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Stomach virus slows Brown |
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JaredCowley | Saturday, October 28, 2006, 11:32 pm
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Darnell Dickson and Jason Franchuk
DAILY HERALD
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Normally quite energetic, BYU senior running back Curtis Brown looked like he could hardly move a yard.
Crippled by a stomach virus, he touched the ball only 13 times and could rarely be on the field for more than a play at a time. When he did go to the sideline, he was often kneeling with his head down.
“He stopped throwing up but then our worry was him being weak and dehydrated, and that was the case,” said BYU assistant head coach Lance Reynolds, who oversees the running backs.
BYU still totaled 159 rushing yards on 34 attempts, nearly 5 yards per try. Brown had 10 carries for 42 yards, and three catches for 22. He never moved more than eight yards.
Brown often jogged off the field sluggishly. The whole day was spent pumping fluids into him, BYU staff members said.
It was a drastic contrast to last week. The school’s second all-time leading rusher earned that status last week in a blowout of UNLV. He had a season-high 148 yards and a touchdown as he passed Jeff Blanc and Lakei Heimuli.
Now Brown, who has 548 yards rushing this year, needs 211 to reach Jamal Willis for the top spot (2,970). That means a pretty good chance he’ll do it at home in two weeks against Wyoming (Nov. 9).
The Cougars play at Colorado State next Saturday. Their running attack against Air Force was augmented by the return of Fui Vakapuna. The sophomore had 12 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown after missing last Saturday’s game, and part of practice this week, because of a high ankle sprain. He also scored once on a pass reception and has scored nine touchdowns in 2006.
And another thing ... : BYU senior offensive lineman Jake Kuresa isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
The Air Force defense let Kuresa know they had read his comments in the paper this week. Kuresa said Air Force was undersized and that BYU would end up dominating the Falcons. He also said Air Force players liked to talk and called BYU players “old men” and the team’s Polynesians “island freaks.”
“There was a lot of talking out there and I took some beef for the stuff in the papers,” Kuresa said. “We were physical but they were, too. Our offensive line is big and powerful and we wore them down. We played to our strength today.” As for speaking his mind, don’t expect Kuresa to change.
“The first thing that comes out of my mouth is the truth,” Kuresa said. “I’m going to say what I really think.”
Thoughts with Bird: The game became secondary early in the fourth quarter, when Air Force cornerback Carson Bird lay face down on the field after colliding with a teammate attempting a tackle.
It took about 20 minutes until the junior was carted off the field and taken to the Academy hospital for further observation. He had been motionless, although Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry was pleased to report afterward that his player did have feeling in his arms and legs.
“The (outcome) is disappointing, and it certainly cost us some good position in the conference,” DeBerry said. “But the only thing we’re concerned about is to remember our brother, and hope that he’s going to be all right.
“I felt good about it when he left the field and the movement he had. It was certainly a vital lick that he took. The game’s not important, it’s how he does.”
Bird was defending against a pass when he fell on top of the receiver and was struck by a teammate.
Bowling plans: With its sixth win of the season, BYU is now bowl eligible for the second straight season. The last time that happened was in 1998 and 1999. The MWC champion is contractually obligated to go to the Las Vegas Bowl, unless a BCS bowl invitation is extended. Other bowl games attached to the MWC are the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, the Fort Worth Bowl and the Houston Bowl.
A big hole: Air Force’s 21-point deficit at halftime was the program’s largest at home since trailing 22-0 against New Mexico in 1992. Air Force came back and won that game 23-22.
This season also marks the first time since 1999 that Air Force has been shut out in the first half twice in one season.
Keeping drives alive: If there’s something the Cougars and Falcons are almost equally good at, it’s knowing how to avoid punting.
They’re top two in the MWC, with Air Force also No. 1 in the country at a 59.3 percent third-down conversion rate. The Falcons were successful 8-of-14 times against BYU.
BYU, 11th in the country at 49.4, gained some ground by going 75 percent — 9-for-12.
In the first half, after which the Cougars led 21-0, they had a nine-minute advantage in that category.
The tone was set immediately. BYU took the ball first and stomped 81 yards in 14 plays and took 7:07 off the clock. Three third downs were also managed.
Can you dig it?: Air Force had a hole dug for it by John Beck’s shovel passes. Two of them frustrated the Falcons defense, and one was a BYU score.
That was a four-yard touchdown pass to Fui Vakapuna that made the score 30-7. Beck was never sacked and rarely ever hurried. Yet there were times he had to improvise because Air Force’s soft coverage held up for several seconds.
The two times Beck was handled, he avoided lost yardage.
“No, that wasn’t planned,” Beck said of his scoring hookup with Vakapuna. “I saw a little hole of daylight, but it closed quick on me. I spun and spotted Fui. I don’t know what hand I threw it with. And it’ll probably never happen again.”
Asked whether the play displayed more about Beck’s calm belief in himself, or his trust in teammates to get open, the quarterback said, “probably a little bit of both.”
“I know they’ll keep moving, and in those situations it’s basically backyard ball,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of that in my day, and if it comes down to that, I should be able to make a play.”
BYU’s second drive, facing second-and-6, Beck two-handed a pass to Curtis Brown. Instead of a five-yard loss, it turned out to be a gain of seven for a first down.
Extra Points: BYU senior linebacker Andrew Stacey was chosen by his teammates to carry the ‘Y’ flag onto the field. ... Several feet of snow on Thursday made the parking lot a mess at Falcon Stadium. Most of the parking areas are dirt or grass. ... It was 62 degrees and sunny at kickoff. ... Attendance was announced at 35,521. ... BYU has allowed only one first-quarter touchdown in eight games (vs. Boston College). ... The pre-game fly-by included two F-15’s and one B-1. ... Air Force junior quarterback Shaun Carney moved into the top 10 on the Air Force career rushing list by rushing for 50 yards against BYU. He now has a total of 1,792 yards on the ground, good for ninth place.
Daily Herald sports editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at
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or at 344-2555. Daily Herald sportswriter Jason Franchuk can be reached at
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