MWC football: Air Force's Tew knows all about Utah-BYU rivalry

Air Force running back Jared Tew has his very own BYU-Utah rivalry.

That's because the 6-foot, 210-pound senior from Park City plays the two teams from his home state twice each year.

"I grew up being a Utah fan," said Tew, who rushed for a team-high 970 yards and nine touchdowns last season and was named to the preseason Mountain West Conference first-team offense. "Things have changed, obviously. I've got a chip on my shoulder when I play them. It's fun playing those guys. I grew up looking up to Utah's players. Just playing teams I grew up watching — Utah and BYU — is unreal for me."

Last year, Tew and his Air Force team made two trips to the Beehive State, falling to the Utes (23-16 in overtime) at Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Cougars (38-21) at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Despite the losses, the games were experiences he'll always remember.

"I know a lot of people who go to Utah games. They root for me, even if they're not rooting for my team to win," Tew told the Deseret News this week during MWC media days in Las Vegas. "Last year I had about 90 (fans) at the Utah game. The majority of my high school goes to Utah. They're in the MUSS, cheering against my team. But they all said that when I made a good play, they'd cheer for me. At the BYU game I had about 70 people sitting in the Air Force section."

This fall, both the Cougars and the Utes will pay visits to Colorado Springs. And Tew is hoping for a little payback.

BYU comes to town on Sept. 11 in the MWC-opener for both teams.

"We're very excited about that game. BYU has had our number the past few years," said Tew, referring to the Cougars' six-game winning streak against the Falcons. "They're coming into our house this year and it's the first conference game. We want to let the conference know that we're here to play this year and we're one of the top three teams in this conference. It's a big game for us, to establish where we're going to be this year."

The Falcons host Utah on Oct. 30.

At Park City High School, Tew drew some interest from Utah and BYU. "I got recruited more by Utah than BYU," Tew said. "Utah wanted me to play strong safety. They didn't offer me (a scholarship). It didn't work out. But through the process I decided Air Force was the place I wanted to go. I've never looked back. I'm happy about my decision."

Tew admits the rigorous academic and military regimen at Air Force has been an adjustment. "I'm enjoying it the best I can," he said. "My freshman year was a little rough, being at a military academy. But I've had some great experiences."

After graduation next spring, Tew will be an Air Force pilot. "I'm pretty excited," he said.

But before he takes off into the wild blue yonder, Tew wants to finish his Falcon career off right. For him, nothing would be sweeter than knocking off BYU and Utah.

e-mail: jeffc@desnews.com