Falcon Football Kicks Off 2010 Hosting Northwestern State.
8/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Click here as junior wide receiver Jonathan Warzeka previews the Northwestern State game
Click here as senior defensive back Reggie Rembert previews the Northwestern State game
RADIO
KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs; KCKK 1510 AM in Denver and Northern Colorado Goairforcefalcons.com
Jim Arthur (play-by-play); Lee Douglas (analyst); Jay Ritchie/Bob Ihle (pre- and post-game)
THE BREAKDOWN
Record - 2009: Air Force (8-5, 5-3 MWC), Northwestern State (0-11, 0-7 Southland)
Streaks: Air Force (W 1), Northwestern State (L 11)
Next week: Air Force (vs. BYU, 9-11), Northwestern State (vs. Samford, 9-11)
Last game: Air Force (W 47-20 vs. Houston), Northwestern State (L 19-10 vs SF Austin)
Website: Air Force (goairforcefalcons.com), Northwestern State (nsudemons.com)
THE COACHES
Air Force: Troy Calhoun (Air Force, 1989) is in his fourth season. He has led the Falcons to a 25-14 career record. Calhoun is 9-6 vs. non-conference opponents, including a 5-1 mark at home, 14-4 in Falcon Stadium and 8-4 in the month of September.
Northwestern State: Bradley Dale Peveto (SMU, 1986) in in his second season. He has an 0-11 career record.
THE SERIES
• Air Force and Northwestern State are meeting for the first time.
• This game marks Air Force's second vs. a team from the Southland Conference (Nicholls State, 2009).
• Air Force defeated Nicholls State, 72-0, to open last year.
SEASON OPENERS
• Air Force is 33-19-2 overall in season openers, including a 28-8 mark in season openers at home.
• Air Force has won three straight and four of the last six season openers with the only losses coming at No. 11 Tennessee in 2006 and vs. No. 13 California in 2004.
• The Falcons have won five of the last six season openers at home with the only loss coming vs. No. 13 California in 2004.
• Air Force has won 12 straight season openers vs. unranked teams dating back to 34-21 setback vs. Colorado State in 1994.
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is 3-0 in season openers, all three coming at home.
AIR FORCE VS. FCS TEAMS
Air Force is 14-0 all-time againsts teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.
AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES UNDER CALHOUN
• Air Force is 9-6 against non-conference foes under head coach Troy Calhoun.
• The Falcons are 5-1 at home, 2-3 on the road and 2-2 in neutral site games.
• Air Force finished 3-2 last season.
THIS IS AIR FORCE FOOTBALL
• Air Force has an all-time record of 328-274-13 in its 55th season of varsity football. The Falcons are 177-113-3 at home and 151-161-10 on the road and in neutral site games. AFA has played in 20 bowl games and has a 9-10-1 all-time record.
• This season marks the fourth under head coach Troy Calhoun, who is a 1989 graduate of the Air Force Academy. He is the sixth head coach in school history and first graduate to hold the position.
• Air Force is playing in its 31st year in a conference. This season marks the school's 12th year in the Mountain West Conference. Prior to 1999, Air Force was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1980-98. The school was an independent prior to 1980.
• Air Force is 42-40 as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The team is 25-16 at home and 17-24 on the road. The Falcons are 74-59 overall since joining the MWC in 1999, including marks of 42-24 at home, 27-31 on the road, 5-4 in neutral site games and 3-2 in bowls.
2010 SCHEDULE
The Air Force football team will be tested once again in 2010. The team's schedule features six teams that went to bowl games in 2009 (BYU, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Navy, TCU and Utah) and four teams that were in the nation's top 25 for most of the season. Following the season opener against Northwestern State on Sept 4 in Falcon Stadium, the team's next four games come against teams that played in a bowl game last year.
Air Force opens Mountain West Conference play at home Sept. 11 against BYU, then plays at Oklahoma which is a atop many Big 12 preseason and national polls. The team then plays at Wyoming before returning to Falcon Stadium to take on Navy. Three of the next five games are on the road.
2009 RECAP
Air Force concluded the 2009 season with an 8-5 overall record and finished fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a 5-3 mark. The Falcons were among others receiving votes in the Associcated Press and USA Today final polls.
Air Force qualified for a post-season bowl game for the third straight season, earning a trip to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, marking the first time since 1990-92 that Air Force has played in three straight bowl games and played in the same bowl three consecutive years. Air Force snapped a three-game losing streak in bowls with a 47-20 victory over #25 Houston. Troy Calhoun became the first head coach in school history to take his team to a post-season bowl game in his first three seasons.
PRODUCTION RETURNING
• Air Force returns just 11 starters from last season, however the team returns 100 percent of its passing, kickoff return, punt return and total offense yards from 2009, along with 90 percent of its rushing and receiving yards.
• The team also returns 100 percent of its scoring and 98.3 percent of its all-purpose yards from a year ago.
• The biggest hit came on defense, with the five returning starters. The team returns 58.2 percent of its total tackles from 2009.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Air Force is 14-4 in Falcon Stadium over the last three seasons which is the fourth best mark in a three-year span in school history and best since 1998-2000 when the team was 14-3.
• The 14 wins are tied as the second most all-time, trailing the 1983-85 team's 15-2 mark.
• Air Force was 5-1 last season.
AIR FORCE FOURTH NATIONALLY WITH 207-GAME SCORING STREAK
• Air Force has scored in 207 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 fourth longest active in the country.
• Air Force's 207-game scoring streak is the 15th longest in Division I-A college history
ACADEMICS AND FOOTBALL
The Air Force football team has the second-highest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) of any team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, according the a report issued by the NCAA. The program's 988 ranks second only to Rutgers, who had a 992, among the 120 FBS football playing schools. Rounding out the top five were Rice (987), Northwestern (986) and Duke (983). The multi-year APR is for the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-89 academic years.
Air Force's number is easily the best within the Mountain West Conference. TCU is second with a 968 while Utah is third at 949. Colorado State is fourth with a 945 followed by BYU (940), New Mexico and UNLV (934), San Diego State (931) and Wyoming (928). The Academy is also the highest ranking service academy, as Navy posted a 973 and Army a 964.
Each year the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear APR. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams who demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
In addition, the Air Force football team once again had the top Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the Mountain West Conference in the recently released report for 1999-2002. Air Force's 87 percent is followed by Colorado State and TCU with 65. The national average for FBS schools was 64 percent.
CALHOUN LEADS THE NATION IN COACHES APR
Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun led the nation in Academic Progress Rates for Division I head coaches released by the NCAA. Calhoun has a three-year average of 986, posting a 981 in 2006-07, a 989 in 2007-08 and a 987 for 2008-09. Ken Niumatalolo of Navy (978) ranked second nationally followed by Randy Shannon of Miami (977).
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
BLOCKED KICKS
• Air Force has blocked 105 kicks since 1990 when the team began tracking them.
• The Falcons have blocked six kicks under head coach Troy Calhoun
• Air Force ranks 14th nationally since 2002 with 27 blocked kicks (Fresno State leads with 48)
100 YARD RUSHERS UNDER CALHOUN
• Air Force is 16-3 in games when it has a player rush for 100 or more yards since 2007.
• The team's only losses came in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl vs. California, vs. No. 16/14 BYU and vs. Houston in the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl.
2009
Wyoming, W 10-0 (Jared Tew, 105); Army, W 35-7 (Jared Tew, 102); UNLV, W 45-17 (Asher Clark, 160); Houston, W 47-20 (Jared Tew, 173, Asher Clark, 129).
2008
San Diego State, W 35-10 (Asher Clark, 109); UNLV, W 29-28 (Todd Newell, 134); Colorado State, W 38-17 (Asher Clark, 136); BYU, L 24-38 (Todd Newell, 116); Houston, L 28-34 (Jared Tew, 149).
2007
South Carolina State, W 34-3 (Kip McCarthy, 129); Utah, W 20-12 (Shaun Carney, 113); TCU, W 20-17 OT (Jim Ollis, 138); UNLV, W 31-14 (Chad Hall, 169); Colorado State, W 45-21 (Chad Hall, 256); Wyoming, W 20-12 (Chad Hall, 167); Army, W 30-10 (Chad Hall, 275); Notre Dame, W 41-24 (Chad Hall, 142); San Diego State, W 55-23 (Jim Ollis, 163; Chad Hall, 151; Ty Paffett, 105); California, L 36-42 (Shaun Carney, 108; Jim Ollis, 101).
AIR FORCE TAKEAWAYS, FALCONS NO. 1 IN TURNOVER MARGIN IN 2009
• Air Force led the nation in turnover margin with a 1.69 per-game mark in 2009.
• Air Force was +22 in turnover margin in 2009, forcing a season-high six turnovers vs. San Diego State and Houston and four vs. Nicholls State and New Mexico.
• Air Force is a combined +45 in turnover margin the last three seasons.
• Air Force's 1.00 per-game turnover margin average in 2008 ranked second in the conference and 11th nationally.
AIR FORCE PICKED FOURTH IN MWC POLL
Defending Mountain West Conference football champion TCU was predicted to capture its second consecutive title in 2010 in a poll of media members, announced at MWC Football Media Day in Las Vegas. The Horned Frogs posted a perfect 8-0 record in Conference play in 2009, en route to a 12-1 overall record and a final national ranking of sixth in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls.
Utah was chosen second with 242 points. The Utes earned a third-place finish (6-2) in Conference play in 2009 and ended the season with a 10-3 mark overall. BYU was picked third with 207 points. The Cougars posted a second-place finish (7-1) in MWC play in 2009 and concluded the season with an 11-2 overall record. Air Force was chosen fourth with 195 points, followed by Wyoming (5th - 147 points), San Diego State (6th - 128 points), Colorado State (7th - 96 points), UNLV (8th - 56 points) and New Mexico (9th - 45 points).
SODERBERG NAMED TO GROZA WATCH LIST
Junior placekicker Erik Soderberg was named to the Watch List for the 2010 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award, released by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
Soderberg was a second-team all-Mountain West Conference selection last season as he led the conference and was third in the nation with 1.69 field goals made per game. His 22 made field goals last season are the second most in school history. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native tied a school record with four field goals in the 26-14 win over San Diego State last season. His 48-yard field goal on the road at No. 19 Utah sent the game into overtime. He hit a career-long 50-yarder in the win at Colorado State.
Air Force has had a player on the Groza Watch list twice in the last three years. In 2008, Ryan Harrison was a semifinalist for the award.
Kickers on the Lou Groza Award Watch List were chosen based on statistics from the 2009 season and 2010 pre-season expectations. The Groza Committee will be watching all FBS kickers during the season, and releasing a weekly "Stars of the Week" feature on www.lougrozaaward.com. Accomplishments are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award announces its 20 semi-finalists on Friday, October 29, 2010. From this list, a panel of over 300 experts selects the top three (3) finalists for the award by Monday, November 22, 2010. That same group then selects the national winner which will be announced Thursday, December 9, 2010, during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Award Show, broadcast live from Orlando, FL.
REMBERT NAMED TO HORNUNG WATCH LIST
Senior defensive back Reggie Rembert was named to the 2010 Paul Hornung Award watch list. Rembert was one of 48 players on the watch list for the award, given annually to the most versatile player in major college football.
The Louisville Sports Commission, with football legend Paul Hornung, made the announcement today. The Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on 2009 statistics and expectations heading into the 2010 season. The list will be updated during the course of the season based on players' performances. Rembert was a first-team All-Mountain West selection at cornerback as a junior in 2009 and was recently named to the 2010 All-MWC Preseason team. The Flower Mound, Texas, native recorded 43 tackles to go with three interceptions last year. Rembert has started 25 of 37 career games played with 131 tackles and six interceptions. The senior is also a versatile special teams threat, returning both kickoffs and punts for the Falcons each of the past three seasons. As a junior, Rembert averaged 25.1 yards per kickoff return and returned 10 punts for 58 yards. Rembert is Air Force's all-time leader in kickoff returns (65) and return yardage (1,388).
For more information on the Hornung Award, log on to: www.paulhornungaward.com.
REMBERT NOMINATED FOR LOWES SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Senior Reggie Rembert is one of 30 NCAA® football bowl subdivision student-athletes who excel both on and off the field and were selected as candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in football. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Rembert is one of three Mountain West Conference nominees, joining TCU safety Tejay Johnson and Utah center Zane Taylor.
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
WRIGHT NAMED TO LOTT WATCH LIST
Defensive back Anthony Wright has been named to the 2010 Lott Trophy Watch List announced by Ronnie Lott and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation.
Wright, who will be a junior in the fall, was a second-team all-Mountain West Conference selection in 2009. He led the conference and ranked sixth nationally with seven interceptions. He set a school record with three interceptions in the Armed Forces Bowl as Air Force beat Houston last season in Fort Worth, Texas.
Wright also tied for fourth in the conference in passes defended with 11. The Cleveland, Ohio native scored three touchdowns on the season. He returned interceptions vs. San Diego State and Navy and a punt vs. Army for scores.
Named after Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Founded in 2004 by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The Lott Trophy is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and the Legends Coaches which is a distinguished group of former college football head coaches.
The winner, who will be announced at the annual black-tie gala in December, receives $25,000 for his school's general scholarship fund. Three runnerups each receive $5,000.
JEFFERSON RANKS 13TH NATIONALLY IN WINS
Junior quarterback Tim Jefferson enters 2010 with a 12-6 record as a starting quarterback. His 12 wins rank 13th nationally among active quarterbacks. Andy Dalton of TCU leads the nation with 29, followed by Kellen Moore of Boise State with 26.
CALHOUN TO VISIT TROOPS IN 2011
Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun will once again visit military troops overseas in 2011. This will be the coach's second trip to visit troops, as he visited the Middle East during the summer of 2009.
This year's visit will take place from Feb. 12-20 and locations and additional details are still being determined. Calhoun will be joined by other service academy head coaches Rich Ellerson of Army and Ken Niumatalolo of Navy, along with Bill George of the Coast Guard Academy and Mike Toop of the Merchant Marine Academy.
Calhoun was joined by Mack Brown of Texas, Jim Tressel of Ohio State, UCLA's Rick Neuheisel and Houston Nutt of Mississippi, along with former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville on the 2009 tour.
The trip is coordinated through Armed Forces Entertainment, a Department of Defense agency, and Morale Entertainment.
FALCONS TO HONOR TROOPS AGAIN
The Air Force Academy football team is honoring the Air Force and several different units throughout the season by wearing patches on its uniforms. The team will wear the Air Force patch to honor the men and women of the U.S. Air Force.
The team will also honor 10 of the Air Force's Heritage Wings and Groups by wearing patches on their home uniforms; and six USAF Air and Space Expeditionary Wings by wearing patches on their away uniforms for the third straight year. The team will wore the Air Force logo on both uniforms for the first time in 2008.
The Heritage Wings and Groups date back to the foundations of the Air Force, beginning on Aug. 1, 1907, when the U.S. Army Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Division to take "charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects." But, it was not until May 26, 1909, that military aviation was born, when Lts. Frank P. Lahm and Benjamin D.
Foulois made their first ascent and qualified as the airship's first Army pilots. The National Security Act of 1947 created a separate Department of the Air Force, headed by a Secretary of the Air Force; from that law, today's Air Force was officially born on Sept. 18, 1947.
The 10 patches represent active duty units that have colorful and distinguished histories. These "heritage units" not only represent the legacy of the Air Force past, but also the promise of its future. Each Air Force mission and capability is represented with this cross-section of units.
The Air and Space Expeditionary Force concept is the Air Force's vision for the 21st century to organize, train, equip and deploy forces for contingency operations while remaining ready to meet national crises. AEF also helps create a mindset and culture that embraces the unique characteristics of air and space power - range, speed, flexibility and precision. Military personnel that are deployed become a part of one of these six wings.
Heritage wing/groups:
8th Fighter Wing - Kunsan AB, Korea
31st Fighter Wing - Aviano AB, Italy
3rd Wing - Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
14th Flying Training Wing - Columbus AFB, Miss.
2nd Bomb Wing - located around the world
19th Air Refueling Group - Robins AFB, Ga.
9th Reconnaissance Wing - Beale AFB, Calif.
341st Space Wing - Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
1st Special Operations Wing - Hurlburt Field, Fla.
315th Airlift Wing - Charleston AFB, S.C.
Air and Space Expeditionary Force Wings:
380th Air Force Expeditionary Wing - SW Asia
455th Air Force EW - Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
379th Air Force EW
332nd Air Force EW - Balad AB in SW Corner of Sunni Triangle
376th Air Force EW - Mansa International Airport, Bishkek, Krygyz Republic.
38th Air Force EW - SE Asia
HONORS IN 2010
Honors won by Air Force players in 2010 follow below.
• Reggie Rembert: Preseason first-team all-MWC at MWC Media Day ... Hornung "Watch List" ... LOWES Senior Class award nominee.
• Jared Tew: Preseason first-team all-MWC at MWC Media Day.
• Anthony Wright: Lott Trophy "Watch List" ... Nagurski Award "Watch List"
• Erik Soderberg: Lou Groza "Watch List."
