BYU Overwhelms Air Force, 62-41

BYU's Curtis Brown tops his career rushing record by 2 yards in his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

Brigham Young running back Nathan Meikle heads for a touchdown on a 12-yard run against Air Force during the first quarter. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)
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Oct. 29, 2005

Final Stats

PROVO, Utah (AP) - Curtis Brown had career highs with 219 yards rushing and four touchdowns Saturday to lead Brigham Young past Air Force 62-41, guaranteeing consecutive losing seasons for the Falcons for the first time under coach Fisher DeBerry.

John Beck passed for 383 yards and three touchdowns and BYU (4-4, 3-2 Mountain West) gained 684 yards while beating Air Force for the second straight year.

Four touchdowns in the fourth quarter weren't enough to rally the Falcons (3-6, 2-5) from a 34-point deficit. Air Force also committed five turnovers and extended what was already a long week for DeBerry, who apologized Wednesday for comments he made about black players' speed.

The Falcons have two games remaining and the best they could do is match last season's 5-6 record. It will be just the fourth losing season in 22 years at Air Force for DeBerry.

Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney left after the first quarter with a cut to his left hand and Adam Fitch threw for five touchdowns in relief. But the Falcons couldn't recover after falling behind 41-7, although they did get within two touchdowns twice.

Brown had 25 carries and topped his career rushing record by 2 yards in his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

Beck was 31-for-43 with one interception, which was tipped, and helped the Cougars to their highest points total since a 63-33 victory over Air Force in 2001.

Air Force had the eighth-ranked defense in the nine-team Mountain West entering the game and another poor defensive performance was too much for the offense to overcome. The Falcons scored a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter and three more TDs early in the final period - including a blocked punt Garrett Rybak returned 10 yards that cut BYU's lead to 41-20.

Fitch got Air Force within 48-27 with an 8-yard pass to Chad Hall with 9:50 to play, then 14 seconds later Air Force scored again after BYU fumbled the kickoff return. Brett Cooper's fumble was challenged by BYU, but it withstood the video review and, on first down, Fitch hit Greg Kirkwood in stride for a 36-yard touchdown.

BYU answered on Brown's 20-yard run for his third touchdown to seal it for the Cougars.

Already leading 7-0 after an 86-yard touchdown drive on the opening series, Justin Luettgerodt set up BYU for another score with an interception he returned 22 yards to the Air Force 12. Nathan Meikle took the ball around right end for an easy score.

Carney set up the Falcons with first down from the 9 with a 24-yard run after he couldn't find an open receiver, but on the first play of the second quarter BYU's Manaia Brown stripped the ball from Carney. Cameron Jensen recovered for the Cougars in the end zone.

Another Air Force turnover led to points for BYU in the third quarter when the Cougars recovered a botched handoff at the 40-yard line. Jared McLaughlin kicked a 35-yard field goal to put the Cougars up 31-7.