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Wolf Tracks: BYU expects fight from avenging Lobos

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Matchup: BYU (2-2, 1-0) at New Mexico (3-1, 0-0).

Site: University Stadium

Game time: 6:36 p.m. Saturday

On the air: CSTV (Comcast Channel 274); KKOB-AM (770) with Mike Roberts and Greg Remington.

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BYU wide receiver Austin Collie has gotten used to the screams.

He enjoys the delighted screams of Cougar fans in Provo, Utah.

And he tries to enjoy the enraged screams of fans supporting every team BYU faces.

"We're the defending Mountain West Conference champions and our program has earned national respect over the years, so I think everyone does give us their best shot," he said. "We understand that beating BYU means a lot to every team we face."

University of New Mexico fans traditionally have been front and center booing all things BYU.

Collie and his teammates don't expect anything less when they face the Lobos in University Stadium on Saturday night.

"New Mexico is seeking revenge from last year, and they're amped up to pay us back," Collie said. "We have to prepare and be tougher because their goal is take us out of the running for the conference championship."

UNM coach Rocky Long said he would count any victory over the Cougars as a special feat.

"It's always fun to beat BYU," he said. "They're the defending conference champs and they have such a history and tradition about their program. They're held in high regard and I think it's all been earned. So playing one of the better teams in your conference or one of the better teams in the country and to have a chance to win, that would be pretty exciting and that would be fun. But, I'm pretty sure they have something to say about that."

BYU has had trouble handling the rigors of the road. The Cougars are 2-0 at home, with wins over Arizona and Air Force, and 0-2 on the road, falling to UCLA and Tulsa.

"Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall has been telling us all week we have to play tougher on the road," Cougars quarterback Max Hall said. "We have to play with the same intensity we do at home instead of letting up like we have on the road so far this season."

Cougar advantage: BYU's offense has thrived against UNM the past two seasons. Last year the Cougars lit up the Lobos for 653 yards total offense, the most by an opponent during Long's tenure.

Long suspects one major reason behind the Cougars' success is offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who is entering his third year leading the BYU offense and previously worked as an offensive line coach at Texas Tech.

While at Texas Tech, Anae regularly faced the Lobos' defense. Now he runs the same spread offense at BYU.

Projected sellout: Less than 10,000 tickets remain for the Lobos' game against BYU on Tuesday, and UNM officials are projecting a sellout. The pace of ticket sales has exceeded the rate for New Mexico's game against New Mexico State earlier this season.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to find parking and avoid a last-minute backlog at admission gates.

Injury report: Senior linebacker Major Mosley, who skipped the Sacramento State game while nursing a sprained ankle, is expected to play against the Cougars.

Junior cornerback Glover Quin practiced Tuesday for the first time since he suffered a groin injury against New Mexico State, but Long does not expect Quin to play against the Cougars.

After numerous tests, doctors determined Quin tore a groin muscle that bled and he developed a blood clot. Long said he expects Quin to be back at full strength following the bye week and play the remainder of the season.

Bowl watch: A representative from the Poinsettia Bowl, one of four Mountain West Conference-affiliated bowl games, is slated to watch the BYU-UNM game. The Poinsettia Bowl will be played Dec. 20 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.