Air Force vs. Fresno State Game Notes
12/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Game
Television: Fox Sports Net. Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (color), James Lofton (color) and Eric Clemons (sidelines).
Radio: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs. Mike Nolan (play-by-play) and former Air Force coach Ben Martin (analysis). Jim Arthur and Jay Ritchie host the pre and post-game show.
Tale of the tape
Category AFA Fresno State2000 Record 8-3 7-4Conference 5-2 (Second place) 6-2 (Second place)Current Streak W 3 W 2Head Coach Fisher DeBerry Pat HillAlma Mater Wofford, 1960 UC Riverside (1973)Career Record 134-72-1 (17 yrs) 26-21 (4 yrs)School Record Same Samevs. Opponent 3-2 (.600) 1-0 (1.000)2000 Schedule / ResultsDate Air Force (8-3, 5-2) Date Fresno State (7-4, 6-2)9-2 Cal St. Northridge (SW) W 55-6 9-2 at Ohio State L 10-439-9 BYU* (SW) W 31-23 9-9 at UCLA L 21-24 9-16 Open --- 9-16 Open --9-23 at Utah*(ABC) W 23-14 9-23 California W 17-39-30 at UNLV*(ABC) L 13-34 9-30 Open --10-7 Navy (SW) W 27-13 10-5 at Rice* W 27-2410-14 at Wyoming* W 51-34 10-14 Nevada* W 58-2110-21 New Mexico*(SW) L 23-29 10-21 at UTEP* L 13-2310-28 at Notre Dame NBC) L 31-34 10-28 Tulsa* W 34-1211-4 at Army W 41-27 11-4 Hawaii* W 45-2711-11 Colorado St.* (ESPN2) W 44-40 11-11 at TCU* L 7-2411-18 San Diego St.* (ERT) W 45-24 11-18 SMU* W 14-7* - Mountain West Conference game 11-25 at San Jose State* W 37-6
The game
Air Force is playing in its third bowl game in four years. The Falcons are 7-7-1 all-time in bowl games, including 5-5 under head coach Fisher DeBerry. Air Force defeated Washington, 45-25, in the 1998 O'ahu Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii, in its last bowl game. Both Air Force and Fresno State finished second in their respective conferences this season. The Falcons are Bulldogs are playing for the first time since 1997 when Fresno State defeated Air Force, 20-17, in Falcon Stadium. Injury report HB Tom Heier (knee) and OLB Matt McCraney (knee) are out. Air Force has no other injuries to report.
Series history
Air Force and Fresno State will meet for the sixth time overall and first time in a bowl game. Air Force leads the overall series, 3-2. The teams last played in 1997 at Falcon Stadium. The Bulldogs won the game, 20-17. Air Force is 1-1 at home and 2-1 on the road vs. Fresno State. The bowl game will be the first neutral site meeting between the two. A closer look at the series follows:
1993 FSU 33, AFA 20 (A)1994 AFA 42, FSU 7 (H)1995 AFA 31, FSU 20 (A)1996 AFA 44, FSU 38 (A) ot1997 FSU 20, AFA 17 (H)Site is for AFA
Vs. the WAC
Air Force was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1980 to 1998. Air Force left the conference in 1999 to join the Mountain West Conference. This season is Air Force's second in the Mountain West Conference. Air Force is 37-14-2 all-time against teams currently in the WAC. Air Force was 113-72-6 while a member of the WAC.
Air Force at Spartan Stadium
Air Force is 0-1 all-time at Spartan Stadium. The Falcons lost to San Jose State, 25-22, Oct. 25, 1997.
Let's go bowlin'
The 2000 Silicon Valley Classic is Air Force 16th bowl game and third in the last four years. The Falcons are 7-7-1 all-time, including 5-5 under head coach Fisher DeBerry. The Falcons snapped a three-game losing streak with a 45-25 victory over Washington in the 1998 O'ahu Bowl in Honolulu. Hawaii. This season marks the sixth decade that Air Force has participated in a bowl game. Air Force's first-ever bowl game was the 1958 Cotton Bowl against TCU. Air Force and the Horned Frogs tied 0-0 in the game.
Going home
Air Force has eight Falcons on the varsity roster from the state of California. The list follows:
- Wes Crawley, Elk Grove z Travis Logsdon, Loomis z Mike Thiessen, Modesto z John Hicks, No. Hollywood z John Cortney, San Diego
- Scotty McKay, Santa Clara z Chris Jessop, Vacaville z Chad Rogers, Carlsbad
McKay to end collegiate career at same site as high school career
Air Force senior halfback Scotty McKay will end his collegiate career in the same stadium he ended his high school career when Air Force plays in Spartan Stadium in the 2000 Silicon Valley Classic. McKay played in the 1996 high school state playoffs in Spartan Stadium for Bellarmine Prep. The Silicon Valley Classic will be McKay's final collegiate game. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound halfback has started 22 consecutive games for Air Force. He finishes his career ranked 17th in Air Force history in career rushing yards with 1,400 yards. McKay ranks third all-time among halfbacks and is one of only four to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
Air Force seniors second winningest class in school history
The senior class has had a great career at Air Force. The seniors have posted a 36-12 overall record and are 8-0 in service academy games. The class is 4-0 against Navy and 4-0 against Army. The seniors became only the second class in Air Force history never to lose to Army or Navy. The only class to accomplish an undefeated service academy record is the class of 1992. Air Force's win over San Diego State moved the seniors into a tie for second place on the all-time career wins list by class. The class of 1985 is the winningest in Air Force history with a 38-12 record. The class of 1998 is tied for second with a 36-14 record, followed by the class of 1987 (35-14).
Air Force and the national rankings
Air Force played two nationally ranked teams this season and posted a 1-1 mark. Air Force lost 34-31 in overtime at No. 19 Notre Dame Oct. 28. The Falcons rebounded to defeat 20th-ranked Colorado State, 44-40, Nov. 11 in Falcon Stadium. The Falcons have not appeared in the national rankings this season, but have received votes several weeks in the polls. Air Force is 4-3 in its last seven games vs. ranked teams.
The most important time of the year
Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry always says you want to play your best football in November. The tradition of Air Force football under DeBerry certainly has supported the statement recently. Air Force is 32-21 all-time under DeBerry in November, but has won 11 of the last 13. The team has been particularly tough at home. DeBerry is 15-5 at home in November and has won seven straight dating back to a 1996 loss to Colorado State. Air Force was 3-0 in November this season with wins over Army (41-27), Colorado State (44-40) and San Diego State (45-24).
Air Force best in the Mountain West Conference
Air Force and Colorado State are the winningest programs in the Mountain West Conference since 1997. Each school has posted 36 wins. The Falcons are 36-12 since 1997 which is a .750 winning percentage. A closer look at each MWC team's win total since 1997 follows:
# Team Wins1. Colorado State 36 Air Force 363. BYU 274. Utah 265. Wyoming 236. New Mexico 217. San Diego State 208. UNLV 13
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
This season marks the 29th year of Commander-in-Chief's Trophy compitition between Air Force, Army and Navy. Air Force has dominated the competition, winning its 14th trophy title this season. Army has won it just six times and Navy five. The Falcons have a 39-19-0 all-time CIC record and have won eight consecutive games.
Fisher DeBerry has led the Falcons to 12 of the 14 titles and has a 28-6 CIC record. The Falcons have been in possession of the Trophy for all but one year (Army 1996) since 1989. A closer look at the series follows:
Team Record Pct. Last TitleAir Force 39-19-0 .672 2000Navy 24-33-1 .414 1981Army 23-34-1 .397 1996
Air Force outright CIC title years: 82, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00
Falcons in non-conference games
Air Force is 15-2 in its last 17 non-conference games dating back to 1997. The team's only losses came at the 1997 Las Vegas Bowl to Oregon, 41-13, and earlier this season at Notre Dame, 34-31, in overtime. AFA head coach Fisher DeBerry is 52-16 during his career in non-conference games.
Road warriors
Air Force has been dominant on the road the last several years. The Falcons are 28-14 in the last 42 road games, including bowl games, since 1994. Air Force is 19-9 in the last 28 regular season conference road games. AFA has won 16 of the last 23 games on the road dating back to 1997. The Falcons finished 3-2 this season to post the fourth consecutive winning road record. A closer look at AFA's road success follows:
Year Record2000 3-21999 3-21998 6-11997 4-21996 3-31995 4-31994 5-1
Quick starts a good sign for Air Force
Air Force opened this season 3-0 for the sixth time in the Fisher DeBerry era (1984). Air Force has averaged 10 wins per season and went to a post-season bowl game every year. This season is also the third time in the last four years AFA has opened 3-0, as the team did the trick in 1997 and 1998. A closer look at Air Force's 3-0 starts under DeBerry follows:
Year Record Bowl1985 12-1 Bluebonnet1989 8-4-1 Liberty1991 10-3 Liberty1997 10-3 Las Vegas1998 12-1 O'ahu2000 8-3 Silicon Valley
Air Force in the national statistics
Air Force finished third nationally in rushing this season with a 294.9 average. The Falcons opened the season with a 583-yard effort against Cal State Northridge to lead the nation. The team's lowest rank of the season was seventh in week six.
Blocked kicks
Air Force blocked nine kicks this season. Five different Falcons have combined for the nine blocks. Corey Nelson led the way with 3.5 blocks. Nelson blocked two PATs against Colorado State to tie Tim Curry for the Air Force careeer record of nine. Tony Metters is second on the team with three blocks this season. He's blocked a field goal vs. Utah, a punt vs. Navy and a punt vs. Army. He now has 3.5 blocks for his career to rank second on the team. Air Force has blocked 68 kicks since 1990. The Falcons ranked second nationally during the 1990s with 59 blocks. Only Virginia Tech's 62 ranked higher. AFA has blocked at least three kicks in 11 consecutive years. AFA's nine blocks this season is the second most in school history and most since the record of 11 was set in 1997. A closer look at this season's blocks the blocks since 1990 follows:
- Tony Metters FG vs. Utah; Punt vs. Navy, Punt vs. Army (3.5 for career)
- Corey Nelson .5 FG vs. Utah, PAT vs. Army, 2 PATs vs. Colorado State (9th of career)
- Justin Pendry .5 FG vs. Utah (1st of career)
- Zach Johnson PAT vs. UNLV (1st of career)
- Dan Probert PAT vs. UNLV (1st of career)
Year Total Punts FGs PATs Individual Career Blocks2000 9 4 2 3 # Name, Yrs Blocks1999 8 6 1 1 1. Tim Curry, 96-98 9*1998 7 4 3 0 Corey Nelson, 98-00 91997 11* 7 3 1 1996 4 1 3 01995 3 1 2 01994 5 4 1 0 * - School record1993 5 2 3 01992 8 6 1 11991 3 1 1 11990 5 3 1 1Totals 68 39 21 8
Four of Five
Air Force avenged four of its five losses from last season in 2000. The Falcons defeated Brigham Young, 31-23, after falling to the Cougars last season, 27-20. AFA lost 21-15 to Utah at home in 1999 and defeated the Utes, 23-14, in Salt Lake City this season. Wyoming stunned Air Force, 10-7, in Falcon Stadium last year. AFA returned the favor with a 51-34 win in Laramie Oct. 14. Air Force defeated Colorado State, 44-40, Nov. 11 after being beat 41-21 last year in Fort Collins. New Mexico is the only loss Air Force did not avenge. UNM defeated Air Force, 33-28, last year. The Lobos beat Air Force, 29-23, earlier this year.
Three of the avenged losses came from the conference tri-champions of last year. Utah, Brigham Young and Colorado State all tied for the conference title in 1999.
AFA and conference rushing titles
Air Force won its 17th conference rushing title this season with a 294.91 average. Last season, AFA won its 16th conference rushing title with a 285.5 average. Head coach Fisher DeBerry has led Air Force to 16 of the titles.
Since DeBerry took over in 1984, AFA has finished among the nation's top 10 16 times and the top five 12 times. AFA's worst national ranking under DeBerry is 15th in 1986.
Bounced back -- again
Since Fisher DeBerry took over in 1984 as head coach, Air Force has enjoyed tremendous success. The Falcons have experienced few disappointing seasons, but when they have, the team has always bounced back with a solid season. The Falcons did the same this season after a disappointing 6-5 campaign last year. In the DeBerry era, Air Force has averaged a 3.2-win improvement the year following a down season. The biggest turnaround came in 1994 when AFA had the biggest improvement in the nation. AFA went 8-4 after a 4-8 season in 1993.
Year Record Next1986 6-5 9-4 in 19871988 5-7 8-4-1 in 19891993 4-8 8-4 in 19941996 6-5 10-3 in 19971999 6-5 8-3 in 2000
The most important defense
Air Force ranked sixth in the MWC in scoring defense this season, allowing 25.3 points per game. That average is far below the standard set by Air Force recently. Since 1997, the Falcons have allowed just 17.9 points per game (806 total) in their last 46 regular season games. The team has posted four shutouts and only allowed 30 points or more six times. Air Force has won the conference defense title two of the last four years. AFA won it in 1997 with a 12.4 average which ranked third nationally. In 1998, AFA won the title with a 13.3 norm to rank sixth nationally. Last year, AFA was second to Utah with a 19.8 average and ranked 26th nationally.
Air Force has been particularly tough on its service academy brothers recently. The Falcons have given up just 75 points in their last eight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy games which is an average of 9.4 per outing.
Offensive notes
- Air Force scored 50 or more points twice this season
- The Falcons have had 600 or more yards of total offense twice this season
- AFA tied school records for total first downs (38) and rushing first downs (30) vs. Cal State Northridge
- 698 yards of total offense vs. Cal State Northridge ranks second in AFA history
- AFA has two scoring drives of 90 or more yards this season
Defensive notes
- The Falcons held Navy to a season-low 3.1 yards per play
- Air Force has allowed just 17.9 points per game in the last 46 regular season games
- AFA has allowed just 9.4 points per game in the last eight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy games
- AFA held Notre Dame to just 17 yards on 12 plays in the second quarter in South Bend
Busting out
Air Force closed the regular season with three consecutive wins to finish 8-3 overall. The Falcons had an offensive explosion in the final three outings. Air Force averaged 43.3 points per game and 503.7 total yards per game. Air Force also dominated the time of possession in each game. The Falcons held the edge of Army (32:43 to 27:17), Colorado State (41:39 to 18:21) and San Diego State (36:40 to 23:20).
Offensively speaking
Air Force enjoyed tremendous offensive success under first-year offensive coordinator Chuck Petersen. The team mixed the run and the pass with great balance to post one of the most prolific seasons in school history. A closer look at some key statistics and where they rank in Air Force history follows:
Category 2000 Rank RecordTotal Offense 4,971 9th 5,753 in 1989Average per rush 5.0 T11th 6.2 in 1988Passing Yards 1,727 7th 2,801 in 1970 (2000 total is option era record)Completion Pct. 56.6 1st Old record: 56.3 in 1985Touchdown passes 13 T4th 21 in 1970 (2000 total is option era record) Most Points 384 5th 446 in 1989Points per game 34.9 4th 37.2 in 1989Touchdowns 47 T7th 59 in 1989Field goals 19 T1st 19 in 1974First downs 280 T2nd 288 in 1989Passing first downs 85 4th 136 in 1970 (2000 total is option era record)
MWC offensive player of the year Mike Thiessen
Add the name Mike Thiessen to the list of great option quarterbacks in Air Force history. The senior from Modesto, Calif., had a great 2000 season while being name Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year. A breakdown on Thiessen follows:
Season -- Thiessen ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in total offense (218.2 average) and led the MWC in quarterback efficiency (147.0 rating) ... Led the team in rushing with 713 yards and 10 touchdowns ... Hit 112-195 passes for 1,687 yards and 13 touchdowns ... He had just five interceptions and ranked 10th nationally in quarterback efficiency ... The only quarterback in the option era (1980) at Air Force with two 200-plus passing performances in a single season ... His 13 touchdown passes is a new option era record, breaking the mark of All-American Beau Morgan (12 in 1995) ... His 1,687 yards are third all-time for a single season ... His .574 completion percentage is the best in the option era and ranks second all-time at AFA l... Thiessen's 147.0 quarterback rating is third best in AFA history
Air Force single-season leadersPassing Yards Touchdown Passes# Name, Years Stats # Name, Years Stats1. Bob Parker, 1970 2,789 1. Bob Parker, 1970 212. Gary Baxter, 1969 1,783 2. Rich Haynie, 1972 173. Mike Thiessen, 2000 1,687* 3. Gary Baxter, 1969 13* - Option era record Mike Thiessen, 2000 13*Air Force Career leadersPassing Yards -- Option Era Only Touchdown Passes -- Option Era Only# Name, Years Stats # Name, Years Stats1. Beau Morgan, 1994-96 3,248 1. Beau Morgan, 1994-96 252. Marty Louthan, 1980-83 3,137 2. Dee Dowis, 1986-89 183. Dee Dowis, 1986-89 2,870 3. Mike Thiessen, 1999-00 174. Mike Thiessen, 1999-00 2,286
Thiessen Career Notes -- Thiessen rushed for 1,534 yards and ranks 15th in AFA history ... Passed for 2,286 career yards to rank fourth among option era QBs ... .026 interception avoidance mark which is an Academy record ... 17 career TD passes which ranks third among option quarterbacks ... Five 100-yard rushing games, including two in 2000 ... 13 100-yard passing games, including 10 in 2000 ... .539 career completion percentage which ranks third in AFA history.
2000 Game-by-Game
Cal State Northridge -- Rushed for 101 yards on just 10 carries and scored a touchdown ... Hit seven of 12 passes for 75 yards ... Played just over two quarters
Brigham Young -- Helped beat BYU with his passing ability, throwing for 203 yards ... Tied the school record with four touchdown passes to become the only quarterback in the option era (1980) to throw for four TDs ... His 203 yards passing are the best since Dee Dowis set the option era record with 306 yards vs. Notre Dame in 1989 ... Was named Mountain West Conference offensive player of the week for his efforts against the Cougars
Utah -- Continued his passing fancy, hitting five of 11 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns to become the first quarterback in the option era to throw for two or more TDs in consecutive games ... Also rushed for 55 yards on 15 carries
UNLV -- Led AFA with 94 yards rushing and hit nine of 20 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown
Navy -- Rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown ... Passed for 101 yards and threw just his second interception of the season
Wyoming -- Played the best game of his career when the Air Force offense needed it most ... Helped pull a slumping offense back to dominance with 319 yards of total offense and five touchdowns ... Rushed for a season-high 126 yards and four touchdowns and hit eight of 13 passes for 193 yards and a TD ... His four rushing TDs tie a MWC record and tie as the third most in AFA history ... The last time a Falcon ran for more was Dee Dowis vs. San Diego State in 1989 with a school-record six ... The Wyoming game also marked the second time in Thiessen's career that he has rushed and passed for 100 or more yards in a game ... Was named MWC offensive player of the week for this second time this season for his efforts
New Mexico -- Hit 15 of 27 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown ... Threw his third interception of the year, but it was towards the end of the half on a desperation throw ... Rushed for two touchdowns in the game
Notre Dame -- Recorded career highs in pass attempts (29), completions (17) and yards (265) ... His 265 yards make him the first QB in the option era to have two 200-plus passing games in a season ... Threw for two touchdowns ... Rushed for a team-best 55 yards ... His 320 yards of total offense are a career high and mark the second time this season he's had 300 or more in a game (Wyoming 319)
Army -- Hit 14 of 22 passes for 163 yards ... Rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown
Colorado State -- Rushed for 78 yards on 16 carries and hit 10 of 15 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown ... Set the option era record for passing yards in a single-season and tied the single-season option era record with his 12th TD pass
San Diego State -- Rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown while hitting 10 of 17 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown ... His TD pass set a single-season option era record.
Kicker Dave Adams
After being the long field goal specialist for two years, senior Dave Adams took over the load this season. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native hit 19 of 24 field goals. Adams led the MWC in field goals per game. His 19 field goals are a new single-season record at Air Force.
Adams tied an Air Force record at Army by kicking four field goals. He is the first Falcon since Joe Wood in 1991 vs. Army to kick four field goals in a game. Adams hit kicks of 32, 43, 53 and 54 yards to become the first kicker in school history to hit two 50-plus field goals in a game. He completed his career five of six from 50-plus yards. Adams finished the year hitting nine consecutive field goals this season and 11 of his last 12. Adams has also hit 37 of 39 extra point attempts and led MWC in scoring with 94 points on the season. Adams ends his career 26-34 in field goals. Adams' 26 career field goal are fifth in AFA history. A closer look at Adams' career statistics follows:
Distance Career SeasonUnder 30 Yards 4-5 4-530-39 Yards 9-10 9-1040-49 Yards 8-12 4-650-Plus Yards 5-6 2-2Total 26-34 19-24
All-MWC WR Ryan Fleming
Junior Ryan Fleming has quickly become one of the best receivers in Air Force history. The Wyoming, Ohio, native was outstanding this season. Fleming became the first Falcon to ever lead the conference in receiving with an average of 84.5 yards per game. He caught 52 passes for 930 yards and five touchdowns this season. His 930 yards are an option era record and rank as the second most ever in AFA history. Fleming trails only All-American Ernie Jennings' 1970 total of 1,289 yards. Fleming's 52 catches are also an option era record and rank fourth all-time at the Academy. He has four 100-plus receiving games to lead the conference. The 6-foot-5 Fleming is the tallest receiver to play at Air Force since head coach Fisher DeBerry took over in 1984. Fleming had five catches of 45 yards or longer this season.
Fleming's season notes -- Cal State Northridge -- Two catches for 25 yards ... Brigham Young -- Caught five passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns ... Utah -- Came back with three catches for 128 yards and a TD vs. Utah to become the first Falcon since Steve Senn in 1989 to have back-to-back 100-yard receiving games ... Fleming's 273 yards in consecutive games is the most by a receiver in the option era (1980) ... UNLV --Three catches for a team-best 47 yards at UNLV ... Navy --Caught two passes for 63 yards ... He hauled in a career-long 61 yarder to set up an AFA touchdown ... Wyoming -- He had two catches for 36 yards at Wyoming ... New Mexico -- Recorded a career-high 10 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown ... The 10 catches are an option era record and tie as the sixth most ever at Air Force ... Notre Dame --Caught eight passes for a career-best 163 yards ... His 163 yards are a MWC single-game record ... His 163 yards are the seventh most in AFA history and second most in the option era ... Most receiving yards by a Falcon since Mike Kirby had 179 vs. Brigham Young in 1983 ... His 18 catches in consecutive games is an AFA option era record ... Caught a 46-yarder to set up AFA's game-winning field goal attempt ... Army -- Caught eight passes for 96 yards ... Colorado State -- Caught five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown ... Averaged 16.4 yards per catch ... San Diego State -- Caught four passes for 41 yards.. A closer look at AFA's single-season receiving bests follows:
Single-Season Receiving Yards Single-Season Receptions# Name, Year Yards # Name, Year Catches1. Ernie Jennings, 1970 1,289 1. Ernie Jennings, 1970 742. Ryan Fleming, 2000 930* 2. Cormac Carney, 1978 57 3. Mike Bolen, 1970 53* - Option era Record 4. Ryan Fleming, 2000 52*
Fullback rushing game
Air Force is tough to beat when the fullback rushing game is working. Air Force is 32-6, including 3-0 this season, since 1990 when the fullback position rushes for 100 or more yards. The team has won its last 11 games when the fullback reaches the century mark dating back to a 1995 loss to Notre Dame. Against Cal State Northridge, the fullbacks gained 245 combined yards which is the most since the statistic has been recorded. The previous best was a 180-yard effort against Hawaii in 1990. The Falcons posted the second-best total with 221 yards against Colorado State. Nate Beard led the way with a career-high 149 yards while Scott Becker added 72.
Nelson selected for Hula Bowl
Senior OLB Corey Nelson has been selected to play in the 2001 Hula Bowl. Nelson is the 29th Falcon selected to play in the all-star game. This season is the fifth consecutive season the Falcons have had a selection for the Hula Bowl.
Hildebrand third on career knockdown list
Senior offensive guard David Hildebrand closed his career ranked third all-time at Air Force in career knockdown blocks. The Houston, Texas, native recorded a season-high 34 in his final game in Falcon Stadium vs. San Diego State to give him 589 in his career. Frank Mindrup (1996-98), who had 642, is Air Force's all-time leader. A closer look at the Academy's career leaders follows:
# Name, Yrs. Knockdowns1. Frank Mindrup, 1996-98 642 2. Carlton Hendrix, 1994-96 6403. David Hildebrand, 1998-00 5894. Kevin Bell, 1987-89 5445. Bret Cillessen, 1994-95 542
Award winners
Honors won by Air Force players for the 2000 season follow below:
Scotty McKay -- Preseason Doak Walker Award list (nation's top running back)
Dallas Thompson -- MWC special teams player of the week vs. Cal State Northridge ... Academic all-district VII first-team.
Mike Thiessen -- MWC offensive player of the week vs. BYU s MWC offensive player of the week vs. BYU ... USA Today.com MWC player of the week vs. BYU ... USA Today.com MWC player of the week vs. Wyoming ... MWC Co-Offensive Player of the Year s First-team all-MWC at quarterback s Colorado male collegiate athlete of the year.
Corey Nelson -- MWC defensive player of the week vs. Utah s Selected to play in 2001 Hula Bowl.
Dave Adams -- MWC special teams player of the week vs. Army ... Second-team all-MWC.
Scott Becker -- National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship ... Academic all-district VII first-team.
Nate Beard -- USA Today.com player of the week vs. Colorado State.
Ryan Fleming -- First-team all-MWC WR.
David Hildebrand -- First-team all-MWC OG.
Matt Dayoc -- Second-team all-MWC OC.
C.J. Zanotti -- Second-team all-MWC ILB.
The top award
Four Falcons received the highest honor by their teammates this season. Quarterback Mike Thiessen, inside linebacker Matt Pommer, offensive tackle Ben Miller and fullback Nate Beard were selected as season captains in a vote by their teammates at the end of the season. The four will represent the team at the bowl game. Air Force used game captains during the regular season.
