Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) -- John Beck threw three touchdown passes and Brigham Young beat Air Force 33-14 Saturday to remain unbeaten in the Mountain West Conference.
BYU (6-2, 4-0) has won five straight since a 30-23 double overtime loss to No. 18 Boston College on Sept. 16, and three in a row against Air Force.
BYU's defense held an Air Force offense averaging 355.3 yards to just 229 yards, 80 of which came on the final drive with the game already decided.
Beck was 23-of-31 for 258 yards for the Cougars, who rotated in three running backs with Curtis Brown suffering from a stomach virus. Brown came out frequently and alternated between taking a knee on the sideline and sitting all alone on the bench. Brown, who finished with 42 rushing yards, entered the game as BYU's leading rusher and receiver.
Brown needs 211 yards to pass Jamal Willis for the top spot on the Cougars' career rushing yards list.
BYU's Fui Vakapuna had 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns, one on a 4-yard reception.
The game was halted for around 20 minutes in the fourth quarter when Air Force cornerback Carson Bird injured his neck while tackling BYU receiver Zac Collie. Bird was taken off the field on a stretcher with his neck in a brace. As he laid on the turf, waiting for the trainers, he was moving his right leg up and down. Bird didn't move as he was carted off.
Air Force's policy is to not comment on injuries.
Falcons running back Chad Hall, averaging a conference-leading 81.3 rushing yards, had only 13 on the ground.
Beck's third touchdown, which gave BYU a 30-7 lead in the fourth quarter, was more of a jumper than a pass. He shot the football over an Air Force defender to get it to Vakapuna, who dove in for the 4-yard score.
Air Force (3-4, 3-2) scored on Shaun Carney's 1-yard touchdown run with 3:54 left in the third quarter. Beau Suder added a 3-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left in the game. The Falcons were averaging 23 points.
Jared McLaughlin kicked two field goals for BYU, including a career-long 53-yarder early in the third quarter.
Beck threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter to give the Cougars a 21-0 halftime lead. He found Michael Reed on a 3-yard slant with 10:12 remaining and Jonny Harline for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 58 seconds left.
BYU linebacker Aaron Wagner grabbed Carney's fluttering pass out of the air to set up Reed's touchdown. Carney was hit on the play by Bryan Kehl just as he released the ball.
The Falcons had two turnovers in the first half. Cameron Jensen recovered a fumble in BYU territory to end an Air Force drive.
BYU drove 81 yards on the opening drive and scored on Vakapuna's 6-yard run up the middle.
Air Force was shutout in the first half for the second straight week for the first time in coach Fisher DeBerry's 23 years at the Academy.
The two teams combined for 103 points and 1,162 yards of total offense in their game last season.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
