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Air Force Post-Game Quotes
Vs. San Diego State (Nov. 17, 2007)

"They absolutely have (come such a long ways). I don't know how you quantify it. How do you measure that? As the season went along we had a faster, more aggressive, more instinctive, more powerful and more skilled football team throughout the year. And you can do that at the Air Force Academy. I know that there's the misnomer that you can't do that, but that's the way it should be. Our kids are sharp, our kids are passionate and you should see them make strides. Even more importantly, it was done collectively."

San DiegoStateHead Coach Chuck Long
"It was a tough day for our defense. And we didn't help matters on offense, turning the ball over early. It's a tough preparation for us - that option game. We just didn't play well against it. You saw what happened. We've come too far…we've got to write that one away. We've got to move on to TCU. We've come too far to let that one get to us. We just have to move forward, as quickly as possible. Hats off to (Air Force) though, they have an excellent system. They work it well, but we just struggled."

Game Notes

Team Notes

Air Force closes the regular season with a 9-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Air Force's nine wins are the most since 2000 when the Falcons also finished 9-3. The nine regular season wins are the most since the 1998 team posted 11. The team's six conference wins are the most in school history in the MWC and tie as the third-most in conference play all-time and are the most since the 1998 team was 7-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Air Force's win over San Diego State to improve to 9-3 completed a five-game turnaround from last season when the team finished 4-8. The five-game turnaround is the second-largest in school history and largest since the 1957-58 when there was a six-game swing from 3-6-1 to 9-0-2.
Air Force's nine wins tie as the sixth most in school history. The nine wins are the most since 2000 and mark the 10th time in school history the Falcons have won nine games or more.
Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun matched the most wins in school history for a first-year head coach. Calhoun matched the mark of the legendary Ben Martin, who led the Falcons to a 9-0-2 mark in 1958. Calhoun is already the most successful first-year coach in conference wins with six. The broke the mark of four since in 1984 by Fisher DeBerry.
Air Force concluded the season with a 6-0 mark in Falcon Stadium. The undefeated home season is just the third in school history first since the 1998 team was 6-0. The 1985 team is the only other in school history to go undefeated at home with a 6-0 mark.
Air Force improved to 17-9 overall against San Diego State, including a 10-4 mark at home. The Falcons have now won two of the last three in the series, including two in a row in Falcon Stadium.
Air Force closed the season with a 5-1 mark over the final six games of the year. The Falcons entered the season with a 12-24 over the last six years in the final six games of the year. Air Force's 5-1 mark is the best since the 1998 team was 6-0.
Air Force is using game captains this season. The captains for the San Diego State game were seniors John Rabold (OLB), Aaron Shanor (ILB), Shaun Carney (QB) and Chad Hall (WR-Z/TB). The team is also using honorary captains. The honorary captains were Academy graduates Dee Dowis and Lt. Col. J.T. Tokish, along with former superintendent Gen. (Ret.) Skip Scott. Dowis, a 1990 graduate, was a four-year football letterman and was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1989 while rushing and passing for over 1,000 yards each. Tokish, a 1991 graduate, was a four-year letterman and Academic All-American in 1990.
San Diego State's first-quarter touchdown to take a 7-0 lead marked the first Air Force deficit since the fourth quarter against New Mexico. The Falcons had not trailed in their last two games or eight quarters. Air Force tied the game shortly after and never trailed again. Over the last three games, Air Force has trailed for just 2:04 combined.
Air Force extended its consecutive games scoring streak to 180 games. The last time Air Force was shutout was Dec. 31, 1992, vs. Mississippi (13-0) in the Liberty Bowl. The 180-game streak is the longest in school history and ranks as the eighth-longest active streak in the nation.
Air Force's first two touchdown drives took a combined 41 seconds (:18 and :23 seconds). Air Force entered the game with just one drive under 30 seconds for a touchdown this season.
Air Force has had three touchdown runs of over 70 yards this season. Jim Ollis went 71 yards vs. TCU, Shaun Carney scored on a 71-yard run vs. UNLV and Ty Paffett scored from 73 yards vs. San Diego State.
Air Force tied a season high with 28 points in the first half vs. San Diego State. The Falcons also scored 28 points vs. Colorado State.
Air Force's attendance of 34,227 vs. San Diego State brings the season average to 38,068 which is the best season average since 2003 when the school averaged 39,209.
Air Force rushed for 569 yards vs. San Diego State which is the seventh most in school history and most since rushing for 583 vs. Cal State Northridge in 2000. The 569 yards vs. SDSU are the most vs. a Division I-A team since getting 640 vs. Utah in 1988.
Air Force averaged 8.9 yards per carry vs. San Diego State which is the fourth most in school history and most since getting 9.0 vs. San Diego State in 1989.
Air Force scored a season-high 56 points vs. San Diego State. The previous high was 45 points vs. Colorado State. Air Force's 56 points are the 14th most in school history and most since scoring 56 vs. New Mexico in 1998. The Falcons have scored 30 or more in four straight games which is the longest streak since 2000 when the team scored 30-plus in five straight including a bowl game.
Air Force had 670 total yards vs. San Diego State which is the third most in school history and most since getting 698 vs. Cal State Northridge in 2000. The school record of 700 yards was set vs. UTEP in 1994.
Air Force improved to 9-0 this season when it has a 100-yard rusher. Jim Ollis, Chad Hall and Ty Paffett did the honors vs. San Diego State.
Air Force had three players rush for over 100 yards vs. San Diego State to mark the fourth time in school history that three players have hit the 100-yard mark in a game. Against San Diego State, Jim Ollis (163), Chad Hall (155) and Ty Paffett (105) did the honors. The trio is the first since 1988 vs. Utah when halfback Albert Booker (107), halfback Anthony Roberson (186) and fullback Andy Smith (213) did it. Air Force also did it in 1984 and 1985.

Individual Notes

Senior WR-Z/TB Chad Hall became the career all-purpose yards leader in Air Force history in the San Diego State game. Hall recorded 151 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards and 89 return yards to give him 271 for the game and pushed his career total to 4,019. He surpassed the record of Ernie Jennings (1968-70), who had 3,848. Hall also holds the single game and single season records for all-purpose yards. Hall's 271 all-purpose yards vs. SDSU rank as the fifth most in school history. Hall has four of the top six performances in school history and has notched an average of 292.0 his last three games.
Chad Hall rushed for 151 yards vs. San Diego State to move into second place on the Air Force single-season rushing list with 1,415 yards. He trails only Beau Morgan, who rushed for 1,494 in 1996. Hall's 100-yard effort is his sixth in the last seven games and ninth time in his career he's topped 100 yards rushing.
Chad Hall scored two touchdowns vs. San Diego State to give him 14 this season which ranks tied for 11th in Air Force history for a single season. His 14 touchdowns are the most in a season since Chance Harridge set the school record of 22 in 2002.
Chad Hall recorded three catches vs. San Diego State to move into eighth place on the Air Force single-season receptions list with 46. Hall's 46 catches are the most since Jason Brown had 49 in 2005.
Junior FB Todd Newell made the first start of his career.
Senior OLB John Rabold recovered his fourth fumble this season which ties as the seventh most in a single season in Air Force history and is the most since Marchello Graddy had five in 2003. Rabold entered the game tied for second in the Mountain West Conference with .27 recoveries per game.
Senior TB Jim Ollis rushed for a career-best 163 yards on 15 carries to record his second-career 100-yard game. Ollis' previous career best was 138 earlier this season vs. TCU. Ollis scored on a 54-yard run in the first quarter to get Air Force on the board. The touchdown run is his second this season of over 50 years. Ollis scored on a 71-yard run earlier this season vs. TCU. Ollis also scored on a 31-yard run.
Senior FS Bobby Giannini recorded his first interception this season and sixth of his career. He has recorded at least one interception per season during his career at Air Force. He recorded one as a freshman in 2004, one in 2005 and three last season. His six career interceptions rank second among active players, trailing Carson Bird's eight.
Senior WR-Z Ty Paffett rushed for a career-high 107 yards vs. San Diego State. Paffett's previous high for rushing yards was 20 earlier this season vs. New Mexico. Paffett scored on a career-long 73-yard run in the second quarter. The 73-yard run is the longest by a Falcon this season and longest since Blane Morgan went 80 yards vs. New Mexico in 1998. The 73-yard run ties the 15th longest in school history. Paffett added two more touchdown run to give him a career-best three for the game. His three touchdown runs is the second-most by a Falcon this season, trailing only Chad Hall's four vs. Colorado State.
Junior TE Travis Dekker recorded three catches vs. San Diego State. Dekker has now caught a pass in every game he's played this season (11 games). Dekker has 21 catches on the season which is the most by an Air Force tight end since Trent Van Hulzen, who had 26 catches in 1989.
Senior OLB John Rabold recorded a quarterback sack in the third quarter to notch 16.5 tackles for loss this season. Rabold has recorded at least one tackle behind the line of scrimmage in 10 straight games and 11 of 12 this season.
Senior CB Carson Bird forced and recovered a fumble vs. San Diego State to record his ninth turnover this season. Bird has six interceptions and three fumble recoveries to go with his first forced fumble.

Players Mentioned

Carson Bird

Shaun Carney

Travis Dekker

Bobby Giannini

Chad Hall

Todd Newell

Jim Ollis

Ty Paffett

John Rabold

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