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Provo • As his team prepares for its biggest test since the Oct. 24 loss at Boise State, BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall suggested in his weekly press briefing on Monday that the Cougars "ought to call off Thanksgiving this year."

No, Mendenhall doesn't lack gratitude.

It's just that his teams have struggled in games played after the holiday the past half-dozen or so years, and he knows it will take a supreme effort on Saturday to knock off bowl-seeking California (5-6) at Memorial Stadium (2:30 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Network).

Last year, the Cougars trailed 7-0 at halftime and needed some late heroics from Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams to beat a subpar Nevada team 28-23 two days after Thanksgiving. The start was so bad that BYU had more penalties (nine) than first downs (five) in the first half and finished with 14 penalties for 142 yards.

In 2012, BYU fell behind woeful New Mexico State 7-0 and were sloppy and uninspired early despite quarterback James Lark's first career start before eventually winning 50-14. They lost post-Thanksgiving 17-16 to Utah in 2010 when a last-second field goal attempt was blocked, and had a bye before the holiday in 2011.

"I don't know [the reason]," Mendenhall said. "I think sometimes it is just the opponent. I know at New Mexico State, besides the media there might have been no one else in the stands, and then Nevada [last year] was really struggling. So both those games were kind of a downer, in terms of an emotional standpoint, when we got to them."

The coach hopes that BYU's move to morning practices this season makes handling the holiday easier. The Cougars will practice Thursday morning, as usual, and then have the afternoon and evening off to be with their families and friends. They will reconvene Friday at 10 a.m. and practice before leaving for California later that day.

"Up until that point, I hope to keep them as occupied as possible getting ready to play a good team," Mendenhall said.

He will send his wife, Holly, and three boys to Montana to spend the holiday with her family while he stays in Provo and focuses on the regular-season finale.

"We might have turkey sandwiches before she leaves, and then the kids and she will have a great Thanksgiving, and I will be working on football," he said. "Sad, isn't it?"

The Cougars generally played rival Utah on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but that changed in 2006, the year BYU beat Utah 33-31 on a touchdown pass from John Beck to Jonny Harline with time having expired. They won the rivalry game 17-10 the following year after Thanksgiving, but haven't played well since with their stomachs full of turkey.

"It is not going to be too hard, just because we are going to have the same practice schedule," linebacker Zac Stout said. "… We will have fun Thursday afternoon, but then once it is done, you just have to get your mind right."

Said receiver Mitchell Juergens: "We are grateful to play the game, grateful to practice this week, and grateful to be able to go down to Cal, so it is just a week to be a little more grateful for everything."

Twitter: @drewjay —

BYU at California

O Saturday, 2:30 p.m. MST

TV • Pac-12 Network