AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
BYU quarterback Jake Heaps looks to pass to McKay Jacobson (6), right, during the first quarter of the New Mexico Bowl NCAA college football game against UTEP, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010, in Albuquerque, N.M. BYU won, 52-24.
Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010 | 2:55 p.m.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Freshman Jake Heaps threw four touchdown passes, connecting with Cody Hoffman on three scores, and finished with 264 yards passing to help BYU beat overmatched Texas-El Paso 52-24 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl.
It capped a big turnaround for the Cougars (7-6), whose 1-4 start included a rare loss to instate rival Utah State. At that point, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall told his team it would be a remarkable feat to reach a bowl game and win it.
Mission accomplished for the Cougars, who won five of their last seven regular-season games to become bowl eligible. In the first game of college football's bowl season, Mendenhall's team showed just how far BYU came by dominating the Miners (6-7).
Coffman had eight catches for 137 yards, while Joshua Quezada ran for 101 yards and J.J. DiLuigi added 98 yards on the ground to help the Cougars in their final contest before they begin play as an independent in football next season.
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