BYU defense grounds Aztec air attack

By CHRIS PETERSON
The Utah County Journal

PROVO - It's been a strange season for the BYU football team, filled with more downs than ups. Any observer knew it would take something special to lift the Cougars. On Saturday against San Diego State, they got it.

After giving up horrific point totals like 52 and 34 in recent weeks, the defense stepped up and shut down a powerful Aztec offense that boasted numbers among the best in the nation. The result was a 34-10 drubbing of San Diego State (3-6, 3-1) that lifted BYU (4-5, 1-3) to its first Mountain West Conference victory.

SDSU quarterback Adam Hall was fourth nationally in total offense, wide receiver J.R. Tolver was first in receiving yards per game and second in receptions per game. Kasim Osgood was also in the top five in key national categories.

But the Cougars' defense held the Aztec passing game in check and completely shut down the ground game, allowing just 18 yards on 28 attempts.

"We got pressure on their quarterback early, and we tried to get him out of his rhythm," BYU coach Gary Crowton said. "We did a great job up front, and that allowed our cover guys to be aggressive."

The defensive pressure produced five sacks, three by Brady Poppinga.

"I always have the focus to get to the quarterback, but today we were able to really get to him," Poppinga said. "Their game plan was to pass the ball a lot, so we got a lot of opportunities to get to him, and we did."

Freshman quarterback Matt Berry was effective in moving the BYU offense down the field. He finished the game with three touchdowns, but his youth showed at times also. He threw three interceptions and made some questionable decisions. Berry finished the game with 280 yards on 19-of-31 passing.

"We put some more in the offense for Berry today," Crowton said. "He'll continue to get better, and his pace will get faster."

Matt Payne had a pair of 47-yard field goals in the first half that helped BYU build a 20-0 lead. The other first-half scores were a Berry-to-Jason Kukahiko 37-yard strike and a Marcus Whalen 4-yard scamper. Whalen finished with 75 yards on 13 carries.

Reno Mahe put in an impressive performance, finishing with five receptions for 84 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown catch that put BYU up 26-0. Mahe also was effective in the return game, bring back four punts for 50 yards.

The Cougars' last score came on a Gabriel Reid 27-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

For San Diego State, Osgood caught 12 balls for 138 yards. Hall had 228 yards on 26-of-46 passing, with a touchdown and an interception.

The win was a collective sigh of relief for BYU, as the Cougars host Wyoming at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m.

"It's good to be back home," Crowton said. "Our fans were a good lift for us."

"The past is history," Berry said. "We can't change the wins and we can't change the losses. We're got to try to keep going strong and get to a bowl game."

Mahe admitted the team's confidence was a bit shaky before the game.

"After losing three in a row, we were a little timid at first," he said. "It's nice to be on the other end, winning. I'm hopeful that we can take this win and keep going in the right direction."