Air Force Academy – What was billed as a showdown for first place in the Mountain West Conference turned into an easy path to the top for Brigham Young at Falcon Stadium.
With senior quarterback John Beck playing a starring role, the Cougars bolted to a 21-0 halftime lead, extended the advantage to 24-0 early in the third quarter and cruised to a 33-14 victory over Air Force before 35,521 fans to remain the only undefeated team in conference play.
Beck, who wasn’t intercepted or sacked, completed 23-of-31 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns in a masterful performance for BYU (6-2, 4-0 MWC), which converted nine of its 12 third-down plays.
BYU punted only once.
Air Force’s defeat wasn’t as stunning as last weekend’s 19-12 loss at previously winless San Diego State, but it left the Falcons (3-4, 3-2) all but out of the MWC race. The only hope for them now would be a total collapse by BYU, which isn’t likely.
The Cougars have emphasized getting off to fast starts this season, and Saturday they scored three of the first four times they had the ball.
“When we meet together Monday as a team, we talk about sustaining our momentum and moving forward from the first minute we see each other,” BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “We took another step forward in terms of our execution. It’s evident early on that our players care about the outcome of this season.
“Air Force didn’t make it easy. We were able to move the ball and score points. That was the key.”
Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry found it difficult to evaluate the game. The Falcons were limited to 229 total yards, and the Cougars finished with 411.
“If we would have been able to put some points on the board, we might have been able to take some pressure off our defense,” DeBerry said. “They kept the ball 20 minutes in the first half. We fumbled the ball. I don’t know whether you say it’s the fault of the offense or the defense.”
Mendenhall and Beck were surprised Air Force gave BYU the ball first when the Falcons won the coin toss and elected to defer. The Cougars didn’t miss a step.
“I wouldn’t have expected that,” Mendenhall said. “I like to see our team begin the game on offense.”
The Cougars drove 81 yards on 14 plays on their first series, taking a 7-0 lead on Fui Vakapuna’s 6-yard touchdown run, and never looked back.
“When the other team defers, we’re getting what we want anyway,” Beck said. “We’ve done a pretty good job of scoring right off the bat. We’re good at that.”
Beck said Air Force’s defensive scheme was to cover down the field.
“They were dropping everybody,” Beck said. “There was a couple of times when they rushed only two people. I don’t know what film they watched to decide to do that. As I walk off this field, I’m happy that we won. But I think we can do better.”
The Cougars found the Falcons tougher to beat in the second half. Junior quarterback Shaun Carney took the Falcons on an 80-yard scoring march as the third quarter wound down, completing the drive with his 1-yard TD run. The Falcons trailed 30-7 five minutes into the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Jim Ollis took the Falcons 80 yards against BYU reserves and halfback Beau Suder scored on a 3-yard run with only 27 seconds left in the game.
“Air Force played a lot more physical than they did last year,” BYU offensive tackle Jake Kuresa said. “But I said there would be no reason we couldn’t move the ball, because we’re we’re bigger and more physical.”
THE GRADES
Offense
C: The Falcons wanted to gain advantage in possession time to keep the Cougars’ high-scoring offense off the field. It was the opposite in the first half, when BYU had a 19:21-10:39 edge in possession time. The Falcons recovered with an 18:20-11:40 advantage in the second half. Averaging 355.3 total yards coming in, the Falcons finished with only 229, including 80 on their last drive.
Defense
D: The Falcons forced the Mountain West-leading Cougars to punt only once. BYU senior quarterback John Beck was in command throughout, leading the Cougars to 411 total yards.
Special teams
C: The Falcons got a blocked extra-point kick from lineman Robert Kraay. Zach Sasser boomed punts of 60 and 51 yards, but also had a 21-yarder. The short punt gave BYU possession at its 36-yard line, and the Cougars’ third TD of the first half followed.
Overall
D: The Falcons didn’t come up with the performance they needed in a game billed as a showdown for the conference title. Two turnovers were a factor in Air Force not getting the job done.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
