BYU football: Cougars' farewell tour set to begin

PROVO — On a couple of fronts, Saturday's BYU-Air Force game is expected to be an emotional one.

For starters, the Cougars will kick off their Mountain West Conference farewell tour that day (2 p.m., Versus). BYU announced a week ago that it is leaving the MWC to go independent in football in 2011, and that news has not been well-received around the league.

This will mark the final scheduled game between BYU (1-0) and Air Force (1-0), and the final time the two teams will compete with MWC implications at stake.

"Obviously, our goal is to win the conference championship every year," said Cougar quarterback Riley Nelson. "With this being our last year in the Mountain West Conference, it really doesn't add that much because our goal hasn't changed.

"As far as other teams looking at us, I can't (speak) to that. We always feel like we get everyone's best shot in conference. I don't know how other teams feel or what they're saying. But once we get into conference (play), we've got to be on our toes."

The Cougars and Falcons have built up an intriguing rivalry on the field over the past three decades in both the MWC and the Western Athletic Conference.

"There's definitely some history there. Holy cow," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun told the Colorado Springs Gazette about the BYU-Air Force series.

Meanwhile, Saturday's game falls on Sept. 11, and the Academy has planned special festivities to commemorate the ninth anniversary of 9/11. Air Force will honor local firefighters and police and recently deployed soldiers. It will also have NYPD detective Steve Hayden and FDNY firefighter Kenny Haskill, whose brothers Tommy and Timmy died on duty when the World Trade Center towers collapsed, serve as honorary game captains. There will be a video tribute to 9/11 as well.

"Obviously, (the Falcons) will be up for the game. It'll be a special day, especially for them, because when they're done (at the Academy) they'll be fighting for our country," said BYU wide receiver McKay Jacobson. "If I were in their shoes, it would be a little more of a special week. We've definitely acknowledged that, that there will be more excitement in the atmosphere. We've just got to go out there and be ready."

Cougar coach Bronco Mendenhall has expressed his admiration of Air Force again this week.