Provo » For the BYU Cougars today, it is all about maintaining momentum and staying healthy -- something they have done rather well in past Novembers under coach Bronco Mendenhall.

Whether it helps them in the month-ending showdown with rival Utah next week remains to be seen.

The No. 19 Cougars (8-2) are 10-point favorites against Air Force (7-4) today at LaVell Edwards Stadium (1:30 p.m., CBS College), but almost everyone associated with the program is expecting a close, four-quarters game.

"We've got it going pretty good right now, and the focus is not only on keeping it rolling, but finishing strong," said linebacker Coleby Clawson.

History is on BYU's side, and not just because the Cougars have defeated Air Force five straight times..The Cougars are 13-2 in the last four Novembers.

They started this one well in a 52-0 demolition of Wyoming, but struggled mightily last week to hold off winless New Mexico.

One reason the Cougars lighten up practices somewhat the season's latter half is so they will be fresh and healthy for the home stretch. Every BYU player who was a starter at the beginning of the season, with the exception of linebacker Terrance Hooks, is "fairly healthy" right now, Mendenhall said.

Hooks suffered a ruptured patella tendon against New Mexico and is done for the season.

"Most programs, at this point, the wear and tear really starts to get to you, and there are players beat up, and sometimes you don't have your best guys left at the end of the season," Mendenhall said. "So we err on the side of not as much contact. And there is a tradeoff there. It can hurt you. There's a fine balance there."

This year, the coach has seemingly struck the right balance, although running back Harvey Unga (sprained left ankle) will be a game-time decision.

"If you trust your players that they will go hard enough within the framework you give them, I think they will still get ready to play. And then what I believe, at the end of the season, you will be maybe be fresher than your opponent, and that will make a difference -- and you will be more eager to play," Mendenhall said.

Because of their good health and the recent bye week, the Cougars have actually been more physical in practices the past three weeks, after players approached Mendenhall and requested a little more hitting in workouts.

"We haven't gone full pads since two-a-days, but we have actually gone in what we call shells -- which means upper [pads] more than we did a year ago," Mendenhall said. "The players like it more, they think it is helping them with their pad level, and just protecting them more."

In the past, the knock on Air Force is that it wore down as the season progressed, due to the rigors of academy life, lack of depth, and other factors. This year, though, Air Force has outscored its November opponents (Army and UNLV) 80-24 and looks ready to play well, coach Troy Calhoun said.

It all means that two hungry, relatively healthy teams will take the field today in Provo.

"Really what it comes down to is us seniors decided we have three games left in the regular season, and then we are done. We are outta here. We are done with college football and done with BYU as far as playing goes," BYU quarterback Max Hall said. "We just want to take advantage of every second we have left, and really play as hard as we can every time we get a chance to step on a football field."