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Air Force Vs. TCU
Post-Game Report
Oct. 10, 2009
Team Notes
- Air Force uses game captains. The captains for the TCU game were Mike Hampton, Reggie Rembert, Kevin Fogler and Brandon Geyer.
- Air Force forced three turnovers in the game. Air Force has 20 total takeaways this season (9 interceptions, 11 fumbles). The Falcons have forced two or more turnovers in 18 of their last 22 games.
- Air Force extended its school-record consecutive games scoring streak to 200 games dating back to 1992. The streak is the fourth longest active streak in the country. The 200-game streak is the 15th longest in NCAA history.
Individual Notes
- Junior DE Wylie Wikstrom and junior TB Savier Stephens each made his first-career start while sophomore QB Connor Dietz made his second-career start.
- Junior LB Andre Morris, Jr., recorded his first interception this season and second of his career. The turnover is the fourth (INT, FF, 2 FR) Morris, Jr., has been involved in this season and sixth of his career (2 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR)
- Sophomore TB Asher Clark recorded his season-long run of 29 yards. The run set up an Air Force touchdown to make it 14-7.
- Sophomore WR Jonathan Warzeka threw the first pass of his career, completing it for a 16-yard scoring play to Kevin Fogler. The touchdown is the second of Warzeka's career (9-yard run vs. New Mexico).
- Junior WR Kevin Fogler caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season. Fogler has caught a TD pass in four of Air Force's six games this season.
- Senior DL Ben Garland recorded two sacks. Garland has 5.5 sacks this season which leads the team. Garland has had at least a half-sack or more in six of the last eight games.
- Junior DB Reggie Rembert forced and recovered a fumble in the third quarter. The forced fumble and recovery are each his second this season and fourth of his career. Rembert has six turnovers this season (2 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR) and 13 in his career (5 INT, 4 FF, 4 FR).
- Sophomore SPC Erik Soderberg kicked his 13th field goal of the season which ties as the ninth most in a single season in Air Force history. He is tied with Dave Lawson (1975), Randy Roberts (1994) and Joey Ashcroft (2003). Soderberg has hit at least one field goal in every game this season.
- Sophomore QB Connor Dietz scored the first touchdown of his career on an eight-yard rush in the fourth quarter. Dietz had thrown for a TD earlier this season. Dietz also rushed a career-high 15 times.
- Senior LB Justin Moore collected a career-high 12 tackles. His previous high was 11 last week at Navy.
- Sophomore DB Jon Davis collected a career-high 10 tackles, including a game- and career-high seven solo tackles.
QUOTES
Air Force Head Coach Troy Calhoun
"First of all, hats off to TCU. That is a tremendous football team. They came in here, played well, under some circumstances that were a probably a little bit different, at least in terms of the climate, and they handled it exceptionally well. Both teams played their hearts out. What you can see is that our guys love playing football. It doesn't matter what the environment made me. We've got guys that go to the Air Force Academy that are made of exactly what you want."
"My gut tells me that we're going to be a better football team this second half of the season. Yet you have to make it that way, by the way you work--lifting, practicing, everything that's required here at the Academy of guys that are going to be good officers down the road."
"[Our offense] did some good things. Early, I thought we struggled on some pretty simple execution aspects of it. TCU had something to do with it, because they're an excellent group. I think what you can see, we have some guys, that you want playing for us. We've got to operate better--much better. Yet if we'll go out and practice the way we did last week, then I think we'll continue to make progress. But you've got to work that way."
"Until we really see Tim (Jefferson) able to go without any hesitation at all, we will play Connor (Dietz). And I really thought he did a fine job, for a guy who made only his second start. He made some plays, and probably what I love most about him was just his spirit and his leadership. He's a guy that, when you go play a game, you can tell it means something to him."
"I told [the team] there's no joy in not having the most points on the scoreboard at the end of the game. And the other thing is, we have the good makings of a football team."
TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson
"That is a good Air Force football team. You can't turn the ball over against them. We did that, they got back in the game and they fought. You have to give them a lot of credit. And you have to give our guys a lot of credit. We're just glad to be 5-0 in the conference."
"It wasn't like the last two weeks where we had a wet ball, where we played in downpours. The difference is that you have to stay in the ball game. Like I said, you've got to give Air Force credit. They did what they needed to do. They fought, they did the things they needed to do, but we were lucky enough to make a couple more plays than they did."
"To me (a win is a win). Everybody needs them. But you know, when you play a team that is 2-0 in the conference ... they had confidence and a tough loss last week. Playing them at home, playing them at night and playing them on TV. Two years ago, we lose in overtime in the same kind of ballgame, 20-17. People around the country know what kind of team Air Force is, especially when they play in home."
"It's hard to win when we fumble the ball and throw an interception, both times on the five yard line. We could easily have scored 35-40 points, but we didn't. And then, with three minutes left, we could have put the game away and we fumbled. I feel very fortunate (to come out with a win). The thing we did best on defense ... on two drives we made them use up a lot of seconds. So when it got down to it, they couldn't stop the clock."
