BYU 24, UNLV 14

10/14/2007 12:11 AM

LAS VEGAS (AP) -BYU's Harvey Unga rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries Saturday night to lead the Cougars past UNLV 24-14, for their 11th straight Mountain West Conference victory.

BYU (4-2, 3-0) took control in the third quarter with a pair of time-consuming scoring drives. The Cougars ran 24 plays over 11 minutes, 44 seconds and scored on both possessions to take a double digit lead.

UNLV, meanwhile, ran eight plays for 13 yards in the third and was held scoreless in the second half until the final two minutes of the game. Max Hall capped the opening drive of the half with a 4-yard scoring strike to Vic So'Oto.

Following a three-and-out for UNLV, the Cougars went on a 14 play drive that resulted in a 27-yard field goal from Mitch Payne for a 17-6 lead.

Unga, a bruising 6-foot, 220 pound red-shirt freshman, finished the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:15 to play. The run highlighted a 15 play, 81 yard drive that drained 8:49 off the clock.

BYU outgained UNLV 441-217 and had 11 more first downs.

Hall completed 21-of-33 passes for 214 yards, but threw three interceptions. Dennis Pitta had seven receptions for 97 yards.

UNLV (2-5, 1-2) scored with 1:11 to play on a 5-yard touchdown from Omar Clayton to Rodelin Anthony. Clayton found Casey Flair for the ensuing 2-point conversion.