BYU football: Do Cougars just have Air Force's number?

Provo » Brigham Young football coach Bronco Mendenhall said this week that playing Air Force is "one of the highlights every year" and one of his favorite games annually because of the admiration he has for AFA's players and their military service, and "what their institution is about."

Of course, the fact that he has never lost to the Falcons as BYU's head coach might have something to do with it, too. The No. 19-ranked Cougars (8-2) play host to the Falcons (7-4) on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

While Air Force (7-4) has played the Mountain West Conference's other top teams, Utah and TCU, extremely close the past few years and even beat the Utes and Horned Frogs in

2007, it has failed to break through against BYU since 2003.

That was the game at Edwards Stadium in which then-AFA coach Fisher DeBerry went for a meaningless touchdown on the last play to win 24-10. Since DeBerry's dare, the Cougars have won five games by an average margin of 19 points.

Having lost to No. 4 TCU 20-17 on Oct. 10 and at No. 23 Utah 23-16 in overtime on Oct. 24, the Falcons are definitely thinking upset in Provo on Saturday, especially after watching how BYU almost lost to lowly New Mexico. The Cougars are 10-point favorites.

Why has BYU's had Air Force's number recently?

"I think that our coaches do a really nice job in the practice model during the week," Mendenhall said. "We have to work

really hard in terms of understanding their schemes and what they are trying to do. And we usually have a physical team on both sides of the ball, which helps against a team like Air Force.

"And I think those things lead to a chance to play to a high level of execution. And I think our team looks forward to playing the game, because Air Force is a very unique challenge."

While the Cougars sleepwalked their way to a 24-19 win over the Lobos last week, Air Force has their full attention, defensive end Jan Jorgensen said. In Tuesday's MWC coaches teleconference, Mendenhall said Air Force has its best defense since he started going against it more than 10 years ago.

"I think a lot of us were looking forward to the Air Force game," Jorgensen said. "You know, the New Mexico game turned into a fight that we didn't really expect. But I think we are going to go and learn from that game, because Air Force is a whole nother animal that you see just once a year and you have to prepare like crazy. So you have to put whatever game you had before just behind you and focus 100 percent on Air Force. If you don't, you are in trouble."

Last year, BYU outscored AFA 28-10 in the second half to win 38-24 in Colorado Springs, but still allowed the Falcons to rush for 323 yards. That was AFA's highest rushing total against BYU since 2002, when it rolled up 386 yards in a 52-9 whipping on national television.

Between 2002 and 2008, the Falcons weren't able to rush for more than 271 yards, and three times were held to 213 or fewer.

"I think coach Mendenhall has had a lot of experience coaching against Air Force, and he does a great job of putting together schemes and really understanding what they are trying to do, and understanding what we have to do to stop it," Jorgensen said.

drew@sltrib.com