BYU football: Can BYU throw vs. Air Force?

The Cougars have traditionally enjoyed success battling the Air Force option, and BYU passers have averaged a whopping 41 points a game in the last five victories.

But today in LaVell Edwards Stadium, BYU faces a unique challenge from the Falcons. The Flyboys have the nation's top pass defense and No. 10-ranked pass-efficiency defense. It can pressure and cover. Mix that with the clock-hogging AFA offense that limits the number of possessions an opponent gets, and it's a thorny situation for opponents regardless of how good you are at stopping the option.

One way to attack a great pass defense is to mount a balanced attack and pound the ball on the ground. With BYU junior running back Harvey Unga nursing a sore ankle, this is a tough part of the game plan for Bronco Mendenhall and Robert Anae today.

Unless other Cougar rushers step up.

The Falcon pass defense has allowed only four passing touchdowns all season, while it has intercepted QBs 12 times. The four Air Force losses have each come by seven points or less, and AFA took Utah into overtime and played TCU tough right to the end.

Great pass defenses have been a challenge for Cougar senior Max Hall, who ranks No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency.

There are 120 FBS teams and Tulane ranks 118th in pass efficiency defense, UNLV 113th, New Mexico 112th, Florida State 107th and Colorado State 105th.

So far, Hall has faced only two top-20 pass-efficiency defenses in No. 7 TCU (BYU scored 7 points) and No. 9 Oklahoma (scored 14). Today's Falcons rank 10th, the Utes rank 18th.

Three other BYU opponents rank in the middle of the pack in pass efficiency defense. Those include San Diego State at No. 68, and BYU scored 38 points against the Aztecs; Utah State 69th, and the Cougars got 35 against the Aggies; and No. 72 Wyoming, a team the Cougars scored 52 points against.

If there is a weakness in the Falcon defense, it is stopping the run. Air Force ranks No. 57 in rushing defense, allowing 137 yards per game.

BYU will need balance today, and with Unga's status unknown, the Cougars will need role players like Bryan Kariya, J.J. DiLuigi and Manase Tonga to have big games on the ground to help Hall if Unga struggles physically.

This week's picks:

TCU 42, WYOMING 7: The Cowboys are one win away from making a bowl game, but they'll have to wait until they meet the Rams. Gary Patterson has the Frogs right where he wants them.