Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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Yes, Air Force is historically better earlier than later (win rate, since 1984: 68% Aug/Sept; 57% all other months), and yes, the Cadets have won ten consecutive MWC openers, and yes, the Falcons are coming off a 65-point, 616-yard outing last week (albeit against an FCS foe), but playing BYU has been a recent nightmare for the Academy.
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BYU has won six consecutive meetings against the Falcons, with the Cougars winning all six by 14 points or more.
Under Bronco Mendenhall, BYU is 5-0, by an average score of 40-21. Under Troy Calhoun, the Cadets are 0-10 when allowing 30 points or more.
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In four of Mendenhall's five wins, the Cougars have held AFA to under its season-ending rushing average--
2005--season avg: 246.5 yds/gm; v. BYU: 200 yds (BYU W 62-41)
2006--season avg: 229.4 yds/gm; v. BYU: 190 yds (BYU W 33-14)
2007--season avg: 299.5 yds/gm; v. BYU: 133 yds (BYU W 31-6)
2008--season avg: 266.9 yds/gm; v. BYU: 323 yds (BYU W 38-24)
2009--season avg: 283.5 yds/gm; v. BYU: 212 yds (BYU W 38-21)
By the way, the 2007 meeting was the last time the two teams met in September (9/22), and was the only time Bronco has faced the Falcons in September.
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Perhaps most impressive, BYU has won the time of possession battle in Mendenhall's five wins over the Air Force Academy. Time of possession can at times be a meaningless stat, but against a clock-eating offense like the Falcons' option attack, keeping the ball is more than half the battle.
BYU's Time of Possession Advantage
2005: 33:56 - 26:04
2006: 31:01 - 28:59
2007: 37:10 - 22:50
2008: 31:57 - 28:03
2009: 30:22 - 29:38
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BYU has won five consecutive away games (fourth longest srteak in the FBS), and seven straight away/neutral contests. BYU has also won six straight games overall (also the nation's fourth-longest current streak).
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Bronco Mendenhall has won 85% of his conference away games (17-3). BYU has won the most conference away games of any team in the MWC (30-11, 76%).
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A reminder for you to listen to tonight's live LaVell Edwards Stadium broadcast of "BYU Football with Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall," Presented by Ken Garff University Parkway Dealers.
Bronco will join Marc Lyons and me from 7:00-8:00pm, and we'll also be visiting with former Cougar and NFL veteran Lee Johnson, plus last week's special teams captain Matt Marshall (a former HS option QB who will is running the AFA scout team this week).
September 15th's show will feature Indianapolis Colts WR Austin Collie (on the phone from Indy), while Chad Lewis will be in person with us on September 22nd.
If you would like to submit a question for our "BYU Q and A" segment, just click on this link.
As noted on our show page, seat requests for all shows through the end of the season have been fulfilled and confirmed.
At this point, any seat requests we receive will be for replacements/cancellations, and I would expect a few of those over the course of the season, so feel free to submit a request; I will keep you in line.
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We could have some more 2011 schedule news this week. On our postgame show last Saturday, Bronco said two remaining games "might be solidified as early as this week." BYU has ten games either confirmed or likely for 2011, and if BYU plays at Hawaii (as anticipated), that would leave an option for a 13th game.
Mendenhall noted that independent scheduling is "pretty liberating." He said he would like to accomplish three objectives:
1) "span the country" to provide "access for fans, wherever they might be...in all four different quadrants of the country."
2) create "natural rivalries, if there's intrigue" with schools like Notre Dame and Boston College.
3) create "significant experiences" for his players at some of the "most storied places" in college football; places like Michigan, Army or Navy. He also noted that he would like to regularly schedule Hawaii.
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