Last Updated on December 15, 2009 12:25 pm by drew
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas,
Defeating the program he played for more than 20 years ago would make a win even more special.
Bet The 2009 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Looking for their third bowl victory in four seasons, the 15th-ranked Cougars face No. 16 Oregon State, which has won five straight bowl games but is disappointed to not be closing out its season at the Rose Bowl.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made
BYU (10-2), making its fifth consecutive appearance in the same bowl for the first time since going to the Holiday Bowl from 1978-84, looks for its first postseason victory since beating UCLA 17-16 in 2007. Following a 48-24 loss at
"None of us felt like we played to our full potential a year ago, so I think that is a motivating factor to go back and maybe do it at a higher level," Mendenhall said.
BYU, winner of 10 or more games in a school-record four consecutive seasons, faces a Beavers team that finished second in the Pac-10 the last two seasons.
"When you scan through the list of bowl games, I think it could be one of the most compelling matchups of the bowl season," Mendenhall said of the Dec. 22 game that will mark the first time in the 18-year history of the Las Vegas Bowl that both teams are ranked.
BYU lost to
Mendenhall was a graduate assistant at
Mendenhall will look for another solid effort from senior Max Hall as BYU goes for its 10th bowl win. Hall, whose 31 victories are the most for a quarterback in BYU history, threw the winning 25-yard touchdown pass to Andrew George in overtime to lift the Cougars over
Hall’s brother-in-law, senior tight end Dennis Pitta, is one of the Cougars’ top downfield threats. A finalist for the Mackey Award given to the nation’s top tight end, Pitta leads BYU with 57 receptions, 784 yards and seven touchdowns. He caught two passes against
Pitta also owns the NCAA record for tight ends with 2,856 career receiving yards.
Harvey Unga led BYU in rushing with 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. The Cougars’ all-time leading rusher with 3,384 yards, he is the cousin of
"There are many connections between
"This will be a great showcase for two of the best quarterbacks in the country on a national stage in Max Hall and Sean Canfield. I’m very excited about playing BYU and it will be a tremendous challenge for our team."
The Beavers (8-4), though, were hoping to head further west for their bowl game. With an opportunity to earn its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1964,
"It’s tough to swallow," Canfield said after completing 24 of 36 for 306 yards and two TDs.
Canfield, a first-team all-Pac-10 selection with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions, led the conference with 3,103 passing yards.
BYU’s rush defense, ranked 23rd in the country, faces a major test in sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers. The first-team all-Pac-10 running back ran for 1,377 yards and a school-record 20 TDs, and he is tied for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 21 touchdowns.
Rodgers missed last season’s 3-0 Sun Bowl victory over
His older brother James, a junior, was also sidelined for that game due to a broken collarbone. He led
2009 MAACO
Teams: BYU vs.
Kickoff: Dec. 22, 2009 at 8PM ET
Venue: Sam Boyd Stadium
TV: ESPN
Odds:
BYU +2 Over 60.5 (+120)
Bet The 2009 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
Posted: 12/15/09 12:25PM ET