PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Virginia coach George Welsh has been saying for weeks that Thomas Jones deserves more publicity.

Welch will get no argument from the Brigham Young defense after Jones ran for 210 yards and scored two touchdowns and Dan Ellis threw for 190 yards and three TDs as Virginia scored a 45-40 win over Brigham Young (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) on Saturday night.

	Virginia's Thomas Jones has fans in Charlottesville lobbying for him to be considered for the Heisman Trophy.

The Cougars (2-1), without injured linebacker and Butkus Award candidate Rob Morris, looked helpless against Jones, a 5-foot-10, 207-pound running back whom Welch called one of the nation's best.

"I've been telling folks all season that this is a great back," Welch said. "It's not that the BYU defense is weak, just that he makes people miss. He's just a great back."

BYU reached the 10 on its final possession but freshman defensive back Jerton Evans sealed it for the Cavaliers (3-1) when he intercepted Kevin Feterik's pass in the end zone with 1:37 to play.

"We said this is going to make or break our season," cornerback Tim Spruill said. "We decided we weren't going to get embarrassed."

The Cougars, nipping at Virginia's heels all through the second half, seemed poised to pull out one of their classic come-from-behind victories.

With 3:15 to play, Virginia's Jermaine's Lauzon made an interception that would have ended it but a penalty wiped out the play.

Feterik, under pressure, lofted a pass in the direction of Michael Westbrook. Lauzon came down with the ball in the end zone, but he was called for holding.

That gave BYU a first down at the Cavaliers 22 near the 3-minute mark. But the Cougars set themselves back with a holding penalty and Feterik threw incomplete twice before Evans made his second interception.

"It was great. Everybody was ready to celebrate," Feterik said. "Then that silly holding penalty they called, and then we still had first-and-15 and didn't get it done."

Jones was too slippery for BYU defenders and he ran through gaping holes created by the Virginia line. Often working in bursts of 8 or 10 yards, Jones had 148 yards and two TDs by halftime.

"Our offensive line picked up their blitzes," Jones said. "It just felt good to be able to run."

The Cougars, who had limited their first two opponents to 110 rushing yards, also read too many of their press clippings.

"All the writing you guys did, that made us a little overconfident," defensive tackle Byron Frisch told reporters. "It took us a little while to realize they're a good team."

The Cavaliers were traveling west of the Mississippi River for the 11th time in their 111-year football history, and BYU lured them into a shootout characteristic of the wide-open games often played in Provo.

"If you would have told me yesterday we would have won a shootout 45-40, I would have told you you were crazy," Ellis said.

Virginia opened a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, with Ellis throwing scoring passes of 15 yards to Anthony Southern and 25 yards to Kevin Coffey. Jones added a 23-yard TD run.

Feterik, who came into the game leading the nation with 392.5 passing yards per game, started slowly. He completed 2-of-8 for 9 yards with two interceptions in the first quarter.

But the Cougars gained steam as Feterik found his rhythm. The Cougars pulled within 28-12 after scoring runs of 2 and 41 yards by freshman Luke Staley. Then BYU took advantage of Ellis' only mistake.

Ellis was throwing to Demetrius Dotson when Brian Gray, who missed practice all week with a strained groin, stepped in front of the pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. Owen Pochman's kick pulled BYU within 28-19.

But Virginia wouldn't let it stay so close. The Cavaliers took advantage of a questionable call to extend the halftime lead to 35-19 on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter.

Feterik threw down the line and the ball went off Jonathan Pittman's hands for an apparent incompletion. But officials ruled it a lateral and Spruill scooped the ball and ran 20 yards for a touchdown.

"It was definitely a forward pass," Feterik said.