Y.'s complete attention now on Utah

PROVO — In the wake of BYU's big win over Air Force on Tuesday, the Cougars vowed they will not take their attention off Saturday's home finale against Utah in the Marriott Center.

On Wednesday, head coach Dave Rose gave his squad the day off. Team preparations for the Utah game begin today after coaches spent Wednesday working on film and a game plan.

While BYU's win at Air Force was emotional, senior Austin Ainge said the job isn't finished because Saturday's game looms large.

"It's senior night, it's Utah, at home, the last game, an outright conference championship on the line," he said. "I don't think we'll have a letdown. We'll be motivated."

The win over the Falcons sent the Cougars and Falcons in different directions. BYU elevated its overall record to 22-7 and conference mark to 12-3, with a league-leading 5-3 mark on the road. By knocking off No. 25 Air Force, the Cougars' RPI ranking improved to 16, enhancing probability of a decent seed in the NCAA tournament.

Conversely, the Falcons dropped their first game in 31 at home. After being ranked in the AP or USA Today polls for 12 consecutive weeks, Air Force has now lost three straight games and four of its last seven.

After starting the season 17-1, the Falcons have gone 6-6 and from first place in the league standings to the middle of the pack. Where they were once mentioned as a No. 3 or 4 seed in the NCAAs, they are now on the bubble.

In the aftermath of Tuesday's win, it was apparent the Cougars had more depth and simply wore down the Falcons, a road weary team. Their coach, Jeff Bzdelik, received a public reprimand from the MWC for criticize the scheduling that had his squad play three games in seven days.

The Cougars outshot the Falcons, out-rebounded the home team and silenced one of the most hostile environments in the country. Even Ainge admitted that going into the game, there was a lingering tick in the minds of BYU players about how they'd handle playing in Clune Arena after getting thrashed there in 2005 and 2006.

"I think there was a little doubt in the back of our minds with the trouble we've had here in the past, but you put that out of your mind and focus on each play, each possession," Ainge said.

That's what the Cougars did, ripping off an 18-4 run in the final 13 minutes to pass the Falcons, eat up the 11-point deficit and take control of the game. The Falcons failed to score in the final 4:50 of the game.