain West Conference will send a team to the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl for at least the next five years, the conference and the bowl just announced today.

After this year (when the opponent will be a Pac-10 team), the opponent will be either Navy, Army or a team from the Western Athletic Conference.

Here's the release with all the details:

SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl today announced it has extended its agreement with the Mountain West Conference for the next four-year bowl term, 2010-2013. The nine-member conference will continue to provide the San Diego bowl game with the second pick, as it has since the game's inception in 2005. The MAACO Bowl Las Vegas has and will continue to receive the first selection.
This announcement does not impact the game's 2009 match-up between the MWC and Pacific-10.
"The Mountain West Conference has proven to be a terrific match for the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl," said 2009 Bowl President Barbara Warden. "They've truly put us on the map as one of the exciting, must-see games during bowl season. We're delighted we were able to extend this partnership."
"San Diego is a great destination city for Mountain West fans," said MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson. "Thanks to the leadership, staff and volunteers of the event, Mountain West teams have had a tremendous experience at the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. We look forward to continuing the partnership in the future."
Agreements have also been established for the MWC opponents during the four-year cycle.
In 2010 a bowl eligible Navy Midshipmen squad will travel to San Diego and play in the SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl for the third time. In 2005 they topped Colorado State 51-30; in 2007 they were narrowly defeated at the hands of the Utah Utes 35-32. The two highest attended Poinsettia Bowls were games in which the Naval Academy participated; 36,842 in 2005, 39,129 in 2007.
"The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl is a post-season destination for our team and fans that is especially embraced by our enlisted military all along the West Coast," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "We know from experience, this is a first-class bowl, a wonderful San Diego experience, and an opportunity to promote a widespread sense of unity within the Navy football family. The entire Fleet rallies around the week-long festivities and the match-up versus a Mountain West Conference team is a challenge our student-athletes will enthusiastically embrace."
The 2011 and 2012 games will feature MWC teams going up against top schools from the Western Athletic Conference. A WAC school has played in the bowl game once. The Boise State Broncos came in to the 2008 game unbeaten and ranked 9th in the country. They were upset by the 11th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs 17-16 in front of 34,628 fans. That game garnered a 3.74 national television rating on ESPN, the bowl's most watched game ever and the highest rated pre-Christmas game ever on the all-sports network.
"We are extremely pleased to be associated with the San Diego Country Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl in 2011 and 2012", said WAC Commissioner Karl Benson. "Last year's bowl game was a big success with Boise State providing a tremendous matchup. Our teams are excited to have the opportunity to play in the game in the upcoming years and to travel to San Diego. The agreement also solidifies our bowl agreements for the next four years giving the WAC four guaranteed slots through the 2013 season."
In 2013 a bowl-eligible Army team will make their first appearance in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The last time the Black Knights played in a post-season game was in 1996 in the Independence Bowl. They lost to the Auburn Tigers 32-29.
"We are thrilled to announce this partnership with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl," said Army Director of Athletics Kevin Anderson. "Bruce Binkowski and his staff have done a tremendous job with this bowl game and we are excited to have the opportunity to showcase our program on the West Coast. I feel our players and fans will relish the opportunity to visit San Diego around the holidays."
Should Navy or Army not be bowl eligible in their respective years, the bowl game will receive a team from the WAC. To become bowl eligible a team must earn six wins.
"We believe these agreements will provide our fans with what they've come to expect - competitive, exciting football games," Warden said.
The 2009 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl kicks off at 5 p.m. PST on Wednesday, December 23rd. For tickets call 619/285-5039 or visit www.PoinsettiaBowl.com.

Saying the Cougars beat the Colorado State Rams because "we won the physical battle," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall addressed the media Monday morning and said his team made strides toward improving and is eager to play this week against Utah State.

Mendenhall said he loves the instate rivalry with the Aggies and would love to play USU every year. He learned on his visit to Logan last year "that people care a lot about the rivalry" and that it would be a shame for it to be interrupted again.

Other tidbits and revelations from this morning:

* Mendenhall said Grant Nelson started at outside linebacker against CSU, rather than Jordan Pendleton, because Nelson earned the right to start in practice. He said competition between the two players is so close that they could end up rotating starts the rest of the year.

Pendleton entered the game in the second defensive series, and suffered a slight "bell-ringer." Mendenhall said it is not a concussion and Pendleton should be good to go this week.

* There was some hope that linebacker Matt Bauman (sprained knee) would be able to rest against the Rams, but coaches decided to play him after Terrance Hooks and Shawn Doman got the starts at inside linebacker. Mendenhall said Bauman "played more than expected" but was "a little limited" in what he could do.

* Mendenhall said defensive end Vic So'oto broke a finger against Florida State and wore a cast on his hand against CSU. He even got a sack.

However, So'oto will have surgery on the hand this week and will miss Friday's game against Utah State. That should be the only game he will miss.

* As for defensive tackle Russell Tialavea, who celebrated widely on the sidelines when So'oto got the sack, Mendenhall said he is still expected to be out 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee, but the coach said his hope is that it is closer to two weeks than four.

* Mendenhall gave quarterback Max Hall a vote of confidence, saying he is "confident and comfortable" with the senior QB's progress.

* Asked about all the upsets in college football this season, Mendenhall noted the great parity that exists and said, "We are all at risk."

* Finally, Mendenhall was asked why the players didn't do the Haka after the CSU win. This year, they had been doing the Haka after wins (against Oklahoma and Tulane), but not before games like they did in previous years.

"I don't know. I haven't asked," Mendenhall said, noting that he leaves the decision on whether to do the Haka or not up to the players.

Seeing as how their offense put up 42 points, there was some hope among the BYU Cougars that they would land one of the conference's Player of the Week honors, but it was not to be.

The MWC just released its honorees list.

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton and Wyoming quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels are the co-Offensive Players of the Week, while Air Force defensive back Reggie Rembert is the Defensive Player of the Week. The Special Teams star is Wyoming kicker Ian Watts.

Dalton had 312 yards of total offense (226 passing, 86 rushing), while Carta-Samuels threw for 234 yards and three TDs with no interceptions.
Rembert had two interceptions.
BYU's candidates were probably Harvey Unga (113 rushing yards, three TDs), Max Hall (241 passing yards, two TDs) and Scott Johnson (12 tackles, including 10 solos).

BYU quarterback Max Hall ran for 26 yards in Saturday's 42-23 win over Colorado State. However, he was credited for only 4 net rushing yards because he was sacked twice and fumbled a snap for a big loss.

Hall ran for one touchdown, after faking out pretty much the entire CSU defense by feigning a handoff. He picked up a critical first down with another scamper in the third quarter.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall said he doesn't mind Hall running, but he does urge his senior quarterback to pick his spots carefully.
"I am comfortable with him running. I am not comfortable with him not sliding. Max is competitive," Mendenhall said. "He will understand, and he's coachable. Durability will become an issue, and he will know. I don't mind him running, I would just like him to get down."

More of Mendenhall's postgame comments:

Opening Comment:

I think our team played with a lot of heart and a lot of determination, and I think they played that way from beginning to end.

We were certainly opportunistic in the first half, and I think made some critical execution plays through execution in the second half that enabled us to have a great victory today.

I credit Colorado State. They are a good team, and they are an improved football team. But I thought our team played well today. Mountain West Conference football is difficult, and we had a convincing win, so I was happy with the outcome."

How important was starting fast?

"I think that was possibly the difference in the game, just in setting the tone.
If you have been following Colorado State, you know they have been playing from in front, with substantial leads, and starting fast. So we have been emphasizing to our players that was going to be critical.
So to have a couple of interceptions and a blocked punt all that quickly, and to get 21 points on the board, they then were playing from a different point of reference than what they had been, and maybe were a little bit unsettled for awhile."

You created turnovers, instead of giving them up?

"There's not a large margin in any given week from what could be high-scoring, low scoring victories, losses, etc.
And there is a lot of work that has to go into making those critical plays at the right time, and tonight our team did that and it was a good victory for us."

What did you think of Brian Logan's play?

"Not only tonight, but just in how he has played in the first four games. I thought he has played very well. Tonight, had a few pass interferences, and certainly was tested, but he battled I think from beginning to end, and that's all I can ask.
We can work on the execution, we can work on his technique and everything else. As long as he is willing and will play hard, which he did. So I thought it was stil a positive performance."

What can you with a guy who is a foot shorter than receivers he is going against?

"There are some guys that are short and play big, and I think to this point he has. He is an excellent tackler. He just needs to play with a little bit better leverage so he can track the ball and time his jumping better. And he was trailing or at least even, so he wasn't able to elevate and that is when you are not very tall, that's a problem."

Did you feel comfortable with the lead?

"Reasonably comfortable, I think would be the right words. It mattered to me how the game ended. I didn't want them to score one more time. And I told our defense that. And I wanted our offense to get at least one more touchdown, which they did. So I was pleased with that I think it showed heart and determination and executing at the right time at a high level. As you know, it is easy if you have a lead to get a little bit complacent, if you are relatively comfortable.
I don't want our team to get relatively comfortable because in the Mountain West Conference, we know each other too well and it is too easy for a play here to swing back and forth and then a lead can shrink too easily. I think that was a valuable lesson."

Did D-line played better?

"That would be my first thought. I still think that we have some work to do at inside linebacker at just playing aggressive and not, they have quite a bit to do between coverage and run, and they are not making the distinction quite enough in the last two games. The first two they did.
And I thought the defensive line noticeably played more physical and applied more pressure when needed, but also I thought they were more stout than they were a week ago. Much like the first two weeks. So that made me feel better."

Did they get more pressure as game went on?

"I think so, and it is easier to get pressure when you know a team is playing from behind and is going to throw the football more. We didn't send much pressure, scheme wise. We just relied on them to do it, and we were very clear that we weren't going to call them in to get them better. We were going to have to work to do it, simply by technique and fundamentals, and I think they worked hard to do that today."

How did Romney Fuga do?

"I didn't make a big deal of it a week ago, but when Romney came in in the Florida State game, and we play poorly against the run like we did, it is not time to highlight a player for playing well. But he actually played quite wel last week, and so we thought he would play well today. He played hard, and he's not as quick and fast as Russell, but he is more physical at the point of attack. I won't be surprised to see him do some good things on the fim when I watch it. But I was encouraged, even from what I saw from him last week."

How did secondary do as a whole?

"If I can just give a philosophical point of view: Yards to me aren't the indicator. It is points. And any time we hold an opponent to 24 points or under, we win a lot of football games, on any given season against any teams that we play.
When you look at the nature of the game, and if you are protecting leads, etc., none of those things are excuses, games just take different flavors and different turns, and I thought they played well enough for us to win the football game, and win it by ...I don't even know what the score was.. It was relatively convincing."

What of your offense's inconsistency?

"I think we still need work as a football program. We have a good team. Whether it is a great team -- and I think I have made this comment a number of times -- if we can make the right plays in the right games, at the right time, then that will be a great team.
I think we are good to this point, but consistency just throughout -- offense, defense, special teams -- has to improve."


What of Riley Stephenson's punting?

"Positive. I think we took another step forward. The kickoffs for the most part, were deep and placed in the right spot. And the punts, even though there were some that didn't have great hang time, the bounces then ended up helping us cover them. As a true freshman, I think he is doing a nice job so far."

What is the injury situation?

"Hard to say. as the game wore on, it looked like we were limping and getting slowed down and I saw that to some extent in practice this week that they were working so hard. So we will have to look hard at how we practice this upcoming week. I know it will be a fast turnaround and we will have to assess it, but I think a lot of guys were fighting through just Game 4, kind of things."

How did they explain the pass interference penalty on Pitta to you?

"We receive notice from the MWC each week on things they are going to make a point of emphasis. And one of those things was the idea of picking -- where a receiver is running to rub off a defender so another one could get open. The play that we ran wasn't designed to do that. It wasn't a designed rub of any sort. But that's what the official saw.
And he said that our offensive player went out of his way to get in the way of the defender. And that was the explanation that I got."

What about Harvey's play?

"I think it was one step closer to what we are going to get from Harvey. And we are getting a complement of Kariya and JJ and Manase with Harvey. Somewhere in there is probably the right mix.
But Harvey makes a difference. He runs hard and he runs physical and he's a good football player. We will just have to continue to look as we watch the film, the workload, if it is too much, or if the others need to be involved a little bit more. We like to have fast and fresh bodies going at the defense as much as possible."

Too much work for Harvey?

"I am not sure. I will have to assess it and watch how he carried the football. When he is running as hard as he was running, it is hard not to give it to him, but I will know after I watch the film, and after I see him on Monday, whether we gave it to him too much."

Third-down conversions on the big second-half drive?

"It is remarkable. The one play that I can maybe highlight most -- and I cannot even remember when it happened -- O'Neill Chambers caught a ball on our sideline that was a critical play in the game, I thought. There were similar plays like that but those kind of plays -- to have a great football team, you have to make those kind of plays, at those times to win football games in this league.
And so there was enough of those that we made, and then some we didn't make that we can highlight and just emphasize how important that is going to be."

Saturday night's 42-23 win over previously undefeated Colorado State apparently did not impress the coaches who vote in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll that was released Sunday morning.

The Cougars are tied for No. 21 (down from No. 20) with Miami, which was blown out by Virginia Tech.

The Cougars were passed by Iowa, which went from unranked to No. 17 after its upset of Penn State, Michigan and Houston, which jumped from 23rd to 15th after downing Texas Tech.

Utah is among the schools receiving votes, and would be 31st if the poll extended that far.

TCU jumped from 14th to 10th after defeating Clemson 14-10, and Boise State is now No. 5, up from No. 8 last week.

In the AP Poll, BYU dropped from No. 19 to No. 20. TCU is No. 11, Boise State is No. 5 and unranked Utah was among the schools receiving votes.