Sept. 15, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Air Force (3-0, 1-0 MWC) vs. #20 Utah (3-0, 1-0 MWC)
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2 p.m. Mtn.
Falcon Stadium (46,692), USAF Academy, CO
Radio
KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs
1510 KCKK AM in Denver and Northern Colorado
Jim Arthur (play-by-play); Lee Douglas (anaylst); Jay Ritchie (pre- and post-game)
Television
VERSUS
Joe Beninati (play-by-play); Glenn Parker (color); Tim Neverett (sidelines)
Air Force returns to conference play by hosting #20 Utah
Air Force (3-0, 1-0 MWC) returns home this week to host #20 Utah (3-0, 1-0) in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Mountain West Conference on Saturday, Sept 20, at 2 p.m. in Falcon Stadium.
Air Force and Utah meet for the 25th time. The Falcons lead the series 14-10 overall and 13-9 in conference games. Recently the series has been marked by very close games. The three games from 2001-03 were decided by a combined seven points and 10 of the last 11 games have been decided by less than 10 points.
Utah is the first ranked team Air Force has faced since playing No. 9/8 Notre Dame in Falcon Stadium in 2006. The Falcons are 12-60-3 (.180) all-time vs. ranked teams. Air Force's last victory over a ranked team came 2002 at No. 23 California, 23-21. Air Force's last win in Falcon Stadium over a ranked team came in 2000 vs. 20th-ranked Colorado State, 44-40. Air Force has played a ranked Utah team on two other occasions, in 2003 at No. 14 Utah (L 35-49) and in 1994 in Falcon Stadium vs. No. 12 Utah (W 40-33).
Air Force is undefeated (7-0) at home under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons posted just the third undefeated home season in school history last year, joining the 1985 and 1998 squads as the only perfect teams at home. Air Force won its only home game this year with a 41-7 victory over Southern Utah.
Promotions
This week is homecoming at the Academy. In addition, it's Scout Day in Falcon Stadium. All scouts, leaders and parents can purchase $10 lightning tickets that includes $6 of stored value. Scouts will also have the opportunity to get player interviews following the game.
The series
Air Force and Utah meet for the 25th time. The Falcons lead the series 14-10 overall and 13-9 in conference games. Air Force is 7-4 at home and 7-6 in Utah. The teams first played Nov. 16, 1957, in Utah. The Utes won the game, 34-0. Following Utah's opening win in 1957, the Falcons won nine of the next 10 games. Utah had won four of the next six since 1991 until 2000. The Falcons had a three-game winning streak snapped in 2003 when the Utes won a triple-overtime thriller at the Academy, 45-43. The Utes extended their streak to four games with a 17-14 win at the Academy in 2006. Air Force snapped the streak with a 20-12 win at Utah last year.
Recently the series has been marked by very close games. The three games from 2001-03 were decided by a combined seven points and 10 of the last 11 games have been decided by less than 10 points.
Year by Year
1957 - Utah 34-0 (A)
1958 - AFA 16-14 (H)
1983 - AFA 33-31 (H)
1984 - Utah 28-17 (A)
1985 - AFA 37-15 (H)
1986 - AFA 45-35 (A)
1987 - AFA 48-27 (H)
1988 - AFA 56-49 (A)
1989 - AFA 42-38 (A)
1990 - AFA 52-21 (H)
1991 - AFA 24-21 (A)
1992 - Utah 20-13 (H)
1993 - Utah 41-24 (A)
1994 - AFA 40-33 (H)
1995 - Utah 22-21 (A)
1999 - Utah 21-15 (H)
2000 - AFA 23-14 (A)
2001 - AFA 38-37 (H)
2002 - AFA 30-26 (A)
2003 - Utah 45-43 (H) 3ot
2004 - Utah 49-35 (A)
2005 - Utah 38-35 (A)
2006 - Utah 17-14 (H)
2007 - AFA 20-12 (A)
Site ( ) is for AF
Last season vs. Utah
AP Story - Shaun Carney ran for 113 yards and Air Force stopped Utah twice at the 1-yard line in the final 1:25 in a 20-12 win Sept. 8, the Falcons' first over the Utes in five years.
Jim Ollis and Savier Stevens both ran for touchdowns and the Air Force defense kept Utah from rallying in the fourth quarter.
On third-and-goal from the 1, the Falcons stopped Eddie Wide on a direct snap with 1:09 left. The Utes had one more chance, but Drew Fowler stood up Darryl Poston a couple feet short of the goal line to end Utah's scoring threat.
Air Force (2-0, 1-0 Mountain West) was able to run out the clock and end a four-game losing streak to the Utes (0-2, 0-1).
Utah's Tommy Grady passed for 240 yards and a touchdown in his first college start, but he also threw two interceptions -- including one early in the fourth quarter as Air Force took control.
Air Force went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Utah 47 and lost a yard, but Chris Thomas got the ball right back for the Falcons on the next play when he made a diving interception on a pass by Grady.
On first down, Carney kept the ball on an option and broke it for a 53-yard run. Ollis scored two plays later on a 3-yard run to give the Falcons a 17-6 lead with 12:52 left in the game.
Grady gave Utah its first touchdown on a 34-yard pass to Derrek Richards with 6:24 left in the game to get the Utes within 17-12. Utah went for the 2-point conversion, but Thomas broke through the line and tackled Grady in the backfield.
Grady took the Utes down the field again late in the quarter and Utah could have tied it with a touchdown and a conversion, but Air Force came up with the two stops at the goal line.
Last time in Falcon Stadium
In a series marked by close games, Air Force and Utah added another chapter in Falcon Stadium. The Utes defeated Air Force, 17-14, on a 37-yard field goal by Louis Sakoda as time expired.
Utah opened the scoring on an Eric Weddle six-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead with 4:29 remaining in the first quarter. Neither team scored until a wild fourth quarter. Air Force tied the score at 7-7 when Shaun Carney hit Victor Thompson with a six-yard scoring strike. The Utes answered with Weddle's second touchdown of the game to take a 14-7 lead with 9:46 left. Air Force responded with a Carney one-yard run to tie the game with 4:07 left. The Utes then drove 60 yards in 13 plays to set up Sakoda's game-winner.
Utah was led by Weddle, who rushed for 73 yards on 12 carries. Weddle also chipped in with eight tackles on defense. Brett Ratliff hit 24 of 38 passes for 236 yards while Brian Hernandez caught nine passes for 55 yards. The Utes finished the game with 355 yards.
Air Force was led by Carney, who hit 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards, including a season-long 45-yard pass. He also rushed for 33 yards. Chad Hall led the Falcons in rushing with 38 yards on 11 carries. Thompson added career bests of five catches for 99 yards. Drew Fowler led the defense with 12 tackles. Air Force finished the game with 334 total yards.
Ties to Utah
Air Force sophomore fullback Jared Tew is a native of Park City, Utah, and attended Park City High School. Tew is the lone Falcon from the state of Utah. He lettered three years in football and one each in basketball and track at Park City. Tew was an all-state football selection as a senior.
Air Force vs. ranked teams
Utah is the first ranked team Air Force has faced since playing No. 9/8 Notre Dame in Falcon Stadium in 2006. The Falcons are 12-60-3 (.180) all-time vs. ranked teams. Air Force's last victory over a ranked team came 2002 at No. 23 California, 23-21. Air Force's last win in Falcon Stadium over a ranked team came in 2000 vs. 20th-ranked Colorado State, 44-40. The Falcons are are 1-2 all-time against teams ranked No. 20. Air Force has played a ranked Utah team on two other occasions, in 2003 at No. 14 Utah (L 35-49) and in 1994 in Falcon Stadium vs. No. 12 Utah (W 40-33).
The last time Air Force beat a top 20 team in the A.P. ranking and went to a bowl game in the same year was 1963 when the Falcons defeated 10th-ranked Washington, 10-7, at home and played in the Gator Bowl.
Last week
Air Force rolled with the punches and picked up a big non-conference road victory, defeating Houston, 31-28, in Dallas, Texas. The game was moved to Dallas and played at SMU due to hurricane Ike. The day prior to the game, the start time was moved to 9 a.m. MT, which is the earliest start time in school history.
Shea Smith had a career day to lead Air Force, as he rushed for a career-high 93 yards, scored a career-high three touchdowns and notched a career-long run of 41 yards to lead the Falcons. Sophomore tailback Kyle Lumpkin added 74 yards on 20 carries, while sophomore WR-Z Kyle Halderman added 66 yards on 11 carries and fellow sophomore tailback Savier Stephens chipped in with 60 yards on 14 carries and scored his first touchdown of the year. The Falcon rushed for 380 yards while not completing a pass for just the fifth time in school history and first time since 1992, going 0-7 on the day.
The Falcons trailed for the first time this season when Houston's Case Keenum hit Mark Hafner with a 14-yard scoring toss to give the Cougars a 7-0 first-quarter lead. The Falcons answered with a Ryan Harrison 30-yard field goal. Smith and Stephens added touchdown runs in the second quarter to give Air Force a 17-7 halftime lead.
Air Force extended the lead to 31-7 late in the third quarter on a pair of Smith touchdown runs. Houston answered Smith's third score with a Keenum TD pass to Andrew Kohn to cut the lead to 31-14 heading into the fourth quarter. Keenum added two more scoring tosses in the final stanza to make up the final margin, the last coming with just under four minutes remaining. Air Force returned an onside kick and ran out the clock to end the game.
Keenum finished the day hitting 34 of 57 passes for 362 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 75 yards on 10 carries. Tyron Carrier had eight catches for 91 yards.
Air Force's defense was led by sophomore inside linebacker Ken Lamendola, who had a career-best 12 tackles. Luke Yeager added a career-best eight tackles and a fumble recovery while senior defensive end Jake Paulson added seven total tackles and 2.5 quarterback sacks. Reggie Rembert chipped in with six solo tackles, including two tackles for loss, and added a career-best 53 yard punt return to set up a touchdown.
Last week's game notes
Team Notes
- Air Force played its first game at SMU since 1969, when the Falcons defeated the Mustangs, 26-22. The Houston game is the fifth time the Falcons have played at SMU and are 3-2 all-time.
- The Houston game marked the first time this season that Air Force didn't score first in a game. Houston's first-quarter touchdown marked the first time this season that Air Force has trailed in a game.
- Air Force's touchdown to open the second half marks the second time in three games that the team has scored on its opening drive of the second half. The team also scored a touchdown vs. Southern Utah in the season opener.
- Air Force's defense forced a punt on Houston's opening drive of the second half. The Falcons have forced two punts and a fumble to open the second half defensively.
- Houston's third-quarter touchdown marked the first time this season that Air Force's defense has allowed multiple scores. The Falcons, who entered the game tied for fourth nationally in scoring defense with a 5.0 average, held Southern Utah to seven points and Wyoming to three in the first two games.
- Air Force didn't complete a pass in the game which is the fifth time in school history the team has gone without a completion. The last time came in 1992 vs. Wyoming. The previous four times AFA went without a completion the team also didn't attempt a pass in the game.
Individual Notes
- Senior PK Ryan Harrison extended his consecutive field goal made streak to 16 with a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter. Harrison's streak covered eight games dating back to last year. Harrison missed a field goal in the fourth quarter to end the streak.
- Junior ILB Justin Moore forced the first fumble of his career while senior FS Luke Yeager made his first fumble recovery. The play came in the first quarter and led to a touchdown on the team's next drive to give Air Force a 10-7 lead.
- Senior QB Shea Smith's second-quarter touchdown run marks the third straight game he's scored a rushing touchdown. Smith has scored in every game this season on the ground, scoring from a yard out in each of the first two games. Smith later recorded a career-long run of 41 yards in the third quarter which led to his second rushing touchdown of the game. Smith added a third TD run in the third quarter to give Air Force a 31-7 lead. This Houston game marks the first multiple-touchdown game of Smith's career. His previous long run prior to the Houston game was 22 yards vs. Southern Utah in the opening game of this season. Smith finished the game with a career-best 93 yards rushing. His previous best of 91 came vs. Southern Utah.
- Sophomore PR Reggie Rembert recorded a career-long 53-yard punt return in the second quarter. His previous long of 20 yards came earlier this season vs. Southern Utah. The return, which led to a touchdown, ranks as the 11th longest in school history and longest since Matt Farmer returned one 55 yards vs. New Mexico in 1998. Defensively, Rembert recorded a career-high two tackles for loss in the game. The TFLs are the first of Rembert's career. Rembert also matched his career high in solo tackles with six (New Mexico, 2007).
- Sophomore TB Savier Stephens recorded his first touchdown run of the season, a seven-yard score in the second quarter to give Air Force a 17-7 lead. The TD run is the third of his career.
- Senior DE Jake Paulson finished the game with a career-best seven tackles and 2.5 quarterback sacks. Paulson has recorded at least 1.5 quarterback sacks in every game this season and has 6.0 sacks on the year.
- Sophomore ILB Ken Lamendola recorded a career-best 12 tackles vs. Houston to mark the second straight game he's recorded double figures in tackles. Lamendola's previous career-high of 11 tackles came at Wyoming.
- Freshman CB Anthony Wright recorded the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter. The pick came in the Houston red zone.
Air Force home streak at seven games
Air Force is undefeated (7-0) at home under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons posted just the third undefeated home season in school history last year, joining the 1985 and 1998 squads as the only perfect teams at home. Air Force has been dominant in its seven home games with Calhoun at the helm. The Falcons have out-scored their opponents by 145 points which is an averaged scoring margin of 24.2 points per game. The team has scored 20 or more points in every game while allowing fewer than 20 in six of seven games. A closer look at the team's home field success follows.
Home winning streak
2007
9-1 - South Carolina State - W 34-2
9-13 - TCU* - W 20-17 ot
10-6 - UNLV* - W 31-14
10-20 - Wyoming* - W 20-12
11-3 - Army - W 30-10
11-17 - San Diego St.* - W 55-23
2008
8-30 - Southern Utah - W 41-7
* - MWC games
Air Force's seven home games under Troy Calhoun
Category - Air Force - Opponent
Scoring - 33.0 - 12.3
Rushing Avg - 347.0 - 86.7
Passing Avg - 141.2 - 236.8
Total Offense Avg - 488.2 - 323.5
Turnover Margin/+7/-7
3-0 starts a good sign
- Air Force is 3-0 for the 14th time in school history.
- Air Force has averaged 8.5 wins per year when opening 3-0.
- The school has had a winning record every year.
- Air Force had at least nine wins seven times and at least eight wins 9 times.
History of Air Force's 3-0 starts
Year/Final Record
2007/9-4
2003/7-5
2002/8-5
2000/9-3
1998/12-1
1997/10-3
1991/10-3
1989/8-4-1
1985/12-1
1972/6-4
1970/9-3
1959/5-4-1
1956/6-2-1
Air Force defense continues to improve
Air Force's defense has been solid this season. The Falcons rank second in the conference and are tied for 21st in the nation in scoring defense with an average of 12.7 points per game allowed.
The Falcons are fourth in the conference in pass defense with a 187.0 average and in rushing defense with a 106.3 norm. Air Force is also fourth in the conference in total defense, allowing 293.3 yards per game.
Air Force defense conference rankings
Category/Stats-Ranks (MWC/NCAA)
Scoring/12.7 - 2nd / 21st
Passing/187.0 - 4th / 46th
Rushing/106.3 - 4th / 43rd
Total/293.3 - 4th / 38th
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. Both of those games were played in Falcon Stadium.
- Air Force ranked as high as fourth nationally in scoring defense with an average of 5.0 points per game following week two.
- The Falcons have ranked as high as fifth nationally in total defense with an average of 173.0 yards allowed per game. The ranking came in week two.
- Air Force held Wyoming to 2-13 on third-down conversions and 22:46 time of possession.
- 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 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.
More on the defense
Air Force has not allowed a point on the opening drive of the game or the second half this season. The Falcons have forced a punt in each possession to open the game and twice forced their opponent to a three-and-out. Houston gained a first down before having to punt, but its possession was for four plays, 26 yards and 2:40 off the clock. The Falcons have forced two punts and a fumble on the opening drive of the second half. Southern Utah went three-and-out, while Wyoming fumbled.
Houston went nine plays for 38 yards and held the ball for 3:02 before punting.
The Air Force offense has had three turnovers this season and the defense has allowed just three points as a result. On the one score, the defense forced a three-and-out, but Wyoming hit a 47-yard field goal. On the three drives combined, the defense has allowed just 23 yards on 14 plays.
Opponent opening drives
Game/1st Half/2nd Half
Southern 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) -- two first downs
Total: 10 plays; 37 yds/13 plays; 50 yards
Air Force defense following a turnover
Opponent
Turnover/Spot/Result
Southern 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)
Totals: 14 plays; 23 yards
Air Force offense efficient
Air Force ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with a 31.7 scoring average. The Falcons are in their normal position rushing the football, leading the conference with a 358.0 per-game average. The Falcons rank second nationally in rushing. Air Force's offense is even giving a helping a hand to the defense and its quick start to the season. The Falcons are second nationally in time of possession holding the ball for 36:40 per game. TCU leads the nation with a 37:26 mark.
In Air Force's 23-3 victory at Wyoming, the Falcons had their streak of six straight games with at least 30 points snapped. The streak was the nation's third-longest. Air Force picked up where it left off before the Wyoming game, scoring 31 points vs. Houston. Despite the snapped streak, the offense has still averaged 34.3 points per game over the last eight games.
One of America's top coaches
Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is quickly becoming one of America's top coaches. He is 12-4 in his second year at the helm at the Academy.
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.
Calhoun is third in Mountain West Conference history in career winning percentage in conference games with a .778 mark (7-2).
Winningest MWC Coaches
#/Name, School/Tenure/Record/Pct.
1.Urban Meyer, Utah 2003-05/13-1/.929
2.Bronco Mendenhall, BYU 2005-/21-3/.875
3.Troy Calhoun, Air Force 2007-/7-2/.778
4.Gary Patterson, TCU 2005-/19-6/.760
Air Force sixth nationally
- Air Force has scored in 184 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 sixth longest in the country.
# School/Streak/Last Shutout
1. Michigan/291/Oct. 20, 1984 at Iowa (0-26)
2. Washington State/276/Sept. 15, 1984 at Ohio State (0-44)
3. Florida/245/Oct. 29, 1988 vs. Auburn (0-16)
4. Colorado/237/Nov. 12, 1988 at Nebraska (0-7)
5. TCU (MWC)/193/Nov. 16, 1991 at Texas (0-32)
6. Air Force (MWC)/184/#--Dec. 31, 1992 vs. Mississippi (0-13), #--Liberty Bowl)
- Air Force's 184-game scoring streak is the 17th 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: (*--329 games including I-AA games prior to joining I-A in 1992):
# School Streak Dates Ended By
1. Brigham Young 361 9/27/1975 - 11/15/2003 Utah
2. Michigan 291 10/27/1984 - present ..................
3. Texas 281 11/29/1980 - 10/02/2004 Oklahoma
4. Washington State 276 10/22/1984 - present ..................
5. Washington 272 11/14/1981 - 10/16/2004 USC
6. Oregon 267 10/05/1985 - 11/15/2007 UCLA
7. Florida 245 11/05/1988 - present ..................
8. UCLA 245 10/02/1971 - 10/17/1992 Arizona State
9. Colorado 237 11/19/1988 - present ..................
10. Nebraska 233 1/01/1974 - 11/29/1991 Miami, Fla.
11. Florida State 232 9/10/1988 - 11/11/2006 Wake Forest
12. Hawaii 219 12/04/1976 - 11/04/1995 Colorado State
13. Arizona 214 9/09/1972 - 12/15/1990 Syracuse
14. Virginia 195 9/15/1984 - 10/28/2000 Georgia Tech
15. TCU 193 11/23/1991 - present ..................
16. *Nevada 187 9/05/1992 - 12/01/2007 New Mexico
17. Air Force 184 8/04/1993 - present .......................
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. Only offensive linemen Nick Charles and Keith Williams, along with tight end Travis Dekker return on offense.
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. Five of the top six defensive linemen return, along with outside linebacker Hunter Altman and safety Chris Thomas.
The Falcons lost deep snapper Tony Norman, and return specialist Hall. Kicker Ryan Harrison, who handles all the kicking and punting duties returns.
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, seven players with 20 or more career starts does not return in 2008. In fact, 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 graduation
Category Lost Pct Lost Notes
Passing yards 1,491 95.7 Top passer lost
Rushing yards 3,482 89.4 Top six rushers lost
Receiving 952 61.1 Top two receivers lost
Punt returns 176 100.0 Top punt returner lost
Scoring 210 54.0 Three of top four scoreres lost
All-purpose yards 5,254 79.8 Top four lost
Total offense 4,974 91.2 Top six lost
Interceptions 14 ints 93.3 Top three and seven of top eight lost
Tackles 534 53.2 Team leader, four of top five lost
Quarterback sacks
Air Force is among the national leaders in quarterback sacks, both offensively and defensively. The Falcons have forced 11 quarterbacks sacks for 76 yards which leads the conference and ranks tied for third nationally. Senior defensive end Jake Paulson has recorded 6.0 sacks and leads the nation with a 2.00 per-game average. He's recorded at least 1.5 sacks in every game this season.
Offensively, the Falcons have not allowed a quarterback sack this season, which is tied for the national lead.
Air Force conference/national rushing numbers
- Air Force leads the conference and ranks second nationally in rushing with a 358.0 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. National
1980 170.7 5th 79th
1981 185.1 4th 53rd
1982 301.7 1st 4th
1983 246.5 1st 2nd
1984 326.5 1st 2nd
1985 293.2 1st 6th
1986 232.6 1st 15th
1987 386.3 1st 2nd
1988 377.5 1st 2nd
1989 356.0 1st 3rd
1990 267.5 1st 7th
1991 338.1 1st 2nd
1992 242.4 2nd 7th
1993 284.9 1st 4th
1994 304.8 1st 2nd
1995 332.4 1st 2nd
1996 328.9 1st 2nd
1997 332.7 2nd 9th
1998 266.8 1st 3rd
1999 285.5 1st 2nd
2000 294.9 1st 2nd
2001 273.2 1st 3rd
2002 307.8 1st 1st
2003 280.6 1st 4th
2004 277.4 1st 4th
2005 246.5 1st 8th
2006 229.4 1st 3rd
2007 299.5 1st 2nd
2008 358.0 1st 2nd
2008 National Rushing Leaders
# Team Games Yards Average
1. Navy 3 1,111 370.33
2. Air Force 3 1,074 358.00
3. Oklahoma St. 3 1,003 334.22
4. Oregon 3 970 323.33
5. UConn 3 893 297.67
Blocked kicks
- The Falcons have blocked 101 kicks since 1990.
- Air Force blocked two kicks last season, a field goal by Chris Thomas vs. TCU and a field goal vs. Navy by Ryan Kemp.
- Jake Paulson (PAT vs. UNLV in 2006), Hunter Altman (Punt vs. UNLV in 2006), Chris Thomas (FG vs. TCU) and Ryan Kemp (FG vs. Navy) are current Falcons with a blocked kick in their career.
Year-by-Year Blocks Since 1990
Year Total Punts FGs PATs
1990 6 3 1 2
1991 3 1 1 1
1992 8 6 1 1
1993 5 2 3 0
1994 5 4 1 0
1995 3 1 2 0
1996 4 1 3 0
1997 11* 7 3 1 * - school record
1998 7 4 3 0
1999 8 6 1 1
2000 9 4 2 3
2001 7 2 3 2
2002 4 3 1 0
2003 7 3 3 1
2004 2 0 0 2
2005 3 2 0 1
2006 7 2 0 5
2007 2 0 2 0
Totals 101 51 30 20
Rushing for 100 is the key
Air Force is 9-1 under head coach Troy Calhoun in games when it has a player rush for 100 or more yards and 12-2 when they out-rushed opponents. The list of 100-yard rushers for each game follows below:
Game Player Yards
2007
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 101
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
Air Force, Army and Navy compete each year for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, which is emblematic of service academy football supremecy. 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.
The 2008 season marks the 37th year of trophy competition. Air Force has a 46-25-0 all-time CIC record and has won 16 trophy titles. Air Force's overall record and number of trophy titles are best among the three academies. Air Force finished second in the 2007 CIC Trophy chase after its 31-20 loss at Navy Sept. 29 and 30-10 win vs. Army 30-10 Nov. 3. Navy won the trophy by beating both Air Force and Army.
Team Record Pct.
Air Force 47-25-0 .644
Navy 35-36-1 .493
Army 25-46-1 .354
Air Force outright CIC title years:
`82, `83, `85, `87, `89, `90, `91, `92, `94, `95, `97, `98, `99, `00, `01, `02
Air Force takes it away
Air Force has picked up where it left off last season, collecting two takeaways vs. Southern Utah, five at Wyoming and two at Houston. The Falcons have a +2 turnover margin for the season which ranks second in the conference and sixth nationally.
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 fumble recoveries.
Air Force takeaways and +/- in last 10 years
Year Takeaways(Int./Fum.) +/- W/L
2008 9 (2/7) +2 3-0
2007 28 (15/13) +10 9-4
2006 22 (9/13) +8 4-8
2005 17 (9/8) -7 4-7
2004 17 (9/8) +1 5-7
2003 23 (13/10) +6 7-5
2002 26 (12/14) +9 8-5
2001 28 (14/14) +8 6-6
2000 19 (7/12) +7 9-3
1999 14 (8/6) -4 6-5
1998 30 (17/13) +17 12-1
2008 National Turnover Margin Leaders
# Team Games +/- Margin
1. TCU 3 10/1 3.00
Florida 2 6/0 3.00
3. Minnesota 3 9/1 2.67
4. Wake Forest 2 8/3 2.50
Tulsa 2 5/0 2.50
6. Air Force 3 9/3 2.00
Arkansas State 3 10/4 2.00
USC 2 7/3 2.00
North Carolina 2 6/2 2.00
Dekker nominted for AFCA Good Works Team
Air Force senior tight end Travis Dekker is 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.
Dekker carries a 3.75 grade point average in biochemistry and has been on the Academy's superintendent's list for military, academic and athletic excellence four semesters. The Albuquerque, N.M., native is a two-year starter for the Falcons and a two-time academic all-conference selection. Last season, he had 25 receptions for 382 yards and caught at least one pass in every game. His catches and yards are the most by a Falcon tight end since 1989. This past summer, he was selected to participate in the Cadet Summer Research Project at the Air Force Research Lab in Albuquerque. He has held numerous leadership positions at the Academy and has also volunteered for several community projects, including the Salvation Army and a helped raise funds for Hurricane Katrina relief in 2005.
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.
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 had three solo tackles and two pass breakups on defense vs. Southern Utah. He also had one carry for 21 yards at WR-Z. On special teams, Rembert had a 20-yard punt return and three kickoff returns for 61 yards to give him 102 all-purpose yards. He averaged 20.2 yards per touch.
Rembert 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.
Rembert didn't play on offense vs. Houston, but was was a game-breaker on defense and on special teams. He recorded six solo tackles and the first two tackles for loss of his career. He also recorded his career-long punt return of 53 yards to set up an Air Force touchdown. The return, which led to a touchdown, ranks as the 11th longest in school history and longest since Matt Farmer returned one 55 yards vs. New Mexico in 1998.
Rembert is fourth on the team in tackles on the season with 13, all unassisted. He also leads the team in pass breakups with three. He has also carried the ball five times for 30 yards and is averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
Opponent Plays (Def/Off/ST) Tackles Rushing Receiving Returns Totals Avg.
Southern Utah 53 (42/4/7) 3-0-3 1-21 0-0 4-81 5-102 20.2
Wyoming 67 (50/7/10) 4-0-4 4-9 0-0 2-26 6-35 5.8
Houston 92 (85/0/7) 6-0-6 0-0 0-0 4-97 4-97 24.3
Totals 212 (177/11/24) 13-0-13 5-30 0-0 10-204 15-234 15.6
Paulson leading the nation
Senior defensive end Jake Paulson is having an outstanding start to the season. Paulson has 6.0 quarterback sacks and leads the nation with a 2.00 per-game average. Paulson is tied for second in the conference and third nationally in tackles for loss with 7.0 which is a 2.33 per-game average. He is the only player in the MWC to rank in the top three in each category.
Paulson has been dominant in every game, recording at least 1.5 sacks in each. Paulson had four tackles, two sacks, a tackle for loss and a safety in the opening game against Southern Utah. He added 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble at Wyoming. Paulson had a career-best seven tackles against Houston, including 2.5 sacks for 19 yards and a pass deflection.
Paulson game-by-game
Opponent Statistics
Southern Utah 4-0-4, 2.0 sacks, 1 TFL, safety
Wyoming 2-1-3, 1.5 sacks, forced fumble
Houston 6-1-7, 2.5 sacks, pass deflection
Harrison among the best
Senior do-everything kicker/punter Ryan Harrison is off to a near-perfect start this season. Harrison is tied for second in the nation in field goals, averaging 2.33 per game. Harrison is near-perfect hitting seven of eight field goals.
Harrison in perfect in 10 extra point attempts to tie for the national lead. He is averaging 10.3 points per game which ranks second in the conference and is
