BYU football: Cougars good, not great, Mendenhall says

Provo » The senior quarterback is throwing too many interceptions, the offense suddenly can't score in the third quarter, the only deep receiving threat on the team is out four to six weeks with a hamstring injury and the other receivers have been fumble-prone.

Then there's the defense, which has been solid if you throw out the debacle against Florida State. Special teams play has been inconsistent, even skaky.

Sometimes, BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall has to step back and remind everyone that his team has one loss, is ranked No. 18 in the country, and still has to be considered one of the favorites to win the Mountain West Conference title, along with No. 10 TCU (4-0)

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"We are 4-1 at this point, which is probably where many of us would have hoped we would be at this time," Mendenhall said after BYU's 35-17 win over Utah State. "We have momentum, we have optimism, and we have a relatively healthy team."

Why, then, is there a sense around the program that the Cougars should be better than this? Maybe it is because as each week passes, past wins (Oklahoma, for example) have lost their luster, and that 54-28 loss to Florida State (0-2 since then) becomes even harder to swallow.

Perhaps it is the BCS effect, where style points are necessary. Or maybe it is the uneasy feeling that performances similar to what got the job done against Colorado State and Utah State aren't

"Given the reference point that I think any college football game is difficult to win, ... I am pleased with that [record]," Mendenhall said. "But certainly I see areas for improvement."

The coach likes his team's progress.

"I wouldn't put us in the great category yet, because we aren't playing great in all phases. I think we are good, I think we are solid, and I think on any given day we can play and compete with most teams in the country," he said. "But to be great, ball security will have to improve -- possibly our third down defense, third and long in particular -- there has to be a few more of those stops we make. And then I would say some of our return game, probably kick return and punt return, could be improved."

Monday, Mendenhall announced that sophomore receiver McKay Jacobson (11 catches for 280 yards and three touchdowns in four games) will be out four to six weeks with a hamstring injury, so the team's healthiness isn't what it once was.

Cutting down on turnovers -- 15 in five games -- has become the biggest point of emphasis, said running back Manase Tonga.

"I think we are playing really solid right now," Tonga said. "There are a few things we can brush up on ... as far as taking care of the ball, our third downs on defense and stuff like that. Aside from that, I think we are playing very solid right now, pretty good football."

Teams are 31-for-69 (45 percent) on third down against the BYU defense, but Florida State, especially, was able to convert on third-and-long almost at will.

BYU is 104th in the country on third-down defense, but first nationally in third-down conversion percentage.

Offensively, Mendenhall said if the turnovers were taken away, "I would be very pleased."

In Jacobson's absence, Mendenhall said sophomore O'Neill Chambers will be the primary punt returner and that Chambers and J.J. DiLuigi will return kickoffs.

drew@sltrib.com