Behind another splendid rushing performance by Harvey Unga, BYU defeated Eastern Washington 42-7 Saturday afternoon in front 64,522 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Eastern Washington (4-3) plays in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), and received $325,000 to make the trip to Utah.

The Cougars (5-2, 3-0 Mountain West) got what they paid for -- a victory that puts them one step away from bowl eligibility.

BYU avoided adding its name to the list of upset victims like Michigan this season. The Wolverines opened the year with a loss to Appalachian State.

Safety Corby Hodgkiss got BYU off to a fast start with a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown at the start of the first quarter, and Unga took over from there with two more touchdowns to give BYU a 21-7 lead by halftime.

BYU was equally as effective at the start of the second half when Bryce Mahuika returned the opening kickoff 61 yards and Manase Tonga scored two plays later on a 7-yard touchdown run.

The Cougars can now focus exclusively on defending their Mountain West Conference title with five straight games against conference opponents, beginning with San Diego State on Saturday.