Air Force Football Regular Season Recap/Updates
11/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 24, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Air Force finishes regular season
Air Force concluded the regular season with an 8-4 overall mark and finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a 5-3 mark. Air Force will be going to a post-season bowl game for the second straight season. The team played in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl last year. This season marks the first back-to-back seasons with bowl appearances since 1997-98. The Falcons played in the Las Vegas Bowl in 1997 and the O'ahu Bowl the following year. Head coach Troy Calhoun is just the second coach in school history to take the Falcons to bowl games in each of his first two seasons. Fisher DeBerry is the other, as he led Air Force to to the Independence Bowl in 1984 and the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1985.
Air Force bowl history
Air Force will play in its 19th bowl game in 2008. The Falcons are 8-9-1 all-time in bowls, dating back to the 1958 season. The Falcons snapped a five-year drought by playing in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl last season. A closer look at Air Force's bowl history follows.
Season Bowl Opponent Result1958 Cotton TCU Tied 0-01963 Gator North Carolina Lost 0-351970 Sugar Tennessee Lost 13-341982 Hall of Fame Vanderbilt Won 36-281983 Independence Mississippi Won 9-31984 Independence Virginia Tech Won 23-71985 Bluebonnet Texas Won 24-161987 Freedom Arizona State Lost 28-331989 Liberty Mississippi Lost 29-421990 Liberty Ohio State Won 23-111991 Liberty Mississippi State Won 38-151992 Liberty Mississippi Lost 0-131995 Copper Texas Tech Lost 41-551997 Las Vegas Oregon Lost 13-411998 O'ahu Washington Won 45-252000 Silicon Valley Fresno State Won 37-342002 San Francisco Virginia Tech Lost 13-202007 Armed Forces California Lost 36-42
Did you know.....
- Air Force's 17 wins since 2007 are the best in back-to-back season since 1998-99 when it combined for 18 (12-1 in 1998, 6-5 in 1999).
- Air Force has posted 11 MWC wins in back-to-back seasons which is a school record. The previous mark was eight in 2000 (5-2) and 2001 (3-4). Air Force finished 5-3 this season and 6-2 last year, marking the first time in school history the team has won four or more MWC games in back-to-back seasons.
- Head coach Troy Calhoun has led Air Force to 17 wins in his two seasons at Air Force. The 17 wins are the second-best of any service academy head coach in his first two years. Fisher DeBerry, who took over Air Force in 1984, has the best mark with 20 wins. Air Force was 12-1 in 1985 and 8-4 in 1984. The Falcons were a combined 18-7 in 1982-83 prior to his taking over.
Most wins at a service academy in first two years
Name, School Years WinsFisher DeBerry, AF 1984-85 20Troy Calhoun, AF 2007-08 17Ralph Sasse, Army 1930-31 17Charles Daly, Army 1913-14 17Paul Dashiell, Navy 1904-05 17
- Air Force had a five game winning streak earlier this season. The five-game streak is the longest since the 2003 when the team opened 5-0. The five-game streak is the best in the second half of the season since 1998 when the team won nine straight.
- Air Force had a four game MWC winning streak which is a school record.
Air Force 5-1 away from home this season
Air Force is 5-1 away from Falcon Stadium this season. The Falcons have defeated Wyoming, San Diego State, UNLV and Army on the road and Houston in a neutral site game. The team's only loss came at No. 15 TCU. The 5-1 mark is the best since 1994 and ranks as the third-best mark in school history. The 1958 team posted the school's only undefeated road team with a 6-0-1 away record and 6-0-2 record including neutral site games. A closer look at the best road teams in school history follows:
Year Away Away/Neutral1958 6-0-1 6-0-21985 5-1 6-12008 4-1 5-11994 5-1 5-1
Playing best when it matters most
Air Force finished 4-2 this season and is 9-3 under head coach Troy Calhoun in games during the second half of the season (last six games). Prior to Calhoun's arrival in 2007, the Falcons were 12-24 over the last six games of the season since 2001. The Falcons went 5-1 last season which is the best mark since the 1998 team was 6-0.
Final 6 Regular Season Games
Year Mark2008 4-22007 5-1Total 9-3
Air Force vs. non-conference foes
Air Force is 6-3 against non-conference foes under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 3-1 at home, 2-1 on the road and 1-1 in neutral site games. The Falcons are 3-1 this season, winning vs. Southern Utah, Houston and Army and losing vs. Navy at home. The Falcons are 10-10 against non-conference opponents dating back to 2004. After losing four in a row to non-conference opponents in 2005-06, Air Force has posted a 7-4 mark over the last 11 games.
Year Date Opponent Score2004 Sept. 4 California L 14-56 Sept. 11 E. Washington W 42-20 Sept. 30 Navy L 21-24 Nov. 6 at Army W 31-222005 Sept. 3 Washington (N) W 20-17 Oct. 8 at Navy L 24-27 Nov. 5 Army L 24-272006 Sept. 9 at Tennessee L 30-31 Oct. 7 Navy L 17-24 Nov. 3 at Army W 43-7 Nov. 10 Notre Dame L 17-392007 Sept. 1 South Carolina St. W 34-3 Sept. 29 at Navy L 20-31 Nov. 3 Army W 30-10 Nov. 10 at Notre Dame W 41-24 Dec. 31 California (N) L 36-422008 Aug. 30 Southern Utah W 41-7 Sept. 13 Houston (N) W 31-28 Oct. 4 Navy L 27-33 Nov. 1 at Army W 16-7
One of America's top coaches
Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is quickly becoming one of America's top coaches. He is 17-8 overall and 11-5 in conference play in his second year at the helm at the Academy. Calhoun is fourth in Mountain West Conference history in career winning percentage in conference games with a .688 mark (11-5).
Calhoun's 17 wins in one-plus season is the second-most ever for a service academy head coach in his first two seasons. He has led the Falcons to a fourth place MWC finish this season after being picked sixth in the preseason polls. Last year, Calhoun led Air Force to a second place finish after being picked seventh. The +7 combined improvement over the last two years in the best int he conference.
In his first year at Air Force, the 1989 Academy graduate led the Falcons to the most wins ever by a first-year head coach, along with the nine wins by Ben Martin in 1958. Calhoun led the team to six conference wins which is the most ever by a first-year head coach, breaking the mark of four set by Fisher DeBerry in 1984.
Calhoun began his coaching career at the Academy, then after serving his military committment, was an assistant at Ohio University, later becoming the offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator at Wake Forest before joining the National Football League with the Denver Broncos from 2003-05. He was the offensive coorinator for the Houston Texans in 2006 before returning to his alma mater last season as the sixth head coach in school history.
Calhoun was named the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year for 2007. Calhoun, who was also named the Mountain West Conference coach of the year, joined five other coaches to win the honor.
Winningest MWC Coaches
# Name, School Tenure Record Pct.1. Urban Meyer, Utah 2003-05 13-1 .9292. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU 2005- 26-5 .8393. Gary Patterson, TCU 2005- 25-7 .7814. Troy Calhoun, Air Force 2007- 11-5 .688
Young team in 2008
Air Force features one of its youngest teams in history in 2008. The Falcons lost 15 starters from the 2007 squad that finished 9-4 overall and placed second in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-2 mark. The team lost eight starters on offense, including four-year starting quarterback Shaun Carney and all-purpose back Chad Hall, the conference offensive player of the year. Defensively, the Falcons lost six starters, including first-team all-conference linebackers John Rabold (2007) and Drew Fowler (2006) as well as first-team all-MWC cornerback Carson Bird, the conference's leader in interceptions last year. The Falcons also lost deep snapper Tony Norman.
In terms of games played and started, the Falcons lost 14 players with 30 career games played, plus four more with 25 career games played. In addition, Air Force only has 17 seniors on its roster this season which ranks as the 19th fewest in the nation.
Percentage of offense / defense lost to graduationCategory Lost Pct Lost NotesPassing yards 1,491 95.7 Top passer lostRushing yards 3,482 89.4 Top six rushers lostReceiving 952 61.1 Top two receivers lostPunt returns 176 100.0 Top punt returner lostScoring 210 54.0 Three of top four scoreres lostAll-purpose yards 5,254 79.8 Top four lostTotal offense 4,974 91.2 Top six lostInterceptions 14 ints 93.3 Top three and seven of top eight lostTackles 534 53.2 Team leader, four of top five lost
2008 Notes
- Five of Air Force top six rushers this season are freshmen or sophomores.
- Air Force's leading passer is freshman Tim Jefferson.
- Air Force's leading receiver is junior Josh Cousins, who entered the year with no career catches. The third and fourth leading receivers are first-year varsity players -- Kyle Halderman and Kevin Fogler.
- The team's top three punt returners are sophomore Reggie Rembert and freshmen Anthony Wright and Jonathan Warzeka.
- Air Force's leading tackler is sophomore Ken Lamendola.
Following the same script as 2007
Air Force finds itself in a similar position this season as in 2007. Air Force opened up 3-0 in 2007 before dropping back-to-back games, the second coming to Navy. The Falcons bounced back to win six of the next seven games to close the regular season with a 9-3 overall mark and a 6-2 MWC record to finish second.
Air Force opened 3-0 this season before back-to-back losses, the second coming to Navy, left the team with an identical 3-2 record. Air Force has bounced back to win five of seven games to improve to 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
Air Force 14th nationally in terms of freshmen playing
The Falcons are the youngest team in the Mountain West Conference and 14th youngest nationally in terms of freshmen playing. The freshmen that have played for Air Force this season follow: 5 - Anthony Wright (CB), 7 - Tim Jefferson (QB), 11 - Jaquon Robinson (WR), 15 - Jonathan Warzeka (WR), 16 - Jon Davis (SS), 17 - Asher Clark (TB/QB), 33 - P.J. Adeji-Paul (CB), 73 - A.J. Wallerstein (OT), 84 - Daniel Pickett (TE), 99 - Erik Soderberg (PK). Wright, Jefferson, Davis, Clark and Wallerstein appear in the Air Force two-deep chart weekly.
True freshmen who have played
Florida State 22Miami (Fla.) 21Arkansas 16Alabama 15SMU 15Minnesota 14Georgia 12Tulane 12UAB 11Central Michigan 11Rice 11Iowa State 11UCLA 11Air Force 10Arizona State 10Florida 10North Texas 10San Jose State 10
Air Force defense solid
Air Force's defense has been solid this season. Air Force ranks fourth in the conference and 35th nationally in scoring defense with a 21.2 average. The Falcons are fourth in the MWC and 45th nationally in passing defense with a 195.6 average. The team is fourth in the conference and 46th nationally in total defense with a 335.3 average.
Air Force has shut out five opponents in the second half this season and had a streak of three straight games with second-half shutouts before BYU scored a season-high 28 points in the second stanza.
Defensive season highlights
- The Falcons allowed just 10 points in the first two games this season which is the best effort in back-to-back games since allowing 10 points at Army (W, 35-7) and at Wyoming (W, 10-3) in 1998. The 10 points allowed in the opening two games of a season is the second-best in school history and best since the 1963 team allowed just seven in a 10-7 win vs. Washington and a 69-0 victory vs. Colorado State.
- The Falcons held Southern Utah to just 130 total yards, including just seven yards on the ground. Southern Utah managed just eight first downs, was just 2-12 on third-down conversions and never reached the red zone. Southern Utah avoided the shutout late in the third-quarter with an 80-yard touchdown drive. Outside of that one drive, the Thunderbirds managed just 50 total yards and they never got deeper in Air Force territory than the 42 yard line.
- The 130-yard effort by the defense vs. Southern Utah is the fifth-best single-game effort in school history and best since holding Army to just 100 yards in 1999. The seven yards rushing is the 14th-best single-game effort in Air Force history. Air Force held Southern Utah to just 0.3 yards per rush which is the 10th-best single-game effort in school history.
- Air Force has scored three defensive touchdowns this season. Senior DE Jake Paulson returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown vs. Utah. The score is the first by an Air Force defensive lineman since Bryce Fisher vs. Oregon in the 1997 Las Vegas Bowl ... Junior ILB Justin Moore returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown vs. San Diego State ... Senior Aaron Kirchoff returned a fumble 96 yards for a game-changing touchdown vs. New Mexico. The 96-yard return is the second-longest in AFA history.
- Air Force held Navy, who entered the game second nationally in rushing with a 335.0 per-game average, to a season low 206 yards.
- Air Force has held five opponents (Southern Utah, 130; Wyoming, 216; Navy, 244; San Diego State, 165; Army 250) under 300 yards of total offense.
- The Falcons allowed just 165 total yards and just 2.5 yards per play vs. San Diego State. SDSU was held to just 13 yards on 28 plays in the second half.
- Air Force allowed just seven points at Army. After allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, Army was held scoreless the remaining 58:42 of the game and only allowed Army inside AF territory four times with the deepest penetration being the 36.
- Air Force shutout Colorado State in the second half and held the Rams to just 120 yards after halftime.
More on the defense
Air Force has allowed just eight scores on the opeing drive of the first or second half this season. Utah scored the first to open the second half, scoring a touchdown. Navy added a field goal to open the game and a touchdown following an AF fumble on its own 10 to open the second half. Army and Colorado State scored touchdowns on the opening drive of the game and BYU scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. TCU scored touchdowns on the opening drive of each half in the season finale.
The Air Force has had 15 turnovers this season and the defense has allowed just 30 points as a result. On the 13 drives (one turnover ended a game while one ended a half) combined, the defense has allowed just 158 yards on 47 plays which is an average of 3.1 yards per play.
Opponent opening drives
Game 1st Half 2nd HalfSouthern Utah Punt (3-6-1:15) Punt (3-9-:47)Wyoming Punt (3-5-:59) Fumble (1-3-:07)Houston Punt (4-26-2:40) Punt (9-38-3:02)Utah Down (5-12-2:38) TD (8-69-3:53)Navy FG (13-62-7:13) TD (3-10-1:14)San Diego State Punt (4-(-3)-1:50) Punt (6-10-2:29)UNLV Punt (8-43-3:55) MFG (11-49-4:00)New Mexico Downs (9-71-3:57) Downs (12-62-5:13)Army TD (3-60-1:18) Punt (12-37-5:45)Colorado State TD (8-62-3:46) INT (9-61-3:58)BYU Punt (5-31-3:12) TD (8-45-2:44)TCU TD (6-60-2:22) TD (7-70-2:54)
Air Force defense following a turnoverOpponent Turnover Spot ResultSouthern Utah fumble AF 42 Punt (3-1-:57) fumble Opp 20 Punt (7-21-3:52)Wyoming Interception AF 31 FG (4-1-1:29)Utah Interception AF 44 Fumble (3-1-:53) Interception AF 39 End of gameNavy Fumble AF 10 TD (3-10-1:14) Fumble AF 18 FG (4-3-1:56)San Diego State Fumble AF 32 MFG (5-15-:11) Fumble Opp 20 Punt (3-7-1:27)New Mexico Fumble AF 11 TD (4-11-1:28) Interception AF 44 FG (7-16-2:51) Fumble Opp 49 Fumble (3-20-1:07)BYU Fumble AF20 TD (3-20-1:07)Totals 47 plays; 158 yards
Air Force fourth nationally with 193-game scoring streak
- Air Force has scored in 193 consecutive games dating back to 1992.
- The Falcons were last shutout by Mississippi, 13-0, in the 1992 Liberty Bowl.
- Air Force's streak is the second-longest active streak of teams in the Mountain West Conference and the fourth longest in the country.
# School Streak Last Shutout1. Michigan 300 Oct. 20, 1984 at Iowa (0-26)2. Florida 254 Oct. 29, 1988 vs. Auburn (0-16)3. TCU (MWC) 202 Nov. 16, 1991 at Texas (0-32)4. Air Force (MWC) 193 #--Dec. 31, 1992 vs. Mississippi (0-13), #--Liberty Bowl)
- Air Force's 192-game scoring streak is the 16th longest in Division I-A college history
- of the top 16 all-time, nine were started in the 1980s while the other five began in the 1970s.
- Here's that list:
# School Streak Dates Ended By1. Brigham Young 361 9/27/1975 - 11/15/2003 Utah2. Michigan 300 10/27/1984 - present ..................3. Texas 281 11/29/1980 - 10/02/2004 Oklahoma4. Washington State 280 10/22/1984 - present USC5. Washington 272 11/14/1981 - 10/16/2004 USC6. Oregon 267 10/05/1985 - 11/15/2007 UCLA7. Florida 254 11/05/1988 - present ..................8. UCLA 245 10/02/1971 - 10/17/1992 Arizona State9. Colorado 242 11/19/1988 - 10/25/2008 Missouri10. Nebraska 233 1/01/1974 - 11/29/1991 Miami, Fla.11. Florida State 232 9/10/1988 - 11/11/2006 Wake Forest12. Hawaii 219 12/04/1976 - 11/04/1995 Colorado State13. Arizona 214 9/09/1972 - 12/15/1990 Syracuse14. TCU 202 11/23/1991 - present ..................15. Virginia 195 9/15/1984 - 10/28/2000 Georgia Tech16. Air Force 193 8/04/1993 - present .......................
Air Force conference/national rushing numbers
- Air Force leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally in rushing with a 268.9 average.
- Air Force has won 24 conference rushing titles since joining conference play in 1980.
- In 2002, the Falcons won the school's first national rushing title with a 307.8 per-game average.
- The Falcons won their 10th straight conference title in 2007 with a 299.5 average.
Year Stats Conf. National1980 170.7 5th 79th1981 185.1 4th 53rd1982 301.7 1st 4th1983 246.5 1st 2nd1984 326.5 1st 2nd1985 293.2 1st 6th1986 232.6 1st 15th1987 386.3 1st 2nd1988 377.5 1st 2nd1989 356.0 1st 3rd1990 267.5 1st 7th1991 338.1 1st 2nd1992 242.4 2nd 7th1993 284.9 1st 4th1994 304.8 1st 2nd1995 332.4 1st 2nd1996 328.9 1st 2nd1997 332.7 2nd 9th1998 266.8 1st 3rd1999 285.5 1st 2nd2000 294.9 1st 2nd2001 273.2 1st 3rd2002 307.8 1st 1st2003 280.6 1st 4th2004 277.4 1st 4th2005 246.5 1st 8th2006 229.4 1st 3rd2007 299.5 1st 2nd2008 268.9 1st 5th
Rushing for 100 is the key
Air Force is nearly unbeatable when it has had a 100-yard rusher under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 3-1 this season and 12-2 in games when they have a player rush for 100 or more yards. The team's only losses came in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl vs. California and vs. No. 16/14 BYU this season. Air Force has had multiple players rush for 100 yards or more twice during the last two years. The list of 100-yard rushers for each game follows below:
Year Game Player Yards Result2007 South Carolina St. Kip McCarthy 129 W 34-3 Utah Shaun Carney 113 W 20-12 TCU Jim Ollis 138 W 20-17 OT UNLV Chad Hall 169 W 31-14 Colorado State Chad Hall 256 W 45-21 Wyoming Chad Hall 167 W 20-12 Army Chad Hall 275 W 30-10 Notre Dame Chad Hall 142 W 41-24 San Diego State Jim Ollis 163 W 55-23 Chad Hall 151 Ty Paffett 105 California Shaun Carney 108 L 36-42 Jim Ollis 1012008 San Diego State Asher Clark 109 W 35-10 UNLV Todd Newell 134 W 29-28 Colorado State Asher Clark 136 W 38-17 BYU Todd Newell 116 L 24-38
Quarterback sacks - AF among national leaders
Air Force is among the national leaders in quarterback sacks, both offensively and defensively. The Falcons have forced 33 quarterback sacks for 225 yards which is an average of 2.75 per game. Air Force ranks second in the in the conference and 10th nationally. Senior defensive end Jake Paulson has recorded 8.5 sacks and ranks second in the conference and 28th nationally with a .71 per-game average.
Offensively, the Falcons have allowed just three quarterback sacks, one each vs. UNLV, New Mexico and TCU. The Falcons lead the conference and nation in fewest sacks allowed.
Air Force takes it away
Air Force has picked up where it left off last season, collecting a +12 turnover margin this season. The Falcons have had multiple takeaways in 10 of 12 games this season. The team's 1.00 per-game turnover margin average is second in the conference and 11th nationally. Air Force has forced 27 turnovers this season, including 16 fumbles and 11 interceptions. The Falcons have recovered 16 of the opponent's 23 fumbles this season and rank second in the nation in fumble recoveries.
2008 Turnovers: (Southern Utah, 2; Wyoming, 5; Houston, 2; Utah, 3; Navy, 2; San Diego State, 2; UNLV, 0; New Mexico, 4; Army, 3; Colorado State, 2; BYU, 2; TCU, 0).
The Air Force defense had 28 takeaways last season which ranked second in the Mountain West Conference behind only Utah (33). The Falcons scored 120 points off those turnovers. The team's +10 turnover margin ranked second in the MWC and 15th in the nation. The Falcons forced 15 interceptions and 13 fumbles.
Over the last two seasons, Air Force has a combined +22 mark under head coach Troy Calhoun.
Air Force takeaways and +/- in last 10 years
Year Takeaways(Int./Fum.) +/- W/L2008 16 (5/11) +12 8-42007 28 (15/13) +10 9-42006 22 (9/13) +8 4-82005 17 (9/8) -7 4-72004 17 (9/8) +1 5-72003 23 (13/10) +6 7-52002 26 (12/14) +9 8-52001 28 (14/14) +8 6-62000 19 (7/12) +7 9-31999 14 (8/6) -4 6-51998 30 (17/13) +17 12-1
Last game
TCU defeated Air Force, 44-10, handing the Falcons their worst loss of the season. The Horned Frogs were dominant, rolling up 504 total yards of offense while holding Air Force to a season-low 161 yards. Quarterback Andy Dalton led the way, hitting 21 of 27 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a pair of scores. Jimmy Young hauled in five passes for 100 yards while Joseph Turner led the rushing attack with 50 yards on nine carries.
Air Force was led by freshman Asher Clark and sophomore Jared Tew, who each rushed for 63 yards and each added their career-long runs. Clark's came on a 54 yard run to set up a field goal while Tew went 57 yards for Air Force's only touchdown. Luke Shivers opened the scoring with a three-yard run followed by a 32-yard field goal from Ross Evans to give TCU a 10-0 first quarter lead. Ryan Harrison got the Falcons on the board with a 32-yard field goal to cut the lead to 10-3 early in the second quarter. TCU answered with a pair of Dalton touchdowns, one passing and one running to open a 24-3 halftime advantage.
Dalton added another touchdown pass and run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach, 37-3. Tew scored his touchdown early in the fourth quarter and TCU closed the scoring with a Justin Watts TD run to make up the final margin.
Post-game notes
Team Notes,br> - TCU's 10 points in the first quarter tie the most allowed by the Falcons in the opening stanza this season. New Mexico also scored 10 points in the first quarter. The Horned Frogs' 24-point first half is the second most allowed by Air Force this season. BYU scored 28 in the second half vs. Air Force earlier this season.
- TCU's 21-point halftime lead marks the largest deficit the Falcons have faced this season. The previous was 17 points, 31-14, vs. BYU. TCU went on to extend the lead to 34 points which is the largest Air Force has faced under head coach Troy Calhoun. The previous was 24 points at BYU last season.
- Air Force recorded its first blocked kick this season when Rick Ricketts blocked an extra point in the third quarter. The block is the first of Ricketts' career. The block is the 102nd for Air Force since 1990.
- Air Force's 161 total yards are the lowest this season and lowest since gaining 142 at TCU in 2006. The previous low this season was 174 yards at Army.
- TCU's 44 points are the most allowed by Air Force this season and the most under head coach Troy Calhoun. The 44 points are most allowed by Air Force since BYU scored a school-record 62 in 2005.
- The TCU game marks just the second this season that Air Force has not forced a takeaway. The Falcons have forced two or more in 10 of 12 games this season.
Individual Notes
- Senior P/PK Ryan Harrison recorded a season-long punt of 64 yards in the first quarter. His previous long was 54 yards vs. New Mexico and Army. Harrison hit a 36-yard field goal to add to his single-season school record for field goals. Harrison has hit 22 of 25 this season.
- Freshman TB Asher Clark recorded his career long run of 54 yards in the second quarter. Clark's previous long was 45 yards vs. Colorado State.
- Sophomore DE Rick Ricketts recorded the first blocked kick of his career in the third quarter with a blocked PAT. Ricketts joins teammates Jake Paulson, Hunter Altman, Chris Thomas and Ryan Kemp as active players with a blocked kick in their career.
- Sophomore FB Jared Tew recorded his career-long run of 57 yards which was good for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. His previous long was 19 yards vs. BYU earlier this season. The 57-yard run is the second-longest by a Falcon this season (Kyle Halderman, 74 yards vs. Wyoming).
Dekker stands out on and off the field
Senior TE Travis Dekker returned to action vs. Navy after missing the first four games of the season with a broken ankle. Dekker's impact was felt immediately, as he tied for the team lead in receptions with three for 32 yards. His return also sparked a season high 184 yards passing for Air Force. Dekker added a career-long catch of 59 yards vs. UNLV and made a highlight film leap over a defender attempting to make the tackle. He added his first touchdown of the season with a one-yard catch vs. New Mexico. Dekker added a four-yard TD catch vs. Colorado State and ranks second on the team in receiving with 12 catches for 127 yards. Dekker finished third on the team last season with 25 catches for 382 yards. His 25 receptions were the most by a Falcon tight end since Trent Van Hulzen had 26 in 1989.
Dekker, who has been accepted into the Georgetown Medical School, has been a standout off the field as well. A quick hit of some of the awards he's won and been nominated for follow:
- One of 13 finalists for the 2008 Wuerffel Trophy, a national award that honors the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding academic and athletic achievement
- One of 71 nominees for the 71st annual Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. The Good Works Team recognizes this group of committed and hard-working players for their off-the-field achievements.
- One of 164 semifinalists for the 2008 Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.
- One of 30 Division I football players chosen as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. This is the inaugural year that the award will be presented in football. The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence. This prestigious awards program was launched during the 2001-02 basketball season, added six additional sports in 2007, and has now expanded this year to include NCAA football.
Two-way Reggie
Sophomore Reggie Rembert is a busy man during games. Rembert is a starter at cornerback on the defense and is a backup at WR-Z on offense. In addition, Rembert is on the punt and kickoff return teams. He ranks third in the MWC and 16th nationally in punt returns this season with a 13.5 average.
Defensively, he is fourth on the team in total tackles with 62. Rembert ranks fourth on the team in tackles for loss with 6.5 for 23 yards. He also has two quarterback sacks for 14 yards and has forced one fumble and recovered another. Rembert leads the team with three interceptions.
Rembert is the first Falcon to play both offense and defense in a game at the Academy since Chris Evans, who played both tight end and defensive end due to injuries against Army in 2006. Evans did not have any statistics and played both only that week. LeRon Hudgins is the last player to play both ways significantly as a safety and running back in 1995. Hudgins was listed as a starter on defense and played most of the season as a backup halfback in the option offense.
In 1967, Carl Janssen was the first Falcon to start on both sides of the ball and on special teams. As the starting wide receiver and three-year player at that position, he led the team with 18 catches for 259 yards and a TD in 1967 and had one carry for two yards. He also started at defensive back. He was third on the team with two interceptions and also had a fumble recovery. Janssen led the team with 23 punt returns for 233 yards, a 10.1 average. He also returned one kickoff for 30 yards.
Rembert highlights
- Had 102 all-purpose yards for a 20.2 average per touch vs. Southern Utah ... also had three tackles.
- Rushed four times for nine yards at Wyoming while returning one punt four yards and one kickoff return 22 yards. He also had four solo tackles and, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
- Six solo tackles and the first two tackles for loss of his career vs. Houston ... also recorded his career-long punt return of 53 yards to set up an Air Force touchdown ... the return ranks as the 11th longest in school history and longest since Matt Farmer went 55 yards vs. New Mexico in 1998.
- Seven tackles and the first quarterback sack and interterception of his career vs. Utah.
- Collected a career-best 103 return yards vs. Navy, 94 on five kickoff returns.
- Recorded season bests of four punt returns for 57 yards at Army ... had a 35-yard return that set up Air Force's go-ahead touchdown ... recorded two turnovers at Army with a fumble recovery and an interception.
- Career-best 10 total tackles vs. Colorado State ... had a half tackle for loss and an interception which he returned 17 yards to set up a score ... had 117 all-purpose yards ... two punt returns for 40 yards and two kickoff returns for 60 yards.
Paulson on Hendricks midseason watch list
Air Force senior defensive end Jake Paulson was one of 33 players named to the Hendricks Award Mid-Season Watch List. The Hendricks Award goes to the top defensive lineman in the country.
Paulson is having an outstanding season. Paulson has 8.5 quarterback sacks and ranks second in the conference and 28th nationally with a .71 per-game average. Paulson ranks third in the conference and 48th nationally in tackles for loss with 14.0 for 67 yards which is a 1.17 per-game average.
Paulson had a career-best seven tackles against Houston, including 2.5 sacks for 19 yards and a pass deflection. He added three tackles and a sack vs. Utah and scored the first touchdown of his career on a 25-yard fumble recovery. The TD is the first defensive score this season and first touchdown by a defensive lineman since Bryce Fisher vs. Oregon in the 1997 Las Vegas Bowl.
Paulson's top games
Opponent StatisticsSouthern Utah 4-0-4, 2.0 sacks, 1 TFL, safetyWyoming 2-1-3, 1.5 sacks, forced fumbleHouston 6-1-7, 2.5 sacks, pass deflectionUtah 2-1-3, 1.0 sack, 25-yard fumble return for a TDNavy 3-4-7, 1.0 TFL, fumble recovery for 10 yardsSan Diego State 2-3-5, 1.5 sacks, .5 TFL, pass deflectionArmy 4-3-7, 2.5 tackles for loss, pass breakup that led to an interception
Harrison sets school record for field goals
Senior do-everything kicker/punter Ryan Harrison leads the conference and is second nationally in field goals, averaging 1.83 per game. Harrison has set a new single season school record with 22 field goals, breaking the record of 19 he tied last season, matching David Adams (2000) and Dave Lawson (1974).
Harrison has hit 22 of 25 field goals this season and his .880 percentage is the third best in school history. Harrison is perfect in 34 extra point attempts to tie for the national lead. He is averaging 8.3 points per game which ranks second in the conference and 32nd in the nation.
Harrison has tied a career high with three field goals five times this season and seven times in his career. He was named the MWC special teams player of the week vs. UNLV and New Mexico this season and has won the award three times in his career.
He hit his first field goal at Houston to extend his consecutive streak of field goals to 16 before missing from 41 yards. Harrison had another streak of 10 straight until a 54-yarder was blocked vs. BYU. He has hit 32 of his last 35 attempts (.914 percentage) dating back to the Wyoming game last season. Harrison is third in Air Force history in career field goals with 41 which is the most since Sean Pavlich hit 42 from 1980-83. Harrison has hit 41 of 52 careeer attempts and his .788 percentage is third all-time at Air Force.
Harrison career numbers
Season FG Punting PATs Kickoffs2008 22-25 (.880) 40-38.5 34-34 (1.000) 68 total -23 TBs2007 19-27 (.704) 46-42.9 44-46 (.957) 77 total -32 TBsTotals 41-52 (.788) 86-40.9 78-80 (.975) 145 total - 55 TBs
Career Field Goal PercentageName, Years Pct1. Jackson Whiting, 1998-99 .826 (19-23)2. Joe Wood, 1989-91 .796 (39-49)3. Ryan Harrison, 2007-08 .788 (41-52)4. David Adams, 1998-00 .764 (26-34)5. Carlos Mateos, 1984 .750 (12-16)6. Joe Ashcroft, 2001-03 .744 (29-39)
Single-Season Field Goal Percentage# Name, Year Pct.1. Jackson Whiting, 1999 1.000 (12-12)2. Joey Ashcroft, 2002 .888 (16-18)3. Ryan Harrison, 2008 .880 (22-25)4. Joe Wood, 1990 .857 (12-14)5. Sean Pavlich, 1982 .833 (15-18)
2008 NCAA field goal leaders# Name, School Yr. Gm FG-A Pct. FG/Gm1. Graham Gano, Florida State Sr. 9 21-23 .913 2.332. Ryan Harrison, Air Force Sr. 12 22-25 .880 1.833. Jose Martinez, UTEP Sr. 11 20-26 .769 1.824. Conor Lee, Pittsburgh Sr. 10 18-20 .900 1.805. Louie Sakoda, Utah Sr. 12 21-23 .913 1.75
Harrison a semifinalist for Lou Groza Award
Air Force senior kicker Ryan Harrison has been named a semifinalist for the 2008 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award as announced by the Palm Beach County (Florida) Sports Commission. Harrison is one of 20 semifinalists for the 17th annual award.
Harrison is one of three MWC kickers named as semifinalist as Utah's Louie Sakoda and TCU's Ross Evans were also selected. Other semifinalists are Arkansas State's Josh Sarauco, Arizona's Jason Bondzio, Miami's Matt Bosher, Florida State's Graham Gano, Troy's Sam Glusman, Navy's Matt Harmon, Penn State's Kevin Kelly, Virginia Tech's Dustin Keys, UTEP's Jose Martinez, West Virginia's Pat McAfee, Florida's Jonathan Phillips, Cincinnati's Jake Rogers, Syracuse's Patrick Shadle, Mississippi's Joshua Shene, Alabama's Leigh Tiffin, Wisconsin's Phillip Welch and Missouri's Jeff Wolfert.
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel consisting of all Division 1 coaches and SID's, along with national, regional and local football writers and others who will select the three finalists. These finalists will be invited to the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet December 7-9 in West Palm Beach, Fla. The winner will be announced live on the nationally-televised Home Deport ESPNU College Football Awards Program on the evening of December 11, 2008.
Halderman hauls it
Sophomore Kyle Halderman is one of the big-play men for the Falcons. Halderman is fifth on the team in rushing with 357 yards and is averaging 10.5 yards per carry. Halderman is third on the team in receiving with 11 catches for team highs of 256 yards and three touchdowns.
Halderman highlights
- Rushed for 87 yards on six carries in the season opening win over Southern Utah and scored on a 48-yard dash.
- Led the Falcons with 85 yards on three carries at Wyoming and broke open the game in the third quarter with a 74-yard run to set up a touchdown to give Air Force a 13-3 lead ... the 74-yard run is the longest by a Falcon since Blane Morgan went 80 yards vs. New Mexico in 1998.
- Recorded his first-career catch which was good for a 19-yard touchdown vs. Navy ... finished the day tied for the team lead in receptions with three for a team-best 62 yards and his first-career touchdown receiving.
- Rushed once for 14 yards at UNLV and haulded in a 44-yard touchdown pass. - Two catches for a career-best 99 yards to lead Air Force vs. Colorado State ... hauled in a 74-yard touchdown pass which is the longest play for the Falcons this season.
- One carry for 46 yards to set up a touchdown vs. BYU ... led the team with three catches for 17 yards.
Clark taking over the load at tailback
The tailback position is the youngest on the team. A freshman and two sophomores make up the depth chart. Sophomores Kyle Lumpkin and Savier Stephens opened the season as a one-two punch before rookie Asher Clark stepped in the last seven games as the starter to solidify the position.
Clark has rushed for 531 yards on 116 carries and scored four touchdowns in his seven starts. He is averaging 75.9 yards per game and has led the team in rushing in three of the seven games. Overall, Clark is second on the team and seventh in the conference in rushing.
He rushed for a then-career-best 109 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries at San Diego State in his first-career start. His 100-yard effort was the first by a Falcon this season and most by an Air Force freshman since Qualario Brown had 158 vs. San Jose State in 1997. Clark had the best game of his career vs. Colorado State with a career-best 136 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. He scored on runs of 41 and 45 yards to become the first Falcon with two 40-plus TD runs in a game since Dee Dowis vs. San Diego State in 1989. Clark is the first freshman in Air Force history with two 100-yard rushing games in a season.
Clark as a starter
Game # Yds TDs NotesSan Diego State 15 109 1 Most yards by an AF freshman since 1997UNLV 20 65 0 A then-career-high 20 carriesNew Mexico 23 86 0 Team-high 86 yards on career-best 23 carriesArmy 12 21 0Colorado State 16 136 2 First player with two 40-plus TD runs since 1989BYU 10 28 1 Second straight game with a rushing touchdownTCU 14 63 0 Led team in rushingTotals 116 531 4Averages 16.6 75.9
Newell running wild
Senior fullback Todd Newell is taking full advantage of his opportunity to be a starter for the first time in his career. Newell leads the team and is ninth in the conference in rushing with 594 yards which is an average of 49.5 yards per game. Over the last eight games, Newell has averaged 69.1 yards rushing per game which is tops on the team. He is tied for the team lead with two 100-yard rushing efforts. Newell rushed for 116 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown vs. BYU.
Newell recorded career highs in rushing attempts and yards in three straight games earlier this season. The streak started with a 50-yard effort on 15 carries vs. Navy. He added 77 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries at San Diego State. Newell went wild at UNLV, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. His touchdown came on a career-long 52-yard run. His 134 yards rushing are the most by a Falcon this season and he became the first fullback to top the 100-yard mark since Jacobe Kendrick in 2005. The 134 yards are the most by a fullback since Nate Beard had 149 vs. Colorado State in 2000.
Smith solid in any role
Senior quarterback Shea Smith has been solid this season. Smith started the first five games of the season before giving way to freshman Tim Jefferson. Smith has rushed for 229 yards and leads the team with six rushing touchdowns. He has hit 29 of 53 passes for 402 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a 132.02 quarterback efficiency rating. Smith rushed for a career-high 93 yards and a career-best three touchdowns vs. Houston. He threw for a career-best 138 yards and a touchdown on seven of 13 passing vs. Utah. Smith threw for 128 yards and a score on eight of 12 passes vs. Navy before leaving the game due to illness. Smith rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown vs. Southern Utah in his first-career start. He is the first Falcon quarterback to win his first three career starts since Chance Harridge in 2002. Smith has been comfortable in the backup role as well. He stepped in and helped Air Force at San Diego State, throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in relief of an injured Jefferson.
Together again
The Air Force trio of juniors Chris Thomas (safety) and Justin Moore (ILB) and sophomore Will Keuchler (OLB) have reunited at the Academy. The trio of classmates was first together in Westerville, Ohio, at St. Francis DeSales High School where they helped the football team to a state championship game appearance. They are together again this season. Keuchler, who attended the Academy's Prep School, is a back at outside linebacker, while Thomas enters his second season as a starter at safety. Moore is a starter at inside linebacker. They were coached by Bob Jacoby in high school.
Jefferson establishing himself at QB, 5-2 as starter
Freshman quarterback Tim Jefferson became just the fourth freshman starting quarterback in school history when he moved into the starting lineup at San Diego State. Jefferson joined Dave Ziebart (1976), Dee Dowis (1986) and Shaun Carney (2004) as rookie starters.
Jefferson was solid in his first start, rushing for a then-career-best 55 yards and his first-career touchdown on 12 carries. He also hit three of five passes for 34 yards.
The Atlanta, Ga., product exploded in his second-career start at UNLV, rushing for a career-best 99 yards on 13 carries and hitting six of seven passes for a then-career-high 162 yards. Jefferson also threw the first two touchdown passes of his career. He engineered the game-winning drive which led to a 19-yard field goal to win it for Air Force. Jefferson hit three-of-three passes for 31 yards and rushed four times for 11 yards on the 17-play, 91-yard drive. He also picked up two first downs, one by rushing and one on an 18-yard pass play. He was named MWC offensive player of the week for his efforts vs. the Rebels.
Jefferson had his career-best day passing vs. Colorado State with 171 yards and two touchdowns on six of eight passing. Jefferson hit Kyle Halderman for a 74-yard scoring strike which is the longest play for Air Force this season. He also threw a four-yarder to Travis Dekker. Jefferson had career highs in attempts and competions vs. BYU, hitting 12 of 20 passes for 98 yards. He also rushed for 75 yards on 12 carries and had a career-long run of 45 yards.
Jefferson has rushed for 373 yards and two touchdowns and is averaging 4.3 yards per carry this season. He has also hit 37 of 66 passes for 557 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a 142.86 quarterback efficiency rating which would rank third in the conference, but he lacks enough passing attempts to qualify. The rating is the eighth best in school history. Jefferson is 5-2 as a starter and is the first Air Force quarterback to win his first five starts since Chance Harridge won his first six in 2002.
Lamendola rolling
Sophomore inside linebacker Ken Lamendola is having a solid season in his first year as a starter. Lamendola leads the Falcons and is second in the conference in tackles with a 9.3 per-game average.
Lamendola has recorded 112 total tackles and is the first sophomore with 100-plus tackles since All-American Anthony Schlegel had 118 in 2002. Lamendola is just the fifth sophomore ever at the Academy with 100 or more tackles in a season.
Top sophomore tackle totals in AF history
# Name, Year Tackles1. Tom Foertsch, 1976 1632. Brian Hill, 1988 1463. Terry Maki, 1984 1374. Antony Schlegel, 2002 1185. Ken Lamendola, 2008 112
After recording just one tackle in his first-career start in the Southern Utah game, Lamendola chipped in with four straight games of 10 or more tackles. Lamendola had 11 tackles at Wyoming, then added 12 tackles vs. Houston and Utah and a career-best 14 vs. Navy. His four-game streak of double figure tackle games is the best since All-American Chris Gizzi set the school record with 12 in 1997. Lamendola added his fifth game with 10 or more with a team-high 13 at Army. He added a team-best 10 tackles vs. Colorado State and a game-high 11 at TCU to give him seven double-figure tackle games this season which is tied for first in the conference.
Altman all right
Senior OLB Hunter Altman has been outstanding this season. He ranks third on the team in tackles with 82, including 52 unassisted. He is second on the team in tackles for loss with 8.0 and has three quarterback sacks.
Altman posted back-to-back games with career highs in tackles earlier this season with 12, including two tackles for loss, vs. Utah and 13 vs. Navy. Altman had eight solo stops vs. Navy which is also a career best. Altman led the team at UNLV with eight tackles, including seven unassisted. He added four tackles and a half quarterback sack vs. New Mexico and added eight tackles, including two tackles for loss for seven yards at Army. Altman had five tackles and a sack vs. Colorado State.
Thomas among the best
Junior safety Chris Thomas is having a great all-around season. Thomas is second on the team in tackles with 91, including a team-best 54 unassisted. He played one of the best games of his career against BYU, collecting a career-high 17 tackles which is the most by a Falcon this season. Thomas also had a sack, a tackle for loss and his third fumble recovery of the year which leads the conference and ranks 22nd nationally. He also ranks 10th in the conference in sacks with .33 per game. Thomas has four games with double figures in tackles, including two of the last three. He has led the team in tackles six times this season. He was named MWC defensive player of the week vs. Wyoming earlier this season with 13 total tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced and recovered fumble.
