Wikipedia

2007 BYU Cougars football team

The 2007 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. BYU clinched its second consecutive Mountain West Conference (MWC) championship title outright after defeating Utah on November 24.[1] It was BYU's second consecutive, undefeated season in the MWC, its fourth MWC championship since the league began in 1999, and its 23rd conference title. At the beginning of the season the Cougars had won an MWC record 16 straight league games dating back to 2005 and were on a ten-game overall winning streak, the longest winning streak in the country at the time. The Cougars began the season with the second longest winning streak in the country at 11 wins until their loss to UCLA in the second regular season game. The Cougars ended this season ranked 14th in the nation, highest of all schools from non-AQ conferences. This finish was the highest back-to-back rankings in the AP Poll since the Cougars won the national championship in 1984.

2007 BYU Cougars football
Mountain West champion
Las Vegas Bowl champion
Las Vegas Bowl, W 17–16 vs. UCLA
ConferenceMountain West Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 14
APNo. 14
Record11–2 (8–0 MW)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRobert Anae (3rd season)
Offensive schemeAir raid
Base defense3–3–5
Home stadiumLaVell Edwards Stadium
(Capacity: 64,045)
Seasons
← 2006
2008 →
2007 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 14 BYU $   8 – 0     11 – 2  
Air Force   6 – 2     9 – 4  
New Mexico   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Utah   5 – 3     9 – 4  
TCU   4 – 4     8 – 5  
San Diego State   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Wyoming   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Colorado State   2 – 6     3 – 9  
UNLV   1 – 7     2 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The Cougars improved their bowl record for the second year in a row. They defeated UCLA 17-16 in 2007 and blew out the Oregon Ducks 38–8 in 2006 in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Cougars played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium, named after its legendary coach, LaVell Edwards.

Pre-season edit

Spring Practice started March 19 and ended April 14 at the annual Blue/White Spring game. The key question was who will fill the empty quarterback position left behind by John Beck: Max Hall, a redshirt sophomore, or Cade Cooper, a junior college transfer from Snow College. On the third snap during the April 14 scrimmage, Cooper suffered a season-ending injury (Lisfranc fracture). Hall was named the starting quarterback the following Monday, and Brendan Gaskins as the back-up. Jacob Bower transferred out in late January. Cooper then decided to transfer in July.

Among the 7 returning starters on offense and the 5 returning starters on defense are: Sete Aulai (center), Travis Bright and Ray Feinga (offensive guards), Dallas Reynolds (offensive tackle), Manase Tonga (fullback), Matt Allen and Michael Reed (wide receivers), Jan Jorgensen (defensive end), Bryan Kehl and David Nixon (linebackers), Ben Criddle (cornerback), and Quinn Gooch (free safety). Dustin Gabriel had a foot injury during Fall camp to end his 2007 season, and make him unable to start as KAT. Russell Tialavea, nose tackle, went out in Fall camp with a torn ACL and MCL.

Fall camp started August 4. In the preseason, several players suffered foot and leg injuries (Gabriel, Tafuna, Cooper), like Lisfranc fractures, that may be related to the Nike shoes the players were wearing.

MountainWest Sports Network edit

Fans, coaches, players, and officials of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) eagerly hoped for progress on national distribution of the MountainWest Sports Network (the mtn.), particularly on satellite. DirecTV continued to negotiate with Comcast for distribution in the MWC "footprint", but Dish Network discontinued negotiations until the FCC resolved a legal question regarding the Big Ten Network (BTN) that could potentially affect the mtn. While satellite distribution seems closer, national distribution appears unlikely for the 2007 season. Currently Dallas-Fort Worth is the only remaining MWC market that has no provider for the mtn.

During the season edit

The Cougars were ranked #25 in Sporting News pre-season ranking. They started the season unranked in the Coaches Poll (with 47 votes)[2] and unranked in the AP Poll (with 14 votes).[3]

Injuries edit

Garret Reden suffered a season-ending injury. Starting free safety, Quinn Gooch ended his season when he tore his ACL in the second half of the TCU game.

Postseason awards and citations edit

Freshman Harvey Unga was named to the Rivals Freshman All-America Second Team. Unga, has 1,211 rushing yards and 629 receiving yards for the season, is the Cougars' all-time leading freshman running back and the first BYU freshman to pass the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. He has rushed for over 100 yards in seven games this season, the most for a freshman at BYU. He is five yards short of the MWC all-time leading freshman running back.[4]

Senior wide receiver Matt Allen was named one of 11 finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy.[5]

All-Mountain West Conference Football Teams edit

[6][7]

Harvey Unga was named as the MWC Freshman of the Year, BYU's third recipient of that award following Luke Staley in 1999 and Austin Collie in 2004.

First Team Offense: Max Hall, Dennis Pitta, Ray Feinga, Dallas Reynolds, Harvey Unga* and Austin Collie*.
First Team Defense: Jan Jorgensen and Bryan Kehl.
Second Team Offense: Austin Collie and Harvey Unga.
Second Team Defense: Kelly Poppinga.
Honorable Mention: Austin Collie (KR) and Quinn Gooch

*CFN only

Schedule edit

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 13:30 pmArizona*
VersusW 20–764,525
September 84:30 pmat No. 13 UCLA*
VersusL 17–2772,968
September 157:00 pmat Tulsa*
CSTVL 47–5524,445
September 221:00 pmAir Force 
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, Utah
mtn.W 31–664,502
September 296:30 pmat New Mexico
CSTVW 31–2434,204
October 137:30 pmat UNLV
mtn.W 24–1438,026
October 203:30 pmEastern Washington*
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, Utah
mtn.W 42–764,522
November 312:00 pmColorado State
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, Utah
mtn.W 35–1664,441
November 87:00 pmTCU
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, Utah
VersusW 27–2264,241
November 1712:00 pmat Wyoming
mtn.W 35–1019,827
November 2412:00 pmUtahNo. 23
Versus/
CSTV/mtn.		W 17–1064,749[8]
December 14:30 pmat San Diego StateNo. 21
mtn.W 48–2728,473
December 226:00 pmvs. UCLA*No. 19
ESPNW 17–1640,712
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Mountain time

Game summaries edit

Arizona edit

1 234Total
Arizona Wildcats 0 007 7
• BYU Cougars 7 607 20
Scoring summary
16:02BYUHarvey Unga 27-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
20:38BYUDennis Pitta 2-yard pass from Max Hall (kick failed)BYU 13-0
43:24BYUHarvey Unga 11-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 20-0
40:53UAEarl Mitchell 7-yard pass from Willie Tuitama (Jason Bondzio kick)BYU 20-7

This was the 21st game between Arizona and BYU. BYU was favored to win in this defensive contest. BYU quarterback Max Hall took his first snap in Division I football after a 4-year hiatus of not playing a real game since high school, and the Wildcats began their first year using a version of BYU's spread offense. BYU's experienced defense held the Wildcats scoreless until the last minute of the game. Bronco took blame for calling a blitz that allowed an Arizona touchdown. The offensive line was solid allowing Hall to show his competence with 66% completion, 288 passing yards and some decent scrambles. Unga impressed with 196 all-purpose yards. But special teams revealed room for improvement. Starting BYU fullback Manase Tonga was suspended only for this game due to an arrest related to a traffic stop. BYU Backup inside linebacker Terrance Hooks was also suspended for this game. At half time, BYU retired the number 14 at halftime in honor of Gifford Nielsen and Ty Detmer. Hodgkiss will continue to use the number until the end of the season. Redshirt Freshman, Harvey Unga was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week with 67 yards rushing, 127 yards receiving, and two touchdowns.[9][10]

Arizona Leads Series 11-9-1

UCLA edit

1 234Total
BYU Cougars 0 3140 17
• #13 UCLA Bruins 10 1007 27
Scoring summary
13:39UCLAKai Forbath 37-yard field goalUCLA 3-0
11:58UCLATrey Brown 56-yard interception return (Kai Forbath kick) (kick failed)UCLA 10-0
211:01UCLAKahlil Bell 4-yard run (Kai Forbath kick)UCLA 17-0
23:28UCLAKai Forbath 40-yard field goalUCLA 20-0
20:05BYUMitch Payne 25-yard field goalUCLA 20-3
38:19BYUAustin Collie 5-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)UCLA 20-10
36:04BYUAustin Collie 16-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)UCLA 20-17
40:53UCLAChris Markey 3-yard run (Kai Forbath kick)UCLA 27-17

This was the 8th game between UCLA and BYU with UCLA favored to win by 8 points or so. This game was widely considered to be the Cougars' toughest regular season game. Emotions were high as Ben Olson, who originally committed to BYU, transferred to UCLA after his mission and was the starting quarterback for the Bruins. The Bruins jumped out to a commanding lead at the end of the first half scoring their first touchdown on a 56-yard interception. The Cougars drew within 3 points in the third quarter, and were poised to pull ahead reaching the "blue zone" with less than 6 minutes in the game. However a forced fumble, as Hall intended to pass, stopped the Cougars final, successful drive. Max Hall outplayed Olson; he impressed completing 30 of 52 passes for 391 yards compared to Olson's 126 yards. Despite the score, the Cougars outplayed the Bruins, even in the first half; the Cougars got 431 total yards to the Bruins' 236, but 11 penalties and 3 turnovers cost the Cougars the game. This game ended the Cougars 11-game winning streak and their best chance at a run for a BCS bowl game this year.[11]

UCLA Leads Series 7-1

Tulsa edit

1 234Total
BYU Cougars 7 2767 47
• Tulsa Golden Hurricane 14 171410 55
Scoring summary
110:05BYUHarvey Unga 1-yard run (Brian Smith kick)BYU 7-0
14:28TLSCorey Heinz 43-yard pass from Paul Smith (Jarod Tracy kick)TIED 7-7
10:30TLSTrae Johnson 30-yard pass from Paul Smith (Jarod Tracy kick)TLS 14-7
213:46BYUAustin Collie 45-yard pass from Max Hall (Brian Smith kick)TIED 14-14
213:36TLSBrennan Marion 75-yard pass from Paul Smith (Jarod Tracy kick)TLS 21-14
211:30BYUDennis Pitta 13-yard pass from Max Hall (Brian Smith kick)TIED 21-21
210:27TLSCorey Heinz 18-yard pass from Paul Smith (Jarod Tracy kick)TLS 28-21
27:51BYUManase Tonga 2-yard run (Brian Smith kick)TIED 28-28
25:17TLSJarod Tracy 45-yard field goalTLS 31-28
23:11BYUMax Allen 15-yard pass from Max Hall (kick failed)BYU 34-31
314:00TLSCorey Heinz 18-yard pass from Paul Smith (Jarod Tracy kick)TLS 38-34
310:45TLSTarrio Adams 10-yard run (Jarod Tracy kick)TLS 45-34
36:55BYUManase Tonga 6-yard run (kick failed)TLS 45-40
411:51TLSCorey Heinz 37-yard pass from Paul Smith (Jarod Tracy kick)TLS 52-40
46:44BYUMichael Reed 36-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)TLS 52-47
44:21TLSJarod Tracy 27-yard field goalTLS 55-47

This was the 7th game between Tulsa and BYU. The Cougars defeated the Golden Hurricane 49-24 in Provo last season, but were handed a loss in this game. Coach Mendenhall took responsibility for the loss; he stated that he did not prepare the team for the superior offensive prowess Tulsa possessed. Tulsa's offense was led by its senior quarterback, Paul Smith, who drew BYU's secondary out of their zones and then threw over the top for large gains several times. BYU's defense adjusted well in the second half, nevertheless, the team was also plagued with 14 penalties for 138 yards, 4 turnovers including a pick six for 49 yards early in the third quarter, and some poor kicking (including 2 missed PATs and a 29-yard field goal attempt). Statistically BYU gained more yards than Tulsa in this shootout at 694 yards versus 595 yards of total offense. Collie impressed with 8 kick returns for 237 yards, and Hall passed for 537 yards, but not enough for the offense to seize the win.[12]

BYU Leads Series 6-1

Air Force edit

1 234Total
Air Force Falcons 0 060 6
• BYU Cougars 7 1077 31
  • Date: September 22
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
  • Game start: 1:06 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 2:52
  • Game attendance: 64,502
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), cloudy, wind NW 3 mph (4.8 km/h)
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (mtn.): Bill Doleman, Blaine Fowler, Sammy Linebaugh
Scoring summary
111:02BYUManase Tonga 1-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
214:54BYUMatt Allen 9-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-0
21:14BYUMitch Payne 42-yard field goalBYU 17-0
310:54BYUHarvey Unga 29-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 24-0
33:31AFAShuan Carney 8-yard run (run failed)BYU 24-6
413:51BYUManase Tonga 2-yard run (Mitch Paybe kick)BYU 31-6

This was the 28th game between Air Force and BYU for BYU's Homecoming game. Air Force hired new head coach Troy Calhoun this year after Fisher DeBerry retired.[13]

BYU Leads Series 22-6

New Mexico edit

1 234Total
• BYU Cougars 7 7710 31
New Mexico Loboes 0 6153 24
  • Date: September 29
  • Location: University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
  • Game start: 6:36 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:34
  • Game attendance: 34,204
  • Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), 30% chance of rain, winds SSW 20 mph (32 km/h)
  • Referee: Terry Leyden
  • TV announcers (CSTV): Tom Hart, Trev Alberts
Scoring summary
113:06BYUBryan Kehl 36-yard interception return (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
211:50BYUManase Tonga 8-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-0
21:41UNMRodney Ferguson 1-yard run (kick failed)BYU 14-6
39:23BYUAustin Collie 59-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 21-6
32:23UNMRodney Ferguson 5-yard run (John Sullivan kick)BYU 21-13
30:27UNMRodney Ferguson 71-yard pass from Donovan Porterie (Chris Mark pass from Donovan Porterie)TIED 21-21
411:04BYUDennis Pitta 14-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 28-21
47:34UNMJohn Sullivan 43-yard field goalBYU 28-24
44:12BYUMitch Payne 22-yard field goalBYU 31-24

This win was the 57th game between New Mexico and BYU. BYU beat the Lobos 42-17 on Senior Day last year. This game featured the MWC's leading passer, UNM's Porterie, and was expected to test BYU's secondary particularly after the Cougar's shootout with Tulsa. The game was tied at the end of the third quarter with a 71-yard touchdown reception by the Lobo's running back, Ferguson, and a 2-point conversion after BYU jumped out to lead with a pick six by Kehl in the first 2 minutes of the game and took advantage of five turnovers and a blocked PAT by Criddle. Overall, the Cougars showed balance and performed well in all aspects of the game on both sides of the ball. Bryan Kehl was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Week with 10 tackles including a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception for a 36-yard touchdown.[14][15]

BYU Leads Series 42-14-1

UNLV edit

1 234Total
• BYU Cougars 0 7107 24
UNLV Rebels 3 308 14
  • Date: October 13
  • Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
  • Game start: 6:36 p.m. PST
  • Elapsed time: 2:58
  • Game attendance: 38,026
  • Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), partly cloudy, winds W 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
  • Referee: Rich Kollen
  • TV announcers (mtn.): Bill Doleman, Blaine Fowler, Jenny Cavnar
Scoring summary
17:44UNLVSergio Aguayo 37-yard field goalUNLV 3-0
26:30BYUManase Tonga 3-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-3
22:45UNLVSergio Aguayo 43-yard field goalBYU 7-6
39:49BYUVic So'oto 4-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-6
31:31BYUMitch Payne 27-yard field goalBYU 17-6
43:15BYUHarvey Unga 5-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 24-6
41:11UNLVRodelin Anthony 5-yard pass from Omar Clayton (Casey Flair pass from Omar Clayton)BYU 24-14

This was the 14th game between UNLV and BYU. BYU won the last meeting, 52-7, in 2006 and was favored to win this game by 10 points. The game was at Sam Boyd Stadium, and will be Family Weekend for UNLV. It was estimated that 15,000 BYU fans attended the game.[16]

BYU Leads Series 11-3

Eastern Washington edit

1 234Total
Eastern Washington Eagles 0 700 7
• BYU Cougars 14 7147 42
  • Date: October 20
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
  • Game start: 3:35 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:02
  • Game attendance: 64,522
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), overcast w/ rain and snow, wind S 10 mph (16 km/h)
  • Referee: Land Clark
  • TV announcers (mtn.): Rich Cellini, Jon Berger, Sammy Linebaugh
Scoring summary
113:34BYUCorby Hodgkiss 39-yard interception return (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
17:31BYUHarvey Unga 22-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-0
210:15EWUAaron Boyce 28-yard pass from Matt Nichols (Felipe Macias kick)BYU 14-7
21:35BYUHarvey Unga 13-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 21-7
314:19BYUManase Tonga 7-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 28-7
33:14BYUMax Hall 1-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 35-7
413:38BYUFui Vakapuna 6-yard run (Mitch Paybe kick)BYU 42-7

This was the first matchup between Eastern Washington and BYU. Corby Hodgkiss took a 39-yard touchdown interception on Eastern Washington's first drive. Bryan Kehl and Quinn Gooch also came away with an interception each. Due to weather and an early defensive touchdown, BYU went away from the pass fairly early. The final quarter was one of the shortest in recent memory as the refs were very liberal with the clock. This was mostly due to the fact the score was 42-7 and there was a blizzard. The last 10 minutes in the game it was hard to see the field yet the cougar faithful cheered loudly until the end.[17]

BYU Leads Series 1-0

Colorado State edit

1 234Total
Colorado State Rams 0 3013 16
• BYU Cougars 7 1477 35
  • Date: November 3
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
  • Game start: 12:06 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:01
  • Game attendance: 64,441
  • Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), fair
  • Referee: Rich Kollen
  • TV announcers (mtn.): James Bates, Todd Christensen, Sammy Linebaugh
Scoring summary
18:57BYUMichael Reed 9-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
214:02CSUJason Smith 25-yard field goalBYU 7-3
210:40BYUManase Tonga 3-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-3
28:18BYUAustin Collie 45-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 21-3
312:43BYUHarvey Unga 3-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 28-3
48:20CSUMichael Myers 3-yard run (Jason Smith kick)BYU 28-6
45:44BYUJoe Semanoff 5-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 35-6
44:07BYUJesse Nading 31-yard interception return (Jason Smith kick)BYU 35-13

This was the 65th game between Colorado State and BYU. BYU beat the Rams 24-3 on the road in 2006. BYU extended its conference record to 4-0 (including a conference win-streak of 12-0), its home-win-streak to 10-0, and became bowl eligible. The Rams reached the redzone 3 times in the first half, but only came away with one field goal. Hall completed 22 of 30 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and his first game with no interceptions. Unga rushed 11 times for 51 yards making him BYU's all-time leading freshman running back with a season total of 735 yards. Unga also grabbed three receptions for 110 yards including a 53-yard catch and scramble. Collie caught 8 balls for 111 yards including a 45-yard touchdown reception. Pitta added a 45-yard reception in the final quarter. Gooch took his second interception of the season, and Jorgensen added 2.5 sacks to lead the team with 6.5 sacks. Gaskins came in for Hall in the last minutes of the game to throw his first pass in a Division I FBS game which resulted in an interception and a 31-yard return for a CSU touchdown.[18]

BYU Leads Series 35-27-3

TCU edit

1 234Total
TCU Horned Frogs 3 667 22
• BYU Cougars 7 1073 27
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
  • Game start: 7:06 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:23
  • Game attendance: 64,241
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), fair, winds calm
  • Referee: Dan Romeo
  • TV announcers (VS.): Joe Beninati, Glenn Parker, Tim Neverett
Scoring summary
111:23BYUHarvey Unga 15-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
14:44TCUChris Manfredini 38-yard field goalBYU 7-3
211:41BYUJoe Semanoff 1-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-3
26:53TCUChris Manfredini 37-yard field goalBYU 14-6
21:47BYUMitch Payne 33-yard field goalBYU 17-6
20:01TCUChris Manfredini 33-yard field goalBYU 17-9
313:58BYUHarvey Unga 3-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 24-9
310:10TCUMarcus Brock 1-yard run (kick failed)BYU 24-15
413:06BYUMitch Payne 29-yard field goalBYU 27-15
43:49TCUBart Johnson 75-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Chris Manfredini kick)BYU 27-22

This was the 9th game between TCU and BYU. BYU went on the road to win 31-17 in this meeting last year, sparking their 8-0 run through the MWC. Kelly Poppinga was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Week with a career-high 17 tackles including a tackle for a loss and an interception in this game.[19][20]

BYU Leads Series 7-2

Wyoming edit

1 234Total
• BYU Cougars 7 1477 35
Wyoming Cowboys 0 370 10
  • Date: November 17
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, WY
  • Game start: 12:06 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:03
  • Game attendance: 19,827
  • Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), cloudy
  • Referee: Karl Richins
  • TV announcers (mtn.): James Bates, Todd Christensen, Toby Christensen
Scoring summary
110:37BYUHarvey Unga 2-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
29:56BYUMatt Allen 3-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 14-0
24:42BYUDennis Pitta 23-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 21-0
21:40WYBilly Vinnedge 20-yard field goalBYU 21-3
310:46BYUMichael Reed 10-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 28-3
35:35WYWynel Seldon 2-yard run (Billy Vinnedge kick)BYU 28-10
411:42BYUHarvey Unga 2-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 35-10

This was the 72nd game between Wyoming and BYU. BYU dominated the Cowboys from the opening kickoff last season, 55-7. This year BYU controlled the game from the beginning taking a 21-3 lead at half time. Sophomore Max Hall was named MWC Offensive Player of the Week with 331 passing yards, over 70% completion and three touchdowns. Hall broke the MWC's all-time sophomore passing leader by reaching 3,121 passing yards. In BYU quarterback-factory history, Hall ranks third behind Ty Detmer and Robbie Bosco for passing yards in their first 10 games as a starter. Hall went out in the third quarter after suffering a shoulder separation.[21][22]

BYU Leads Series 39-30-3

Utah edit

1 234Total
Utah Utes 0 037 10
• #23 BYU Cougars 0 3311 17
  • Date: November 24
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
  • Game start: 12:09 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:09
  • Game attendance: 64,749
  • Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), clear
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (mtn., CSTV, VS.): James Bates, Todd Christensen, Blaine Fowler, Sammy Linebaugh
Scoring summary
24:47BYUMitch Payne 22-yard field goalBYU 3-0
39:45UTAHLouie Sakoda 35-yard field goalTIED 3-3
32:52BYUMitch Payne 23-yard field goalBYU 6-3
413:48BYUMitch Payne 35-yard field goalBYU 9-3
41:34UTAHDarrell Mack 1-yard run (Louie Sakoda kick)UTAH 10-9
40:38BYUHarvey Unga 11-yard run (Max Hall to Austin Collie pass)BYU 17-10

This rivalry game, unofficially dubbed "The Holy War," is typically the most anticipated conference game for each of these two teams. In 2006, the rivalry was ranked in the Wall Street Journal as the 4th best college football rivalry game in the country. (See also Utah–BYU rivalry.) This was the 83rd game between Utah and BYU with the series going 49-30-4 for Utah since 1922. Utah dominated the series 34-2-4 through 1964. Since that time BYU has led the series 28-15. Utah's 4-game-winning-streak against BYU ended last year with a game-winning, last-second play. In 2007, BYU achieved its first back-to-back wins over Utah since 2000–2001.

The game was largely a defensive struggle until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. The Utes took the lead 10-9 when Darrell Mack scored the first touchdown of the game with just 1:34 left. On the ensuing possession, however, BYU converted on fourth and eighteen from their own 12 with a 49-yard pass from Max Hall to Austin Collie. Harvey Unga made the game-winning touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining, and Austin Collie caught a pass in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion, putting the Cougars up 17-10. Unga became BYU's first freshman running back to gain 1,000 rushing yards in a season. This was also Collie's 6th game for over 97 yards receiving. BYU racked up 424 offensive yards to Utah's 244. Unga was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman kicker, Mitch Payne, was named MWC Special Teams Player of the Week making 3 of 4 field goals.[1][23][24]

Utah Leads Series 49-30-4

San Diego State edit

1 234Total
• #21 BYU Cougars 13 71414 48
San Diego State Aztecs 7 677 27
  • Date: December 1
  • Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
  • Game start: 3:36 p.m. PST
  • Elapsed time: 3:24
  • Game attendance: 28,473
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), partly cloudy, winds w 9 mph (14 km/h)
  • Referee: Dan Romeo
  • TV announcers (mtn.): Rich Cellini, Jon Berger, Jenny Cavnar
Scoring summary
19:55BYUHarvey Unga 8-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 7-0
14:55SDSUKevin O'Connell 7-yard run (Garrett Palmer kick)TIED 7-7
10:02BYUHarvey Unga 1-yard run (kick failed)BYU 13-7
25:39SDSUGarrett Palmer 41-yard field goalBYU 13-10
21:11BYUAustin Collie 17-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 20-10
20:00SDSUGarrett Palmer 41-yard field goalBYU 20-13
312:32BYUHarvey Unga 7-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 27-13
36:49SDSULynel Hamilton 3-yard pass from Kevin O'Connell (Garrett Palmer kick)BYU 27-20
30:52BYUHarvey Unga 3-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 34-20
412:17BYUFui Vakapuna 2-yard run (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 41-20
49:372SDSUKevin O'Connell 2-yard run (Garrett Palmer kick)BYU 41-27
44:20BYUDennis Pitta 13-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 48-27

This game was originally scheduled to be played on October 27, but was rescheduled due to wildfires in southern California. This was the 32nd game between San Diego State and BYU. The Aztecs fell 47-17 in Provo last October. This game marked the Cougars' MWC record 16th straight conference victory. Freshman running-back Harvey Unga scored a career-high four touchdowns with 161 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards. Sophomore quarterback Max Hall completed 19 of 26 throws for 227 yards and three touchdowns. BYU was slow to put the game away, but had a 14-point lead by the end of the third quarter. Harvey Unga and Jan Jorgensen were named MWC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.[25][26]

BYU leads the series 24-7-1

Las Vegas Bowl edit

See also: 2007 Las Vegas Bowl
1 234Total
UCLA Bruins 3 1003 16
• #17 BYU Cougars 3 1400 17
Scoring summary
18:12UCLAKai Forbath 22-yard field goalUCLA 3-0
18:06BYUMitch Payne 29-yard field goalTIED 3-3
210:32BYUAustin Collie 14-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 10-3
24:44UCLAKai Forbath 52-yard field goalBYU 10-6
21:03BYUMichael Reed 13-yard pass from Max Hall (Mitch Payne kick)BYU 17-6
20:00UCLABrandon Breazell 4-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Kai Forbath kick)BYU 17-13
46:24UCLAKai Forbath 50-yard field goalBYU 17-16

Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked a last second field goal by UCLA and BYU hung on to beat the Bruins 17-16. BYU quarterback Max Hall went 21-35 for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Manase Tonga led the rushing with 3 carries for 21 yards. The MVP of the game, Austin Collie had 6 catches for 107 yards and 1 touchdown. For UCLA, quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 11-27 for 154 yards and 1 touchdown and interception. The rushing game was led by Chris Markey who ran 27 times for 117 yards. This was the first time the Cougars gave up 100 yards rushing to a single player. Bethel-Thompson's favorite target was Brandon Breazell who caught 4 passes for 44 yards and 1 touchdown. The Bruins struck first with a 22-yard Kai Forbath field goal. A 29-yard field goal by BYU kicker Mitch Payne made it 3-3 after the 1st quarter. In the 2nd, Hall hooked up with Austin Collie for 14 yards and a touchdown to make it 10-3. Forbath then hit a 52-yard field goal to cut the lead to 10-6. With 1:03 left in the 1st half, Hall found Michael Reed for 13 yards and a touchdown. As time expired, Bethel-Thompson hit Breazell to make it 17-13 in favor of BYU at the end of the 2nd quarter. There was no scoring in the 3rd. In the 4th, Forbath made it 17-16 with a 50-yard field goal. BYU punted to UCLA with around 2 minutes left to set up a final drive for the Bruins. Bethel-Thompson, a fourth-string walk-on quarterback, along with Chris Markey drove to the BYU 49. On 3rd and 8 Bethel-Thompson hit Logan Paulsen to get to the BYU 13. That set up a chip-shot 28-yard field goal for Forbath, who already hit 2 50+ yarders. The kick was too low and Manumaleuna blocked it and sealed the game for the Cougars.[27]

Rankings edit

See also: 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRVRV—————RVRVRVRVRV23211914
Coaches PollRVRVRV————RVRVRVRVRV23191914
HarrisNot releasedRV———RVRVRVRV232018Not released
BCSNot released—————251917Not released

Statistical leaders edit

[2] Archived 2008-08-07 at the Wayback Machine

Passing
Player COMP ATT Pct. YDS TD INT QB Rating
Max Hall 298 496 60.1 3,848 26 12 137.7


Rushing
Player ATT YDS YPC TD
Harvey Unga 244 1,227 5.0 13
Manase Tonga 88 305 3.5 8
Fui Vakapuna 73 252 3.5 2


Receiving
Player REC YDS YPC TD
Austin Collie 56 946 16.9 7
Dennis Pitta 59 813 13.8 5
Harvey Unga 44 655 14.9 4
Michael Reed 41 449 11.0 4
Matt Allen 31 358 11.5 3
Manase Tonga 27 248 9.2 0


Tackles & Broken plays
Player Solo Asst Total TFL Sacks Int
Kelly Poppinga 46 67 113 7.5 - 1
Bryan Kehl 52 39 91 11.5 4 3
Jan Jorgensen 40 37 77 20 14
David Nixon 38 28 66 10 4
Corby Hodgkiss 30 27 57 3.5 - 3
Ben Criddle 37 19 56 1 - 2
Mark Staffieri 26 28 54 5 1
Quinn Gooch 22 30 52 .5 - 3

Coaching staff edit

 
Bronco Mendenhall, Head Coach
Name Position Year at BYU Alma mater (Year)
Bronco Mendenhall Head coach/
Defensive coordinator		 5th
2003–present		 Oregon State (1987)
Lance Reynolds Assistant head coach
Running backs		 25th
1983–present		 BYU (1980)
Robert Anae Offensive coordinator/
Inside receivers		 3rd
2005–present		 BYU (1986)
Brandon Doman Quarterbacks 3rd
2005–present		 BYU (2002)
Patrick Higgins Outside receivers/
Special teams		 3rd
2005–present		 William Penn University (1986)
Barry Lamb Outside linebackers/
Safeties		 15th
1994–present		 Oregon (1978)
Paul Tidwell Inside linebackers 7th
2001–present		 Southern Utah University (1979)
Mark Weber Offensive line 1st
2007		 Cal Lutheran (1980)
Jaime Hill Defensive backs 2nd
2006–present		 San Francisco State University (1986)
Steve Kaufusi Defensive line 6th
2002–present		 BYU (1994)
Jay Omer Strength and conditioning 7th
2001–present		 Southern Utah University (1972)

Players edit

Roster edit

[3] Archived 2008-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
Edit

Wide receivers

Fullbacks

Offensive linemen

Punters/Kickers

  • 24 Bryan Smith – Freshman
  • 26 C.J. Santiago† – Junior
  • 38 Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Mitch Payne† –   Freshman
  

Tight ends

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Defensive line

(†)† (Returning) starter at position
* Injured

 

Linebackers

Cornerbacks

Safeties

Defensive backs

Depth chart edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b ESPN - Utah game recap
  2. ^ ESPN - preseason Coaches poll
  3. ^ ESPN - preseason AP poll
  4. ^ www.byucougars.com - Unga named All-American
  5. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Allen named finalist for Wuerffel Trophy". Archived from the original on February 23, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  6. ^ "CSTV - All-Mountain West Conference Football Teams" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  7. ^ "CollegeFootballNews.com All-Mountain West Team". Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  8. ^ CNNSI - Utah game recap
  9. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Arizona game recap". Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  10. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Unga named MWC Offensive Player of the Week". Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  11. ^ "www.byucougars.com - UCLA game recap". Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  12. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Tulsa game recap". Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  13. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Air Force game recap". Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  14. ^ "www.byucougars.com - New Mexico game recap". Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  15. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Kehl named MWC Defensive Player of the Week". Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  16. ^ "www.byucougars.com - UNLV game recap". Archived from the original on December 15, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  17. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Eastern Washington game recap". Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  18. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Colorado State game recap". Archived from the original on December 8, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  19. ^ "www.byucougars.com - TCU game recap". Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  20. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Poppinga named MWC Defensive Player of the Week". Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  21. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Wyoming game recap". Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  22. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Hall named MWC Offensive Player of the Week". Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  23. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Utah game recap". Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  24. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Unga and Payne named MWC Players of the Week". Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  25. ^ "www.byucougars.com - San Diego State game recap". Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  26. ^ "www.byucougars.com - Unga and Jorgensen named MWC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week". Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  27. ^ Las Vegas (AP) (December 22, 2007). "Manumaleuna blocks UCLA's last-ditch FG to save No. 17 BYU's bowl win". ESPN.com.
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