AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Bronco Mendenhall's stranglehold over Air Force's option offense went the way of memories of play in the Mountain West on Saturday as Tim Jefferson and Co. embarrassed BYU's defense.
The Falcons averaged 6.6 yards per play in the first half, often getting first-down yardage on the first play from scrimmage. AFA gashed the Cougars with the first option dive and confused everyone in white with reverses, post passes and the pitch and run game to the tune of 477 yards, 6.1 yards per play for the entire game.
"They did a good job of executing, and we didn't play hard enough to beat them, and you have to give them credit," said BYU senior safety Andrew Rich.
The Falcons controlled the ball 36 minutes to BYU's 23 and forced three Cougar turnovers in the 35-14 Falcon win. Asher Clark gained 121 yards on 18 carries, and Jon Warzeka's 46-yard touchdown on a pitch was his career longest. AFA converted both fourth down tries, one for a long touchdown.
"Most of the game, they had the momentum," said Rich. "We just didn't make enough plays to change it back."
Rich said BYU has a long season and it's time to get in the film room and make some corrections.
While BYU's defense struggled from the start, the Cougar offense raced to a 14-7 lead before dragging to a halt.
"It's our job to get our offense in a position to move the ball and score, and we didn't do that," said Rich. "We needed to get turnovers to help our guys, and we didn't get enough of them."
Rich said AFA got a lot of yards on first-down plays, and that caused BYU problems because it allowed the Falcons to use their entire playbook.
"It's an uncomfortable feeling not to get stops," said Rich. "They made a lot of long plays that really hurt us. As far as driving the ball all the way down the field, they didn't hurt us in that way. It was the big plays."
AFA's scoring drives were 61, 80, 48, 76 and 45 yards.
"Just like last week, where we were very good in all facets of the game, including special teams, this game we did not execute very well in all those areas; and the Air Force did, and I credit them," said BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
The Cougar defenders looked confused with the AFA attack, not a trademark of a Mendenhall team. But with a rebuilt front line and linebackers, the task proved formidable and a failure.
"They played harder than we did, they played faster than we did," said senior corner Brian Logan. "It seemed they really wanted this one more than we did. They are guys who are defending our country, and this was a war to them, and my hats off to them."
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