Another place you can read about Mendenhall is this article.

The TV commentators on DirecTV complained a lot about the call saying this should not decide the game. I agree with them that you hate to see the game lost on a call by the officials. But here’s another way to look at it. From what I could tell, the Pac-10 officials called only 2 penalties the entire game on Washington. The first one was in the fourth quarter and actually favored Washington because it kept them from a fumble. The second one was this last penalty. Bronco Mendenhall (BYU’s coach) said to an interviewer at the end, “the rules are the rules” and that there were many plays that could have gone either way that went Washington’s way.

Some have complained that Pac-10 officials shouldn’t officiate at Pac-10 home games, but that’s their policy. I personally think the officials did a nice job on the officiating. But it’s hard to believe Washington could have only broken two rules the entire game for penalties. So they were very fortunate. In response to Mendenhall’s statement, it really does come down to the rule, which states,

“After a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately
must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot.
This prohibits…(c) Throwing the ball high into the air.” (see here)