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BYU looking for big crowd against Air Force |
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JaredLloyd | Saturday, January 27, 2007, 10:26 am
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Jason Franchuk
DAILY HERALD
BYU is entering today’s home game against nationally ranked Air Force a little desperate.
Not just for a win, but for crowd support.
The Cougars are holding a firesale on ticket prices for the game, trying anything to spark an interest from what has been a surprisingly tepid fan base thus far.
Put it this way: The Cougars (14-6, 4-2 Mountain West) are averaging about 1,200 fewer fans than two years ago, when the team went 9-21. The crowd average is listed at 9,496, the first time in recent memory it has dipped below five figures. It was 11,158 for last year’s 20-9 team that surprised just about everyone and advanced to the NIT.
The 4 p.m. game at the Marriott Center against No. 16 Air Force (19-2, 6-1) should have a little momentum behind it, after what could be a breakthrough road win at New Mexico on Wednesday. The Cougars would seemingly have to win a home game against the Falcons to have a chance at a league title, but anything must seem possible right now after vanquishing their last major hurdle (they were 1-5 in road games before going to UNM.)
“Air Force is a very good team; we know their personnel pretty well because they’re pretty similar to last year,” BYU head coach Dave Rose said. “They play really hard. They’re an extremely talented team that plays well together.
“They score a lot more than they have in the past. It’s something we’ll have to focus on with our guys and get a great effort. This game will be another challenge for us as far as guarding the perimeter. They have great shooters, and they run their offense really well. We’ll have to make sure we have our defense together so we can stay out on the perimeter.
“It should be a great game on Saturday. We all are looking forward to preparing for it and playing it.”
The attendance has picked up some in the first two MWC home games, but the marketing department is still promoting a “white out” in which fans are encouraged to all wear the same colored shirts. Also, $18 lower-level tickets can be had for $10. Other seats can be had for a buck to see the Falcons, if tickets were purchased in advance. Getting them early means bigger discounts.
Only four crowds have been better than 10,000. The season high, which came last week against Wyoming, is 12,817.
“We appreciate the support our fans have given us this season,” Rose said. “The fans are a big reason why the Marriott Center is such a great place to play, and we hope they will come out and enjoy a great game on Saturday.”
Home support shouldn’t be waning. The team is especially good in the Marriott Center, where it has won 26 games in a row. That streak is tied for second nationally with Air Force.
The Falcons, however, will also be the first ranked team to play in Provo during this run. |
