It was almost the great escape.

Knowing he'd be facing a multitude of questions about the BYU-Utah football rivalry after Monday's practice, Cougar wide receiver Austin Collie switched his No. 9 jersey with the No. 7 of backup wide receiver Tyler Kozlowski. As Kozlowski walked slowly toward the pack of reporters in the Indoor Practice Facility, Collie jogged unnoticed out of the building. Kozlowski took off his helmet and exclaimed, "It worked!"

But you can't run away from Rivalry Week: Collie was later tracked down by members of the BYU sports information department and answered reporters' questions.

Yup, it's Day 1 of BYU-Utah Week, and players are already tired of answering questions about it. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall limited media access to Monday, but he can't limit well-meaning friends, family and classmates who simply want to talk about what is perhaps the most hyped and talked-about Rivalry Game the state has ever seen.

"I'm not sure reason even becomes a part of this week," Mendenhall admitted. "From trying to deal with my own neighbors and ward members, there's a point where people won't listen, so I really just stop talking. I'll go from the office to my house and not much else this week. Other than staying behind closed doors, I'll just try to avoid them."

As for restricting media access, Mendenhall said external influences have forced his hand.

"It's pretty simple," he said. "I really work hard to treat our practices and our team the same every week, but people don't act the same this week. The first year, I tried to keep everything the same, but even if I stay the same, they (other people) won't act the same. The invasive nature of the requests becomes very high. Restricting access is just acknowledging that others treat it differently, so I do as well to protect my team."

Much of Monday's discussion centered around controlling the wave of emotions that accompany the game.

"Now that I've played in the BYU-Utah game last year, I think in that game my emotions got the best of me," said Cougar quarterback Max Hall. "I did some things outside of what we practiced or what we prepared for. I was trying to make plays I didn't need to make. I'll manage that a little bit this year for me and my team. When we don't get outside of ourselves, that's when we move the ball and get into the end zone."

What about their favorite and least favorite aspect of Rivalry Week?

"The football game itself is my favorite thing about the rivalry," BYU senior linebacker David Nixon said. "There's so much stuff leading up to it, the whole week people are talking about it non-stop. I feel like the whole world stops in Utah this week and everything revolves around the game. That part of it is funny, but that's college football at its best. We expect to go out there and do our thing and have the same results as the past two years."

Junior defensive end Jan Jorgensen, who rolled up his pants on both legs to reveal a myriad of bruises and gashes, courtesy of Air Force cut blocks, said all anybody wants to do this week is talk about BYU-Utah.

"I'm talking to the media, I'm talking to people I never talk to who only want to talk to me because it's Utah week," Jorgensen said. "Family members want to talk about it. But when you go out and play in the rivalry game, with all the intensity with everything on the line, that's what you play sports for."

Going on the road at Utah, senior guard Travis Bright doesn't expect a warm reception.

"I don't think we're too highly liked up there," he said. "It'll be a tough atmosphere and a good game. I'm excited to play in those surroundings again."

Bright said he had some advice for his younger teammates who may not have ever been through BYU-Utah week.

"Don't read everything that's written about the game," Bright warned, "because you don't want to get sucked into that stuff."

• Injury update: Junior tight end Dennis Pitta will rehab his MCL sprain this week and hopes to be ready for Saturday's game. Mendenhall said he's had other players return to play the week after suffering that kind of injury. Pitta was injured after converting a key third down on BYU's last scoring drive.

"It feels a lot better than it did yesterday," Pitta said. "I did rehab this morning and I'll continue throughout the week and do my best to get ready."

Pitta said the injury happened on the hit, not on the landing.

"I took a shot right on the knee cap from the corner," he said. "That caused me to flip over."

On Monday, Pitta was named a semifinalist for the Mackey Award, given annually to the nation's best tight end. In 11 games this season, Pitta has 76 catches for 992 yards and six touchdowns.

Guard Ray Fienga (back spasms), defensive back Andrew Rich (bell ringer), linebacker Shawn Doman (appendix) and Daniel Sorensen (ankle) should all be available on Saturday.

• Quest redux: Mendenhall said he has no regrets about the "Quest for Perfection" motto he tagged on the 2008 team before the season began.

"To say there was not extra pressure on them because of it, I think they all felt that," he admitted. "It took on a life of its own. From the very first time I presented it, I instantly had to explain what I meant. Even though inside the program we knew what I was talking about, it wasn't embraced by the world perspective, who just related it to football.

"Our program has never only been about football. I possibly could have been wiser whereas to assume and assess where the world is and what our intent was. It (the motto) does have a dual meaning, but it's more about who we're trying to become. To say it didn't add pressure ... I think it probably did."

• Bronco on Rocky: Mendenhall found out about 20 minutes before practice on Monday that New Mexico head coach Rocky Long had resigned. Mendenhall coached under Long in Albuquerque from 1998 to 2002 as the team's defensive coordinator.

"I'm not necessarily surprised," Mendenhall said. "I think possibly he just maybe had enough of being a head football coach. I'm sure his players will miss him, the conference will miss him and he's done an absolutely phenomenal job there. My hope is that it was his decision, under his terms, and if it was, there's no regrets."

Mendenhall said he'd already spoken with Brent Guy, who was fired from Utah State on Monday, and would call Long before today's MWC teleconference.

Long, with 11 years at New Mexico, was the longest tenured Mountain West Conference coach. Gary Patterson has been the head man at TCU since 2000, though only the past four in the MWC. Mendenhall, Utah's Kyle Whittingham and UNLV's Mike Sanford all started their head coaching careers in 2005.

• Good game: Hall was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Air Force. Hall was 28-of-37 for 354 yards and two touchdowns. It's the fifth time in his career Hall has earned the honor.

• Daily Herald Sports Editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at 344-2555 or by e-mail at ddickson@heraldextra.com