Provo, Utah – John Beck passed for 464 yards and four touchdowns, Curtis Brown became the leading rusher in Brigham Young history and the No. 23 Cougars clinched the Mountain West Conference championship by beating New Mexico 42-17 on Saturday.
The Cougars (9-2, 7-0) won their eighth in a row and locked up the MWC title – BYU’s first league championship since 2001. BYU can complete a perfect conference season by winning at rival Utah next weekend.
Beck, a senior, completed 28- of-42 passes with two interceptions and became the second Cougar to pass for 10,000 career yards. Brown had 13 carries for 124 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and caught a 9-yard TD pass.
Quincy Black returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown for New Mexico (5-6, 3-4), but the Lobos couldn’t stop Beck and Brown in their final game at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The Cougars finished with 653 total yards and punted only once. After stopping New Mexico on an incomplete pass in the end zone, the Cougars let the clock run out, but had to wait a few minutes for security to clear the field so coach Bronco Mendenhall and his Cougars could receive their first MWC championship trophy in five years as the remaining fans chanted “B-Y-U!”
The Cougars also accepted a bid to the Las Vegas Bowl during a boisterous celebration that included a recording of Elvis singing “Viva Las Vegas.” BYU hasn’t trailed since a double-overtime loss at Boston College on Sept. 16. The Cougars kept that streak alive with two touchdowns in the first quarter, starting with Brown’s 49-yard run just 2:07 into the game.
Brown needed 38 yards entering the game to tie Jamal Willis’ school record of 2,970 yards, set from 1991-94. He had one rushing yard before breaking free up the middle and running untouched to the end zone.
TEXAS CHRISTIAN 52, SAN DIEGO STATE 0 at Fort Worth, Texas – Jeff Ballard threw for a school record-tying five touchdowns and ran for another score as TCU pounded San Diego State for its fifth straight win.
Ballard completed his first 14 passes and finished 20-of-22 passing for 288 yards as TCU (8-2, 4-2) posted its most lopsided win since defeating SMU 62-7 in 2000. The Horned Frogs were forced to punt on their first possession, but scored points on their next eight drives.
San Diego State (2-8, 2-4) had only 87 total yards and turned the ball over twice. The Aztecs had two first downs on their opening drive and only one – by a penalty – the next seven times they touched the ball.
