BYU vs Air Force

Written by Hector Garza

Brigham Young University is the 10 point favorite as they host Air Force in a Mountain West matchup. The game is scheduled for 3:30 pm ET and will be played at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo. BYU sports an impressive 8-2 record, their only losses coming to then ranked #10 TCU and Florida State. They’re riding a two game win streak after playing Wyoming and conference worst New Mexico, and they’ll be tested against a legit 7-4 Falcon squad. The football odds have the total at 46.

This will be the last regular season game for Air Force, and they’ve won 4-5 hoping to finish on a high note with an upset win. Their strong option offense has been a success this year as they’re ranked 4th nationally with 279.2 ypg. Those numbers can be a little misleading, however, since their 7 victories have come against teams with a combined 22-49 record. QB Tim Jefferson wasn’t recruited for his arm, as he’s thrown 5 td’s to 1 pick for 687 yards on the season. He’s done a good job leading the option charge, rushing for 197 yards and 3 scores for a unit that’s tallied 24 of their 31 td’s on the ground.

The Falcons defense is up and coming, and had a superb outing last week. They held an inferior UNLV squad to 282 total yards and 17 points. Noone has been able to score more than the 23 that Utah put on them in week 8. This unit benefits greatly from the successful running game of the offense, and the numbers speak for themselves. They are second to none in passing defense, allowing a mere 127.9 ypg, ranked 7th nationally in total defense with 265.4 ypg and good for 9th in scoring at 13.3 ppg.

BYU will have their hands full, especially if they run the ball like they did last week. Against the Lobos they were only able to manage 41 yards on 23 attempts. That’s a far cry from the 152.6 average. QB Max Hall came to the rescue as he’s done all year, throwing for 2 scores and 314 yards with only 1 pick. He’s had a very successful season and is tied with Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer with 29 BYU wins. He needs 143 yards to surpass the 3000 yard barrier, and has 23 td’s to 12 int’s. If he has time, he can pick a defense apart, and has no trouble spreading the love as ten different receivers have double digit receptions!

Defensively the Cougars have been inconsistent, giving up 54 points to Florida State while shutting down Wyoming and Tulane for a total of 3. Perhaps the most important stat this week is their run defense, as they’re limiting foes to 103.5 ypg. They haven’t faced an attack like Air Force’s though, and it will be interesting to see whether they can contain it.

Saturday’s battle promises to be an exciting game with some very interesting matchups. Hall is currently 2nd in the nation in pass efficiency and will be put to the test against the best in the country. On the other hand, Air Force will be facing a stout run defense to counter their offensive strength. I like the Falcons covering the spread and potentially beating a good BYU team, as they haven’t lost by more than 7 points all year, which includes games against #4 TCU and #21 Utah.

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