BYU Gains Freedom Bowl Berth : Cougars Beat Air Force, 23-3, Will Play UCLA in Anaheim

Brigham Young shook off the loss of the Western Athletic Conference title it had won or shared the previous 10 years, as well as the absence of three starters, and beat Air Force, 23-3, Saturday to salvage a bowl berth.

Immediately after the game, the Cougars accepted a bid to play UCLA in the Freedom Bowl Dec. 30 at Anaheim Stadium. It will mark the ninth consecutive bowl appearance for BYU.

Sophomore quarterback Bob Jensen, making his first collegiate start in an effort to inject some spark into the sluggish BYU attack, ran and passed BYU to 20 consecutive second-quarter points as the Cougars rolled up 555 total yards to Air Force’s 159.

BYU finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the WAC, good enough for second place in a league it used to consider its private domain. San Diego State won the WAC title last week, beating BYU, 10-3.

Air Force, losing four of its last five games, wound up 6-5 overall and 5-2 in the WAC.

“It was a blow to our team--losing to San Diego State and then losing some friends on the team,” said BYU defensive tackle Jason Buck, the Outland Trophy winner. Three starters--tight end Trevor Molini and linebackers J.C. VonColln and Ladd Akeo--were suspended last Wednesday after being charged with using altered prescriptions to obtain pain-killing drugs.

BYU Coach LaVell Edwards said he was pleased with the way his team responded to the events of the past week but added, “I would have been very surprised if we hadn’t come back.”

Jensen completed 11 of 20 passes for 258 yards and also ran 12 times for 87 yards.

“Bob made some big plays,” Edwards said. “I thought he played very well for a sophomore starting his first game. He’ll be very successful if he keeps working and keeps improving.

“Overall, we played a good game. Our defense was outstanding all day long, and the two fumbles back-to-back by Air Force proved to be very costly for them.”

Air Force scored on its first possession, marching 51 yards for a 19-yard Chris Blasy field goal, but the Falcon wishbone didn’t even threaten to score again, crossing midfield just once more in the game.

Leonard Chitty kicked a 43-yard field goal to tie the score midway through the opening period, and BYU then scored on four straight possessions in the second period.

Both BYU touchdowns in the quarter were set up by Falcon fumbles.