Falcon Football Hosts Tennessee State
9/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 19, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game 3: Air Force (1-1) vs. Tennessee State (1-2)
Saturday • Sept. 24 • 1 p.m. MT
Falcon Stadium (46,692) • USAFA, CO
TELEVISION
The Mountain West Sports Network (The Mtn.)
Todd Harris (play-by-play); Todd Christensen (analyst); Natalie Vickers (sidelines)
RADIO
KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs; KCKK 1510 AM in Denver; Goairforcefalcons.com Jim Arthur (play-by-play); Lee Douglas (analyst); Jay Ritchie/Bob Ihle (pre- and post-game)
GAME FACTS: Air Force is coming off just its second open week in the Troy Calhoun era (2007-present) ... The Falcons played 12 straight regular season games in 2007, 2009 and 1010 ... The only other open week came in 2008 prior to hosting Navy Oct. 4 ... The Falcons lost to No. 20 Utah, 23-30, in Falcon Stadium on Sept. 20, then lost the following week to Navy, 27-33 ... The Falcons are 16-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision, including a 37-20 win vs. South Dakota in this season's opener ... The Falcons are 14-7 against non-conference opponents under Troy Calhoun.
COACHES
Air Force: Troy Calhoun (Air Force, 1989) is in his fifth season. He has led the Falcons to a 35-19 career record. Calhoun is 21-12 in MWC games, 14-7 in non-conference games, 20-6 in Falcon Stadium, 11-10 in road games (9-6 in MW road games) and 2-2 in bowl games.
Tennessee State: Rod Reed (Tennessee State, 1988) is in his second season. He has led the Tigers to a 4-10 career record.
THE SERIES: Air Force and Tennessee State are meeting for the first time. This is also Air Force's first game against a team from the Ohio Valley Conference.
LOOKING AT TENNESSEE STATE: Tennessee State is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference ... The Tigers opened up conference play last week at Murray State ... Tennessee State opened the season with a 33-7 victory over Southern in John Merritt Classic ... This season marks the school's 96th playing varsity football and their 23rd in the Ohio Valley Conference ... Tennessee State has won 14 Black College National Championships in its history ... TSU recently completed an indoor practice facility, making the Tigers just the sixth FCS team of 126 to have their own indoor facility ... TSU has had seven players picked in the first round of the NFL draft, including a No. 1 overall selection in 1974 with Ed "Too Tall" Jones ... The latest, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, was picked 16th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2009 ... Linebacker Rico Council has been a two-time honorable mention national defensive player of the week honoree by Collegefootballperformanceawards.com ... TSU head coach Ron Reed played football at the school from 1984-88 and set the single season school record for tackles with 197 in 1988 as a linebacker.
AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES UNDER CALHOUN
• Air Force is 14-7 against non-conference foes under head coach Troy Calhoun.
• The Falcons are 8-1 at home, 3-4 on the road and 3-2 in neutral site games.
• Air Force was 4-1 last season and has won seven of the last eight with the only loss coming at No. 7 Oklahoma last season.
AIR FORCE VS. FCS TEAMS: Air Force is 16-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision. Head Coach Troy Calhoun is 5-0, including this season's 37-20 win over South Dakota.
SPECIAL COIN TOSS FOR TENNESSEE STATE GAME: Air Force will join thousands of NFL, College, and High School Football Teams across America participating in the Ronald Reagan Centennial National Football Coin Toss. In honor of President Reagan's 100th birthday, 32 NFL teams, 120 NCAA D1 football teams, all NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) teams, and nearly 14,000 high school teams have been invited to flip a Ronald Reagan Centennial Commemorative Coin bearing the President's image at the start of each game played the weekend of September 23-26, 2011.
LAST GAME: TCU defeated Air Force, 35-19, on Sept. 10 in Falcon Stadium. The 25th-ranked Horned Frogs jumped out to a 21-point lead behind two touchdown runs from Matthew Tucker and a Casey Pachall touchdown pass. Parker Herrington got the Falcons on the board with a 37-yard field goal on the last play of the first half to cut the lead to 21-3 at halftime. TCU made it 28-3 early in the third quarter with another Pachall TD pass. Air Force out-scored TCU 19-7 over the final 23 minutes to make up the final margin. TCU gained 410 total yards, including 206 passing and 204 rushing, and had a five minute advantage in time of possession. The Falcons finished with 416 total yards, including 249 rushing. Fullback Mike DeWitt led the way with 48 yards while Asher Clark added 46. Jon Davis led the defense with a game-high 11 total tackles. Alex Means added eight and a tackle for loss and Brady Amack chipped in with eight tackles and two forced fumbles.
LAST GAME'S NOTES
• The attendance of 42,107 is the largest of the season and the largest since 47,565 vs. Navy last season.
• Two Falcons made their first career starts, DL Harry Kehs and TE Daniel Pickett.
• With his 46 rushing yards, Asher Clark has more career rushing yards than any other halfback/tailback in Air Force history. Clark moved ahead of Chad Hall (2005-07) and currently has 2,627career rushing yards which ranks fourth in school history.
• Jonathan Warzeka's 32-yard touchdown pass to Zack Kauth in the third quarter is the second touchdown pass of his career. It was also the longest of his career. In 2009, Warzeka threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Fogler vs. TCU.
• With his 11 tackles, Jon Davis now has four career games with 10 or more tackles. His last double-digit tackle game was 12 (career high) vs. Utah last season.
• Chris Miller tied his career high with seven tackles.
• Tight end Josh Freeman had a career high five catches. His previous high was one catch several times.
• David Baska had career highs of five punts for 215 yards. His 51-yard punt was the second longest of his career. Baska's 34-yard carry was the first of his career.
• Ty McArthur had the first carry and the first reception of his career.
CALHOUN EARNS HERBIE AWARD: ESPN/ABC Analyst Kirk Herbstreit ranked Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun second in his top five underrated coaches in college football. Herbstreit listed Utah's Kyle Whittingham first, Les Miles of LSU third, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald fourth and Bret Bielema or Wisconsin fifth.
HOME SWEET HOME: Air Force is 20-6 at home under head coach Troy Calhoun since 2007. The Falcons tied a school record for wins over a four-year period with 19 from 2007-10. Air Force also won 19 games from 1982-85 (19-4, .826) and from 1997-00 (19-4, .826). The school record for wins over a five-year period is 23, set from 1997-2001.
SCHEDULE NOTES
• Air Force's 2011 schedule features six teams that played in bowl games in 2010.
• Air Force opponents were 74-75 overall last season.
• Six opponents posted winning records in 2010.
• Air Force has its first open date since 2008 in the schedule. The Falcons have played 12 straight weeks in three of head coach Troy Calhoun's five seasons at the helm.
AIR FORCE BY THE NUMBERS
2 - 100-yard kickoff returns for a touchdown by Jonathan Warzeka, a school and Mountain West record.
8 - number of starters returning that started all 13 games last season.
11 - different categories that senior quarterback Tim Jefferson ranks in the top 10 in Air Force history.
12 - consecutive years Air Force has won the Mountain West rushing title.
13 - total number of starters returning from 2010.
20 - wins in 26 games in Falcon Stadium for Air Force under head coach Troy Calhoun.
22 - number of wins for senior starting quarterback Tim Jefferson, tied for the most in school history.
25 - games under head coach Troy Calhoun with a 100-yard rusher. Team is 21-4 in these games.
38 - consecutive starts made by senior defensive back Anthony Wright, most on the team.
45 - consecutive starts combined by the O-line trio of A.J. Wallerstein, Michael Hester and Jason Kons.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S TROPHY: The 2011 season marks the 40th year of trophy competition. Air Force defeated both Army (42-22) and Navy (14-6) last season to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 2002. The title is the 17th in Air Force history, which is more than any other service academy. The trophy goes annually to the winning academy with the best record in round-robin competition. The President of the United States presents the trophy to the seniors from the winning team each year at a ceremony at the White House. Air Force has a 51-27-0 all-time CIC record.
Air Force outright CIC title years:
`82, `83, `85, `87, `89, `90, `91, `92, `94, `95, `97, `98, `99, `00, `01, `02, `10
FALCONS PICKED THIRD IN MOUNTAIN WEST: Air Force was picked to finish third in the Mountain West in 2011. Boise State was picked to win the league while defending champion TCU was picked second.
BLOCKED KICKS
• Air Force has blocked 12 kicks since 2007 under head coach Troy Calhoun
• The breakdown (6 FGs, 4 PATs, 2 Punts)
• Senior DL Ben Kopacka recorded the first block of his career with a blocked PAT vs. South Dakota.
• Air Force blocked four kicks in 2010.
• Jamil Cooks had three blocks, a field goal and a punt vs. Navy and a PAT vs. Colorado State.
• Cooks' three blocks are the most by a Falcon since Robert Kraay had three in 2006.
• Anthony Wooding, Jr., had the other block, a punt vs. Colorado State.
• Air Force has blocked 110 kicks since 1990 when the team began tracking them.
• The breakdown: 53 punts, 33 field goals and 24 PATs.
• Air Force set a school record with 11 blocks in 1997 (7 punts, 3 FGs, 1 punt).
• Single season records for each category: Punts (7, 1997), FGs (3, 6 times, 2003), PATs (5, 2006).
FALCONS AMOUNG NATIONAL LEADERS IN APR: The Air Force Academy football team's APR score of 978 for the 2009-10 academic year ranks 10th nationally, according to data released by the NCAA. The Air Force football program, along with women's cross country, wrestling and women's track were recognized by the NCAA with Division I Academic Performance Public Recognition Awards. 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.
AIR FORCE FOURTH NATIONALLY WITH 222-GAME SCORING STREAK
• 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 streak is the 13th longest in Division I-A college history
AIR FORCE LEADS THE WAY WITH ALUMNI COACHES: Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is one of 18 FBS head coaches that is leading his alma mater. Calhoun, 1989 Academy graduate, is in his fifth year. The Falcons have eight Academy graduates as coaches on the staff which is more than any other school in the nation.
Academy graduates on coaching staff
Troy Calhoun (`89), head coach
Ben Miller (`02), tight ends/special teams coordinator
Blane Morgan (`99), offensive coordinator/QBs
Lt. Col. Bill Price (`91), varsity/JV assistant
Capt. John Rudzinksi (`05), defensive assistant
Lt. Col. Darryl Sumrall (`89), junior varsity head coach/varsity assistant
Mike Thiessen (`01), asst. head coach/offensive coordinator/WRs
Carlton Warren (`99), asst head coach/co-defensive coordinator/secondary/recruiting
FBS Head Coaches at Alma Mater
Troy Calhoun, Air Force (`89); Jon Embree, Colorado (`88); Steve Fairchild, Colorado State (`81); Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina (`80); Joker Phillips, Kentucky (`85); Don Treadwell, Miami-Ohio (`82); Larry Porter, Memphis (`96); Chris Ault, Nevada (`69,'73); Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern (`97); Luke Fickell, Ohio State (`97); Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (`90); David Shaw, Stanford (`95); Doug Marrone, Syracuse (`91); Bill Blankenship, Tulsa (`79); Rick Neuheisel, UCLA (`84); Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech (`69); Paul Wulff, Washington State (`90); Willie Taggart, Western Kentucky (`98).
AIR FORCE TAKEAWAYS
• Air Force is seventh in the Mountain West in turnover margin with a -.50 mark this season.
• The Falcons have forced four turnovers, three interceptions and a fumble.
• Air Force is a combined +49 in turnover margin the last five seasons.
• Air Force was second in the conference with a +.38 turnover margin in 2010.
• Air Force led the nation in turnover margin with a 1.69 per-game mark in 2009.
SECONDARY RANKED NINTH NATIONALLY: The Air Force defensive secondary is ranked as the ninth best unit in the nation, according to a ranking by Rivals.com. The unit returns three starters, including preseason first-team all-conference selections Anthony Wright and Jon Davis. Alabama is ranked first, followed by Penn State, LSU, Florida State, Stanford, Oregon, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Air Force and Oklahoma.
Wright and Davis helped the group live up to the preseason ranking, each recording an interception in the season opener vs. South Dakota. Wright added seven tackles while Davis chipped in with six. Chris Miller had seven tackles and two pass breakups in his first-career start while Anthony Wooding added six tackles and Brian Lindsay three.
JEFFERSON TIES SCHOOL RECORD: QB Tim Jefferson picked up his 22nd career win against South Dakota to tie the school record for most wins by a starting quarterback. Jefferson has a 22-10 career record and is tied with Dee Dowis (1985-89), who was 22-13-1.
JEFFERSON HAS THIRD MOST WINS NATIONALLY: Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson ranks fourth nationally with 22 career wins as a starter. Jefferson's .688 winning percentage is the seventh-best nationally. Boise State's Kellen Moore is the leader in each category with a 40-2 (.952) career record.
WARZEKA ON HORNUNG WATCH LIST: Air Force senior WR/KR Jonathan Warzeka is one of 50 players on the 2011 Watch List for the Paul Hurnung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, announced by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend Paul Hornung.
Warzeka is a preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection and was named the conference's preseason special teams player of the year. He led the MWC in kickoff returns last season with a 28.7 average and his 27.9 career average is the best in Air Force history. Warzeka has two career 100-yard kickoff returns touchdowns, vs. Houston in the 2009 Armed Forces Bowl and last season vs. Colorado State. The 2011 Watch List was compiled by a panel of college football experts based on 2010 statistics and expectations heading into the 2011 season. There are 20 seniors, 20 juniors and 10 sophomores representing 46 universities and all 11 conferences that are part of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For the complete watch list visit paulhornungaward.com.
The Louisville Sports Commission successfully launched the Paul Hornung Award in 2010 to honor its namesake and native son and to promote outstanding performances by versatile college football players that often go unnoticed. Owen Marecic of Stanford, a two-way starter and All Pac-10 performer at fullback and linebacker, won the inaugural Paul Hornung Award in 2010.
FULLBACK FORCE: Air Force fullbacks Wes Cobb and Mike DeWitt have big shoes to fill. The Falcons lost their top three fullbacks last season to graduation -- Jared Tew, Nathan Walker, Ryan Southworth. Gone with the trio went 1,117 yards and an 85.9 per-game average. Cobb and DeWitt proved they are up to the challenge providing the kind of tough running that the Air Force fullback position is known for. The pair combined for 109 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries in Air Force opening win over South Dakota. Cobb rushed for 60 yards and a score on 15 carries in his first-career start. DeWitt added 49 yards on 12 carries. The pair combined to average 4.0 yards per carry.
DeWitt led the Falcons in rushing for the first time of his career with 48 yards vs. TCU. He recorded a career-long run of 44 yards in the game. Cobb was limited to one yard on one carry vs. TCU.
WALLERSTEIN ON AFCA GOOD WORKS LIST: Air Force senior offensive lineman A.J. Wallerstein is one of a record 132 nominees for the AFCA Good Works Team, announced by the AllState Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association. Wallerstein has been active in his Academy cadet squadron in leadership positions of element leader and academic officer and is on the cadet leadership team during Basic Cadet Training this summer where he was responsible for leading basic cadets in various areas of military training. He was also active in a community service project that donated over 50 man-hours to the Black Forest Animal Sanctuary in Colorado Springs.
This year marks the program's 20th year honoring college football players at all levels of competition who stand out for their "good works" in the community. Since 1992, selection to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has become the gold standard for off-the-field character and leadership for college football players. The honor is widely considered the sport's pre-eminent community service award.
In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and the AFCA, each player must be actively involved and committed to working with a charitable organization, service group or community service while maintaining good academic standing.
CLARK ON DOAK WALKER LIST: Air Force senior running back Asher Clark is one of 51 candidates for the 2011 Doak Walker Award, according to an announcement by the PwC SMC Athletic Forum. Ten semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 11 and the recipient will be named live on ESPN on Dec. 8. Clark was a second-team all-Mountain West selection last season after rushing for 1,031 yards, becoming just the 13th player overall and fourth tailback in Air Force history to hit the 1,000-yard mark in a season. Clark was third in the conference in rushing with a 79.3 per-game average. A native of Lawrenceville, Ga., Clark became the ninth player in Air Force history to hit the 2,000-yard mark for his career.
CLARK CAREER RUSHING NUMBERS: Senior tailback Asher Clark became the school's career rushing leader for a tailback/halfback in Air Force's last game. Clark rushed for 46 yards on seven carries against TCU to move past Chad Hall (2005-07), who had 2,606. Clark has 2,627 career yards which is the fourth-most overall in Air Force history.
HONORS: Honors won by Air Force players in 2011 follow.
• A.J. Wallerstein: American Football Coaches Association Good Works watch list ... Preseason first-team all-MW by MW media ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Athlon Magazine ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Blue Ribbon Magazine.
• Jonathan Warzeka: Paul Hornung Award watch list ... Preseason Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year by MW media ... Preseason first-team all-MW by MWC media ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... College Football Performance Awards preseason kickoff return specialist watch list ... Preseason second-team all-MW by Athlon Magazine ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Blue Ribbon Magazine.
• Jon Davis: Preseason first-team all-MW by MWC media ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... College Football Performance Awards preseason defensive back watch list ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Athlon Magazine ... Preseason first-team all-MW by Blue Ribbon Magazine.
• Asher Clark: Doak Walker National Running Back Award watch list ... Preseason second-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... Preseason second-team all-MW by Athlon Magazine.
Jason Kons: Preseason second-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... Preseason second-team all-MW by Athlon Magazine.
• Jordan Waiwaiole: Preseason second-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine.
• Brady Amack: Preseason second-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... College Sports Madness Mountain West Conference defensive player of the week vs. TCU.
• Anthony Wright: Preseason first-team all-MW by MWC media ... Preseason second-team all-MW by Phill Steele's Magazine ... College Football Performance Awards preseason punt return specialist watch list ... Preseason second-team all-MW by Athlon Magazine.
• Erik Soderberg: College Football Performance Awards preseason kickoff specialist watch list.
