Air Force Hosts UNLV in MWC Football Action
10/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 6, 2003
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Air Force vs. UNLV
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1:00 p.m. (Mountain), Falcon Stadium (52,480)
THE RECORDS: Air Force is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference. UNLV is 4-1 overall. This week is the MWC opener for the Rebels.
TELEVISION: ESPN Regional. Gary Bender (play-by-play), JC Pearson (color) and Anne Marie Anderson (sidelines). The game will be televised locally in Colorado Springs on KUTV (channel 7 on Adelphia cable). In Denver, the game airs on KTVD-TV.
RADIO: Locally on KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs and Sportsradio 950, the Fan in Denver. Jim Arthur (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (analyst) call the action. They are joined by KVOR's Jay Ritchie and Greg Lazor (KKMG) for the pre and post-game shows.
LAST WEEK: Air Force lost to Navy, 28-25, at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. UNLV defeated Nevada, 16-12, in Reno, Nev.
NEXT WEEK: Air Force remains in conference play by traveling to Fort Collins, Colo., to take on Colorado State on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. UNLV returns home to host Utah on Saturday, Oct. 18. Game time is TBA.
STREAKS: Air Force has a one-game losing streak overall. The Falcons have won three straight at home. UNLV has won three consecutive games overall. The Rebels have a two-game road winning streak.
THE COACHES: Air Force is coached by Fisher DeBerry (Wofford, 1960), who is in his 20th season. The winningest coach in school history, DeBerry has posted a 154-84-1 record. For more information on Fisher DeBerry, please turn to page 14. UNLV is coached by John Robinson (Oregon, 1958), who is in his fifth season. He has led the Rebels to a 24-28 record. Robinson has a 128-43-4 career record in his 17th year.
THE SERIES: Air Force leads the series, 5-3, overall. The Falcons are 2-1 at home and 3-2 at UNLV. The team's first played Nov. 21, 1981 in Las Vegas. The Rebels won the game, 24-21. For more information on the series, please turn to page 2.
Game notes
THE AIR FORCE - UNLV SERIES: Air Force and UNLV meet for the ninth time overall and eighth time as conference foes. Air Force holds a 5-3 overall lead and has a 5-2 mark in conference games. Air Force is 2-1 at home and 3-2 on the road. The Rebels won the last game in Falcon Stadium, 34-10, in 2001. AFA won last year's game in Las Vegas, 49-32, to snap a two-game UNLV winning streak.
LAST YEAR: Air Force snapped a two-game losing streak to UNLV with a 49-32 victory in Las Vegas. The offense exploded in the second half, posting 35 points after not scoring at all in the second half in the previous two meetings vs. the Rebels. Chance Harridge led the way with 114 yards rushing and two touchdowns as he tied the Air Force single-season rushing touchdowns record with 19. Darnell Stephens added a season-high 89 yards and a score while Leotis Palmer chipped in with 50 yards and a touchdown. Harridge hit four of eight passes for 102 yards and two more scores. UNLV opened the scoring with a 40-yard Larry Croom run to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead. AFA answered with the first of Harridge's two rushing TDs. Following a Jason Thomas touchdown pass for the Rebels, the Falcons tied the score at 14-14 at the half with a Palmer six-yard scoring run. The Falcons took the lead for good on their opening drive of the second half with Harridge scoring from a yard away. The drive was set up by a 61-yard kickoff return by Alec Messerall. The 61-yard return is the longest in the conference last season. The Falcons extended the lead to 28-17 when Harridge hit Adam Strecker with a 35-yard touchdown pass. Following a UNLV touchdown, the Falcons closed the door when Harridge hit J.P. Waller with a 34-yard TD pass to give AFA a 35-25 advantage. Steve Massie and Stephens added touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to put AFA in command, 49-25. UNLV capped the scoring with a late TD pass. Air Force finished the day with 366 rushing yards and 102 passing. The team averaged 6.5 yards per rush and had just one penalty for five yards. AFA also held a 33:24 to 26:36 advantage in time of possession. The defense was paced by safety Joel Buelow, who had seven tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a quarterback sack. Larry Duncan added nine tackles.
AIR FORCE POST-GAME NOTES: Air Force forced three turnovers ... Air Force snapped a two-game MWC losing streak with the win ... Air Force improved to 5-3 overall and 5-2 in league games vs. UNLV ... The Falcons improve to 2-0 last season in November ... AFA improved to 4-1 on the road ... Air Force won for the ninth time in the last 11 games following a service academy game ... QB Chance Harridge scored his 19th rushing touchdown of the season to tie the Air Force school record ... Harridge moved over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season, becoming the 11th Falcon in Academy history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season ... Harridge recorded his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season .... Harridge matched his season high with two touchdown passes ... HB Leotis Palmer moved into 18th place on the Air Force career rushing list with 1,403 career yards ... DB Joel Buelow recorded his second interception of the season and fifth of his career ... KR Alec Messerall recorded a career-long 61-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter which was the longest return in the MWC last season ... TE Adam Strecker caught his fourth touchdown pass which set an AFA record for tight ends in the option era ... ILB Marchello Graddy recovered his fourth fumble of the season which is the most by a Falcon since 1978 .... WR J.P. Waller caught his first-career touchdown pass in the fourth quarter on a season-long 34 yard reception.
THE LAST TIME IN FALCON STADIUM: UNLV defeated Air Force, 34-10, in Falcon Stadium. The Falcons seemed to be rolling along. Keith Boyea scored on a seven-yard run to give Air Force a 7-0 first quarter lead. Brooks Walters added a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 10-0. It was all UNLV from that point. Jason Thomas scored on a two-yard run to put the Rebels on the board. Joe Haro added a one-yard run to give UNLV a 13-10 halftime lead. The Rebels capitalized on Air Force turnovers in the second half. Kevin Thomas returned an interception 57 yards and less than one minute later Scott Parkhurst returned a fumble 21 yards to give the Rebels a 27-10 lead late in the third quarter. Haro added his second TD run of the game (eight yards) early in the fourth to make up the final margin. UNLV had 353 total yards on just 61 plays. Air Force had 336 yards on 90 plays and held the ball for 36:57. Boyea led the Falcons with 73 yards rushing. He also hit 11 of 22 passes for 66 yards, but was intercepted three times. Thomas led UNLV with 77 yards rushing and 138 yards passing, hitting seven of 19 attempts. Haro added 70 yards rushing. Adam Seward led the Rebel defense with 14 total tackles, including three for a loss. The Air Force defense was led by Andy Rule, who had eight tackles. Larry Duncan chipped in with eight tackles and recorded his third interception of the season.
UNLV CONNECTIONS: Air Force senior Anthony Park is a native of Las Vegas. Park attended Las Vegas High School where he lettered four years in track and two years in football. Park was a first-team all-state selection in football. In track, he earend All-American honors in the triple jump and long jump.
AIR FORCE / UNLV COMPARISIONS: Air Force and UNLV are two of the top scoring defenses in the conference. The Falcons rank third allowing just 18.2 points per game. UNLV is fourth at 20.6 per game. The Falcons are the MWC's top rushing offense with an average of 303.5 yards per game. That total ranks second nationally. The Rebels are second in the conference in rushing defense with a 113.6 average. The Falcons lead the MWC in third down conversions with a 55.4 mark. The Rebels are the league's top third-down defense, allowing opponents just a 23.9 percent conversion rate.
AIR FORCE LAST WEEK: Air Force lost to Navy for the first time in seven years and just the third time in the last 22 meetings as the Midshipmen defeated No. 25 Air Force, 28-25, at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. Fullback Kyle Eckle led Navy with a career-high 176 yards rushing and a touchdown on 33 carries. Eckel's TD with 7:35 remaining in the game was the difference as Navy defeated a nationally-ranked team for the first time since 1985. Air Force controlled the first quarter, holding the ball for 11:06 and out-gaining Navy, 81-22, in total yards. The Falcons only had a 3-0 lead to show for their efforts. Joey Ashcroft kicked a 26-yard field goal to get AFA on the board after the team's opening drive ended on a fourth-and-two deep inside Navy territory. Navy came back with a Craig Candeto two-yard run to take the lead, 7-3, with 9:19 to play in the half. On AFA's next possession, quarterback Chance Harridge was intercepted and Navy returned it to the AFA four-yardline to set up a Michael Brimage three-yard run to make it 14-3. Harridge answered with a one-yard run to cut the lead to 14-10 at the half. The Midshipmen took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 82 yards in 14 plays to take a 21-10 lead on Candeto's 10-yard TD pass to Tony Lane. The Falcons opened the fourth quarter with a Brett Waller fumble recovery in the end zone on a Harridge fumble. Joe Schieffer added a two-point conversion run to cut the lead to 21-18 with 14:09 remaining. Navy answered with Eckel's score to take a 28-18 lead. Harridge added a late TD run with 20 seconds remaining, but Navy recovered the on-sides kick to secure the win. In addition to Eckel's heroics, Candeto added 65 yards rushing and 32 yards passing for the Midshipmen. Navy finished the day with 326 total yards, including 294 rushing. The Falcons finished with 362 total yards and were led by Harridge's season-high 129 yards rushing. He also hit seven of 15 passes for 87 yards. Darnell Stephens chipped in with 88 yards rushing on a career-high 20 carries. AFA was led defensively by Marchello Graddy, who had a career-high 18 tackles. Trevor Hightower chipped in with a career-best 16. Monty Coleman added seven total tackles and three tackles for loss.
Season Notes
AIR FORCE QUICK FACTS: Quick facts about Air Force this season follow: The Falcons are one of only three teams in the MWC (Colorado State, UNLV) to defeat a team from a BCS conference on the road (W 22-21 at Northwestern) ... Air Force has nine interceptions this season for 215 return yards. The team's nine interceptions lead the Mountain West Conference and are tied for ninth nationally. Last year the team had 12 interceptions for 95 yards all season ... AFA ranks third in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 18.2 points per game ... AFA ranks third in the nation in net punting with a 44.0 average ... Air Force is the least penalized team in the MWC, averaging just 34.7 yards per game ... The Falcons lead the MWC in kickoff coverage, allowing just 16.1 yards per return.
AIR FORCE AND THE BCS: Air Force's victory over Northwestern Sept. 6 marks the team's third consecutive regular season win and its third in the last four games overall against teams from BCS conferences. Air Force's only loss came at the hands of Virginia Tech, 20-13, in the 2002 San Francisco Bowl. The wins have come against Northwestern at home in 2002, at California in 2002 and at Northwestern this season. Last season's wins marked the first time since 1998 that Air Force has beaten two teams from BCS conferences in a single season. In 1998, the team beat Wake Forest from the ACC, 42-0, and Washington of the Pac-10, 45-25.
ROAD WARRIORS: Air Force has been tough on the road recently. Including this season's 2-1 road mark, the Falcons are 36-21 in the last 57 road games, including bowls, since 1994. Air Force has had just one losing road record in the last nine years.
5-0 START A SIGN OF GOOD THINGS: This season marks the fifth time in the Fisher DeBerry era that the Falcons have opened the season 5-0. In the previous four seasons, Air Force has averaged 9.5 wins per season and gone to a post-season bowl game every year. The team has never won fewer than eight games when opening 5-0. This is the second consecutive year AFA has opened 5-0 which is a first in the DeBerry era. Prior to last season, the team hadn't opened 5-0 since 1997.
RETURNING STARTER AT QUARTERBACK A GOOD SIGN: Senior quarterback Chance Harridge is one of 16 returning starters. That's a good sign for the Falcons. Since Fisher DeBerry took over as head coach in 1984, the Falcons are 67-25-1 when the starting quarterback returns. Air Force has averaged 8.8 wins per season and has a .725 winning percentage. The team has had just one losing season and three 10-plus win seasons. The last time AFA returned its starting QB was in 2000 when Mike Thiessen helped lead the Falcons to a 9-3 record.
SCORING FANCY: Air Force leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring offense with a 31.5 average. The Falcons are in search of their third scoring title in four years. AFA averaged 33.8 points per game last season to win the MWC scoring title for the second time in three years. The Falcons also took the top spot in 2000 with a 34.9 mark. Last season's average ranked 15th nationally and sixth in school history. The team scored 52 (twice), 49 (twice), 48, 38, 34 and 30 points. AFA got off to a fast start this season with a 49-point effort vs. Wofford. Assistant coach Chuck Petersen has led the Falcons to 26 30-plus scoring efforts in 43 games as offensive coordinator.
FALCONS IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES: Air Force is 26-7 in its last 33 non-conference games dating back to 1997. AFA is 16-3 at home and 10-4 on the road and in neutral site games. Three of the losses have come at the hands of nationally-ranked teams. Air Force fell to eighth-ranked Notre Dame, 34-31, in overtime in 2000 and in 2001 to third-ranked Oklahoma, 44-3, in Falcon Stadium. Last season, the team fell at home, 21-14, to seventh-ranked Notre Dame. AFA head coach Fisher DeBerry is 64-29 during his career in non-conference games.
AIR FORCE TIED FOR 14TH NATIONALLY IN WINS SINCE 1997: Air Force ranks second in the Mountain West Conference and 11th nationally since 1997 in total wins. The Falcons have a 56-24 record (.700). During the last seven years, Air Force has posted seasons with nine (2000), 10 (1997) and 12 (1998) wins. Air Force posted the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in program history in 1997-98 with 10 and 12 wins, respectively.
DEFENSE PICKS UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF: The new Air Force defensive system (3-3-5) has paid off big for the Falcons. The 2003 season is the team's second in the system. Through six games this season, AFA has allowed just 18.2 points per game which ranks third in the conference and 32nd nationally. AFA is third in the league in total defense with a 334.2 average. The defense has already recorded nine interceptions for 215 return yards. The team's nine interceptions lead the conference and rank ninth nationally. Last year, AFA had just 12 interceptions for 95 yards overall. The defense has been outstanding this season following an Air Force turnover. The unit has allowed just 10 points following 10 AFA turnovers. The team has stopped drives twice with interceptions, forced two punts and stopped an opponent on a fourth down play. A closer look at some highlights of the AFA defense this season follows below. Last year's unit was much improved over 2001. The most important category was scoring defense. AFA allowed 32.2 points per game in 2001. Last year, opponents scored just 23.3 per contest which ranked third in the MWC and 41st nationally. Air Force gave up an average of 452.7 yards per game in 2001. Last season, that figure was 354.3 which ranked third in the conference and 47th nationally.
Season Defensive Highlights: The Falcons opened the year with a 49-0 domination of Wofford. Air Force allowed just 175 total yards against Wofford which is the best single-game effort in the MWC this season. The Terriers managed just nine first downs and drove into Falcon territory just three times, including once in the second half. Air Force's shutout is the team's third on opening day in the last eight years ... AFA recorded four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and held Northwestern to just 46 yards on 22 plays in the fourth quarter ... The Falcons held North Texas to just seven points until two late touchdowns made up the final margin. The biggest effort against North Texas was the defense picking up the offense after turnovers. The Mean Green had three possessions following AFA turnovers and were held to -5 yards on 10 plays. The defense forced three turnovers of its own ... AFA held BYU to 10 points or less for the second consecutive year, a first in school history.
AIR FORCE SEEKS SECOND STRAIGHT NATIONAL RUSHING TITLE: Air Force ranks second nationally in rushing this week with a 303.5 average. One of the most dominant rushing teams in college football since Fisher DeBerry took over in 1984, the Falcons have consistently been in the nation's top 10, but never won the title until last year. AFA has won 19 conference rushing titles and ranked among the nation's top 10 19 times and top five 15 times. The top spot nationally seems to be a comfortable position for Air Force. Dating back to their national title run of last year, Air Force has led the nation 14 of the last 21 weeks. The seven weeks that AFA has not led, the team has ranked second six times and third once.
BLOCKED KICKS: Air Force is one of the premier kick-blocking teams in college football. AFA has blocked three kicks this season. The Falcons recorded their first block of the season vs. North Texas when Adrian Wright blocked a punt for his first-career block. AFA had two blocks vs. Wyoming. Nick Taylor blocked a PAT and Jeff Overstreet blocked a punt. The blocks were the first of each player's career. Air Force has blocked 83 kicks since 1990 which ranks second nationally to Virginia Tech, who has blocked 85. During the 1990s, Virginia Tech led the nation with 62 while Air Force was second with 60. AFA has blocked at least three kicks in 14 consecutive years.
FULLBACK RUSHING GAME: Air Force is tough to beat when the fullback rushing game is working. The Falcons opened the 2003 season with the fullback game in high gear, despite missing one of its leaders. Last year's starter, Steve Massie, missed the opener with a stress reaction in his lower leg, but his teammates certainly made up for the loss. Dan Shaffer and Adam Cole, along with freshman Jacobe Kendrick combined for 170 yards and scored five touchdowns. Shaffer rushed for 64 yards and three TDs while Cole chipped in with 44 yards and a touchdown. Kendrick added 62 yards and a TD on 14 carries in his first-career game. Air Force is 35-8 since 1990 when the position rushes for 100 or more yards.
HALFBACK RUSHING GAME: Air Force has one of its best groups of halfbacks in recent years. The group is made up of senior Joe Schieffer, juniors Darnell Stephens, Anthony Butler and Kris Holstege and sophomores Matt Ward and Jason Boman. The group had its best game of the season against Wyoming, rushing for 235 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Darnell Stephens led the way with 91 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Anthony Butler added 70 yards on 10 carries while Matt Ward chipped in with 42 yards and two scores on just five carries. Schieffer added 34 yards which is the second-best day of his career. Schieffer's final carry, a five-yard gain, may have been the biggest as the Falcons picked up a fourth-and-one at Wyoming's 48 yardline to run out the clock. The 235 yards are the most by the halfbacks since the Army game last year when they went for 238 yards. In that game, Leotis Palmer had 66, Butler 84, Stephens 75 and Ward 13. Halfbacks have been the team's top three rushers in a game twice this season (BYU and North Texas). That's pretty rare at the Academy. The last time it happened once in a game was in 2001 against UNLV in a loss. The last time it happened in an AFA win was in 1993 against Indiana State. On the season, halfbacks have gained 50.9 percent (927 yards) of the team's 1,821 rushing yards. Stephens leads the way with 377 yards while Butler has chipped in with 291.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S TROPHY: The 2003 season marks the 33rd year of Commander-in-Chief's Trophy competition between Air Force, Army and Navy. Each year, the President of the United States hosts the winning team at the White House to present them the CIC Trophy. Air Force has dominated the competition with 16 titles. Army has won it six times and Navy five. Air Force is 0-1 this season in CIC games, having lost at Navy, 28-25. The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak in CIC games. The loss to Navy is AFA's first since 1996 in the series. Air Force has a 43-20-0 all-time CIC record. Fisher DeBerry has led the Falcons to 14 of the 16 titles and has a 32-7 CIC record. The Falcons have been in possession of the Trophy for all but one year (Army, 1996) since 1989.
Individual Notes
STEPHENS BECOMING FORCE: Junior halfback Darnell Stephens is becoming a force in the Falcon offense. The Midwest City, Okla., native is second on the team in rushing with 377 yards. He's averaging 5.1 yards per carry and 62.8 yards per game. Over his last three games, Stephens has rushed for 272 yards on 50 carries for an average of 90.1 yards per game. Stephens has recorded his career high in rushing attempts each game and his career best in rushing yards two of the three games. Stephens started his streak with 14 carries for 91 yards vs. Wyoming. Both were career highs. Against BYU, he added 16 carries for a career-best 93 yards. Last week at Navy, Stephens rushed for 88 yards on a career-high 20 carries.
BUTLER BREAKS INTO TOP 30: Junior halfback Anthony Butler became the 30th Falcon to rush for 1,000 yards during his career against Navy. Butler rushed for 23 yards and now stands 29th in school history with 1,015 yards. Butler's total ranks fifth all-time among halfbacks in the option era.
CHELLO NO. 1: Senior Marchello Graddy leads the Mountain West Conference in tackles this season with an average of 10.5 per game. He is the only player in the league averaging 10 or more stops per game. Graddy recorded a career-high 18 tackles last week at Navy which is the most by a player in the conference this season. His 18 stops is also the most by a Falcon since Anthony Schlegel had 19 vs. Notre Dame last season. "Chello" is the first Falcon to lead the league in tackles since Chris Gizzi in 1997.
ALLEN ALREADY FOURTH: Junior defensive back Nate Allen has been solid this season. He is currently tied for fourth in the MWC with two interceptions. Allen has returned his two interceptions for 117 yards (79 vs. Northwestern and 38 vs. North Texas) which are the most by a Falcon in a season since Frank Staine-Pyne had 182 yards in 1997. Allen's interception return yards this season are the fourth most in school history. Allen was named Mountain West Conference defensive player of the week for his efforts in Air Force's 22-21 win over Northwestern. Allen gave the Falcons new life when he intercepted the first pass of his career and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown to pull AFA within eight points, 21-13, late in the third quarter. Allen also had a pass breakup and three unassisted tackles in the game. Allen's 79-yard return is the longest by a Falcon since teammate Larry Duncan set the school record with a 95-yard return against Army in 2001.
MARTIN LEADS THE MWC IN PUNTING: Senior Andrew Martin had a successful debut as the team's starting punter against Wofford. Martin punted twice for a 53.5 average with a long punt of 56 yards. His 53.5 average is the best by any punter in the MWC this season. He also had a punt downed inside the 20. Martin is averaging 45.7 yards per punt on the season which leads the conference. Martin doesn't have enough punts to qualify for the national statistics. Martin's 45.7 norm ties as the third best single-season mark in Academy history. The record is held by Mark Simon, who averaged 47.3 in 1985. A closer look at AFA's single-season leaders follows below. Martin has been instrumental in helping the Falcons to rank third in the nation in net punting with a 44.0 average. Martin's career-long punt of 69 yards against Northwestern is the longest by a player in the MWC this season. As good as Martin's punting is, its his persistence that may be his best asset. Martin was cut during his freshman year. He walked back onto the team as a sophomore for spring practice and was the team's junior varsity punter in 2002. During last spring's drills, the Lucas, Ohio, native impressed the coaches with his improved leg strength and earned the starting job this fall.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE EXPERIENCE: Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry often says there is no substitute for playing experience. The Falcons have a roster full of experienced players in 2003. The team has 15 players with 10 or more career starts and seven players with 10 or more consecutive starts. Leading the way is senior offensive lineman Brett Huyser, who has starting 23 consecutive and 24 overall. Tight end Adam Strecker, quarterback Chance Harridge and offensive linemen Brett Waller and Jesse Underbakke have each started 19 straight. Safety Larry Duncan follows with 16 consecutive starts and 24 overall while Monty Coleman has 13 straight and 22 overall.
COLEMAN AMONG THE MWC'S BEST: Senior Monty Coleman is having a great season. In his second year at defensive end, Coleman is finding the position to his liking. Coleman is tied for eighth in the conference in quarterback sacks with 2.5 which is an average of .42 per game. He is second in the conference in tackles for loss with 8.5 for 32 yards. He averages 1.42 per game. While Coleman is rolling up big numbers on the field, it's off the field where he is having his biggest impact. Coleman helped start a mentoring program called Hope Springs, which is a pilot program under the umbrella of Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The program benefits teenagers from single-parent homes and that live with mothers or grandparents. Two of Coleman's teammates, Jeff Overstreet and Sean Rodgers, have also been active in the program. Coleman was mentored by former Phoenix Suns star, Kevin Johnson, while growing up in the Phoenix area.
HIGHTOWER HAS CAREER DAY VS. NAVY: Senior Trevor Hightower had his best day statistically as a Falcon vs. Navy. Hightower recorded a career-best 16 tackles, including 12 assisted and one tackle for a loss of two yards. His 16 stops ties as the second-most in the conference this season behind teammate Marchello Graddy's 18 vs. the Midshipmen. The Plano, Texas, native ranks sixth in the Mountain West Conference in tackles with an 8.7 average. He is also ninth in tackles for loss with 5.5 for 18 yards which is a .92 per-game average.
WRIGHT NAMED SPECIAL TEAMS LEADER: Senior Adrian Wright has been named special teams leader this season by the coaching staff. This season marks the first time the staff has given out the honor. Wright was chosen because he plays on every special teams unit and has shown great leadership. Wright is responsible for motivating the units during practices and games. In addition, Wright works with the team to select the music and video used to introduce the units.
MASSIE WINS MR. INTENSITY AWARD: Senior fullback Steve Massie was awarded the football team's Jack Braley Mr. Intensity Award, given annually to the player on the team that worked the hardest and had the most dedication in the weight room during the off season. Massie ranked first on the team in bench press with a maximum lift of 405 pounds. Massie squated 515 pounds and cleaned 319 until a wrist injury forced him to slow down.
THREE FALCONS SELECTED FOR POST-SEASON BOWL GAMES: Air Force senior quarterback Chance Harridge and senior tight Adam Strecker have been selected to play in the Las Vegas All-American Classic, formerly known as the Paradise Bowl. The game takes place at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2004, and will be televised by Fox Sports. The classic pits the West team made up of players from the Big 12, Mountain West, Pacific 10, Sun Belt and Western Athletic Conferences against the East with players from the Big 10, Big East, Conference USA, Mid-American and Southeastern conferences. Harridge and Strecker's selection makes three all-star game appearances for the Falcons, as teammate Brett Huyser was selected for the East-West Shrine Classic.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Air Force has three brother combinations on the team this season. Junior fullback Dan Shaffer is joined by his younger brother, David, a sophomore nose guard. Senior fullback Steve Massie is joined by his younger brother, John, a freshman on the junior varsity. Junior place kicker Michael Greenaway has a younger brother, Brendan, who is a freshman on the JV.
HARRIDGE ON NATIONAL RADIO SHOW: Senior quarterback Chance Harridge has been selected to participate in a weekly national radio show on Fox Sports Radio this season. Harridge will tape his interview each Wednesday during the football season for the show which airs every Saturday on the Fox radio network. The show airs locally on KKZN 760 in Denver, KIIX 1410 in Fort Collins and KGHF 1350 in Colorado Springs.
Football Facts
FAST STARTS THE NORM: Air Force has a history of getting off to a fast start with Fisher DeBerry at the helm. In addition to a 17-3 mark in season openers, the Falcons are 61-24 (.717) in August and September under DeBerry. Air Force has won 11 straight and 27 of its last 32 games during the last eight seasons in August and September. That's an .843 winning percentage. AFA's last loss in August or September came against third-ranked Oklahoma in 2001. The Falcons completed a 5-0 mark this season during the early months.
MOST RETURNING STARTERS IN DEBERRY ERA: Air Force finds itself in unfamilier territory in 2003. The team may go from underdog to favorite. The reason is simple. The Falcons return 16 starters from last season's team. AFA has seven starters on offense and defense returning as well as two on special teams. The 16 returning starters is the most in Fisher DeBerry's tenure at the Academy. Last year, Air Force returned only five starters which was the fewest in the DeBerry era.
AIR FORCE OPENS WITH ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST PRODUCTIVE DAYS: Air Force got 2003 off to a great start with its 49-0 win over Wofford. The Falcons had one of the best statistical days, as the team ranked among the national leaders in several categories. The team tied for the national lead in scoring defense with the shutout. AFA's 49-point effort was the sixth-best nationally. The team ranked in the nation's top five in five other categories. AFA's rushing offense (380) was first, the net punting (50.5) was second, the total defense (175) was fourth, passing defense (87) seventh and the turnover margin of +2 was tied for ninth.
DEBERRY WINS NO. 150: Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry won his 150th career game as the Falcons defeated his alma mater, Wofford College, 49-0, on Aug. 30. DeBerry has a 152-83-1 career record in 20 seasons as a head coach, all at the Academy. DeBerry is the winningest coach in service academy football history. His .646 winning percentage is the best in Air Force history and his 152 wins at Air Force is more than the other four head coaches in school history combined (134-151-12).
