LAS VEGAS -- Two years after BYU's come-from-behind victory over Wyoming in the WAC championship game, LaVell Edwards said he can relate to how Cowboys coach Joe Tiller felt that day.
Air Force pulled a similar feat, albeit in regulation, with a 20-13 victory over the Cougars Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium."It was one of those tough ones. You've got to credit Air Force. They stayed after it and made the big plays when they had to," said Edwards. "Our inability to score was the thing that killed us."
Despite racking up more first downs (29-11) and more yardage (390-260), the Cougars were unable to hold a 14-13 lead with less than four minutes remaining. Coming up empty on four of its trips inside the red zone cost BYU a 21st and final WAC championship. The Cougars (9-4) are headed for the new Mountain West Conference next season -- as are the Falcons (11-1), who claimed their first outright WAC title before a mostly pro-BYU crowd of 32,745.
"This team deserves to be the champions of the WAC," said Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry. "Our guys never gave up."
Trailing 7-0, Air Force evened the score midway through the third quarter after blocking a BYU field-goal attempt. Owen Pochman's 35-yard kick was deflected by Shawn Thomas and returned to midfield. Quarterback Blane Morgan, who was named the game's offensive MVP, then directed the Falcons on a five-play drive that he capped with a 2-yard touchdown run. Kicker Jackson Whiting, who is perfect in 52 tries this season, added the PAT to knot the score.
The Cougars, however, were unfazed. They just couldn't finish things off.
While taking more than five minutes off the clock, BYU moved to the Air Force 19 before hitting the wall. Kevin Feterik's plunge on fourth-and-1 fell short. Edwards reasoned that it was attainable -- especially in light of the Falcons' success blocking kicks. Air Force has misdirected six this season.
That didn't dissuade the Cougars from attempting and making two field goals in the fourth quarter. Pochman connected from distances of 32 and 34 yards as BYU claimed a 13-7 advantage with 5:44 left to play.
The lead, though, proved to have all the staying power of a roll of quarters in a casino.
"We had everything we needed," Edwards said. "All we had to do was kick a couple of field goals more or score a touchdown and the game is ours."
Opportunities were there, noted BYU receiver Margin Hooks.
"Give (Air Force) credit. When they got pushed back to the goal line they bent but didn't break," he said. "We had numerous chances. We just didn't capitalize on them. When you don't against a great team like that, you're going to end up on the short end of the stick."
On third-and-11 from their own 41, the Falcons took flight and surprised the Cougars on a slip screen. Morgan hit Matt Farmer on the left side of the field. The speedy receiver was wide open after safety Chris Ellison appeared to try for an interception and came up short. He then ran 59 yards untouched as the Falcons took their first lead.
"We didn't practice that play. It was like a new play. Our corners were off and I was off," said Ellison, who credited Air Force for cutting outside instead of in. "They got us on it. It was a good play, a good call. I may have made a mistake on it and got a little too far up."
The final four minutes featured BYU losing possession twice because of loss on downs -- book-ending a 29-yard touchdown run by Air Force's Sparky Gilliam. That score was devastating because Derik Stevenson blocked the PAT to keep the margin at seven points.
BYU, however, didn't capitalize. Feterik, who was sacked seven times, was dropped twice during the Cougars' last gasp. The game ended with Air Force running one play and allowing the remaining time to expire.
"It hurts. We felt like we did well. We dominated most of the game, but they got some big plays," said middle linebacker Rob Morris. (Air Force) is a great team and they won fair and square. But it hurts when you feel like you're in control for so much of the game."
It took a while for both teams to adjust to the early start time and cooler-than-expected weather. When the game kicked off shortly after 10 a.m., the temperature was a chilly 47 degrees with wind gusts of 15-20 mph.
Air Force fumbled twice on its initial drive but maintained possession both times. The first rolled out of bounds, while the second was recovered by Bonds. After eventually forcing a loss on downs, BYU took its first turn offensively. Unfortunately for Feterik, his line didn't get the message. He was sacked on first and second down before throwing an incompletion. The Cougars' first series lasted less than two minutes and resulted in a loss of nine yards.
BYU showed a little more life the next time it touched the ball. Feterik completed three passes for 41 yards and Jenkins picked up a first down rushing as the Cougars moved to the Air Force 13. The Falcons responded to the threat by pushing BYU back seven yards on the next three plays to force a 37-yard field-goal attempt. Pochman's kick hit the left upright, however, and landed in the end zone.
Following Air Force's second punt of the game, the Cougars made another journey deep into Falcon territory. But once again, BYU came away empty handed. Linebacker C.J. Zonotti intercepted Feterik on the Air Force 20 to keep it scoreless. The deadlock remained until misfortune switched sides.
Rob Morris set up the game's first score when he recovered a fumble 24 yards from the end zone. Air Force's lone turnover occurred when halfback Matt Rillos mishandled a handoff from Morgan. The miscue and a subsequent defensive holding penalty proved costly for the Falcons. Shortly thereafter, Feterik teamed with Mike Rigell on a 13-yard touchdown pass to give BYU its halftime lead.