This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Las Cruces, N.M. • Announced attendance at Saturday's BYU-New Mexico State football game was 12,571, but realistically the crowd was about half that big at Aggie Memorial Stadium, with the home team entering the game with a 1-9 record.
And half of the crowd, at least, was made up of BYU fans.
The blue-clad supporters were rewarded with a 50-14 BYU victory, and a strong performance from quarterback James Lark, whose parents, Cliff and Betsy, were among the thousands of BYU fans in attendance.
"That's one of the coolest things to see," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "....Most coaches just marvel at our support. I think what it really shows is that there is so much more to BYU than just football."
Happy as a Lark
The 384 yards that Lark threw for was the most ever by a BYU quarterback making his first start.
Also, Lark became the 10th BYU quarterback to throw six or more touchdown passes in a game. The record is seven, held by Marc Wilson and Max Hall.
"It was awesome. It was really special to see," said JD Falsev, who caught nine passes for 68 yards, both career highs. "Lark is a guy who has done everything coaches have asked of him, and gone through the ringer a little bit with trying to get some time here and there, and then he finally gets his start and comes out and balls out."
Briefly
Kicker Justin Sorensen had made 70 straight PATs before missing his first attempt on Saturday. ... Kyle Van Noy now has 11.5 sacks this season after recording three against the Aggies. ... Brandon Ogletree had a career-best three tackles for loss. ... Senior linebacker Uona Kaveinga carried out the team flag, and former Cougar Micah Alba carried out the alumni flag.
Twitter: @drewjay