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PROVO — After breaking a four-game losing streak, the Cougars had a week to reboot and recover during their second bye week this season. Now one game away from bowl eligibility, both players and coaches expressed one goal as they welcome UNLV this week.
“After starting off 4-0 and pretty much starting from scratch when your starting quarterback goes down, then going 0-4 after the bye week … getting into the postseason would be really great for us,” said senior offensive lineman De’Ondre Wesley. “It would build the moral of this team for everything we worked so hard for in the offseason and in fall camp. To go to a bowl game would be pretty awesome.”
With Savannah State coming to Provo in two weeks, the Cougars are all but assured of a six-win season and an appearance at the Miami Beach Bowl in December, but senior wide receiver Jordan Leslie says the team is hungry to finish out with four straight wins.
“Of course we all wanted to go undefeated, it’s kind of what we expected, but, you know, things happen, and it’s great to be on this team and there’s no doubt in my mind that we can go 9-4,” Leslie said. “That’d be one of my best seasons … you know 90 percent of the teams in the nation would love to have (a 9-4 season) available, and we have a great chance to do it.”
Regardless of when that sixth win happens, head coach Bronco Mendenhall says he’s excited to see his team play in the postseason for the 10th straight year.
“I don’t know how many teams do that, but when it’s accomplished I’m certainly not going to apologize for it,” Mendenhall said. “I like playing postseason. It’s certainly not easy, and it’s certainly not easy 10 times.”
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The Cougars will be without star running back Jamaal Williams after a leg injury against Middle Tennessee ended his season. With Algernon Brown’s status still unknown, there will be a lot of reps for guys like Paul Lasike and Nate Carter.
UNLV is 60th nationally in run defense, allowing 225.4 yards per game. However, Wesley says he and his teammates aren’t taking the Rebels lightly and that the offensive line is preparing to battle for the run game. BYU is averaging 183.1 rush yards this season.
The Cougars and the Rebels face off in Provo on Saturday at 5 p.m. MST. Sydney Carlson is a KSL sports radio intern and producer at BYUtv Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @sydneykayc
