Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson breaks into the open en route to a 16-yard touchdown run against TCU at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth,Texas, Oct. 23, 2010. Jefferson had nine carries for 39 yards and Air Force's only touchdown of the game in the 38-7 loss. (U.S. Air Force photo/John Van Winkle)
Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson hands off to fullback Nathan Walker during the Air Force-TCU game at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 23, 2010. Walker had six carries for 30 yards in the Falcons' 38-7 loss to the No. 4 Horned Frogs. (U.S. Air Force photo/John Van Winkle)
Air Force offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Clay Hendrix talks with his linemen following the Falcons' first and only successful scoring drive in a 38-7 loss to TCU at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 23, 2010. The Falcons' top-ranked rushing attack was held to less than 200 yards in the 38-7 loss to the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs. (U.S. Air Force photo/John Van Winkle)
by John Van Winkle
U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
10/24/2010 - FORT WORTH, Texas (AFNS) -- The Air Force Academy fell 38-7 to the nation's fourth-ranked team Oct. 23.
Texas Christian University made a statement with its opening series, marching 71 yards on seven plays and capping the drive with a 5-yard run by quarterback Andy Dalton. A Ross Evans extra point put TCU up 7-0.
Air Force returned the favor on their first offensive series, taking the ball at their 21-yard line, but starting at their own 11-yard line after a flag for a personal foul. The Falcons drove it down to the TCU 16-yard line nine plays later, and were left facing a third-and-one. Jefferson took the snap, angled right, then found a hole up the middle, cut into the open and then dashed left to cross the goal line for the touchdown. In typical Falcon football fashion, he handed the football to the back judge, and then got into celebration mode with his teammates. Kicker Erik Soderberg's extra point was good and the game was tied at 7-all.
After that, the teams traded series, with TCU taking the lead midway through the second quarter with a 30-yard field goal by kicker Ross Evans. The Horned Frogs would go on to add four unanswered touchdowns, making the game a showcase for TCU's drive for a BCS bowl bid.
The TCU Horned Frogs averaged 7.4 yards per carry and compiled 377 yards rushing against the Academy on their way to a 562-yard offensive showcase. On defense, TCU held the Air Force's best-in-the-nation rushing offense to just 184 yards on the ground, and limited the Falcons to just 231 yards of total offense.
"No. 1, Air Force is a tough football team," said TCU head coach Gary Patterson. "You don't have to look at the score. Every year it is the toughest game to get ready to play with what they do."
The Horned Frogs were more than ready for the Falcons this year. TCU's defense limited the Falcons to just four of 11 on third-down conversions, won the time of possession battle by more than five minutes and kept their red zone Falcon-free for the rest of the game.
"We could play a lot better," said Air Force head football coach Troy Calhoun. "We have to play better. We have a very challenging road ahead of us, but yet at the same time we are going to have to elevate across the board."
The loss to TCU drops the Air Force Academy to 5-3 on the season. The Falcons will look to right that skid with a win at home next week, when they host the University of Utah at Falcon Stadium Oct. 30. This will be the last conference matchup between the two teams, as Utah will depart the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-10 next year.
