BYU-Arizona Football: Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl Preview

Coming into the 2008 season the BYU Cougars were ranked 16th in the AP poll and had very real aspirations to get a BCS at-large bid. The Arizona Wildcats had received only three votes to be in the Top 25, so to say these two teams came from opposite ends of the college football bowl spectrum would be about accurate. Regardless, the BYU Cougars (10-2) will face off against the Arizona Wildcats (7-5) in the 18th annual Las Vegas Bowl. This season the BYU Cougars finished where they started—ranked No. 16. This season was expected to be a launching pad for BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall and his Cougar team to national prominence. BYU started the year with six straight wins, including a controversial, 28-27 win over the Washington Huskies.  The Cougars then faced a tough TCU team lead by their ferocious defense. That defense ended up shutting down the Cougar offense in a 32-7 win for TCU. BYU ended up winning its next four games before losing in the "Holy War" to arch-rival ... (link)