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Air Force report: BYU's size 'a concern'

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 9, 2008 at 8:41 p.m.

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Numbers Game

0 points allowed in the fourth quarter by the Falcons in the past three games.

He Said It

"Coach let us open it up a little bit and let us show what we can do. So, hopefully, in the upcoming weeks we can do that some more, because we're probably going to have to."

Tim Jefferson, Air Force quarterback, talking about the game plan against Colorado State.

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Falcons coach Troy Calhoun can quickly rattle off reasons why Brigham Young is the No. 16 team in The Associated Press college football rankings this week.

"They are averaging 36 points a game and their opponents are only scoring 18 points, the differential in total offense and total defense is over 100 yards per game," he said. "BYU's defense has already caused 17 fumbles this year. Their third-down conversion, BYU is nearly 60 percent, and when you score twice as many touchdowns as your opponent, 48-24, then that tells you how dominant they are."

Air Force will put its 8-2 record on the line Saturday at Falcon Stadium against the 9-1 Cougars, and BYU will have a definite size advantage.

BYU's starting offensive line averages 326.4 pounds and the defensive line's starters average 278 pounds.

Air Force's defensive starters average 261.6 pounds and the starting interior offensive line averages 273 pounds.

"They are much bigger, BYU is, on both sides of the ball," Calhoun said. "Size is a concern all the way around."

Etc.

* Air Force's 8-2 record is its best 10-game mark since 1998, when the team started 9-1.

* The Falcons' 17 wins during the past two seasons tie as the second most in service academy history for a coach in his first two years. Calhoun is tied with Ralph Sasse of Army (1930-31), Charles Daly of Army (1913-14) and Navy's Paul Dashiell (1904-05). Air Force's Fisher DeBerry has the most wins, with 20 (1984-85).