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BYU efficiently demolishes Air Force |
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JaredCowley | Saturday, October 28, 2006, 11:41 pm
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Darnell Dickson
DAILY HERALD
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Air Force’s biggest mistake?
Choosing to give BYU the football to start the game.
BYU scored on its first possession for the fourth straight game and shut down Air Force’s vaunted running game, rolling to a 33-14 victory on Saturday. Air Force won the coin toss and elected to defer its choice to the second half. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said he was surprised the Falcons would choose to give the potent Cougar offense first crack at the end zone.
“I wouldn’t have expected it, but I would just as soon have our offense start with the ball,” Mendenhall said.
No kidding.
BYU, which came into the game last in the Mountain West Conference in time of possession, beat Air Force’s ball-control offense at its own game. At halftime, the Cougars held the ball for nearly twice as long as the Falcons and had a 21-0 lead. It was the largest Air Force halftime deficit at home in 14 years.
“Our offensive execution was vital to the game plan,” Mendenhall said. “As was scoring points and maintaining possession of the football. Our offense executed and wouldn’t give the ball back.”
BYU (6-2 overall, 4-0 MWC) moved 81 yards in 14 plays after receiving the opening kickoff, converting three third downs and overcoming an illegal block penalty. Fui Vakapuna rumbled in from six yards out for a 7-0 BYU lead. The opening drive chewed up more than seven minutes off the game clock.
“Getting off to a quick start is something we emphasize in practice,” Mendenhall said. “When we meet on Mondays we talk about it, and from the first minute we see each other, it becomes a focus.”
The BYU defense, which held Air Force to more than 80 yards below their rushing average, forced turnovers on Air Force’s first two possessions. Cameron Jensen recovered a Falcon fumble on a fourth-and-3 at the BYU 31 and Bryan Kehl’s hit on Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney resulted in an interception by Aaron Wagner.
“We ran a blitz and I came off the outside,” Kehl said. “One of their wingbacks tried to cut me but I got over him and had a free shot at the quarterback. I was able to hit his throwing arm and ‘Wags’ was able to get the ball.”
Wagner’s pick set up BYU on the Air Force 44, and five plays later John Beck connected with Michael Reed on a quick slant for an 8-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 lead.
BYU’s final drive of the half went 64 yards in 12 plays and ate up more than five minutes. Beck found Jonny Harline in the back of the end zone on a 1-yard scoring pass for a 21-0 BYU advantage at the break. It was also the eighth straight game BYU has led at the half.
“It looked like a blowout, but those were hard-earned points today,” BYU senior offensive lineman Jake Kuresa said. “Our offense dominated the way we needed to. That keeps their offense off the field.”
Air Force, which rallied from a 24-3 deficit to defeat Colorado State two weeks ago, had no such comeback ready on Saturday. A Jan Jorgensen sack highlighted BYU’s defensive effort to start the second half and Nate Meikle’s 26-yard punt return set up Jared McLaughlin’s career-best 53-yard field goal for a 24-0 BYU lead with 11:08 to play in the third.
Air Force moved 80 yards in 15 plays with Carney sneaking over from the one to make it 24-7, but BYU responded with a 12-play, 94-yard drive that ended with a score to begin the fourth quarter. Under pressure, Beck threw a two-handed shovel pass to Vakapuna, who ran four yards into the end zone. McLaughlin’s second field goal made it 33-7. Air Force tacked on a meaningless touchdown in the closing seconds (followed by a meaningless onside kick attempt) and BYU easily kept its record spotless in MWC play.
“Our athleticism was key to stopping them today,” Kehl said. “Air Force scored 31 points at Tennessee, but we held them to seven and then they scored on that last drive. BYU hasn’t had a defense like this in a long time.”
Beck finished 23-of-31 for 258 yards and three touchdowns. BYU ran for 153 yards, despite Curtis Brown’s lack of production (10 carries, 42 yards) due to a stomach virus. The Cougars punted just once all afternoon and were 9-of-12 converting third downs. Air Force was 8-of-14.
“Air Force is No. 1 in the nation in third down conversions,” Mendenhall said. “We knew coming that third downs would be critical.”
BYU held Air Force to 190 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per rush; the Falcons have been averaging 279 yards per game and 4.69 yards per carry.
“BYU has a good football team,” Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said. “The defense is a little bit stronger than I thought it was going to be coming into the game. I thought their linebackers played extremely well. They’re a good tackling football team.”
BYU returns to the state of Colorado next week with a trip to Fort Collins to play Colorado State. Air Force (3-4, 3-2) will play at Army.
Daily Herald Sports Editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at 344-2555 or by e-mail at
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