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By RYAN NAKASHIMA Associated Press Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Oregon's problems keeping a grip on the football will take center stage when the Ducks face No. 19-ranked Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl.
During what coach Mike Bellotti called an "up and down season," Oregon had a 6-2 record in games in which his team turned the ball over fewer than four times, but went 1-3 when turnovers hit four or more.
"We talk about possession of the football as more than nine-tenths of the law," Bellotti said after a news conference Thursday to promote the 15th edition of the bowl game on Dec. 21. "In this case, it's the whole deal."
The Ducks (7-5, 4-5) finished tied for fifth in the Pac-10 conference, but have lost three straight heading into the game. The Mountain West Conference champ Cougars (10-2, 8-0) are on a nine-game winning streak.
Las Vegas oddsmakers made the Cougars a 5-point favorite in the game to be televised by ESPN.
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said his team is ready to exploit the Ducks' slippery hands.
"We've done an excellent job all year of creating turnovers and so we just intend to stay the course," Mendenhall said.
The Cougars are ranked fourth in the nation in net turnover margin, giving up 11 while taking away 25 from opponents this season. The Ducks are 107th, with 30 turnovers and only 20 takeaways.
The bowl, sponsored by Pioneer PureVision, could be a shoot-out with both teams averaging more than 30 points a game and racking up more than 430 yards of total offense.
"They run the ball extremely well, they pass the ball," said Cougars senior linebacker Cameron Jensen. "So we know we're going to have to be sound in our run and pass defense."
Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon completed 187 of 302 passes this season, racking up 2,021 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
BYU's John Beck went 261-for-371 for 3,510 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions.
"They've got a good quarterback and they've got a good offensive line," said senior Ducks center Enoka Lucas. "We've got a good offensive line and a good quarterback, too. "We've just got to make sure we cut down on our turnovers, make sure we keep the ball in our hands."
Mendenhall credited BYU fans with selling out Sam Boyd Stadium in anticipation of the team's first bowl victory since 1996, when it won the Cotton Bowl.
Some 4,100 temporary bleacher seats were added to bring capacity to 40,900, and the extra seats sold out in four hours, bowl spokesman Mark Wallington said.
"I believe the game was sold out prior to the teams being announced because of the excitement of the BYU fans who follow us anywhere," Mendenhall said.
The game is the sixth meeting between the teams, with Oregon leading the series 3-2. The Ducks won the most recent game, in 1990, downing the Cougars 32-16. ------ On the Net: Oregon Ducks, www.goducks.com Brigham Young Cougars, www.byucougars.com Las Vegas Bowl, www.lvbowl.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-12-07-06 1742MST
