Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/214329
▼ riding a simulated surfing machine on a team-bonding trip during BYU's bye week to start November. "It's a big loss because he's a senior and he's experienced," Call said. "He's a slot receiver. He makes a lot of plays, a guy that usually comes up big on third down. The other thing that hurts BYU is he is their main punt returner and he's had some great returns this year." Hill is also the type of mobile quarterback that has given Notre Dame fits during the 2013 season. Only Jordan Lynch from Northern Illinois has more rushing yards (1,273) from the quarterback position. Hill is the Cougars leading rusher with 956 yards through 10 games. That number would be in quadruple digits if not for the lost yardage on sacks that go against his rushing totals. Click here to listen to BGI's BYU preview podcast A big chunk of Hill's yards (259) came in a dominant performance against Texas early in the season when the Cougars racked up 550 yards on the ground. Nonetheless, Hill and sophomore running back Jamaal Williams (104.4 yards per game) have kept BYU at No. 12 nationally in rushing offense (265.4 yards per game). The new, balanced attack on offense brings some overall balance to the full BYU roster. Cougars head coach Bronco Mendenhall's typical ball-hawking defense is a dangerous, stifling group again this season. As well as Hill has played in recent weeks, his star is still outshined by senior outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy. The Lombardi Award semifinalist leads the team with 15 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also had an interception for a touchdown and a fumble recovery. He's done all of that with opposing offenses doing their best to stay away. "Teams are really keyed on him, but he's done so many things for this team," Call said. "They talk about filling up the bingo card as far as all the different statistical categories where he can make an impact on the game. He's doing that." After being the only Football Bowl Subdivision player to record a stat in every defensive category the past two seasons, Van Noy needs only to cause a fumble and block a kick to do it for a third straight year. He is, however, still a distant second in overall tackles (56) behind senior middle linebacker Uani 'Unga, who averages 10.6 stops per game. Mendenhall called 'Unga maybe the best he's coached at the position because of his toughness and his ability to gobble up tackles in the middle of the defense. BYU's biggest weakness on defense this season is at cornerback, where season-ending injuries robbed them of both starters before the season began. The pass defense allows 222.3 yards per game (46th nationally). Senior safety Daniel Sorensen has played a big role in keeping the secondary from becoming too large of a liability this season. Mendenhall's defense has been strong enough to help the Cougars put together a four-game winning streak, which earned them a spot in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in December. With their postseason destination locked in before Election Day, the Cougars turned their eyes to finishing the season ranked in the top 25. A win against the Irish could be enough to push them into the polls. That's a far cry from where many thought the season could be headed after losing two of their first three games in shoddy fashion. "Again, it's a tale of two seasons," Call said. "Over the first few weeks it was very disappointing for BYU. … Over the last month, I would have to say expectations have been exceeded a little bit because they were so low during the beginning of the season." ✦ ATTENTION IRISH FANS Packages are available for all Notre Dame home games during the 2013 season 2013 HOME GAMES Aug. 31 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 19 Nov. 2 Nov. 23 Temple Michigan State Oklahoma USC Navy B.Y.U ALL HOME GAME PACKAGES INCLUDE *Game Tickets end zone to the 40 yard line. *Two Nights Hotel *Great Customer Service Please visit www.diamondtravel.com for complete details 1.602.870.9197 DIAMOND TRAVEL 25 YEARS IN BUSINESS ✦ Page 2