No. 17 BYU came into the 2007 season with the nation's second longest winning streak (10 games) thanks to a 2006 campaign in which the team went 11-2 overall and posted a perfect 8-0 Mountain West Conference record. After their 2006 dominating Las Vegas Bowl victory over Oregon, the Cougars lost seven All-MWC performers, the 2006 MWC Offensive Player of the Year in John Beck, and the school's all-time leading rusher, Curtis Brown, to graduation. Prognosticators picked BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall's team to finish second in the MWC in 2007. As it turned out, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
Mendenhall led the 2007 version of his Cougars to their second-straight outright Mountain West title behind another perfect 8-0 MWC season. Behind the arm of All-MWC sophomore quarterback Max Hall and the legs of Freshman All-American Harvey Unga, BYU's all-time leading freshman running back, the Cougars are the only team in Mountain West Conference history to win back-to-back outright league titles and to record back-to-back undefeated league records. BYU has won a record four Mountain West Conference championships since the league's inception, including the 1999, 2001, 2006 and 2007 titles. To go along with their 16-game conference win streak, the Cougars boast the nation's longest overall winning streak at 10 games and have won 21 of their last 23 games.
At 11-2 on the season, BYU has posted its second-straight 10-win season and the 12th since the 1979 campaign. It is also the first time since the 1990-1991 seasons BYU has had back-to-back 10-win seasons. Mendenhall is the first coach in school history to lead the Cougars to three consecutive bowl games in his first three years as head coach.
Hall, in his first year as a starter, put in the fourth best performance by a first-year quarterback at BYU to date and was the nation's top sophomore quarterback in terms of passing yards. On the season, Hall completed 298-of-496 passes for 3,848 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Freshman sensation Unga broke several BYU and MWC records in a breakout 2007 season. Unga, who compiled 1,227 rushing yards and 655 receiving yards, is the Cougars' all-time leading freshman running back and the first BYU freshman to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a single-season. He holds the school record for most 100-yard rushing games as a freshman with seven. Unga put together three-straight 100-yard rushing games, equaling the third highest consecutive 100-yard games in MWC history. Unga's 24 points against San Diego State is an MWC single-game freshman scoring record. His 1,227 rushing yards marks the most yards by a BYU running back since Doak Walker Award winner Luke Staley racked up 1,582 yards during the 2001 season. Unga's mark ranks fourth all-time in BYU history. With a combined 1,882 yards, the freshman broke the MWC single-season all-purpose yards record.
The BYU defense held up its end of the bargain this season as well. As the nation's 10th ranked defense, the Cougars allowed just 307.2 yards per game. Allowing only one 100-yard rusher all season, BYU was the ninth ranked rushing defense in all of college football. Sophomore defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen anchored the Cougar defense. An All-MWC First Team selection, Jorgensen led the MWC and ranked ninth nationally with 13.5 sacks. He produced at least one sack in six of BYU's seven games against MWC opponents, including a career-high three sacks in the Cougars' 35-16 win against Colorado State. Jorgensen was credited with 77 tackles on the season, averaging six takedowns per game and has had at least one sack in six straight games.
BYU began its season at home at LaVell Edwards Stadium playing host to Arizona. The Cougar defense held the Wildcats scoreless through 59 minutes in a 20-7 victory to extend what was the nation's second longest active win streak to 11 straight games. Hall went 26-39 for 288 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Cougars also saw a big performance from Unga. He led BYU in rushing (68 yards on 15 carries) and receiving with 127 yards on nine receptions. Unga also had two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground. His performance earned him MWC Player of the Week honors.
Riding a two-game win streak against the PAC-10, BYU headed to the Rose Bowl looking to make it three straight against UCLA. Despite racking up 435 yards of total offense, including 391 yards passing, BYU saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end, as No. 11 UCLA beat the Cougars 27-17 in front of 72,986 fans. The Cougars held the Bruins to just 236 total yards but fell short in their bid to upset UCLA on its home field. Hall threw 30-of-53 attempts for 391 yards and two touchdowns, while a stifling defense held UCLA junior quarterback Ben Olson to just 126 passing yards.
Staying on the road, BYU looked to get back on the winning track against a team it had never lost to before -- Tulsa. The game turned out to be a shootout. Hall threw a MWC record 537 yards and four touchdowns, but Tulsa racked up 595 yards of total offense of its own on its way to a 55-47 victory over the Cougars. BYU committed 14 penalties and four turnovers in its second loss of the season. Unga rushed 21 times for 100 yards, while Austin Collie, Michael Reed and Dennis Pitta each had over 100 receiving yards. Hall completed 34 of his 57 pass attempts.
The surprising defeat at the hands of the Golden Hurricane was also the last time BYU tasted defeat. Returning to the friendly confines of Edwards Stadium, the Cougars began what is now a nine-game winning streak against Air Force. Hall threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-6 victory to give the Cougars their eighth straight home victory. The game also marked the first loss of the 2007 season for the Falcons. BYU running back Manase Tonga recorded two rushing touchdowns on the afternoon, bringing his season total up to four to that point, which is the same amount of rushing touchdowns he had in all of 2006. The Cougars were led defensively by linebacker Kelly Poppinga who had 10 tackles. Defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen was credited with nine tackles, including a sack and two hurries against the Falcons. The BYU defense held Air Force to just 231 yards of total offense, marking the third time in four games the Cougars have held their opponents to under 240 yards of total offense. Tight end Dennis Pitta picked up his second straight game with over 100 yards receiving, marking the first time a BYU receiver had back-to-back 100-yard games since Jonny Harline had consecutive 100-yard games to end the 2006 season.
BYU improved to 3-2 on the season and collected its first road victory of the season the very next week, defeating New Mexico 31-24. The Cougars got their 10th consecutive Mountain West Conference win and eighth straight MWC road victory behind Hall's 18-for-40, 251-yard night. Hall also threw two touchdown passes on the night. Sophomore Austin Collie caught four balls for 98 yards, including a season-long 59-yard touchdown reception with 9:23 left in the third quarter to give the Cougars a 21-6 lead. The defense came up big, collecting five turnovers, including three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Senior linebacker Bryan Kehl had his first-career interception, returning it 36 yards to give BYU an early 7-0 lead in the contest. All totaled, BYU scored 24 of its 31 points as a result of turnovers.
Despite four turnovers, including a career-high three interceptions from sophomore Max Hall, BYU remained undefeated in the Mountain West Conference with a 24-14 victory over UNLV on Oct. 13. Hall was 21-for-33 for 214 yards and one touchdown pass to go along with his three misfires. Meanwhile, freshman running back Harvey Unga had a career night of his own, carrying the ball 25 times for 177 yards--both career-highs. In the second half alone, Unga rushed 18 times for 118 yards. BYU finished with 441 total yards to the Rebels' 217. The Cougars rushed for 227 yards, while holding UNLV to just 96 yards rushing.
Unga led the Cougars in both rushing (146) and receiving (57) yards for a total of 202 all-purpose yards, as BYU defeated Eastern Washington 42-17 in Provo on Oct 20. Unga, who also scored two touchdowns on the day, became the first freshman running back to rush for 100 yards or more in four different games during his freshman season. Hall was 15-for-30 for 156 yards and threw one touchdown pass to go along with his first career rushing touchdown. BYU finished with 377 total yards while limiting Eastern Washington to just 266 total yards.
Raging wildfires in San Diego caused the postponement of BYU's next scheduled game at San Diego State, forcing the Cougars into a bye week. Holding a 5-2 record at this point, BYU now had the opportunity to achieve one of its goals at home against Colorado State -- becoming bowl eligible. BYU seized the day with a 35-16 win against the Rams. Unga's 51 rushing yards moved him into the top spot on the list of BYU's all-time freshman rushing leaders, surpassing Ronney Jenkins' previous record of 733 yards. Hall led the Cougars completing 22-of-30 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Hall connected with Collie for a total of 111 yards, Collie's second 100-yard game this season. BYU had a second 100-yard receiver in Unga, who racked up 110 yards.
Playing in its second game at Edwards Stadium in five days, the Cougars notched another conference win, defeating TCU 27-22. Hall threw 26-of-44 for a total of 305 yards and one touchdown. The game marked Hall's third overall 300-or-more passing yard performance. Collie led all receivers with 109 yards, his third 100-yard game of the season. Unga scored two rushing touchdowns.
The Cougars' second consecutive win over TCU set them up for another milestone at Wyoming the following week. BYU clinched a share of its second consecutive Mountain West Conference title with a convincing 35-10 victory over Wyoming at War Memorial Stadium on Nov. 17. Hall recorded his fifth-career game with 300 or more passing yards thanks to a 26-for-37, 331-yard outing. He also threw three touchdown passes. Hall's performance allowed him to break former Wyoming quarterback Casey Bramlet's MWC passing record for a sophomore. Bramlet threw for 3,069 yards as a sophomore in 2001.
Meanwhile, freshman running back Harvey Unga turned in his fifth 100-yard rushing performance with 110 yards on the ground against the Cowboys. Collie caught eight balls for 103 yards. As a team, BYU racked up 497 yards of total offense while limiting Wyoming to just 277 yards, including only nine rushing yards on 24 carries. The following Sunday, BYU was ranked for the first time in 2007 at No. 23.
The Cougars returned home from Wyoming to play the most highly anticipated game in the state of Utah. The BYU/University of Utah rivalry is one of the most heated in the nation, and with both teams bringing seven-game winning streaks into this year's matchup, temperatures seemed to be at an all-time high. Reminiscent of its' last-second victory against Utah in the 2006 season, No. 23 BYU defeated its archrival on a final drive to take a 17-10 win in front of a sellout crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
With the win the Cougars became the outright Mountain West Conference Champions for the second season in a row. Unga surpassed 1,000 yards on the season after rushing for 144 yards on 23 carries again the Utes, becoming the first freshman at BYU to reach the mark. Collie caught five balls for 126 yards, including a game-saving 49-yard reception on the Cougars' final drive. Following the game, the Cougars were awarded the MWC Championship trophy. The win also allowed Mendenhall's club to move ahead in the national polls at No. 19
No. 19 BYU wrapped up its second consecutive undefeated Mountain West Conference season defeating San Diego State 48-27 on Dec. 1 at Qualcomm Stadium. Unga scored a career-high four touchdowns (three rushing and one receiving). Unga also racked up 161 rushing yards on 23 carries. Hall threw 19-for-26 for 227 yards and three touchdowns.
As a team, BYU gained 538 yards of total offense to SDSU's 356. Additionally, the Cougar defense kept up its season-long tradition of not allowing an individual rusher to go for 100 yards. BYU now entered the Las Vegas Bowl as the No. 17 team in the nation.
After winning its second straight league championship with a perfect 8-0 record, BYU accepted an invitation to play UCLA in the 16th Annual Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 22 at Sam Boyd Stadium. The invitation marked the third straight appearance for the Cougars in Las Vegas and the team's 26th overall bowl appearance since the 1974 season. The game also provided a rematch of BYU's 27-17 loss to the Bruins earlier in the season.
BYU reached its second consecutive Las Vegas Bowl victory, 17-16, in dramatic fashion -- with a block on the Bruins' potential game-winning field goal attempt as time expired. With BYU up by one point, and 2:02 to go, UCLA lined up at its own two-yard line to began the game's final drive. The Bruins would march nearly the entire length of the field, taking the ball 87 yards in 12 plays. UCLA's freshman kicker Kai Forbath successfully kicked three field goals on the night, including two 50-yarders, before taking the field one final time. With only three ticks on the clock, Forbath looked poised to knock down his fourth field goal of the night, a 28-yard shot, and give his team the win. However defensive lineman Eathyn Manumaleuna would not allow BYU to taste defeat, as the freshman blocked Forbath's kick as the clock ran to triple zeroes.
A pair of sophomores led BYU in the win, as Hall threw 21-for-35 for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while Collie led all receivers with 107 yards on six catches. Collie also recorded a touchdown reception and was named the Las Vegas Bowl Most Valuable Player.
The win marked the first time BYU has won back-to-back bowl games since the 1994 Copper Bowl and the 1996 Cotton Bowl, and was the first time since the 1983 and 1984 seasons that the team has won back-to-back bowl games in consecutive years.
Following its win in the Las Vegas Bowl, BYU's second straight 11-win season was capped with a No. 14 national ranking in both the Associated Press Top-25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. The 2007 season marked the highest finish for the Cougars in the national polls since beating Kansas State, 19-15, in the Cotton Bowl to finish the 1996 season ranked No. 5 in both polls.
Not only will the Cougars enter the 2008 season coming off its highest national ranking in 11 years, but also the team will begin the season riding the nation's longest active winning streak at 10 games. Interestingly, the Cougars have also put together a 12-game home win streak. Over the past two seasons, the Cougars have not lost a single home game or a Mountain West Conference game. In fact, BYU has not lost a conference road game since October 1, 2005, marking a streak of 11 straight games.
BYU, which returns 10 of 11 offensive starters in 2008, finished the 2007 season ranked 25th in total offense, averaging 307.9 yards per game. First-team All-Mountain West quarterback Max Hall averaged 296 yards passing per game, finishing the season as the nation's top-ranked sophomore quarterback. Running back Harvey Unga picked up Freshman All-America and MWC Freshman-of-the-Year honors after leading the Cougars with an average of 94.4 yards per game.
Sophomore Austin Collie ranked among the nation's top receivers, averaging over 73 yards receiving per game and sophomore tight end Dennis Pitta averaged nearly five receptions and 63 yards per game. Overall, the Cougars averaged 30.1 points per game and held opponents to just 18.5 points per contest to rank ninth nationally. Defensively, BYU ranked 10th, holding opponents to just over 307 yards per game. The Cougars ranked 9th in rushing defense, and allowed just one 100-yard rusher all season.