BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS
BYU’s 52-0 win over Wyoming marked its second consecutive shutout win against the Cowboys after a 44-0 victory in Provo last season. It also marks the Cougars’ first shutout win on the road since a 27-0 win at UNLV in 1999.
Dating back to Harvey Unga’s 2-yard touchdown run in BYU’s 35-10 win over Wyoming on Nov. 17, 2007, the Cougars have scored 103 unanswered points against the Cowboys. Over the past three meetings, BYU has outscored Wyoming 186-17. Including the last two shutouts, the Cougars defeated the Cowboys 35-10 in 2007 and 55-7 in Provo in 2006.
ZERO TURNOVERS
Ball security wasn’t an issue in today’s win as BYU had zero turnovers. The Cougars have yet to turn the ball over to Wyoming since Bronco Mendenhall became their head coach five years ago.
UNDEFEATED ON THE ROAD
With the win at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday, BYU improved its 2009 away record to 5-0 for the first time since 2001. That year the Cougars posted wins at California, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming.
COMPETING AS A RANKED TEAM
With today’s win the Cougars improve to 155-46 when nationally ranked in the Top 25. A ranked BYU team has won 24 of its last 29 games dating back to 2006.
WELCOME BACK MCKAY
Sophomore wide receiver Mckay Jacobson was back in action on Saturday after sitting out the past four games due to a hamstring injury. Jacobson caught his first pass of the game with 12:50 remaining in the first quarter on the Cougars’ first drive of the game. His 13-yard reception was for the first-down.
He also recorded a 79-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter to give the Cougars a 24-0 lead. The scoring drive consisted of one play for 79 yards in 12-seconds.
Jacobson ended the afternoon with three receptions for 100 yards. He now has two 100-plus yard receiving games, his other being Florida State (111).
FLAG BEARER
BYU has a tradition of selecting a player before each game to run the team flag onto the field, as well as a former Cougar to carry out the alumni flag. Each member of the team has signed the team flag, while former BYU players have signed the alumni flag. Their signatures reflect their commitment to uphold the tradition, spirit and honor of the BYU football program and to be a flag bearer of the University.
As part of the 25-year anniversary celebration of BYU’s national championship, each alumni chosen to carry out the flag this year will be a member of the 1984 team. Carrying the team flag today was senior linebacker Terrance Hooks with former BYU defensive lineman Larry Hamilton carrying the alumni flag. Hamilton, who played for the Cougars from 1980-84 was a two-sport athlete at BYU, as he also competed on the men’s wrestling team.
COIN TOSS
Wyoming won the coin toss today and elected to defer to the second half, marking only the third time this season the Cougars have not won the toss. BYU is now 3-0 when losing the toss.
CONSECUTIVE CATCHES
All-American tight end Dennis Pitta caught his first pass of the game with 11-seconds remaining in the first quarter for a 13-yard gain. The senior has caught a pass in 39 consecutive games dating back to Oct. 23, 2004 (at Air Force), prior to his mission. Those 39 games marks a new BYU program record previously held by Glen Kozlowski with 38.
EXTENDING TIGHT END RECORDS
Since becoming BYU’s all-time leading tight end in yards and receptions earlier this season, senior Dennis Pitta continues to extend those records. As a Cougar, Pitta has racked up 2,640 receiving yards and 200 career catches.
Those receptions keep him into third place in the BYU record books for receivers overall, behind Austin Collie (215) and Matt Bellini (204).
HE WHO SCORES FIRST...
BYU was the first to score today on a 44-yard reception by JJ DiLuigi with 10:17 remaining in the first quarter. BYU has been the first to score in five games this season, the others being Tulane, Colorado State, UNLV and San Diego. The Cougars are 3-2 in those five games.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
Today marked senior defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen’s 48th straight career start. During that streak, Jorgensen has started every game of his collegiate career and set a new MWC all-time career sack record in 2008 with 22.5. With three more sacks so far this season he is second in the conference all-time behind TCU’s Jerry Hughes. Jorgensen’s first career start came against Arizona on Sept. 2, 2006.
SCORING HALL PASSES
Quarterback Max Hall recorded a season-high four touchdown passes against Wyoming today, giving him 21 on the year. Those 21 touchdown passes have been to nine different members of the BYU receiving corp. Hall has now thrown a touchdown pass in 32-of-35 career games.
FIRST HALF PASSING YARDS
Max Hall’s 265 yards passing in the first two quarters of play are more than his game totals in three contests this season, including, Colorado State (241), Utah State (218) and TCU (162).
PAPER OR PLASTIC?
Defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen picked up his third sack of the season with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter, dropping Wyoming quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels for a 14-yard loss. Jorgensen and Brett Denney combined for a sack later in that same quarter, while linebacker Shawn Doman recorded a sack of his own midway through the fourth quarter.
Collectively the Cougars have recorded 18 sacks in their first nine games this season.
DON’T LOOK BACK
In the Bronco Mendenhall era, BYU is 39-4 when leading at halftime and 37-1 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter.
Mendenhall’s teams have won 26 straight games when leading by at least 14 points at the halftime break, 73 overall as a team. The last time BYU lost a game after leading by at least 14 points at the half was on Oct. 10, 1987 when is lost, 29-27, in its homecoming game against Wyoming.
HALL CREEPS UP ON DETMER’S WIN RECORD
With the Cougars’ 52-0 win over Wyoming, senior quarterback Max Hall now has 28 career wins as the starting play-caller for BYU. As far as where that puts him on BYU’s all-time list, Hall trails only Ty Detmer, who racked up 29 wins during his career from 1988-91.
FUMBLE RECOVERIES
Senior linebacker Shawn Doman recovered a Wyoming fumble in the third quarter, forced by defensive back Brandon Bradley. With the BYU offense back on the field, Max Hall led a four-play, 38-yard scoring drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to JJ DiLuigi to give the Cougars a 45-0 lead. The Cougars have now recovered seven fumbles in nine games.
COUGAR PICKS
Defensive back Brian Logan intercepted his third pass of the season with 5:32 remaining in the third quarter. True freshman Craig Bills picked off his second career interception with 2:36 to play in the game for a 24-yard return. The Cougar defense has snagged 10 interceptions through nine games.