Air Force Academy
Northwestern
Falcons Run All Over Wildcats In Season Opener
8/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 31, 2002
Click Here To Listen To The Play-By-PlayBy JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Chance Harridge had an easy explanation for why he had so much success in his first game as Air Force's starting quarterback: repetitions.
Harridge rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another score as Air Force routed Northwestern 52-3 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Harridge, who replaced leading passer and rusher Keith Boyea, made great decisions on the option and led the Falcons on five straight scoring drives to start the game.
He finished with 94 yards on 16 carries, and hit 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards before being replaced by Bryan Blew midway through the third quarter.
"Other quarterbacks might come to practice and throw downfield. We come to practice and run the triple option," Harridge said.
Air Force had 523 total yards - 476 rushing - and led 38-0 at halftime. The 49 points tied a school record for largest margin of victory on opening day and was the fifth-most ever.
Northwestern started three freshmen and five sophomores on defense and got even younger when middle linebacker Pat Durr and Raheem Covington were injured in the first half.
The young Wildcats seemed confused by Air Force's triple option, and Air Force quickly took advantage.
The Falcons moved 74 yards in nine plays on their first drive, capped by Harridge's 3-yard touchdown run on an option right.
Harridge scored again with 4:45 left in the first, this time on a 4-yard option left after Marchello Graddy recovered a fumble at Northwestern's 48-yard line.
Adam Strecker caught a 12-yard pass from Harridge 39 seconds into the second quarter, making it 21-0.
Joey Ashcroft kicked a 35-yard field goal with just under nine minutes left, then Nate Allen made it 31-0 when he blocked Brian Huffman's punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
Air Force has blocked a nation-leading 76 kicks since 1990 and has at least one block in 13 straight seasons.
Dan Shaffer's 1-yard touchdown dive with 25 seconds left ended Air Force's first-half scoring. The Falcons finished with 285 yards in the half.
"I think this proves that it's sort of hard to get ready for the option offense in a short period of time," Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said. "They had a good bit of time to prepare for it, but I don't know if they can improvise or whether they can practice the speed it was coming at them today."
Northwestern's offense wasn't much better than its defense.
The Wildcats' first drive ended in a fumble after center Austin King appeared to snap the ball off his own foot. Northwestern managed 37 yards and three first downs in the first half.
Northwestern didn't score until David Wasielewski hit a 51-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the third quarter, and finished with 221 total yards.
"I just thought we were really tentative," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. "They got rolling on us and we didn't have anyone to kind of stem the tide. Somebody's going to have to step up."
Quarterback Tony Stauss struggled in his first game replacing the graduated Zak Kustok, hitting 5 of 10 passes for 22 yards. Most of his attempts were short-range, and he was way off the mark the few times he threw downfield.
Brett Basanez, who replaced Stauss on Northwestern's final drive of the first half, was 14 of 26 for 158 yards.
"For us to be a good football team, we have to make first downs and move the chains on offense," Walker said. "We have to keep our defense off the field. We need to make plays and score. We kept putting young kids out there, and we got tired real fast. And it showed."
Shaffer added a 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put Air Force up 52-0.
Air Force is 20-4 in its last 24 non-conference games and has won six of its last seven openers.
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
