AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Air Force will undoubtedly remember this day, this victory.
On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks today, the Falcons ended a six-year losing streak to BYU by upsetting the Cougars 35-14 in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams.
“We, as a team, represented so much more than just the Academy and our families,” Air Force wide receiver Jonathan Warzeka said at Falcon Stadium. “We represented the (New York) firefighters, the New York Police Department and everyone on the Atlantic and around the country. It was really emotional.”
Donning commorative 9/11 helmet stickers inside their traditional lightening logo, the Falcons (2-0) rushed for 409 yards and played magnificent defense after BYU was offensively dominant early.
The Cougars (1-1), who are leaving the MWC after this season, went ahead 7-0 and 14-7 in the first quarter but were shut out the rest of the way. They finished with just 88 passing yards, including only 44 after the first quarter.
Quarterbacks Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps combined to complete just 10-of-25 passes.
“Lights out, that’s all you can really say,” Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson said of his team’s pass defense. “They brought in two rather inexperienced quarterbacks and our defense ate them alive.”
Air Force led 21-14 at halftime and took command when Warzeka and Nathan Walker capped long touchdown drives. Early in the third quarter, Warzeka scored with a 46-yard run on a fourth-and-2 situation, taking the pitch on an option play. Walker scored on a 5-yard run to make it 35-14 early in the fourth quarter.
Asher Clark paced AFA with 121 yards on 18 carries. Fullback Jared Tew added 77 yards on 17 carries, and Warzeka finished with 66 yards on six attempts.
Air Force took its first lead with 5:17 remaining in the second quarter. Tied at 14, wide receiver Mikel Hunter produced his second touchdown with a 33-yard run on a nifty reverse. The score came two plays after Falcons defensive lineman Ryan Gardner recovered a fumble near midfield after Nelson stretched for a first down.
The Falcons probably would have felt fortunate to go into halftime tied, given that they committed seven penalties for 80 yards to help the Cougars forge ahead early.
J.J. Di Luigi scored on a 1-yard run to cap BYU’s opening drive, a sparkling sequence that went 12 plays for 74 yards — and was aided by Andre Morris’ roughing-the-passer infraction.
Air Force answered on its first drive, ending with Hunter’s 37-yard TD reception from Jefferson.
The Falcons forced three first-half turnovers, and the first one was huge. On BYU’s second possession, Di Lugi broke free for a 43-yard run but was caught from behind by Jon Davis, whose intentional strip forced the ball into the end zone, where teammate Pat Hennessey recovered for a touchback.
BYU scored on its next possession to go ahead 14-7 on Nelson’s 4-yard run, and it appeared the Falcons couldn’t stop the Cougars without the benefit of a turnover. But Air Force’s defense came alive in the second quarter, forcing two punts and causing two more turnovers to keep BYU off the board in the quarter.
The Falcons” offense, meanwhile, remained effective and produced 129 of its 234 first-half yards in the second quarter. Jefferson tied it at 14-14 with a 5-yard TD run.
Air Force improved to 11-1 in MWC openers.
“This is a huge step for us. We’re getting tired of getting fourth place, out of the top three,” Warzeka said. “This is the first step in coming towards that conference championship is taking one out on BYU.”
Said Jefferson: “It’s a relief off our shoulders. It’s one conference game, one (victory). We just have to keep on moving forward.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
