Air Force defensive linemen tackle Colorado State University fullback Zac Pauga during the game at Falcon Stadium Oct 9, 2010. The CSU Rams, which came in averaging 56 rushing yards per game, racked up nearly 300 yards on the ground against the Falcons. (Air Force photo/Rachael Boettcher)
Air Force junior running back Asher Clark escapes a tackle during the Air Force-Colorado State University game at Falcon Stadium Oct 9, 2010. Clark, a native of Lawrenceville, Ga., carried 17 times for 125 yards and became the ninth Falcon to surpass 2,000 all-purpose yards. (Air Force photo/Rachel Boettcher)
by John Van Winkle
Air Force Academy Public Affairs
10/9/2010 - FALCON STADIUM -- Seven touchdowns on offense and special teams led the Air Force Academy to a decisive 49-27 win over Colorado State University Oct. 9.
The Falcons came into the game ranked No. 25 in the nation by the Associated Press, powered in part by the top-ranked rushing offense in the NCAA, while CSU limped in with a 1-4 record after averaging only 11 points per game.
The Falcons offense drew blood quickly. Taking the ball at their 23-yard line on the first possession of the game, two typical rushes via the Falcons' triple-option running attack moved the ball to their 43-yard line.
Having made the Rams defense expect another run, the Falcons took to the air. Backup tight end Joshua Freeman provided a chip block and rolled out into the open space on the right, where Falcons quarterback Tim Jefferson hit him for a completion that became a 51-yard gain. Freeman's catch moved the ball to the Rams' 6-yard line, and a Rams penalty halved the distance to the goal line. Jefferson handed off to fullback Jared Tew, who carried it up the middle for the touchdown, putting the Falcons on the scoreboard on the fourth play of the game.
After a successful defensive stand, the Falcons took their next possession at their 20-yard line, and repeated their formula of success. Falcon running back Asher Clark gained 30 yards on two carries, and then Jefferson went to the air to find junior wide receiver Zach Kauth along the left sideline for a 39-yard completion.
"Anytime you have those sizeable gains, that helps," Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun said.
Clark carried twice more, ending the drive with a 3-yard touchdown. The extra point kick by junior Erik Soderberg was good, putting the CSU Rams down 14-0 with nine minutes left in the quarter.
The Rams continued going to their ground game, which came into the game ranked 120th in the nation and averaging 56.2 yards per game. But against the Falcons, the Rams' rushing attack was averaging 5.5 yards per carry in the first quarter.
The Rams drove 72 yards on 11 plays to the Falcons 3-yard line. A false start moved them back 5 yards, which they regained two plays later, but faced a fourth down and 2 at the 3. Falcon defensive lineman Bradley Connor swatted the pass to the ground and forced the Rams turn it over on downs.
The Rams defense finally tightened down, forcing the Falcons to punt a few minutes later, but that only gave the Rams the ball at their own 12-yard line. That drive ended abruptly when Falcon defensive back Reggie Rembert intercepted Thomas at the Rams 33-yard line and returned it 30 yards to give the Falcons first and goal at CSU's 3-yard line.
Two plays later, the Rams defense forced a fumble to escape another Falcon scoring drive when Rams linebacker Michael Kuwalok wrapped up Falcons fullback Tew and allowed fellow Rams linebacker Mychal Sisson to pry the ball loose.
"I thought we really missed a golden opportunity with the fumble down there. That's something we've got to look at," Calhoun said.
But the Falcons defense came calling for the turnover once again when defensive back Jon Davis forced Rams running back Leonard Mason to fumble. Rembert recovered the fumble, giving the Falcons another possession at the Rams' 33. Two plays later, Jefferson sent Kauth deep right and hit him with an easy tossup for the touchdown. Soderberg's kick was good, putting the Falcons ahead 21-0.
The Rams' Derek Good returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards to set up a drive that would finally put the Rams on the board. Several plays later, Rams wide receiver Lou Greenwood went wide left to outpace the Falcons defense for a 13-yard touchdown. Rams kicker Ben DeLine added the extra point, to lower the Air Force lead to 21-7.
The Falcons scored one more time before the half. Taking the ball 74 yards on 13 plays and eating up five minutes of game time, the Falcons sealed the drive with a Jefferson pitch to wide receiver Kyle Halderman on an end-around. Halderman went wide left across the goal line for the score. With Soderberg's point-after attempt, the Falcons went into the half leading 28-7.
Coming out of the locker room at halftime, CSU took the first possession, but managed three plays before sending their punter in to do work. But the Falcons sent a strong rush up the middle on the punt, getting a partial block by freshman defensive back Anthony Wooding to give the Falcons the football at the CSU 38-yard line.
Four plays later, backup quarterback Ben Cochran found tight end Chaz Demerath wide open on a fake field goal. Cochran completed the easy pass for a 25-yard touchdown, to give the Air Force Academy a four touchdown lead.
The Rams showed that they still had fight in them, when the CSU defense snatched an interception deep in Air Force territory. Jefferson completed a pass to Cochran, who was instantly hit by by a CSU defender. The hit popped the ball up in the air, and Rams defensive back Ivory Herd grabbed the jump ball for an 8-yard return to the Air Force 30. The Rams stayed with their revived ground game to move the ball, and scored on a four yard run by running back Leonard Mason. Freshman linebacker Jamil Cooks blocked the extra point to make the score 35-13, Air Force. So far this season, Cooks has blocked one punt, one field goal and one extra point attempt.
Air Force's special teams took it up another notch on the kickoff. Wide receiver Jonathan Warzeka took the ball at his own goal line and found enough blocking on the right side to break free and race up the right sideline for a touchdown. This was Warzeka's second 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown of his career, and lifted the Falcons to a 42-13 lead.
"They outplayed us on special teams," said CSU head coach Steve Fairchild. "They got through to a punt and a kickoff return. You can't do that. There were too many big plays and they are too good of a team. You have to play a much more perfect game that we did, obviously."
The Falcons added to that lead with another touchdown pass by Jefferson, this time to Kauth again for 19 yards. Another Soderberg extra point lifted the Air Force lead to 49-13.
With the game well in hand, the Falcons started rotating the reserves in, getting more game time under the belts of their second- and third-string players.
CSU became the first team this season to score against Air Force in the fourth quarter by putting two touchdowns on the board. The first was a 5-yard pass from Thomas to tight end Eric Peitz. CSU closed out the game with a 2-yard touchdown run by backup fullback Chris Nwoke in the game's final minute, to end the game at 49-27.
Despite the lopsided score, the Rams piled up a healthy number of yards on offense, gaining 285 on the ground against the Falcons' porous run defense.
"We have a ton of work to do," Calhoun said. "We have a lot of work to do in a short period of time. That's why when we go out to practice on Monday, it's going to be imperative that we're productive."
With the win, the Falcons closed out the first half of their 2010 football season with a 5-1 record.
"The second half of the season, you just look. It's going to be a different world," Coach Calhoun said. "They're going to have to be ready to play," he added, referring to his team.
Next up on the Falcons' schedule is a trio of tough back-to-back Mountain West Conference matchups, against San Diego State, Texas Christian University and Utah. San Diego State went into Saturday with a 3-1 record, while TCU was ranked No. 5 in the nation with a 5-0 record, and Utah was ranked 10th in the nation with a 4-0 record.
"I think when you look on the horizon, for what we're going to have to do -- really the next three games -- we play three teams that deserve to be among the top 20 in the country. Three of the next four are on the road," Coach Calhoun said.
After those three conference battles, the Falcons will turn their attention to winning back the Commander in Chief's trophy when they face Army Nov. 6. And while the Falcons' fanatical fans can scope out the rest of the regular season, the actual football team remains focused on only the next game ahead, Calhoun said.
