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PROVO -- In his first career start at BYU, freshman quarterback Jake Heaps went 24-for-45 for 229 yards as BYU (1-3) fell to Nevada (4-0) Saturday 27-13 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

On the second Cougar drive of the game, Heaps combined with junior running back JJ Di Luigi for a 36-yard drive on five plays culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by Di Luigi, his third touchdown of the season. The drive began after senior safety Andrew Rich recovered a Nevada fumble.

“His (Heaps') performance was a bright spot and a work in progress," said BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall. "The standards I’m measuring are week to week. Regardless of the measure today, he did a nice job."

After giving up 24 points in the first half, the Cougars came back to surrender only three in the second half, holding the Wolf Pack’s fourth-ranked scoring offense well below their 50.7 season average.

With 4:22 left in the game, senior defensive lineman Vic So’oto intercepted Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick deep in Nevada territory, but after multiple attempts at the end zone through the air, the Cougars were unable to capitalize on the opportunity to narrow the Wolf Pack’s lead to seven.

“We fought until the end,” said Mendenhall. “We’re not to the level we need to be, but I did see improvement.”

Di Luigi recorded 123 all-purpose yards, including 15 rushes for 67 yards and eight catches for 56 yards. Rich tied a career-high with 14 tackles, including nine solo takedowns in the loss.

“There was lots of improvement on both sides of the football today,” Heaps said. “I take this game as a positive and that we are heading in the right direction."

The Wolf Pack got on the board first after a nine-play, 84-yard drive was completed by quarterback Colin Kaepernick connecting with running back Courtney Randall for a six-yard touchdown pass.

With 1:39 left in the first quarter, Wolf Pack running back Vai Taua scored on a one-yard touchdown run, giving Nevada a 14-7 lead. That lead was extended when Kaepernick completed a nine-play drive with a four-yard touchdown run to put the Wolf Pack ahead 21-7 with 9:18 remaining in the second quarter.

BYU cut into the Wolf Pack lead on a 27-yard Payne field goal with 1:20 to play in the first half after an 11-play, 35-yard drive. A 20-yard Heaps completion to freshman receiver Cody Hoffman set up the field goal.

With 74 yards receiving on four catches, Hoffman recorded a career high in receiving yards while junior McKay Jacobsen added four catches for 44 yards to the Cougar passing attack.

With 7:46 left in the fourth quarter, Payne was good from 29 yards out to end a nine-play, 65-yard drive, the Cougars first points of the fourth quarter in 2010. Di Luigi rushed for 21 yards while Heaps was 4-for-6 for 29 yards during the drive.

Kaepernick was 16-for-25 through the air, adding 17 rushes for 82 yards on the ground. Taua rushed 29 times for 133 yards for the Wolf Pack.

The Cougars return to action against Utah State on October 1 in Logan at 6 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Nevada (4-0) vs. BYU (1-3,0-1)

Date: Sep 24, 2010 Site: Provo, Utah Stadium: LaVell Edwards

Attendance: 61471

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score

----------------- -- -- -- -- -----

Nevada.............. 14 10 0 3 - 27 Record: (4-0)

BYU................. 7 3 0 3 - 13 Record: (1-3,0-1)

Scoring Summary:

1st 10:16 NEV - Randall, C. 6 yd pass from Kaepernick, C. (Martinez, A. kick), 9-84 4:44, NEV 7 - BY 0

07:04 BY - DI LUIGI, JJ 2 yd run (PAYNE, Mitch kick), 5-36 1:31, NEV 7 - BY 7

01:39 NEV - Taua, Vai 1 yd run (Martinez, A. kick), 12-80 5:25, NEV 14 - BY 7

2nd 09:18 NEV - Kaepernick, C. 4 yd run (Martinez, A. kick), 9-57 4:48, NEV 21 - BY 7

01:20 BY - PAYNE, Mitch 27 yd field goal, 11-35 2:58, NEV 21 - BY 10

00:00 NEV - Drake, Ricky 38 yd field goal, 9-55 1:14, NEV 24 - BY 10

4th 11:27 NEV - Martinez, A. 29 yd field goal, 21-75 8:53, NEV 27 - BY 10

07:46 BY - PAYNE, Mitch 29 yd field goal, 9-65 3:36, NEV 27 - BY 13

NEV BY

FIRST DOWNS................... 23 21

RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 53-239 25-91

PASSING YDS (NET)............. 196 229

Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 26-16-1 45-24-0

TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 79-435 70-320

Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0

Punt Returns-Yards............ 1-0 1-8

Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 2-32 3-103

Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 1-14

Punts (Number-Avg)............ 2-56.0 3-31.3

Fumbles-Lost.................. 3-1 0-0

Penalties-Yards............... 6-65 1-5

Possession Time............... 36:17 23:43

Third-Down Conversions........ 9 of 17 5 of 15

Fourth-Down Conversions....... 3 of 4 1 of 4

Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 4-4 3-5

Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 1-10 0-0

RUSHING: Nevada-Taua, Vai 29-133; Kaepernick, C. 17-82; Randall, C. 4-10;

Shepherd, M. 1-7; Mark, Lampford 1-4; Green, Virgil 1-3. BYU-DI LUIGI, JJ 15-67;

QUEZADA, Joshua 3-15; KARIYA, Bryan 4-11; HEAPS, Jake 3-minus 2.

PASSING: Nevada-Kaepernick, C. 16-25-1-196; TEAM 0-1-0-0. BYU-HEAPS, Jake

24-45-0-229.

RECEIVING: Nevada-Matthews, R. 4-41; Session, Tray 3-38; Wimberly, B. 2-59; Randall, C. 2-12; Shepherd, M. 1-20; Green, Virgil 1-11; Sudfeld, Zach

1-8; Wellington, C. 1-6; Taua, Vai 1-1. BYU-DI LUIGI, JJ 8-56; HOFFMAN, Cody

4-74; JACOBSON, McKay 4-44; ASHWORTH, Luke 2-15; QUEZADA, Joshua 2-12; KARIYA,

Bryan 2-5; MATHEWS, Marcus 1-18; PETERSON, BJ 1-5.

INTERCEPTIONS: Nevada-None. BYU-SO'OTO, Vic 1-14.

FUMBLES: Nevada-Kaepernick, C. 2-0; Taua, Vai 1-1. BYU-None.

SACKS (UA-A): Nevada-Roy, Brett 1-0. BYU-None.

TACKLES (UA-A): Nevada-Johnson, J.M. 7-3; Johnson, Marlon 6-3; Grimes,

Kevin 5-1; Moch, Dontay 5-0; Frey, Isaiah 3-0; Marshall, B. 3-0; Miller, Doyle

3-0; Burnett, Kaelin 1-2; Madonick, Zack 2-0; Roy, Brett 2-0; Coulson, Ryan 1-1;

Jefferson, S. 1-0; Drake, Ricky 1-0; Williams, Duke 1-0; Brown, Thaddeus 1-0;

Faddis, Dean 1-0; Matthews, R. 1-0; Boughton, D. 1-0. BYU-RICH, Andrew 9-5;

HUNTER, Shane 3-4; JORGENSEN, Aust 2-5; LOGAN, Brian 6-0; STOUT, Zac 3-3;

PENDLETON, Jord 3-3; MANUMALEUNA, Ea 0-6; UALE, Travis 2-3; EASON, Corby 4-0;

BRADLEY, Brando 3-1; SO'OTO, Vic 2-2; FUGA, Romney 2-1; FRAZIER, Jameso 1-2;

RICHARDSON, Jor 0-3; MENDENHALL, Zek 1-1; PUTNAM, Matt 0-2; GALEA'I, Jray 1-0;

STEELE, Tom 1-0; MARSHALL, Matt 0-1; LEUNG-WAI, Aven 0-1; MEES, Carter 0-1.

Game 4: BYU Cougars vs. Nevada Wolf Pack

BYU will take on Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live from LaVell Edwards Stadium on The Mtn. and KSL Radio 1160 AM and 102.7 FM.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE: Click here to get your tickets to see BYU take on Nevada.

BYU (1-2) vs. Nevada (3-0)

September 25, 2010

4 p.m. MT

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Provo, UT

THE BYU-NEVADA SERIES

While BYU has played MWC opponent UNLV every year since 1998, the Cougars’ contest against Nevada will be the first matchup between the two teams in eight years and only the third game since 1940. BYU crushed the Wolf Pack, 52-7, in 2001 before Nevada turned the tide the following year, claiming a 31-28 victory. It is the only game in series history in which Nevada has scored more than 14 points. In 2001, BYU claimed victory behind current quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman who led BYU throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

- Playing two quarterbacks is nothing new in the BYU and Nevada series. In 2001, senior Brandon Doman and senior Charlie Peterson threw a touchdown apiece in the Cougar win. Doman threw 11-for-21 for 222 yards while Peterson went 11-for-13 for 149 yards.

In 2002, the situation was more similar to this current year, with freshman Lance Pendleton and junior Bret Engemann both seeing time in a 31-28 loss to the Wolf Pack. Pendleton completed 13-of-20 passes for 112 yards after coming in for Engemann who went 6-for-16 for 80 yards. Both quarterbacks also threw for one touchdown.

- BYU comes into the game against Nevada hoping to avoid losing three-straight games for the first time ever in the Mendenhall era. The Cougars have not lost three-consecutive games since the early part of 2004 when BYU beat Notre Dame at home before losing to Stanford, USC and Boise State in succession.

- Nevada currently ranks first in the country averaging 344.92 yards of rushing offense per game and is second in the nation in total offense with an average of 505.62 yards.

- BYU has never lost to Nevada in Provo, winning in 2001 and fighting to two 6-6 ties in 1940 and 1930.

BYU VS. THE WAC

In the last 20 years, the Cougars have posted a 23-7 record against current WAC schools. BYU is 72-59-3 (.549) all-time against current members of the WAC and 29-26 (.527) against WAC teams excepting Utah State. Since head coach Bronco Mendenhall took over at BYU, the Cougars are 3-0 against the Western Athletic Conference with all three wins coming against Utah State. BYU has won each of those three games by an average of 25 points. BYU has not lost to a WAC team at home since 2003 when Boise State defeated the Cougars, 50-12 for the only home loss to a WAC team since BYU broke from the WAC in 1999.

IN THE ZONE

BYU is 7-for-7 in the blue zone, good for first in the Mountain West Conference and tied for first in the nation. The Cougars have scored four touchdowns and converted three field goals to stay perfect inside the 20 yardline.

FIRST IN THE NATION

BYU’s kickoff return defense has been ranked first in the nation all three weeks of the 2010 football season. The Cougars allow just 8.3 yards per kickoff return, almost five yards better than second-best Rutgers’ average of 13.4 yards per return. BYU allowed just 20 yards on three kicks against Washington, 12 yards on one kick at Air Force and two returns for 18 yards versus Florida State.

MIGHTY HUNTER

Linebacker Shane Hunter has come up with BYU’s only two turnovers on the season. Against Florida State, Hunter recovered a fumble in the first half. Last week against Air Force, Hunter intercepted a Tim Jefferson pass in the middle of the third quarter for the first interception of his career.

HEAVY HITTER

Junior outside linebacker Jordan Pendleton had a career-high 12 tackles, including a career-best nine solo tackles against Florida State. Pendleton shared team-high honors with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss (10 yards) while forcing one fumble and recording one pass breakup.

For complete game notes, download the PDF linked above.