BYU football: For Cougars, MWC is priority number one
As the No. 9 Cougars entertain New Mexico for homecoming today at LaVell Edwards Stadium, Mendenhall is clear about his team's priorities, lest anyone has forgotten.
"We're anxious to come back home and play. Really, from this point on, we're into the heart of our schedule with only conference games remaining and our primary goals at stake," he said. "In order — as a reminder to the outside world — inside (the program) we consider how we play at home first and foremost of importance. Second, conference championships. Anything after that in terms of national prominence is third."
In other words, talk and speculation about national rankings and the BCS are pointless if BYU doesn't take care of business every week in the Mountain West Conference.
"Right now, it doesn't matter to me nearly as much as the conference race and knowing that we have a lot of work to do," Mendenhall said. "Without that goal being marked, the rest of it won't matter anyway."
In the final nonconference game of the season last week at Utah State — a 34-14 win — the Cougars' offense sputtered. BYU converted only 9-of-17 third-down tries and was just 3-of-6 inside the "blue zone." If not for the Cougar defense, which forced four Aggie turnovers and scored a touchdown, the score would have been even closer.
BYU quarterback Max Hall, who threw two interceptions against USU, said execution is an area the offense is looking to shore up down the homestretch. At the same time, his team is learning how to deal with adversity.
"I felt like we left two or three touchdowns out there. That's how it goes sometimes," Hall said of BYU's performance against the Aggies. "You're not going to play a perfect game every time you step on the field. We have to understand that even though the expectations are so high, and we feel like we could score every time we get on the field, we're not going to. We're going to drop balls, I'm going to throw interceptions and we're going to miss blocks every once in a while."
The Cougars' offense is looking to bounce back against the gritty Lobos, who are coming off a 24-0 blanking of Wyoming, which marked their first conference shutout in 25 years.
"Defensively, they're still playing New Mexico defense," Mendenhall said. "That's a lot of pressure, sometimes with six defensive backs rather than the 3-3-5. Coach (Rocky) Long always utilizes the best 11 players. You'll see a team that plays hard and fast and physical and won't quit."
"I'm excited to play these guys," Hall said of the Lobos. "The stuff we have in and the way our offense is playing right now, there's potential for us to have a big game.
"They're going to be tough, they're going to blitz, they're going to mix up coverages. They're very good at doing that. Coach Long does a very good job with that defense. But I'm excited to play them. We match up well against them and it's going to be a fun game."
BYU is the highest-ranked team New Mexico has faced since 1994, when Utah had the same ranking in a November game in Albuquerque. UNM upset the Utes that day, 24-21.
"We're playing a great football team in BYU," Long said. "I think they deserve their ranking and maybe even deserve to be a little higher."
The Lobos have won two consecutive games, but Long's not sure that bit of momentum will aid his team today.
"I don't think anything would help you going into BYU. They're an awful good football team," Long said. "Obviously, we're happier because we've won two in a row, but that doesn't make the challenge any less difficult."
EXTRA POINTS: New Mexico is 13-6 in conference road games since 2003. ... BYU has outscored its opponents 134-17 in the first half this season, while UNM has been outscored 103-58 in the first half. ... BYU has won its three home games this season by a combined total of 144-17.
Cougars on the air
No. 9 BYU (5-0, 1-0) vs. New Mexico (3-3, 1-1)
Today, 4 p.m.
TV: The mtn.
Radio: 1160AM, 102.7FM
Live game blogs: deseretnews.com/blogs
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com