LAS VEGAS -- Brigham Young is usually carried by its offense. Saturday night, the defense more than did its part.

The 19th-ranked Cougars completely shut down Nevada-Las Vegas and Owen Pochman booted five field goals en route to an easy 29-0 Mountain West Conference victory.

Noted for being one of the top offensive teams in the country each season, BYU (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) rode its defense and the right foot of Pochman to its fourth straight win over the outmanned Rebels.

The Cougars posted their first shutout since blanking San Diego State, 13-0 on October 29, 1998, and their first road shutout since a 65-0 rout at New Mexico 10 years earlier. Meanwhile, BYU has not been held scoreless in an NCAA-record 307 games dating to September 27, 1975.

BYU held a 399-118 edge in total yardage and had 24 first downs to the Rebels' 10.

"People talk about their offense, but their defense is so stifling and overwhelming," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "We could not effectively move the ball against them. Their defense is as good as I've seen in some time and they have a chance to be a top 10 team."

Tonight's win guaranteed BYU its 26th consecutive winning season, ranking second only to Nebraska.

After Kevin Feterik tossed a 12-yard TD pass to Kevin Jolley in the first quarter, Pochman helped the Cougars assume control in the second period with field goals of 47, 26 and 28 yards that opened a 16-0 lead. He added kicks of 31 and 30 yards in the second half.

Nevada Las-Vegas (3-4, 1-2), which stopped a 16-game losing streak earlier this season, has lost four of its last five games after winning its first two contests.

BYU wasted no time in taking the lead. Feterik, who entered the game seventh in the nation in passing, engineered a game-opening 11-play, 59-yard drive that he capped with his TD pass to Jolley.

"I was in the right place at the right time," Jolley said. "I saw it was zone coverage, so I tried to find an open spot over the middle."

Feterik completed 22-of-42 passes for 257 yards and was intercepted twice.

Pochman extended the lead to 10-0 with just over eight minutes left before halftime with a 47-yard field goal and the defense came up big moments later.

Defensive back Tyson Smith intercepted Jason Vaughan and returned the ball 52 yards inside the Rebels' 10. However, the Cougars could not punch the ball in and had to settle for Pochman's 26-yard field goal.

Vaughan finished 10-of-18 for 94 yards with an interception.

The Cougars once again drove deep into UNLV territory before the half and once again had to rely on Pochman, who kicked a 28-yard field goal with 53 seconds to play before intermission for a 16-0 cushion.

Pochman, who entered the contest with six goals, kicked his fourth of the game from 31 yards with 4:54 to play in the third period.

Fahu Tahi carried 16 times for 89 yards and Margin Hooks had six receptions for 108 yards to pace the Cougars.

After Luke Staley scored his 10th touchdown of the season with a four-yard run early in the fourth, Pochman booted his final field goal just over four minutes later to give BYU the final margin.