Story Created:
Nov 21, 2009
Story Updated:
Nov 21, 2009
BYU Gets A Blowout win Versus Air Force
This time it was there right from the start, the intensity that never bothered to make an appearance last week in New Mexico.
After last week’s dismal performance against New Mexico, BYU was determined to make amends for barely beating a winless team that is even worse than its record indicates. Dominating almost the entire game, the Cougars beat Air Force 38-21 on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
BYU demolished an Air Force team that had suffered four losses – two of which were in overtime, to Utah and Navy – by a total of 20 points. This is the same Air Force that gave undefeated TCU – which crushed the Cougars - its best game in a 20-17 loss.
The point is, the Cougars thrashed a quality team. Aside from the Oklahoma win, which was somewhat tainted due to quarterback Sam Bradford’s injury, this was BYU’s best game of the season.
“I had a lot of fun,” said quarterback Max Hall. “There was a lot of emotion.”
Although the fans might not have noticed it, coach Bronco Mendenhall, the emotion along the sidelines was tangible.
Evidence of BYU’s increased intensity was evident from the start, on the opening drive that stalled after an offensive pass interference. On the third down, after Spencer Hafoka was flagged for the penalty, Hall went nuts following an incomplete pass to Dennis Pitta.
From Hall’s vantage point, a defensive back smacked directly into Pitta, short-circuiting his route as the ball was in mid flight. Hall sprinted to a few yards short of an official, waving his arms in disgust and disbelief.
His emotional outburst was exactly needed for a sometimes seemingly lifeless football program. While a business and workman-like approach was worked wonders during the Mendenhall era, some outrage never hurts.
If Mendenhall won’t go crazy, somebody else needs to do it besides assistant coaches Patrick Higgins and Jaime Hill. It’s got to come from the rank-and-file, a burden which in this case falls to the senior quarterback.
“He was having a lot of fun,” said Mendenhall. “He was smiling most of the game, which is a great position to be in.”
In his penultimate game at home, Hall was fiery and on fire. Although BYU’s first drive ended in a blocked field goal, Hall hit on all six pass attempts and didn’t slow down.
It was almost as if 7-on-7 passing drills in the summer were more difficult. By halftime, Hall had completed 19 of 24 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns.
And don’t bother playing the “take away’ game, as in his numbers wouldn’t be nearly as impressive if that one big completion was taken away. None of Hall’s completions went for more than 22 yards.
His spirit carried over into the third quarter. On BYU’s first offensive play of the second half, he went deep to McKay Jacobson for 23 yards. The next play was a 10-yard touchdown pass to O’Neill Chambers, giving the Cougars a 31-7 lead.
He capped it off, picking up a personal foul after throwing his second interception of the game. Hey, nobody said he was perfect.
Picking up on the intensity, the defense was outstanding except for one possession late in the second quarter. Late in the third quarter, with the game well in hand, practically the entire defense, including the coordinator, chased Brian Logan across the field until he was out of bounds for making a great play on a pass deflection.
Not sure where that emotion was last week.
“They were passionate to play the game today,” Mendenhall said.
Even the normally docile crowd got into the game more than usual, booing vociferously at the referees in the third quarter. When is “deceiving the defense” a penalty, anyway?
If the Cougars can find a way to duplicate that emotion and intensity next week, they have a chance to steal the thunder that Utah has enjoyed the last two years.
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