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You saw the preview and prediction. Now here are three keys for BYU and Tulsa in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on Friday.

BYU (9-3)

1. Slow down G.J. Kinne. There is no question that Kinne is the most valuable player on the Tulsa offense because he can do a variety of things. Kinne leads the team with an average of 273.4 yards of total offense per game and is always a threat to run out of the backfield. What should help BYU is practicing against its own running quarterback in Riley Nelson. But Kinne has a much better arm and is much more experienced, so BYU has to contain him if it has any shot at winning the game. The only true rushing quarterback BYU has faced this season was Chuckie Keeton at Utah State, and he had 22 yards on six carries.

2. Stop the run. Tulsa averages more than 200 yards on the ground per game, so making sure the Golden Hurricane are not running at will and chewing up clock will be a huge part of this game. Kinne certainly can win contests with his arm, but it puts an incredible amount of strain and pressure on any quarterback when his offense becomes one-dimensional. Tulsa does well with play-action passes, so stopping the run means taking away those calls as well.

3. Keep Nelson healthy. BYU goes into this game with no experience behind Nelson, so it is going to be extremely important to protect the starting quarterback. Nelson can run, and he is not afraid to give up his body -- that already led to one injury this season in which he missed several games. Jake Heaps, who was demoted and would have served as the backup, left the team when he decided to transfer. So that leaves James Lark behind Nelson. Lark has attempted only 10 passes in his career.

Tulsa (8-4)

1. Run it. Just as BYU has to make an effort to stop the run, Tulsa is going to try to run the football effectively. The Golden Hurricane failed to rush for more than 100 yards just once all season -- against North Texas. They also have rushed for 200 or more yards five times this season. Like BYU, Tulsa does not rely on one primary back -- Ja'Terian Douglas and Trey Watts have each run for more than 800 yards this season, and they are vastly different runners.

2. Force third-and-long. Third-down defense is going to be important for Tulsa in this game. BYU ranks No. 3 in the nation in third-down conversions at 52.94 percent. Tulsa has not been the best in this category, ranking No. 83 in third-down defense while allowing opponents to convert 42.7 percent of the time. Coach Bill Blankenship knows his team has to limit the big plays and force BYU into uncomfortable passing situations, because that is not an area of strength for the Cougars.

3. Limit the mistakes. Neither team has been great in turnover margin. In fact, both teams are in negative territory here. But both coaches realize this is an important aspect to this game because one turnover could really change the outcome. After leading the nation in interceptions a year ago with 24, that number has dropped to 16 for Tulsa, so it will be important to get to Nelson and force him into mistakes.

BYU (9-3) takes on Tulsa (8-4) in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on Friday at noon in Dallas. Here is a quick preview:

WHO TO WATCH: Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne. What Kinne has been able to do with the Golden Hurricane is pretty remarkable, when you consider he has played for three different offensive coordinators. This season, Kinne became the third Tulsa quarterback to go over 9,000 yards passing in a career. He now has 9,258 career passing yards, ranking third on the school's all-time list. Kinne also has thrown 78 touchdown passes, and ranks second in school history. He is five behind Paul Smith, so catching up with a huge game against BYU is not out of the realm of possibility. Kinne can run, too -- he is the only quarterback in school history to pass for more than 6,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards.

WHAT TO WATCH: Tulsa run game vs. BYU run defense. Both teams rank in the Top 25 in the nation in their respective categories of run offense and run defense. The Golden Hurricane have two backs that have gone for more than 800 yards -- in addition to Kinne racking up more than 500 himself. Ja'Terian Douglas, Trey Watts and Kinne have more combined rushing yards than BYU's entire team. Seeing Douglas and Watts emerge has been huge for the Golden Hurricane -- Kinne led the team in rushing the past two seasons. BYU has been solid against the run this season, allowing only three 100-yard rushers. BYU does have a size advantage on its defensive line and rotates in plenty of players. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy has been the best player on the defense, leading the team with 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. He has come up big in run support and has defended the pass as well, so he is a definite player Tulsa must watch.

WHY TO WATCH: BYU has been one of the most consistent programs in the nation, save for last season. A victory would give the Cougars their fifth 10-win season in the past six years. It will also be the 16th 10-win season in school history, which ranks 13th among all current FBS teams, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Given that success, BYU has never won three bowl games in a row. The Cougars go into this game having won two straight bowls.

PREDICTION: BYU 30, Tulsa 27. These teams are about as evenly matched as you can get, with quarterbacks who like to run, a backfield that isn't reliant on one player, and linebackers who are capable of making plays. Kinne has an edge on Riley Nelson, but BYU has the edge on defense and up front -- and that will be enough to lead BYU to the victory.

The quest to become an automatic qualifying conference did not die when the Mountain West lost the last of its marquee teams.

Indeed, the Mountain West is holding out hope that its appeal to the Presidential Oversight Committee will be granted, giving it AQ status for 2012 and 2013. The big question is whether the league deserves it, considering its membership will look radically different for those two seasons.

Utah is gone. BYU: gone. TCU: gone. Boise State is headed for the exits in 2013. Remember, it is those four schools that allowed the Mountain West to meet the standards laid out in two of the three categories needed for automatic qualification. Yet those four schools will be gone by 2013.

Three of those schools had BCS appearances during 2008-11, the years included for the qualification cycle. Each had at least one top-25 finish in the BCS standings. Though Boise State achieved most of its success in the WAC, its credentials count toward the Mountain West because it joined this season. Though Utah and BYU left this year, what they accomplished in the Mountain West count, too.

If those four schools had remained, there would be a powerful argument to give the Mountain West an AQ spot. Boise State has finished in the top 10 of the final BCS standings four straight years. TCU narrowly missed its third straight BCS appearance. One of the biggest travesties of recent BCS selection has been the constant exclusion of Boise State as an at-large selection, and that would be repaired with an AQ spot.

But what is the Mountain West without Utah, TCU, Boise State and BYU? By the time 2013 rolls around, the league will be left with Nevada, Fresno State, Hawaii, Air Force, Colorado State, Wyoming, New Mexico and UNLV.

Three of those eight teams are bowl eligible this season. Only Hawaii has made a BCS game in its history. Colorado State has not been to a bowl game since 2008; New Mexico since 2007; UNLV since 2000. Four of those schools will have new head coaches in 2012, and none appear ready to become the next "BCS buster" because they have not maintained the same level of consistency as the schools that have departed.

The Mountain West argues in its appeal to the committee that it deserves a spot for a variety of reasons. The league believes its performance during the qualifying cycle is deserving of inclusion. And as for the question about whether it should become an AQ conference despite its membership changes, the league points to none other than the Big East -- the BCS whipping league.

In February 2004, prior to the implementation of the BCS contract established for the 2004-2007 cycle, the Big East Conference (Big East) experienced membership change which significantly affected the competitive strength of its football enterprise. However, without any formal action, the Big East was permitted to retain its automatic-qualifying status for the next cycle -- apparently based upon reputation and relationships, rather than demonstrated performance.

The league points to two other instances in which the Big East was allowed to retain its AQ status in its appeal letter.

Those comparisons are understandable, but the situations are different. The Big East was grandfathered in as a member of the "original six" automatic qualifying conferences. Whether the Big East deserves its spot should not come into play here because the Mountain West should be judged based on its own merits.

This is a league that has had many big wins over AQ teams, and performed well in BCS games and bowl games in general. The league has won the Bowl Challenge Cup four times since 2002-03. But there is a bottom line here: The Mountain West is simply not the conference that got all these national accolades.

Now it is up to the Presidential Oversight Committee to determine whether that matters.

ARLINGTON -- Playing a nonconference game in the middle of the season wasn't an ideal situation for TCU coach Gary Patterson. Now he's past that and ready to jump back into the Mountain West schedule.

The Horned Frogs (6-2) beat BYU 38-28 Friday night and head back into conference at 3-0 with a trip to Wyoming next Saturday.

"We've got to go to Wyoming, always a tough place because of the weather in November," Patterson said. "They're 4-2, they play at San Diego State [on Saturday] and they haven't lost in conference [1-0], so we've got a tough game next week. Every game we've got from now on is that way."

Winning the MWC is a goal for the Frogs in their final year in the league before moving to the Big 12. Should they get past Wyoming, a showdown with No. 5 Boise State awaits on Nov. 12.

"What we said from the beginning is we wanted to be undefeated if possible going into the Boise game and if can win next week we have an opportunity to do that," Patterson said.

ARLINGTON -- The TCU defense bent some Friday night, but didn't break against BYU's high-powered attack.

The Cougars piled up season highs in points (59) and yards (572) last week. BYU quarterback Riley Nelson had thrown for at least two touchdowns in the previous four games.

The Horned Frogs allowed 354 yards, with only 136 coming in the second half, and forced three turnovers in the 38-28 victory at Cowboys Stadium. Two of the takeaways occurred when BYU was in TCU territory, including an interception by Kenny Cain in the end zone.

"Any turnover is big in any kind of situation," Frogs safety Johnny Fobbs said, "but I know the one where they were driving, Kenny Cain caught the interception and tiptoed in the back of the end zone. It was real big. It was just a relief. It gets the defense off the field and makes our offense stay on longer."

Riley passed for 215 yards and ran for another 84, but accounted for only one touchdown. He was also sacked four times and had all three turnovers -- two picks and a fumble.

"Their quarterback was hard to handle," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "He moved the ball around and really did a good job at times, in scramble situations, but I was really proud of my team."

Fobbs said the defense has come a long way from the 50-48 loss to Baylor to open the season. TCU came into the game having used 12 first-time starters on defense this season.

"Going through the adversity of the year and the ups and downs, and finally getting things together it makes us seem like we're mature defense now," Fobbs said.

TCU safety Jonathan Anderson had 17 tackles -- tied for the third-most in the Patterson era -- and an interception.

ARLINGTON -- Casey Pachall threw for two touchdowns and TCU's defense forced three turnovers as the Horned Frogs survived some anxious moments to outlast BYU 38-28 Friday night at Cowboys Stadium.

TCU (6-2) won its third in a row and reached bowl eligibility for a seventh consecutive season. The Frogs completed their nonconference schedule with a 2-2 record and have beaten the Cougars (6-3) four straight times.

** The Frogs needed only 45 seconds to get their first touchdown and four yards for the second. Pachall hooked up with a wide-open Skye Dawson from 48 yards out on TCU's second play from scrimmage.

The Cougars botched a punt on their first drive, with a low snap setting TCU up inside the 10-yard line. Backup quarterback Matt Brown scored on the first of his two keepers and the Frogs were up 14-0 at the 10:06 mark of the first quarter.

** TCU came into the game mindful of quarterback Riley Nelson's ability to make things happen with his feet. The BYU quarterback proved slippery, especially on designed runs, and a couple of big throws by Nelson helped dig the Cougars out of their early hole.

Nelson's 42-yarder to Ross Apo set up a field goal midway through the first quarter. The Cougars got into the end zone on Michael Alisa's 22-yard reception from Nelson, getting the visitors within 14-10 with two minutes left in the opening period.

** The Horned Frogs were in position to pad their lead at the BYU 47 after safety Jonathon Anderson's spectacular one-handed interception. The Frogs were moving the ball before stalling after a 15-yard penalty for a chop block.

** TCU did get seven on its next possession thanks to another short drive. Greg Burks partially blocked a BYU punt, giving the Frogs the ball on the 37. Running back Ed Wesley's 28-yard sprint to the 2 set up another Brown keeper.

** Another TCU pick -- in the back of the end zone by linebacker Kenny Cain -- thwarted a BYU march in the second quarter. Nelson was under pressure and lofted a prayer, the pass was tipped and Cain tiptoed the back line to come down with it.

** The Frogs went into halftime up 28-10 after Pachall's 33-yard TD pass to Josh Bosh with 36 seconds left in the second period. Pachall had all day to find the sophomore receiver sprinting alone down the right hash.

** Another punting miscue by BYU on its first possession of the third quarter led to another Frogs' touchdown. TCU went 38 yards on four plays, capped by Waymon James' short run.

** The Cougars, trailing 35-13, made things interesting with 67-yard punt return touchdown by JD Falslev with 2:20 left in the third. BYU began the fourth driving in TCU territory, but coughed up the ball on the 29 after fumbling away a lateral pass.

** TCU takes a 6-5 lead in series history with BYU. The Frogs and Cougars have met for seven straight years, the first six in the Mountain West before this nonconference game. There are no plans presently to continue to series.

** The official attendance was 50,094, which was impressive considering the Texas Rangers were in Game 7 of the World Series. Playing at Cowboys Stadium made sense with Amon G. Carter Stadium currently seating about 35,000 due to construction.

All BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall was looking for was a spark. He ended up with a new starting quarterback.

Indeed, when he put Riley Nelson into the game against Utah State with the Cougars trailing 24-13, Mendenhall had no idea what to expect. Nelson had been in on a few plays here and there behind center. Maybe Nelson could wake the team up. At least, he would play with more energy.

He did more than that. Not only did he rally the team to a win, he rallied the team around him. All of a sudden, the Cougars (6-2) looked much more cohesive on offense. Nelson has started the last three games and has won all of them headed into BYU's big game tonight against former Mountain West rival TCU (8 p.m., ESPN).

“Riley got us the energy and execution with this chip-on-the-shoulder mentality of I don't care what other people think,” Mendenhall said of the performance against Utah State. “He thanked me for the opportunity, and it was like Christmas for him. He was really excited to play football, and that was a contagious frame of mind.”

For a player who wondered whether he would ever take another snap as a starting quarterback again, Nelson has made the most of his second chance. It was Nelson who went into last season as the starter, but he was almost doomed to fail because Mendenhall decided he wanted to rotate quarterbacks with Jake Heaps.

Mendenhall hoped to take advantage of their vastly different skill sets. Nelson can run and throw; Heaps is your classic drop-back passer with a stronger arm. Neither got into much of a rhythm. Neither overwhelmed with his performance.

But when Nelson went out for the season last year with a shoulder injury against Florida State, Heaps took the lead. He closed out the season with four touchdown passes in a New Mexico Bowl win over UTEP and was tabbed the starter headed into 2011 without any quarterback competition.

Nelson never pouted to the coaching staff, but he did spend lonely moments in the training room during rehab wondering about his future. “I just thought about how I was going to approach the rest of my college career,” Nelson said in a phone interview. “Am I going to bust my gut and give it my all? What kind of player did I want to be?”

Only a team player would do. Without an opportunity to win the starting quarterback job, Nelson showed up for special-teams tryouts and was one of the best players on the field. Nelson won a job on the kickoff and punt cover teams.

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“We made a decision as a team that if he’s one of our best players, then we ought to use him in whatever capacity,” Mendenhall said. “As he kept knocking guys down on kickoff cover and knocking guys down on punt cover, he was sincere about helping our team. That foundation that he laid with our team -- they've come to trust he's really with us, he's trying to help our team.”

Nelson has played much more carefree since he took over at quarterback. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns, including three touchdown passes in each of his three starts and two in just over a quarter’s worth of work against Utah State. He also has run for 284 yards and a score, and provided a nice change of pace in the run game.

“I feel like the biggest difference in my play from last year to this year is I stopped trying to be perfect,” Nelson said. “I stopped trying to make the perfect play or make the perfect read. I stopped trying to put the ball in the perfect spot every time and let my playmakers make plays.

“The second thing from last year to this year is I put so much pressure on myself last year. I was so worried about what everyone was saying and labels they put on me, I was so worried about whatever everybody else was saying it was affecting my play on the field. I’m one more year older and wiser. With another year of experience, I feel I can be me -- whether or not it’s what people like.”