This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • Coach Bronco Mendenhall doesn't like to refer to any of his players as the "go-to guys" in his lineup, but he acknowledges that sophomore receiver Cody Hoffman is starting to emerge as a playmaker who might deserve that label.
After tearing up Oregon State last week with career highs in receptions and yardage, Hoffman continued his strong play in Saturday's 56-3 win over Idaho State. He caught five passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first three quarters.
"He is making so many plays in so many critical situations, it is fun to see," Mendenhall said.
Fellow starting receiver Ross Apo also broke out of a slump with a decent game, hauling in five passes for 71 yards and a score.
When asked if he deserves to be called the go-to guy in BYU's offense, Hoffman said he likes the term "reliable" more.
Ball hogs
Idaho State dominated time of possession in the first quarter but trailed 14-3. Thanks to a 19-play drive that ended with a 34-yard field goal and took 7 minutes, 7 seconds off the clock, the Bengals had the ball for all but 1:51 of the first quarter.
BYU is "resilient on defense," said Idaho State coach Mike Kramer. "They weathered a storm of a pretty good offensive performance by us early to hold us out of the end zone."
TCU on his mind
Mendenhall was asked about BYU's Friday matchup with TCU several times in his postgame news conference.
"It will be natural to say the focus will be on TCU [this week]," he said. "I want our team to get better. And this [game vs. TCU] will be a great chance for us to see where we are, and challenge ourselves."
Briefly
Former BYU running back Fahu Tahi carried the alumni flag onto the field. Cornerback Preston Hadley brought out the special teams flag and Jadon Wagner carried out the team flag. … BYU blocked a punt for the time since the Colorado State game in 2009. … Mike Muehlman played on both offense as a tight end and defense as a defensive end.
Twitter: @drewjay