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BYU returns to Las Vegas Bowl to meet Arizona

Dec 20, 2008 - 1:10 PM (17) Brigham Young (10-2) vs. Arizona (7-5), December 20, 8:00 pm EST

LAS VEGAS (Ticker) -- Brigham Young is returning to one of its favorite December destinations - the Las Vegas Bowl.

The 17th-ranked Cougars face Arizona in their fourth consecutive appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl and their second straight against a Pac-10 Conference opponent Saturday.

"The Las Vegas Bowl has been very good to BYU," Cougars athletic director Tom Holmoe said. "We love coming to Las Vegas and playing in one of the best bowl games around."

BYU (10-2), whose two regular-season losses came to TCU and Utah, is seeking its third straight win in Las Vegas.

Last year, the Cougars edged UCLA, 17-16, in perhaps the most dramatic finish of all the bowl games. BYU's Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked Kai Forbath's 28-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

The Cougars enter this year's game ranked 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring at 35.3 points per game.

Max Hall passed for 3,629 yards and 36 touchdowns this season, with Austin Collie (1,419) and Dennis Pitta (1,025) each surpassing 1,000 receiving yards. Harvey Unga gave the Cougars a balanced offense by rushing for 1,061 yards and 10 TDs.

Arizona (7-5) is playing in the state of Nevada for the first time since traveling to Reno in 1924 and making its first postseason appearance since winning the 1998 Holiday Bowl.

Wildcats quarterback Willie Tuitama finished second in the Pac-10 in passing yards with 2,763 yards, while running back Nic Grigsby was fifth in the conference in rushing with 1,066 yards.

Arizona and BYU recently split a home-and-home series. The Wildcats won, 16-13, in Tucson in 2006 and the Cougars returned the favor with a 20-7 victory in Provo in 2007.