The BYU football team, for the third consecutive week, struggled against a bad football team Saturday.
Still, the Cougars' 24-10 victory over 1-8 Northeast Louisiana gives them an 8-2 overall record and moved them up in the national rankings, to 19th according to CNN/USA Today and 23rd in the Associated Press poll.BYU's last three opponents are a combined 7-20 this season, but each gave BYU all it could handle - especially Arizona State, which beat the Cougars by 21 points Oct. 29.
The Cougars know they'll have to play better in their final two regular season games to win.
"As an offensive unit we're not playing as good as we should be," quarterback John Walsh said. "We'll have to play a lot better to beat our next two opponents."
The Cougars won't have much time to put it all together, however, before taking the field again. They'll be back in action against San Diego State in an ESPN Thursday night game (6 p.m. kickoff). The Aztecs (5-4 overall, 3-3 WAC) have already had a week to prepare for BYU, as they had a bye Saturday.
New Mexico's victory over Utah puts BYU (5-1 in the WAC) in a virtual tie for first in the league with Utah and Colorado State. The Rams (6-1) are a half-game ahead of the Utes and Cougs after coming back from a 17-point deficit to beat Wyoming Saturday night.
If the Cougs beat SDSU at home Thursday and Utah Nov. 19 at Rice Stadium, they'll have at least a piece of the WAC crown for the sixth straight year. BYU needs CSU to lose at suddenly slumping Fresno State on Nov. 19, however, to have a chance at going to the Holiday Bowl, as the Rams hold the tie-breaking advantage because they won the head-to-head game.
BYU will likely go to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim if the Holiday Bowl doesn't pan out.
Meanwhile, the Cougars are trying to put the past three weeks behind them and get back the emotion they played with in a victory at Notre Dame last month.
"I don't know why it is, but sometimes this team is more focused than other times," wide receiver Bryce Doman said. "We could have been more focused (against Northeast Louisiana). A lot of it has to do with how important the game is. I don't think we'll have any problem getting fired up for the next two games."
COUGAR NOTES: Jamal Willis, already the all-time BYU leader in career rushing yardage and career touchdowns, needs just six yards to go over the 1,000 yard rushing mark this year. He will then become the first Cougar to rush for 1,000 yards in two separate seasons, having gained 1004 in 1992 . . . Thursday's game will mark the fifth straight BYU/SDSU matchup on national network television and the fourth consecutive time ESPN has broadcast the contest.