PROVO -- Freshman running back Harvey Unga racked up a game-high 202 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including 145 yards rushing and 57 yards receiving, to help BYU to a dominating 42-7 victory over Eastern Washington on Saturday. With the win, BYU improves to 5-2 on the season, while the 22nd-ranked EWU Eagles fall to 4-3 on the season.
COUGARS CONTINUE TO WIN
With today's victory, the Cougars have won 15 of their last 17 games, dating back to last season. BYU is currently on a four-game win streak, including a dominating 31-6 victory over Air Force and road wins over New Mexico and UNLV.
HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN TOP
Despite stepping out of conference play today, the Cougars remain atop the Mountain West Conference with a perfect 3-0 record. The Cougars have won a Mountain West Conference 11 straight league games, including nine straight MWC road games, and will travel to San Diego State next Saturday to put that streak on the line. The Cougars' 11-game league win streak is the longest since winning 11 straight league games from October 10, 1998 through November 6, 1999.
WINNING AT HOME
Saturday's 42-7 victory over Eastern Washington marks the ninth straight victory at Edwards Stadium. BYU is 12-3 in Provo during the Bronco Mendenhall era. In addition, the Cougars are 7-1 in games in Provo following a road game under Mendenhall.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Saturday's victory over Eastern Washington runs BYU's consecutive home winning streak to nine games, dating back to last season. Over that span, the Cougars have beaten their opponents by an average of 31.5 points per game. During that stretch, BYU is allowing just 10.2 points per game. The Cougars have allowed seven points or less in six of the last nine home games. In the first three games this season, the Cougars have outscored opponents by an average 24.3 points per game and have allowed just 6.7 points per game. BYU's current win streak is the longest since posting a 10-game home win streak from Oct. 26, 2000 to Sept. 6, 2002.
IRONMAN UNGA
Freshman running back Harvey Unga became the first running back in BYU history to turn in four 100-yard rushing games during his freshman season after racking up 145 yards rushing in the Cougars' 42-7 win over Eastern Washington on Saturday. Unga was credited with 21 carries for 145 yards and one touchdown, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Unga also totaled a team-high 57 yards receiving on four receptions, including a 22-yard touchdown to give BYU a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Unga totaled a game-high 202 all-purpose yards, marking the second straight game he has produced over 200 all-purpose yards. Unga has a team-leading 684 yards rushing on the season, averaging 97.7 yards per game. . All totaled, Unga accounts for 54 percent of BYU's total rushing attempts and 67 percent of the team's total rushing yards.
SELLOUT
Today's attendance of 64,522 marks the third straight sellout of the season. It marks the first time since the 1999 season BYU has had at least three sellouts in a season. Since the 1999 season, the Cougars are 10-4 in sellout games, including a streak of three straight sellout victories.
FIRST BLOOD
Senior defensive back Corby Hodgkiss' interception return for touchdown gave the Cougars a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. BYU has scored first in 17 of the last 19 games. BYU is 15-2 in those 17 games.
RUSHING DOMINANCE
Saturday's win against Eastern Washington gives the Cougars a record of 95-18 when rushing for 100 (or more) yards since the 1991 season. The Tulsa game marked only the fifth time since 1991 that the Cougars had gained over 150 yards rushing in a game and lost. (BYU is 75-5 since 1991 when rushing for 150 or more yards.) During the Bronco Mendenhall era, the Cougars are 19-3 when rushing for 100 or more yards.
FIRST-HALF DOMINANCE
The Cougars held a 21-7 lead at halftime marking the sixth time in seven games this season BYU has held a lead at intermission. The 14-point lead marked the largest halftime lead of the season since taking a 17-0 advantage into the break against Air Force. The Cougars have led at halftime in 19 of the last 20 games. During those 19 games, the team is 16-3.
INTERCEPTION NOTES
Senior defensive back Corby Hodgkiss picked off EWU's Matt Nichols on the game's opening drive and ran it back 39 yards for the touchdown. The pick, Hodgkiss' second career interception and first of the season, marked the second time in three games this season that the BYU defense has returned an interception for a touchdown on the game-opening drive. Senior linebacker Bryan Kehl did it against New Mexico on Sept. 29. It is also Hodgkiss' first career interception return for touchdown.
The Cougars had three interceptions on the day, marking the most interceptions in a game since posting three picks against UNLV last season.
DRIVE KEHL-ER
For the third time in as many games, Bryan Kehl picked off the opposing quarterback. Kehl intercepted a Nichols' pass in the third quarter and returned it 27 yards. Prior to this season, Kehl had not recorded a single interception in his career.
GOOSE EGGS
Saturday's win against the Eagles marks the first second-half shut out the BYU defense has recorded this season. All totaled, BYU has recorded 12 shutout quarters on the season, including three scoreless quarters against Arizona, Air Force and Eastern Washington.
TAKING THE LEAD
Quarterback Max Hall barreled into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown run with 3:14 remaining in the third quarter put the Cougars ahead 35-7. The score marked the largest lead BYU has had at any point this season and the largest since a 29-yard touchdown pass from Hall to Unga gave the Cougars a 24-0 lead over Air Force. The game's final margin of 42-7 is BYU's biggest lead of the season.
PAPER OR PLASTIC
With just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, senior linebacker Chris Bolden sacked Nichols on the Eagles' one-yard line for a loss of six yards. It was his first career sack. Including Jan Jorgensen's team-high fourth sack of the season to end the first half, the Cougars have recorded eight sacks on the year and have recorded at least two sacks in six out of seven games this season.
TAKING IT TO THE HOUSE ... ALMOST
Bryce Mahuika's 61-yard kickoff return to start the third quarter is a new career high for the junior and a BYU season high, exceeding Austin Collie's 53-yard kickoff return against Tulsa. Mahuika was stopped at the Eagle 19-yard line.
AERIAL ANOMALY
For the first time this season, the Cougars did not throw for more yards than its opponent. EWU quarterbacks Matt Nichols and Alex Smart threw a combined 21-35 for 224 yards, while BYU quarterback Max Hall completed 15 of 30 passes for 156 yards.
BLOCK PARTY
BYU freshman Tyler Kozlowski blocked an EWU punt attempt just before the end of the third quarter. The blocked punt is the first for the Cougars since Zac Collie blocked a punt attempt against Tulsa in 2006.