18.11/16/85 – BYU rallies to beat #4 Falcons: #15 BYU – 28, #4 Air Force – 21

             The #16 ranked BYU Cougars (8-2) hosted the #4 ranked Air Force Falcons (10-0) in a critical game that would determine the conference champion. The Cougars had won (or shared) the WAC title for 9 consecutive years, paving the way for their first national championship. They certainly didn’t want to break the tradition now, even if a second national championship was out of the question. The Air Force Academy, meanwhile, had joined the WAC in 1980, rebuilding a proud program that had gone once gone 9-0-2 as an Independent, including a 0-0 tie in the 1959 Cotton Bowl, during its second year of play. In 1983, the Falcons had their first 10-win season, but had finished second to the Cougars in conference play. Now, they had their eyes firmly set on their first conference championship as well as another major bowl game.

To say that the Cougars started poorly would be an understatement. On the third play of the game, senior QB Robbie Bosco (the 1984 Sammy Baugh Trophy winner) was picked off, gifting the Falcons a short field on their first possession. Starting at the BYU 40, the Falcons quickly advanced to the Cougar 22, where QB Bart Weiss connected with RB Randy Jones for a 22-yard TD reception. On their very next possession, Bosco was intercepted again, this time by Tom Rotello, who sprinted to the end zone with a Pick 6 to put the Falcons up 14-0. Although the Falcons drove 55 yards on their next possession, the Cougar D came up big on fourth down, keeping the Cougars’ hopes alive. Late in the quarter, the Cougar Offense failed to convert on a fake punt on fourth down, turning the ball over to Air Force at the BYU 18. Things looked grim, but the Cougar D gained more yards than the offense, forcing the Falcons back 12 yards. When the Falcons failed in their field goal attempt, the emotional tide seemed to turn.

The Cougars started the second quarter at their own 30-yard line. After failing to complete a first down on any of their first five drives, Bosco drove the Cougars 70 yards in six plays, culminating in a 22-yard pass to Mark Bellini, which cut the Falcon lead in half. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep the momentum going. On their next possession, Bosco threw interception #3, this time to Dwan Wilson, who ran it back 42 yards for another Pick 6. Neither offense could muster much of a charge for the remainder of the half, and the Cougars trudged to the locker room down  21-7.

During intermission, Bosco changed his uniform number from #6 to #7 (in honor of injured WR Glen Kozlowski). Yet before he even took the field in the second half, the winds seemed to have turned. The Falcons’ first possession ended with a quick 3-and-out. * Vai Sikahema picked up the punt on a bounce, zipped between the first two Falcons, avoiding the resulting crash like the Argonauts slipping through the Symplegades. Vai then took advantage of a couple of key blocks to race 72 yards to the end zone (#65). The extra point attempt missed, though, leaving BYU down by eight. The Cougar offense began their first drive of the half at their own 20. The resilient Cougars executed their longest drive of the game in terms of yards and plays. After ten plays, the Cougars found themselves at the Falcon 25. Bosco and Bellini connected again, this time for a 25-yard TD. The Cougars went for two, tying the game up at 21 on a short pass to Lance Lindley.

Vai Sikahema
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Although Bosco threw another interception in the fourth quarter, this time the Falcons were unable to do anything with it except punt it away for the fifth straight time. BYU took over at its own 24, with 8:16 remaining. *Four plays later, Bosco took the snap and waited in the pocket as the play developed. Once Vai Sikahema outpaced his defender, Bosco led him with a bomb that Vai caught over the shoulder at the 35. With two defenders in hot pursuit, Vai sprinted to the end zone for a 69-yard TD reception (#30). Down by a touchdown, the Falcons still had five and a half minutes to work with. Beginning at their own 17, the Falcons moved methodically up the field. Fifteen plays later, they were knocking at the Cougars’ door. On the last play of the game, BYU’s Rob Ledenko intercepted the pass in the end zone to seal the victory.

After the win, BYU went on to defeat both Utah and Hawaii. Air Force also defeated Hawaii in their last regular season game, leaving both teams tied for the WAC championship with identical records of 7-1, giving the Cougars a string of ten straight WAC titles. The loss was the only defeat the Falcons would suffer that season, finishing the season 12-1, including a 24-16 win in the Bluebonnet Bowl over Texas, to finish the season ranked #8 in the final AP poll. BYU worked their way up to #9 in the polls, but lost to Ohio St. in the Citrus Bowl to finish the season ranked #16 with an 11-3 record.

 Game link: https://www.byutv.org/14fa39c2-6053-439b-a4c8-4449981dc528/byu-football-air-force-vs.-byu-(11-16-85)

 *BYU Tv's Top 100 plays in BYU Football TV history (updated 12/12/20 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYzgPw-bQ_c)