This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Colorado Springs, Colo. • If there was a play that underlined BYU's inability to stop Air Force's option attack on Saturday in the 35-14 shellacking at Falcon Stadium, it came toward the end of the third quarter with the Falcons clinging to a touchdown lead.
Jonathan Warzeka took a pitch from quarterback Tim Jefferson on fourth-and-2 and scooted untouched 46 yards to the end zone. That gave the Falcons a 28-14 lead, and with the way the AFA defense was shutting down BYU, pretty much sealed the win for the home team.
"They played harder than us and they played faster than us," said BYU cornerback Brian Logan. "Momentum had a lot to do with it."
And that momentum was often generated on first down. The Falcons set the tone on their opening series with a 13-yard run on first down, then a 22-yard run on their next first down. The 37-yard touchdown pass from Tim Jefferson to Mikel Hunter on that opening series also came on first down.
"They've got so many options, and so many weapons, that they kept us off-balance," said BYU linebacker Shane Hunter. "Seems like they always had second-and-3, second-and-2, all day long."
No fewer than 14 times did the Falcons gain 5 yards or more on a first-down play.
Sure, they were 10-for-19 on third down and 2-for-2 on fourth down, including the back-breaker by Warzeka, but the Cougars rarely had the Falcon offense in a hole. Hunter's third-quarter interception was the only turnover given up by AFA, while BYU had three giveaways in the first half alone.
"Air Force ran a lot less triple option and a lot more of what we call lead option. And clearly the matchups of their backs and receivers against our perimeter, against our safeties [went in AFAs' favor]," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. "A lot of success they were having in the pass game and the perimeter game was really [lack of] secondary support. It wasn't until later in the game that they started to run the ball real well on us."
It was the most points Air Force has scored against BYU since a 52-9 win over the Cougars in 2002.
"Obviously, it is an uncomfortable feeling when you can't slow down their attack," BYU safety Andrew Rich said. "We're disappointed in the way we performed."
BYU defense can't deliver
• Air Force rolled up 22 first downs and 409 net rushing yards.
• The Falcons were 10-for-19 on third down and 2-for-2 on fourth down.
• The Falcons gained 5 or more yards on first down 14 times.