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By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Brigham Young figured it had a chance to take the lead in the Mountain West Conference. The opportunity simply arrived a week earlier than anticipated.
After San Diego State's upset of Air Force last week, BYU is the only team without a conference loss entering Saturday's game against the Falcons.
So instead of trying to pull ahead, the Cougars are trying to stay in front. And that isn't changing their approach.
"I think it's my nature to help them remain humble. I think it's my nature to help them remember to be focused," coach Bronco Mendenhall said Tuesday.
BYU (5-2, 3-0 MWC) has won four straight. Five more wins will clinch the Cougars' first conference championship since 2001. One loss along the way and there could be a pile of teams contending for the league title.
Mendenhall said he hasn't let his players look ahead so far this season and doesn't expect them to break from the system that has taken them to first place.
"Simply reminding them of that ... helps them remain grounded. But it's also the nature of who this team is," Mendenhall said.
BYU has won the last two meetings in the series, but Air Force (4-3, 3-1) always is a unique challenge because of its trademark triple-option offense.
Mendenhall has been trying to come up with ways to stop it since he was hired as defensive coordinator at New Mexico in 1998.
"I remember having no idea what they were doing, why they were doing it and getting beat 52-9, or something like that, and still not knowing after the game what had happened," he said of his first game against Air Force.
Actually, the final score was 56-14. Mendenhall has had better luck since taking over BYU's defense in 2003, going 2-1, but the games never seem to get easier.
"Every one of them brings anxiety," he said.
Just days ago, the Air Force-BYU game seemed likely to be a showdown between two teams undefeated in the MWC.
But winless San Diego State shocked the Falcons, 19-12. The Aztecs got the lead on a 30-yard field goal with two seconds left, and then recovered a fumble for a touchdown when Air Force dropped a lateral during a desperation kickoff return.
"I'm sure they're way fired up," BYU linebacker Markell Staffieri said. "They're probably not satisfied with how they played on Saturday. I think they'll come out to prove a point -- that they do belong on top."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-10-24-06 1646MDT
