Falcons face Cal in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
12/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --- Air Force has accepted a bid to play in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 29, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. Air Force will face Cal in a rematch of the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl.
"I can't tell you how excited we are to be in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl," Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. "We were absolutely thrilled to get the call. It's a place that really values military service. There are a lot of airmen, marines, soldiers, and sailors in the area. So for us it's a perfect fit. It's where we wanted to be. We've had an exciting year. I am extremely proud of Coach Calhoun, our coaching staff, and our team. They have really played well. . They've come together, and they've got a lot of character.
Air Force is playing in its 25th bowl game and its eighth in the last nine years. The Falcons defeated Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 38-24, last season in Boise, Idaho. Air Force has an 11-12-1 all-time bowl record, including a 3-4 mark under head coach Troy Calhoun. Air Force is making its fifth trip to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. The Falcons have a 1-3 record, having beaten Houston (47-20) in 2009 and falling to Cal (42-36) in 2007, Houston (34-28) in 2008 and Rice (33-14) in 2012.
"Absolutely awesome," head coach Troy Calhoun said. "We've been there a few other times and I can tell you it's unparalleled in terms of the job that Brant and the people of the Armed Forces Bowl do in regard to being accommodating. And we're excited, I mean, big time excited. You're not going to find a more patriotic state, a state that has more of their residents that make a commitment to serve on active duty than the great state of Texas. And you combine that with really strong schools academically in an area where they love their football. So because of it, it's been a pretty natural fit for us at least in terms of recruiting at state
The Falcons and Golden Bears also met in the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl, a
42-36 win by Cal. Air Force is 2-6 all-time vs. Cal. The last Air Force win came in 2002 at Cal, a 23-21 Falcon victory. The teams first met in 1961 when Air Force won at Cal, 15-14.
"We get a chance to play against an excellent football team in Cal, a squad that's played a very, very demanding schedule. Their quarterback is as talented as there is in college football. An excellent, excellent player."
The Falcons, Mountain Division champions of the Mountain West Conference, finished 8-5 overall this season after falling to San Diego State, 27-24, in the Sports Authority Mountain West Championship game, Dec. 5, in San Diego.
Air Force features an offense that ranks third in the nation in rushing (321.1 yards per game) and a defense that ranks 19th in the nation, allowing 337.1 yards per game.
Offensively, the Falcons are led by senior quarterback Karson Roberts and junior running back Jacobi Owens.
Roberts, who stepped into the starting role after a season-ending injury to Nate Romine in the second game of the season is one of 12 quarterbacks in the FBS to rush, pass and catch a touchdown this season. He set an Air Force record for passing yards in consecutive MW games, completing 20 of 33 passes for 550 yards and three touchdowns against Utah State and Boise State. On the season, he passed completed 70-of-134 passes for 1,446 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 674 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.
Owens, an honorable mention all-MW selection, became the fourth player in school history with two 1,000-yard seasons, joining Dee Dowis (1987 and 1989), Beau Morgan (1995 and 1996) and Asher Clark (2011 and 2012). He rushed for 156 in the MW championship game, becoming the 11th Falcon to rush for more than 2,000 yards (2,067) in his career.
On defense, the Falcons feature three first-team all-Mountain West selections, senior defensive lineman Alex Hansen, junior safety Weston Steelhammer and junior cornerback Roland Ladipo.
Hansen led the team and ranked fourth in the conference with 7.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. Steelhammer led the team with 80 tackles and five interceptions. His five interceptions ranked fifth in the league. Ladipo led the league, and ranked 15th in the nation, with 16 pass breakups. He was also second on the team in tackles (74).
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