Air Force Academy
California
Air Force Falls To California In Season-opener
9/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 4, 2004
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - J.J. Arrington ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns, and Aaron Rodgers threw for 208 yards and a touchdown to help No. 13 California pull away from Air Force in the second half of a 56-14 victory Saturday.
Air Force knocked off Cal the last time the Bears were ranked in 2002 and another upset appeared to be brewing when the Falcons were within seven points at halftime.
But after struggling with Air Force's triple option early, Cal figured out its assignments and started stringing the Falcons out toward the sideline.
Air Force had 214 yards its first three drives, but just 12 in its next four. The Falcons finished with 271 total yards - 56 in the second half - and weren't much better on defense, giving up the most points on opening day in school history.
Cal's offense got off to a quick start and never really slowed. The Bears had touchdowns on their first three possessions and put the game away with five more in the second half. Cal finished with 573 yards to survive a difficult opening road test in a season that started with the school's highest preseason ranking in 50 years.
It just took a little while to dispatch the pesky Falcons.
Cal used a mix of short passes and runs behind the tackles to move 80 yards in 12 plays on its first drive. Arrington capped it with an 11-yard touchdown run, taking off right and cutting back through a hole up the middle to score easily.
Then Air Force did what it does best: control the clock.
With Shaun Carney looking more like a veteran than the first freshman quarterback to start on opening day, the Falcons chewed up more than 6 minutes on their first drive. Carney finished off the 17-play, 77-yard march, hitting Robert McMenomy on a 10-yard touchdown pass over the middle.
Cal didn't waste any time answering, moving 80 yards in eight plays for another Arrington touchdown run. This time the senior took off left and cut back to the middle to go in untouched for a 4-yard score.
Air Force kept churning away on its next drive until Cal's Matt Giordano stepped in front of Andy Messerall for an interception at the Bears' 9-yard line. Arrington went 89 yards up the middle on the next play, setting up Rodgers' 1-yard touchdown dive that made it 21-7.
But Carney shrugged off the pick, keeping Air Force's option in a rhythm on an 80-yard drive that ended with fullback Dan Shaffer's 2-yard touchdown on an option up the middle.
Air Force's defense finally stiffened after that, forcing Cal to punt twice to end the first half just seven points behind.
But it didn't last.
Arrington scored on a 1-yard dive over the top to open the third quarter, then Chase Lyman followed with a 78-yard touchdown catch after cornerback Nate Allen slipped with just over a minute left.
Terrell Williams opened the fourth quarter with an 11-yard touchdown run, Marshawn Lynch scored on a 43-yard run and Justin Forsett capped the 35-point half with a 13-yard touchdown run.
Carney finished with 75 yards on 18 carries and was 9-for-15 for 89 yards passing.
