Data Drop

Here are some stats and stuff for your perusal...

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With a win on Saturday, BYU would finish with an unbeaten conference road record. Every MWC champ since 2001 has had a perfect road record, and only once has a team won all of its conference road games and not won the league title; that team was… New Mexico in 2003 (3-0 on the road, 2-2 at home—including a 10-7 loss to BYU. New Mexico finished one game behind league champ Utah). This year, TCU, Utah and BYU are all unbeaten on the road in league play.

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Since the inception of the league, no MWC team has gone winless for an entire season; New Mexico is 0-9, with games remaining v. BYU, v. CSU and at TCU. New Mexico is the only MWC school to have gone winless twice in the old WAC (in 1987 and 1968). The last MWC member to go winless: UNLV, 0-11 in 1998 (last year of old WAC).

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3rd and 7 is not a "gimme" down, yet somehow, 3rd and 7 is BYU's third-highest percentage conversion down, after 3rd and 1 (93%) and 3rd and 2 (91%). BYU has converted 10/12 attempts on 3rd and 7 (83%); 3/4 running, and 7/8 passing.

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BYU remains first nationally in 3rd down conversion percentage (59%). New Mexico is 119th (of 120 teams) in 3rd down conversion percentage (28%). Additionally, the Lobos are 114th in 3rd down conversion percentage allowed (49%).

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1997 marks the last year New Mexico scored more than 24 points in a game against BYU. UNM's point totals against the Cougars, since the Lobos' 38-28 win in ‘97: 21, 7, 13, 20, 20, 7, 21, 24, 17, 24, 3. BYU, meantime, has won 32 consecutive games OVERALL when allowing 24 points or fewer.

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BYU has had zero turnovers in three of its last four games. It is the FIRST TIME (since 1972) that BYU has had three turnover-free games in a four game stretch.

Since 1972, this is only the second season in which BYU has played four consecutive games with as few as two giveaways in that four-game stretch (BYU went through four games of the 2006 season with only two turnovers, part of a six-game stretch with only three turnovers).

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Since losing to Boston College in the first game of the Mendenhall era (20-3 loss, despite no giveaways), BYU has won its last 14 consecutive games with zero turnovers.

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In the Mendenhall era, BYU has passed for 300+ yards and run for 200+ yards in the same game only four times, but THREE of those games have been this season. Most interestingly, all have been on the road (@ Tulane, @ UNLV and @ Wyoming).

The other game: home v Air Force in 2005 (383 pass, 300 rush, in a 62-41 win). In all four 300/200 games, BYU has scored 52 points or more.

BYU is 38-0 since 1972 in 300/200 games (4-0 in the Mendenhall era).

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Harvey Unga is 70 rushing yards away from tying Curtis Brown's alltime BYU record (3,221). Max Hall is one win away from tying Ty Detmer's alltime BYU starting QB win record (29).

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Over his last 121 pass attempts (spanning five games), Max Hall has thrown one interception (Kariya's tipped ball v. TCU).

Max has averaged 2.3 TD passes/game during his BYU career; Detmer averaged 2.6 TD passes/game.

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In league play, Riley Stephenson has eight touchbacks on 34 kickoffs (24%). BYU's MWC opponents have three touchbacks on 22 kickoffs (14%).

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BYU has exactly twice as many "big plays" (20+ yards) on offense as its opponents; the Cougars have 46 such plays—-the opponents have 23.

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BYU has had almost exactly half as many "three-and-outs" on offense as its opponents; the Cougars have 13-—the opponents have 24.

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BYU has almost exactly twice as many 70+ yard scoring drives as its opponents; the Cougars have 24—-the opponents have 13.

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Tonight's "Bronco Mendenhall Show" is live at Ken Garff Porsche/Audi/Volkswagen in Orem, starting at 7:00 pm.

You can pose questions to the coach by e-mail (cougarradio@ksl.com) or via text message (57500).

Iceberg Drive-Inn will be there of course with free burgers and drinks until they're gone.

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