COUGAR TOWN -- BYU (4-2, 2-0 MWC) remained undefeated in Mountain West Conference play and extended its winning streak to three games, as the Cougars mauled San Diego State (0-5, 0-2) 47-17. BYU quarterback John Beck continued to add to his record-chasing season, passing for 267 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters.

Beck now has 59 career touchdown passes, a new MWC career record. His efficiency rating of 245.85 was a career-high and the highest for a Cougar quarterback since Steve Sarkisian posted a 260.8 mark against Rice in 1996.

"They had a good game plan against us, and we were facing a great quarterback and an excellent offense," San Diego State head coach Chuck Long said of BYU. "We had a lot of young guys playing in the secondary. What a baptism that was for them, playing against one of the best quarterbacks in the country."

Beck's final touchdown pass, an 18-yard fling to Manase Tonga with 9:41 left in the third quarter, sealed a dominating day for Beck and the Cougars. The score put BYU up 47-10, a cushion comfortable enough to allow BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall to rest Beck for the entire fourth quarter.

"I was proud of our football team today," Mendenhall said. "It was an exceptional win for the program from the standpoint that it gives us another conference win. It gives us a great chance to continue our momentum in a quest to win a conference championship."

Mendenhall also got another gritty effort out of sophomore Fui Vakapuna as the determined running back rushed for 56 yards on just four carries, good for 14 yards per carry. Unfortunately, Vakapuna suffered an ankle injury and exited the game for good with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.

San Diego State started the game with a trick play by opening with an onside kick. The gamble did not pay off for the Aztecs, as BYU senior Andrew Stacey made a heads up play by signaling for a fair catch and was subsequently hit by an Aztec defender. The ensuing penalty placed BYU on San Diego State's 43-yard line to begin its opening drive.

On a third-and-one during the same drive, Vakapuna converted a first down somewhat unconventionally when he stepped onto, and then over, the pile of linemen battling for position. It was Vakapuna crossing the goal line on the next play for a 14-yard touchdown run, putting the Cougars up 7-0. The score capped a five-play drive that took just 1:39 off the clock.

After a SDSU field goal by Garrett Palmer made the score 7-3, Beck orchestrated a seven-play, 81-yard drive, which increased BYU's lead to 14-3. Beck hooked up with fellow senior Zac Collie for a 29-yard touchdown reception to end the drive. Collie finished with three receptions and 79 yards on the day.

A little more than four minutes later, Curtis Brown trotted in for a touchdown as Brown scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a four-yard run. The Aztecs blocked the PAT, giving BYU a 20-3 lead going into the second quarter.

BYU would not be denied on its next possession. A 38-yard Beck to Nathan Meikle connection set the table for the Cougars' second passing touchdown of the day. Beck found tight end Jonny Harline in the corner of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown reception that put BYU up 26-3. BYU kicker Jared McLaughlin once again missed the PAT.

The Cougar defense forced a turnover on SDSU's next drive when junior Dustin Gabriel intercepted a pass from Aztec quarterback Kevin Craft. Gabriel ran it back 38 yards for his first career touchdown.

Leading by 30 points in the second quarter, BYU's offense showed no signs of letting up. Beck showed why he has twice been named MWC player of the week this season by directing his team on another long drive (seven plays, 80 yards). Brown, who finished with 46 yards on 11 carries and 33 receiving yards, put the exclamation point on the drive with a four-yard touchdown reception, his second touchdown of the game.

BYU's 40-3 halftime lead marked the first time the team has scored 40 in the first half since 2001 when the Cougars put up 42 against Air Force.

"It was the best half of football I've seen our team play to this point," Mendenhall said.

SDSU came out in the second half looking to chip into BYU's huge lead. A six-play, 80-yard Aztec drive capped by running back Brandon Bornes' one-yard rush into the end zone notched the score at 40-10, BYU.

The Cougars scored on its next possession via the aforementioned 18-yard Beck to Tonga touchdown reception. The Aztecs then answered with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Tyler Campbell with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter making it 47-17, BYU. That would be as close as it got for SDSU as BYU went on to take its second conference win of the season.

BYU has a bye next week, but returns to action Saturday, Oct. 21, when it hosts UNLV for homecoming. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. MST at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game can be seen live on The mtn.

Box Score (Final)
      San Diego State vs Brigham Young (Oct 07, 2006 at Cougar Town, Utah)
  Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score
  -----------------    -- -- -- --   -----
  San Diego State.....  3  0 14  0  - 17       Record: (0-5,0-2)
  Brigham Young....... 20 20  7  0  - 47       Record: (4-2,2-0)
  Scoring Summary:
  1st 13:19 BYU - VAKAPUNA 14 yd run (MCLAUGHLIN kick)
      10:12 SDSU - PALMER 48 yd field goal, 7-41 3:07
      06:47 BYU - COLLIE 29 yd pass from BECK (MCLAUGHLIN kick), 7-81 3:06
      02:38 BYU - BROWN 4 yd run (MCLAUGHLIN kick blockd), 6-55 2:03
  2nd 10:06 BYU - HARLINE 8 yd pass from BECK (MCLAUGHLIN kick failed), 2-46 0:50
      08:13 BYU - GABRIEL 38 yd interception return (MCLAUGHLIN kick)
      03:03 BYU - BROWN 4 yd pass from BECK (MCLAUGHLIN kick), 7-80 2:17
  3rd 12:20 SDSU - BORNES 1 yd run (PALMER kick), 6-80 2:35
      09:41 BYU - TONGA 18 yd pass from BECK (MCLAUGHLIN kick)
      04:35 SDSU - CAMPBELL 1 yd run (PALMER kick), 12-74 4:56
                                     SDSU      BYU
  FIRST DOWNS...................       21       23
  RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   38-141   32-152
  PASSING YDS (NET).............      216      267
  Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  32-20-1  21-16-0
  TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   70-357   53-419
  Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
  Punt Returns-Yards............     1-10      0-0
  Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     3-48     3-94
  Interception Returns-Yards....      0-0     1-38
  Punts (Number-Avg)............   5-41.6   2-47.5
  Fumbles-Lost..................      2-1      2-1
  Penalties-Yards...............   10-110     5-17
  Possession Time...............    38:55    21:05
  Third-Down Conversions........  5 of 13   6 of 9
  Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 1   0 of 1
  Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      2-3      4-5
  Sacks By: Number-Yards........      0-0     2-13
  RUSHING: San Diego State-HENDERSON, Atiy 21-93; BORNES, Brandon 9-31; WESLEY,
  Mekell 1-14; CRAFT, Kevin 5-2; CAMPBELL, Tyler 2-1. Brigham Young-VAKAPUNA, Fui
  4-56; BROWN, Curtis 11-46; TONGA, Manase 5-23; HAGUE, Mike 5-18; HUDSON, Ray
  5-12; BECK, John 1-5; TEAM 1-minus 8.
  PASSING: San Diego State-CRAFT, Kevin 20-32-1-216. Brigham Young-BECK, John
  16-21-0-267.
  RECEIVING: San Diego State-PORTER, Ramal 8-70; SCHILENS, Chaz 4-77; SWAIN, Brett
  4-41; BORNES, Brandon 2-18; HENDERSON, Atiy 2-10. Brigham Young-BROWN, Curtis
  4-33; COLLIE, Zac 3-79; JACOBSON, McKay 3-60; TONGA, Manase 2-32; MEIKLE, Nathan
  1-38; REED, Michael 1-13; HARLINE, Jonny 1-8; HAGUE, Mike 1-4.
  INTERCEPTIONS: San Diego State-None. Brigham Young-GABRIEL, Dustin 1-38.
  FUMBLES: San Diego State-HENDERSON, Atiy 1-1; BORNES, Brandon 1-0. Brigham
  Young-TONGA, Manase 1-1; TEAM 1-0.
  Stadium: Edwards Stadium       Attendance: 60804
  Kickoff time: 12:06 pm  End of Game: 3:03 pm   Total elapsed time: 2:57
  Officials: Referee: Rich Kollen; Umpire: Doug Wilson; Linesman: Tim Schlenvogt;
  Line judge: Randy Campbell; Back judge: Gregory Wilson; Field judge: Alan Wolf;
  Side judge: Mike Cuttone; Scorer: BYU;
  Temperature: 54        Wind: 3mph S    Weather: Cloudy
      San Diego State vs Brigham Young (Oct 07, 2006 at Cougar Town, Utah)
  SACKS (UA-A): San Diego State-None. Brigham Young-NIXON, David 1-0; POPPINGA,
  Kelly 1-0.
  TACKLES (UA-A): San Diego State-STURM, Brett 7-2; MARTIN, Joe 4-4; ALLEN,
  Russell 1-4; BASS, Ray 4-0; MAZE, Terrell 3-1; APPLEWHITE, Ant 2-2; MOORE, Aaron
  3-0; LAOLAGI, Luke 2-1; OSBORN, Nick 0-3; NWANSI, Ornan 1-1; ARMSTRONG, Gera
  1-1; SANDFORD, Nick 1-0; METROKA, Emil 1-0; DEMARTINIS, Ton 1-0; MARTIN, Brett
  1-0; FIFITA, Siaosi 0-1; AMANO, Frederic 0-1; SCHANTZ, Andrew 0-1; BAILES,
  Jonatha 0-1; NELSON, Peter 0-1. Brigham Young-NIXON, David 5-4; KEHL, Bryan 1-5;
  GOOCH, Quinn 5-0; JENSEN, Cameron 4-1; PAONGO, Hala 3-2; STAFFIERI, Mark 1-4;
  CRIDDLE, Ben 4-0; JORGENSEN, Jan 0-4; ROBINSON, Justi 3-0; POPPINGA, Kelly 2-1;
  TIALAVEA, Russe 1-2; DOMAN, Shawn 2-0; MIYAHIRA, Cole 2-0; FUGA, Romney 1-1;
  ANDERTON, Judd 1-1; TAFUNA, David 1-1; HOOKS, Terrance 0-2; SULLIVAN, Sean 1-0;
  HAGUE, Mike 1-0; WARNER, Chris 1-0; LOVELY, Gary 1-0; DENNEY, Brett 0-1; ALLEN,
  Matt 0-1; WAGNER, Aaron 0-1; TONGA, Matangi 0-1.

ANOTHER REVENGE OPPORTUNITY

After a successful Mountain West Conference opener that saw BYU end the nation's longest active winning streak by beating TCU, 31-17, the Cougars have another MWC revenge opportunity when they welcome San Diego State to LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU--1-1 in revenge games this season--lost to the Aztecs 31-10 last year.

LAST WEEK RECAP

It was a day of streak-breaking for BYU as the Cougars (3-2, 1-0 MWC) broke TCU's nation's longest winning streak (13) while breaking their own losing streak against ranked opponents (13). BYU upset No. 15 TCU (3-1, 0-1), 31-17 on Thursday.

John Beck, who played injured, came up huge for BYU completing 23-of-37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars did not turn the ball over on the day.

Also among the TCU streaks that BYU broke was consecutive MWC games won. The Horned Frogs were handed their first defeat since joining the MWC last year.

SERIES INFORMATION

BYU has fared well against San Diego State in the overall series. The Cougars have won 22 of the 30 games the two teams have played. There was also one tie in the series. BYU has also dominated the series in Provo, posting a 13-2 record against San Diego State. The last time the Aztecs beat the Cougars at home was in 2000 on a last-second field goal. One of the most memorable games the two teams played was the only tie in the series. In 1991, the two teams set a record for combined score in a tie playing to a 52-52 draw.

2006 SCHEDULE SET

Due in part to the Mountain West Conference's new contract with CSTV and the development of The mtn. network, the Cougars already have game times and television programming plans completed for each of their 12 games. Two of BYU's first three games were televised nationally, including a season-opening trip Sept. 2 to Arizona (TBS) and a split national broadcast at Boston College (ESPN2). In addition to BYU's debut on VERSUS, the Cougars will also play two games on CSTV and one on VERSUS, including another Thursday night game and the remainder of their schedule (four games) will be played on The mtn.

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER

BYU outscored TCU in three of four quarters on Thursday. (The two teams each scored seven points in the third quarter.) On the season, BYU has outscored its opponents (during regulation) in 15 of 20 quarters.

COUGARS ON NATIONAL TELEVISION

Two of BYU's first three games were broadcast nationally. All totaled, the Cougars have a total of five nationally televised games. The season opener at Arizona marked the second time BYU has played on TBS. The Cougars rematch against Boston College was seen on a split national basis on ESPN 2. After playing TCU on VERSUS, BYU will play three additional MWC opponents on CSTV and VERSUS in front of a national audience: Air Force (Oct. 28, VERSUS) Wyoming (Nov. 9, CSTV) and rival Utah (Nov. 25, CSTV).

THE RANKED TEAMS

BYU's 31-17 victory over TCU was the first against a ranked opponent since beating No. 23 Colorado State, 34-13, on Sept. 16, 1999. Previous to the victory over TCU, the Cougars were 0-12 against ranked opponents, including a record of 0-3 at Edwards Stadium. Interestingly, BYU's victory over TCU was the first on the road against a ranked opponent since beating Arizona State, 13-10, on Sept. 20, 1997.

BOWL MOMENTUM

BYU is coming off its 24th bowl appearance. In seasons following a trip to a bowl game, the Cougars have recorded a combined record of 202-82-2 (.709). Of the 23 seasons following a bowl game, the Cougars have averaged nearly nine (8.8) wins per season. BYU has had only one losing season following a trip to a bowl game. (In 2002, BYU went 5-7 after playing in the Liberty Bowl in 2001.)

"FAN"TASTIC FANS

Nearly 350,000 fans attended six different home games at Edwards Stadium during the 2005 season, averaging 58,204 fans per game. BYU finished ranked seventh overall in the west behind USC (90,812), Washington (64,326), UCLA (64,218), Arizona State (61,157), California (60,377) and Oregon (58,434). Since the inception of the BCS, BYU has annually been the top school in average attendance for teams from conferences that do not receive automatic BCS bowl bids. BYU, which boasts the largest on-campus home stadium in the Mountain West Conference, has led the MWC in home attendance in all seven years of the league's existence. In fact, Edwards Stadium has been the site of the league's all-time top-seven crowds.

EVERY FIVE YEARS...

BYU is on a five-year cycle of fielding top-10 teams. Five years ago, the Cougars started the 2001 campaign 12-0 in Gary Crowton's first season. The BYU squad averaged 44.1 points per game and was ranked as high as eight going into the Hawai`i game. Five years prior, the 1996 Cougars team, led by quarterback Steve Sarkisian went 14-1. BYU set NCAA records for wins (14) and games played (15) in a season. The Cougars 14-1 record ended in a WAC Championship and a Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State. After BYU's Cotton Bowl victory, the Cougars finished the season ranked No. 5.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The following is a list of BYU's future non-conference schedules:

2007: Arizona, at UCLA, at Tulsa

2008: Nevada, at Washington, UCLA, at Arizona

2009: at Arizona State, Florida State

2010: Washington, at Florida State

2011: at Washington, Arizona State

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

BYU has gone 97 games without scoring a touchdown on a kick return, which ranks the Cougars 10th in the nation in time between touchdown returns. The Cougars have also gone 109 games without returning a punt for a touchdown.

TALE OF THE TAPE

BYU's offensive line checks in at an average 6-foot-4, 316.8 pounds. The Cougars' front line will be going up against a SDSU defensive front that averages just over 6-foot-3, 283.75 pounds. (Advantage: BYU +33.05 pounds per man.) BYU's defensive line weighs in at 6-foot-2, 271.3 pounds SDSU's offensive line averages 6-foot-6, 305 pounds. (Advantage: SDSU +33.7 pounds per man.)

SCORING DEFENSE

In the first five games of the 2006 season, BYU has allowed just 87 points. With an average of 17.4 points per game, the Cougars currently ranked tied for 40th in the country in scoring defense. Interestingly, the defense is off to its best start through BYU's first three games since the 1988 season. BYU's current average is the lowest scoring defense mark over the first five games of a season since allowing just 17 points per game back in 1988.

TOUCHDOWNS: TAKE YOUR PICK

In the first five games of the 2006 season, BYU has scored 19 touchdowns (one against Arizona, seven against Tulsa, two against Boston College, five against Utah State and four against TCU). All totaled, 11 different Cougars have found their way to the end zone for the eight touchdowns with only Fui Vakapuna (6), Jonny Harline (2), Matt Allen (2) Manase Tonga (2) scoring multiple touchdowns. In addition to these four, each of the following players have scored one touchdown in the early season: Daniel Coats, Curtis Brown, Zac Collie, John Beck, Harvey Unga, Justin Robinson and Michael Reed.

PLAYER AWARDS

John Beck - MWC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16 vs. Boston College)

Beck completed 38-of-59 passes for a season-high 436 yards in BYU's double-overtime 30-23 loss at Boston College. He also threw one touchdown pass and added a rushing touchdown in the game. Beck's passing yardage is his highest output since posting a Mountain West record 517 yards against TCU last season.

John Beck - MWC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 28 vs. Boston College)

For the second time in three weeks--and the fifth time in his career--BYU quarterback John Beck has been named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The Davey O'Brien Award candidate helped lead the Cougars (3-2, 1-0) to a convincing 31-17 victory over 15th-ranked TCU on Thursday in Fort Worth, ending the Horned Frogs' nation's leading 13-game win streak. The 6-foot-1, 216-pound senior completed 23-of-37 attempts for 312 yards and three touchdowns, avenging last season's 51-50 overtime loss to TCU in Provo. The victory also gave the Cougars' their first road victory over a ranked opponent since 1997--the same year Beck quarterbacked the Mountain View High School (Mesa, Ariz.) junior varsity squad as a sophomore.

ALL-PURPOSE BACK

Curtis Brown has been all over the field for BYU in their four games. In addition to leading the team in rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards, he has returned kickoffs for the Cougars. Brown currently leads all running backs nationally in receptions with six per game.

CONSECUTIVE WINS

BYU's consecutive victories over Utah State and TCU mark the first time the Cougars have won at least two in a row since last season. BYU beat UNLV Nov. 5 and Wyoming Nov. 12, 2005 on the road to become bowl eligible for the first time in three years.

BYU's longest winning streak last year was three games and they won five games during a six game stretch.

CALIFORNIANS ON THE TEAM

When the Cougars and Aztecs face off, it will mark the only game on BYU's schedule against a team from California. Aside from Utah, California is home to the largest number of BYU players on the Cougars' roster (24).

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN BLOCKING

Russell Tialavea has blocked a field goal in two games. Tialavea extended the game in overtime against Boston College when he busted through the line and blocked the Eagles game-winning field goal attempt. Against Utah State, Tialavea was a critical factor in BYU's first shutout since 1999 as he again broke through the line to block an Aggies field goal.

SNOWBIRD PASSES GO ON SALE

Two-for-one ski passes to one of Utah's top ski resorts will go on sale on Friday at the Marriott Center ticket office, and will also be sold on game day at the west ticket booth at Edwards Stadium. Fans may purchase the Snowbird ski passes while supplies last.