LAS VEGAS — BYU left UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium with more than a win they were favored to obtain on Saturday.
Beating the Rebels 55-14 lifted the Cougars to 5-4 on the season — one win away from a postseason bowl invitation, and the Las Vegas Bowl is patiently waiting for the Cougars to qualify.
"We just have to do our part now and keep winning," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said.
The win also showed some consistency in head coach Bronco Mendenhall's master plan to return the Cougars to a winning tradition. Saturday's win was BYU's fourth victory in five games and second-consecutive 50-plus-point outing.
On Saturday, the UNLV-BYU game drew a crowd of 23,577. A UNLV official estimated 10,000 fans in the stadium were Cougar supporters. The win marked six straight Cougar victories over the Rebels in Sam Boyd Stadium, site of the Las Vegas Bowl. The success, the crowd numbers and support from local and traveling fans is not lost on bowl committee members.
BYU needs to win one of its last two games to be bowl eligible.
After shaking hands with UNLV head coach Mike Sanford at midfield, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall made his way to the sideline and gave Cougar fans an ovation, clapping his hands above his head. He then stood, near the locker-room door, as he always does in practice and after games, and shook the hands of every BYU player — win or lose.
The gesture, and the focus Mendenhall has brought the Cougars, isn't lost on longtime players like senior linebacker Paul Walkenhorst.
"Everything seems to be clicking, everyone seems to be having a good time," Walkenhorst said. "Our confidence is rising right now. You can see it. When the offense goes out there, we know they are going to score, and when the defense goes out there, we know we can hold them. We have confidence in each other, finally."
Linebacker Justin Luettgerodt, who intercepted his second pass in two games Saturday, said the Cougars are headed in the right direction under Mendenhall and his staff.
"When I first came to this place, it was a mess. Nobody was going in the same direction," Luettgerodt said. "That's been established now. Everyone who has stepped on the train has stayed on the train."
On Saturday, BYU continued to produce turnovers, grabbing three interceptions while the offense showed balance.
The Cougars outgained UNLV 503 yards to 331 yards. BYU got 279 yards through the air and 224 on the ground. Quarterback John Beck completed 23-of-34 passes for three touchdowns. While he missed Todd Watkins on several long tries, Watkins led all BYU receivers with seven catches for 66 yards. Reserve running back Wayne Latu led the Cougars with 93 yards rushing. Fahu Tahi added 62 and Curtis Brown had 43.
"We want to get yards and get points and to go out and get 55 points, especially to capitalize on our defense getting turnovers makes a huge difference," said Beck.
A theme Saturday was getting over the .500 mark for the season.
Luettgerodt said he hadn't even thought about going over .500 as a team.
"Everyone on our team has the same vision," he said. "We have faith that we're going to win and that we're going to be on the upside. Now that we're here, it's not something that is unfamiliar because it's something we've expected."
Soon, said Luettgerodt, people won't be asking BYU players how it feels to be above .500 as a team.
"It will be expected again, like it should be," he said. "That's what it's all about. It will be a return to dominance. No moral victories around here any more."
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com