AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Air Force junior quarterback Tim Jefferson made it a signal of appreciation.
It was a tip of the hat.
On the last play of Saturday’s game at Falcon Stadium, the Falcons had the ball in front of the cadet wing and a throng of AFA fans. At the end of the play, he held the ball up in their direction.
“I was saying that we really appreciated the support,” Jefferson said after Air Force routed BYU 35-14. “The fans really were into the game. We haven’t had the kind of support we had today in a long time. We really appreciated it.”
Jefferson had the best game of his AFA career. He completed 5-of-13 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown. “He was pretty good,” coach Troy Calhoun said.
Men at work.
AFA nose tackle Ryan Gardner thought the Falcons were “the better men” Saturday.
The Falcons dominated BYU, even though they committed 10 penalties for 125 yards.
“We weren’t going to let them push us around, but at the same time we can’t be doing that with penalties,” Gardner said. “We have to be the better men out there. If they want to play kid games, we have to be better. There was a lot of extra stuff going on. Every time we play BYU, it’s back and forth between us. It’s an intense game.”
Remarkable return.
AFA cornerback Reggie Rembert was listed as doubtful after leaving the season opener against Northwestern State (La.) with a neck injury. Not only did the senior play against BYU, he intercepted a Jake Heaps pass in the second quarter. But the Falcons didn’t convert as Erik Soderberg missed a 48-yard field goal.
“I don’t have any disappointments,” said Rembert, who finished with five tackles. “Our offense kept pushing when we weren’t doing what we (the defense) were supposed to do early in the game.”
Calhoun said the decision to let Rembert play was made during the pregame warm-up drills.
Air Force linebacker Patrick Hennessey played after sitting out the first game because of a sore shoulder. Hennessey recovered a BYU fumble in the Air Force end zone and also contributed five tackles.
Injury report.
Air Force senior fullback Jared Tew, who rushed for 77 yards Saturday, didn’t play late in the game because of a wrist injury.
