Air Force Football. Game Facts - Air Force vs. Navy

Transcription

1 Air Force Football Athletic Communications 2169 Field House Dr. USAF Academy, CO Phone: Fax: Website: goairforcefalcons.com Air Force hosts service academy rival Navy Air Force (3-1, 1-1 MWC) returns to action this week to host service academy rival Navy (3-2) on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. in Falcon Stadium. The Falcons are coming off an open date following a loss at home to Utah Sept. 20. Navy enters the game following a win at No. 16/15 Wake Forest. The non-conference game is Air Force s second this season. The team is 1-0 in 2008 and 4-2 under head coach Troy Calhoun in non-conference games. 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 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 loss at Navy Sept. 29 and win vs. Army Nov. 3. Navy won the trophy for the fifth consecutive year by beating both Air Force and Army. Air Force is on the road the next two weeks following the Navy game. The Falcons play at San Diego State Oct. 11 and at UNLV Oct. 18. Air Force s next home game is Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. vs. New Mexico. Promotions Recording artist Bettina is scheduled to sing the National Anthem prior to the Air Force-Navy game. Her father, Brig. Gen. Charles V. Bush, is a 1963 graduate of the Academy and is the irst African-American to graduate from USAFA. Game Facts - Air Force vs. Navy Game 5 Air Force vs. Navy Saturday, Oct. 4, 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 SIRIUS Satellite Radio, channel 140 Jim Arthur (play-by-play); Lee Douglas (anaylst); Jay Ritchie (pre- and post-game) Television VERSUS (Ch. 603 on DirecTV, 151 on DISH, 56 on Comcast) Tim Neverett (play-by-play); Glenn Parker (color); Anne Marie Anderson (sidelines) Breakdown Category Air Force Navy Record: 3-1, 1-1 MWC 3-2 Ranking: none none Streaks: L 1 W 2 Last Week: Open W at # 16/15 Wake Forest Next Week: at San Diego State Open Coach: Troy Calhoun Ken Niumatalolo Alma Mater: Air Force, 1989 Hawaii, 1989 Record at school: 12-5 (2 years) 3-3 (1 year, plus bowl) Career Record: Same Same 2007 Record: 9-4 (6-2 MWC, 2nd) 8-5 Nickname: Falcons Midshipmen, Mids Enrollment: 4,400 4,200 Colors: Blue, Silver Navy Blue, Gold Conference: Mountain West Independent Website: Date Issued: Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 Air Force (3-1, 1-1 MWC) Date Time Opponent Result Aug p.m. Southern Utah W 41-7 Sept. 6 1:30 p.m. at Wyoming* # W 23-3 Sept. 13 2:30 p.m. at Houston W Sept p.m. #20 Utah* & L Sept OPEN Oct. 4 2 p.m. Navy & Oct. 11 6:30 p.m. at San Diego St.* % Oct p.m. at UNLV* % Oct p.m. New Mexico* # Nov. 1 TBA at Army Nov. 8 4 p.m. Colorado State* % Nov. 15 1:30 p.m. BYU* # Nov. 22 2:30 p.m. at TCU* & * - Mountain West Conference game All times local to site & - VERSUS # - (CBS C) CBS College Sports Network, formerly known as College Sports Television (CSTV) % - (The Mtn.) MountainWest Sports Network Navy (3-2) Date Time Opponent Result Aug. 30 3:30 p.m. Towson W Sept. 5 7 p.m. at Ball State L Sept p.m. at Duke L Sept. 20 3:30 p.m. Rutgers W Sept. 27 3:45 p.m. at Wake Forest W Oct. 4 4 p.m. at Air Force Oct Open Oct. 18 3:30 p.m. Pittsburgh Oct. 25 3:30 p.m. SMU Nov. 1 3:30 p.m. Temple Nov Open Nov p.m. vs. Notre Dame Nov p.m. at Northern Illinois Dec p.m. vs. Army All times Eastern

2 Air Force Media Services Weekly Press Teleconference Air Force head football coach Troy Calhoun will host the media for a press conference each week. The teleconferences will take place on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at Old Chicago on I-25 and Woodman. A complementary lunch is served at 11:45 a.m. The number to call into the teleconference is: Questions will be taken from those present, then opened up to callers. Sunday Teleconference Head Coach Troy Calhoun will also be available on Sundays at 5 p.m. MT via teleconference. Media may call into the teleconference at This teleconference is to recap the previous week s game and will not take place following an open date. Calhoun on MWC Conference Call Troy Calhoun is available on the Mountain West Conference teleconference every Tuesday, beginning Aug. 26, at 10:12 a.m. MT. Media should contact the MWC office at for the call-in number. TV Guide DirecTV Versus 603 CBS C 613 The Mtn 616 Dish CBS C 152 Versus 151 Comcast Versus 56 The Mtn 167 CBS C 170 Player Interviews Players and coaches are available for interviews before or after practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Requests must be made at least one day in advance for before practice and must be done between 1:15 and 2 p.m. Practice, including meetings, typically runs from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. *Note: Prior to game weeks against Navy, San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico players will be available before and after Monday and Tuesday practices only due to heavy academic loads. To arrange interviews, please call the athletic communications office at Camera/Video Policy Media wishing to take photographs or tape video footage of Air Force football practice may do so for the first 45 minutes only. Photographers and videographers are asked to stay around the perimeter of the practice fields. Radio / TV Shows TV: Air Force Football with Troy Calhoun (TV) airs on Sunday evenings at 10:35 p.m. on KOAA-TV 5/30. Brian Jerman is the host. The show also airs on Altitude Sports and Entertainment each Wednesday at 5 p.m. and on the Mtn Tuesdays at 5 p.m., Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. Radio: Falcon Talk with Troy Calhoun (Radio) airs every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs. The show is taped live at the Dublin House in Colorado Springs. On the internet The official website of Air Force athletics (goairforcefalcons.com) is home to the latest in Falcon athletics. Schedules, results, rosters, bios, statistics and game notes can be found for all Academy intercollegiate athletic teams. Weekly satellite feed The MWC provides a weekly satellite feed during the season. The feed runs every Wednesday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. MT starting Sept. 3. The feed is available on: Navy Game Week Schedule Monday Practice, 3:45-5:30 p.m. Players available 1:15-2 p.m. by appointment Players, coaches available after practice Tuesday MWC Weekly Teleconference Troy Calhoun on 10:12 a.m. MT Weekly Press Luncheon 12:30 p.m. Old Chicago at I-25 and Woodman Practice, 3:45-5:30 p.m. Players available 1:15-2 p.m. by appointment Players, coaches available after practice Wednesday Practice, 3:45-5:30 p.m. No player availability. Coaches available before or after practice Thursday Practice, 3:45-5:30 p.m. No player or coach availability. Friday No practice. No player or coach availability. Saturday Game Day Air Force vs. Navy 2 p.m., Falcon Stadium, USAFA, CO Post-Game Player, coaches available for post-game interviews following 10-minute cooling-off period. No Air Force players and coaches are NOT available as they are leaving the ield. AMC 15 - KO5 - Slot A6 KU digital - 6 MHz. D/L = V Symbol rate = Date rate = 5.5 FEC 3/4 Tandberg encoder Collegepressbox.com Collegepressbox.com is the official media website for Mountain West Conference football. Access and download weekly game notes, photos, quotes, statistics, media guides and more for the conference and each of its nine member schools throughout the season. Apply for a password by sending an to password@collegepressbox.com. Media Contacts Troy Garnhart, associate A.D./ communications Office: Cell: troy.garnhart@usafa.edu Dave Toller, sports information director Office: Cell: dave.toller@usafa.edu Nick Arseniak, assistant director Office: Cell: nicholas.arseniak@usafa.edu Sunday No practice No player or coach availbility. Calhoun Sunday Teleconference 5:30-5:45 p.m. Call-in number is Falcon Stadium Press Box Phone Air Force Football Page 2

3 The series This is the 41st meeting between the two service academies. Air Force holds a all-time lead. The Falcons are 14-5 at home, 7-7 at Navy and 4-3 in neutral site games. Since the beginning of the Commander-in-Chief s Trophy series in 1972, the Falcons hold a overall lead. Navy has won five consecutive games in the series, including two straight at Air Force. Prior to Navy s five-game streak, the Falcons had won six straight and 19 of the last 21 games dating back to Seven of the last 11 games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less dating back to The Midshipmen beat Air Force, 24-17, the last time the two played at Air Force. Air Force s last win at home in the series came in 2002, Navy defeated Air Force, 31-20, last season in Annapolis. The teams first played in 1960 in Baltimore, Md. The Midshipmen won the game, Year by Year Navy 35-3 * AFA 15-7 (H) AFA ** AFA 26-3*** Navy (H) Navy 42-6 (A) AFA (H) Navy 17-0 *** AFA 13-3 (H) Navy 10-7 (A) Navy 37-8 (H) Navy 13-9 (A) AFA (H) Navy (A) AFA (H) AFA (A) AFA (H) AFA 24-7 (A) AFA 40-6 (H) AFA (A) AFA (H) AFA 35-7 (A) AFA 24-7 (H) AFA 46-6 (A) AFA (H) Navy (A) AFA (H) AFA (A) Navy (H) AFA 10-7 (A) AFA 49-7 (H) Statistical Comparisons statistics AFA 19-14# AFA (H) AFA 24-18# AFA 48-7 (H) Navy 28-25# Navy (H) Navy (A) Navy (H) Navy (A) * - Baltimore, MD ** - Chicago, IL *** - Washington, DC # - Landover, MD Site ( ) is for AFA Last season AP Article - Playing before a record crowd and with Navy's four-year hold on the Commander-in- Chief's trophy on the line, quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada stepped up with two fourth-quarter touchdown runs, leading the Midshipmen to a win over Air Force. Kaheaku-Enhada had touchdown runs of 2 and 78 yards. Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney had a record day in defeat, gaining 300 total yards to become the program's all-time leader with 6,780 yards from scrimmage. Carney also threw for a career-best 237 yards. Trailing early in the fourth quarter, Navy drove 73 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Kaheaku- Enhada hit O.J. Washington for 53 yards to the Air Force 20. Eric Kettani converted a fourth down at the 11, and then Kaheaku-Enhada scored on fourth down from the 2, giving Navy the lead with 13:01 to play. After an Air Force punt, Kaheaku-Enhada broke loose for 78 yards to put the Midshipmen up with 9:18 left. Navy, which entered the weekend as the nation s top rushing team, produced 302 rushing yards and 381 yards total. The Falcons outgained the Midshipmen with 474 yards, but were held without a score three times inside Navy's 20-yard line. Joey Bullen's 29-yard field goal staked Navy to a lead before Chad Hall's 5-yard run put Air Force ahead late in the third. Carney completed 18 of 23 passes and ran for 63 years. Hall had career highs with 8 catches for 108 yards, and he scored both Falcon touchdowns - both on the ground. Jim Ollis had 73 yards rushing, but his fourth-quarter fumble allowed Navy to run some time off the 4 Games 5 Games Category Air Force Opponent Navy Opponent Points/Gm 118/ / / /25.4 First downs (total) R-P-Pen Rushing (#-Yds) 252-1, , Rushing avg Passing (C-A-I) Passing yards ,374 Passing avg Total off. (#-Yds) 288-1, , , ,894 Avg. Yd.s/play Total off. Avg Punting (#-Avg) Fumbles-lost Penalties-yds rd downs (46%) (34%) (43%) (55%) Possession time 33:21 26:39 31:33 28:27 Inside the Mountain West 2008 Standings # Team MWC All 1. Utah BYU TCU Air Force Colorado State San Diego State UNLV New Mexico Wyoming This week Thursday, Oct. 2 Oregon State at Utah, 7:00 pm MT, VERSUS % Friday, Oct. 3 Oct. 3 BYU at Utah State, 6:00 pm MT, KJZZ Saturday, Oct. 4 UNLV at Colorado State, 12:00 pm MT, The Mtn. Navy at Air Force, 2:00 pm MT, VERSUS % San Diego State at TCU, 5:00 pm CT, The Mtn. Wyoming at New Mexico, 7:30 pm MT, The Mtn. Last week Bowling Green 45, Wyoming 16 California 42, Colorado State 7 San Diego State 45, Idaho 17 New Mexico 35, New Mexico State 24 Utah 37, Weber State 21 Nevada 49, UNLV 27 Oklahoma 35, TCU 10 Weekly teleconference Tuesdays, Aug Nov :00 a.m. MT; For information about the call-in number and replays, please contact the MWC office at Time Schedule 10:00 a.m. Moderator opens call 10:02 a.m. Kyle Whittingham - Utah 10:12 a.m. Troy Calhoun - Air Force 10:22 a.m. Chuck Long - SDSU 10:32 a.m. Mike Sanford - UNLV 10:42 a.m. Gary Patterson - TCU 10:52 a.m. Rocky Long - New Mexico 11:02 a.m. Steve Fairchild - CSU 11:12 a.m. Bronco Mendenhall - BYU 11:22 a.m. Joe Glenn - Wyoming 11:32 a.m. Craig Thompson - MWC Weekly satellite feed The MWC provides a weekly satellite feed during the season. The feed runs every Wednesday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. MT starting Sept. 3. The feed is available on: AMC 15 - KO5 - Slot A6 KU digital - 6 MHz. D/L = V Symbol rate = Date rate = 5.5 FEC 3/4 Tandberg encoder Air Force Football Page 3

4 clock and protect its 11-point lead. The Falcons' Ryan Harrison hit field goals of 28 and 21 yards, but he also missed from 41 and 32. The latter miss was one of three missed opportunities deep in Navy territory. Ollis was dropped for a loss on fourth down at Navy's 4 in the second quarter, and the Falcons later had to punt after three penalties pushed them back from the Navy 15. Last time at Air Force Navy defeated Air Force, 24-17, in Falcon Stadium in 2006 for its fourth consecutive win in the series. The Midshipmen got on the board with a Keenan Little 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown to take a 7-0 first-quarter lead. The Falcons answered when Chad Hall scored on an eight-yard run to tie the score at 7-7. Navy responded with a Brian Hampton one-yard run to take a 14-7 halftime lead. Matt Harmon kicked a 38-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-7 with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter. Although that was the only score of the quarter, the Midshipmen shortened the game significantly for Air Force as it held the ball for 13:30 of the quarter and ran 21 more plays. Hampton added his second touchdown run of the game with a two-yard run to push the lead to 24-7 early in the fourth quarter. Air Force answered with a Zach Sasser 30-yard field goal to cut the lead to The Falcons added another score on a Shaun Carney to Travis Dekker five-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to with 3:06 left to play. The Falcons recovered an onside kick after that, put were held on downs, turning the ball over to Navy to run out the clock. The Midshipmen had 325 total yards, including 317 rushing. Navy was led by Adam Ballard, who rushed for 134 yards on 27 carries. Hampton added 105 yards rushing and hit one of five passes for eight yards. Air Force had 312 total yards, including 193 rushing. Chad Hall led the team with 59 yards rushing. Jacobe Kendrick added 40 yards on six carries. Carney hit nine of 19 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Falcons were led by Drew Fowler s career-best 18 tackles. Austin Randle chipped in with a career-best 14 tackles and a tackle for loss while John Rabold added 13 total tackles and a tackle for loss. Career statistics vs. Navy Rushing Name G Att-Yds-TDs None Passing Name G C-A-Int-Yds-TD None 2008 Team Rankings Category Stats MWC NCAA Scoring Offense th 54th Scoring Defense rd 30th Passing Offense th 119th Passing Defense th 60th Kickoff Returns th 110th Net Punting rd 24th Rushing Offense st 6th Rushing Defense th 55th Total Offense th 85th Total Defense th 43rd Punt Returns st 18th Passing Efficiency th 102nd Passing Eff. Def th 67th Turnover Margin st T5th First Downs 70 9th 89th Opp. First Downs 71 4th 45th Sacks For 16 1st 2nd Sacks Against 0 1st T1st Penalties nd 41st Third Down % th 30th Third Down Defense th 44th Field Goal %.889 4th -- PAT Kicking T1st T1st Fourth Downs % th T48th Time of Possession 33:20 4th 11th Kickoff Coverage rd -- Red Zone offense th 31st Red Zone defense th 39th Receiving Travis Dekker Spencer Armstrong Sean Quintana Tackles Name G UT-AT-Total Chris Thomas Hunter Altman Aaron Kirchoff Ryan Kemp Brandon Reeves Jared Marvin Rick Ricketts Ben Garland Kevin Rivers Patrick Hennessey Will Keuchler Luke Hyder Ties to Navy Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter coached at Navy from as the secondary coach. DeRuyter, a 1985 Air Force graduate, coached under head coach Charlie Weatherbie, who coached quarterbacks and fullbacks at Air Force from Air Force tough at home Air Force is 7-1 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. Despite the loss to No. 20 Utah earlier this season, Air Force has been dominant in its eight home games with Calhoun at the helm. The Falcons have out-scored their opponents by 138 points which is an average scoring margin of 17.3 points per game. The team has scored 20 or more points in every game while allowing fewer than 20 in six of eight. Air Force is averaging 31.8 points per game at home while allowing just Despite its lowest rushing output since 1980 vs. Utah (53 yards), the team is averaging yards per game on the ground while allowing just over 100. Air Force s passing attack has been outstanding. The Falcons are averaging yards per game. Air Force has also been outstanding in the turnover battle with a +8 mark. A closer look at the team s home field success follows. Individual (MWC Rank) Player Category Stats Rank Shea Smith Rushing th Passing th Total Offense th Pass Eff th Scoring 7.5 T7th Kyle Halderman Rushing th Kyle Lumpkin Rushing th Reggie Rembert Punt Rtns nd Brandon Geyer Punting st Ryan Harrison Punting th Scoring 9.0 T4th Kick Scoring 9.0 3rd Field Goals st Nat l T2nd FG Pct nd PAT Kicking T1st Ken Lamendola Tackles 9.0 T2nd Jake Paulson Sacks st Nat l 1st TFL 2.0 2nd Nat l T4th Ben Garland Forced Fum..50 T2nd Nat l T6th Ryan Kemp Fum. Rec..50 T2nd Nat l T8th Chris Thomas Fum. Rec..50 T2nd Nat l T8th Air Force Football Page 4

5 Air Force at home under Troy Calhoun South Carolina State W TCU* W ot UNLV* W Wyoming* W Army W San Diego St.* W Southern Utah W Utah L * - MWC games Air Force s eight home games under Troy Calhoun Category Air Force Opponent Scoring Rushing Avg Passing Avg Total Offense Avg Turnover Margin 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 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 loss at Navy Sept. 29 and win vs. Army Nov. 3. Navy won the trophy by beating both Air Force and Army. Team Record Pct. Air Force Navy Army Air Force outright CIC title years: 82, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02 Air Force vs. non-conference foes Air Force is 8-9 against non-conference opponents dating back to After losing four in a row to non-conference opponents in , Air Force has posted a 5-3 mark over the last eight games. Air Force is 1-0 this season and 4-2 under head coach Troy Calhoun in non-conference games. Year Date Opponent Score 2004 Sept. 4 California L Sept. 11 E. Washington W Sept. 30 Navy L Nov. 6 at Army W Sept. 3 Washington (N) W Oct. 8 at Navy L Nov. 5 Army L Sept. 9 at Tennessee L Oct. 7 Navy L Nov. 3 at Army W 43-7 Nov. 10 Notre Dame L Sept. 1 South Carolina St. W 34-3 Sept. 29 at Navy L Nov. 3 Army W Nov. 10 at Notre Dame W Dec. 31 California (N) L Aug. 30 Southern Utah W 41-7 Oct. 4 Navy Air Force 9-3 since Navy loss in 2007 Air Force hit its stride after losing to Navy, 31-20, last season in Annapolis. The Falcons are 9-3 since that game, a 6-2 mark to close last season and and a 3-1 mark to open Air Force s only losses have come at New Mexico, 34-31, vs. California, 42-36, in 2007 and a loss vs. No. 20 Utah this season. Air Force has posted three different three-game winning streaks since. Air Force won three straigth after the Navy loss, then three more straight following the New Mexico loss. The Falcons opened this season with a three-game winning streak prior to the Utah loss. Last Year at Navy Navy 31, Air Force 20 Sept. 29, Annapolis, MD Team OT Final Air Force Navy Scoring AF: Harrison 28 FG, 1/2:20 N: Campbell 37 run (Bullen kick), 2/14:44 AF: Hall 16 run (Harrison kick), 2/12:08 N: Singleton 12 run (Bullen kick), 2/8:25 AF: Harrison 21 FG, 3/11:46 N: Bullen 29 FG, 3/7:22 AF: Hall 5 run (Harrison kick), 3/1:56 N: Kaheaku-Enhada 2 run (Bullen kick), 4/13:01 N: Kaheaku-Enhada 78 run (Bullen kick), 4/9:18 Team Statistics AF Navy First Downs (R-P-Pen) 25 ( ) 18 (15-2-1) Rushing Att-Yds Yards Lost Rushing NET RUSHING NET PASSING YARDS Passing (C-A-I) TOTAL OFFENSE Avg. Per Play Fumbles Penalties Punts (#-Avg) Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Interceptions Fumble Returns Possession Time 31:16 28:44 Third Downs Fourth Downs Sacks By: Attendance : 37,615 Individual Statistics Rushing (Att-Yds-TD): AF - Ollis , Carney , C. Smith , Hall , Williams , McCarthy N - Kaheaku- Enhada , Singleton , Kettani , Campbell , Ballard , Doyle 1-(-1)-0. Passing (Comp-Att-I-Yds-TD): AF - Carney N - Kaheaku-Enhada Receiving (Att-Yds-TD): AF - Hall , Root , Quintana , Dekker N - Washington Tackle Leaders (UT-AT-TT): AF - Fowler , Shanor 3-6-9, Larson 6-1-7, Altman 6-1-7, Kemp 2-3-5, Rybak 3-1-4, Ricketts 3-1-4, Rabold 2-2-4, Kirchoff 1-3-4, Thomas 2-1-3, Clayton 1-2-3, Garland 1-1-2, Rivers 1-1-2, Hennessey , Bird 1-0-1, Keuchler 1-0-1, Giannini 1-0-1, Randle 1-0-1, Hyder N - Wimsatt , Walsh , Haberer 5-4-9, Spencer 3-5-8, Carter 6-1-7, King 4-2-6, Vela 3-3-6, Iwuji 4-1-5, Frazier 2-3-5, Buffin 2-3-5, Bookhout 4-0-4, Kuhar-Pitters 2-1-3, Johnson 2-0-2, Campbell 1-0-1, Bullen 1-0-1, Doyle 1-0-1, Middleton 1-0-1, Edwards Air Force Football Page 5

6 Two of the nation s best rushing the ball battle this week Navy and Air Force are two of the nation s best when it comes to rushing the ball. Navy has won the last three national rushing titles are in postion to win a fourth this season, as they rank second in the nation with a per-game average. Air Force has finished eighth, third and second in the nation, respectivly, over the last three years. Air Force ranks sixth this season with a mark National Rushing Leaders # Team Average 1. Oklahoma St Navy Nevada Oregon Georgia Tech Air Force Air Force following an open week Air Force is all-time following an open week. The Falcons are 5-8 at home and on the road. The Navy game will mark the irst in head coach Troy Calhoun s career as Air Force head coach that his team has played following an open week. The Falcons played 12 consecutive weeks during the regular season last year. Air Force has won two straight and ive of the last seven following an open week. The Falcons have lost three straight home games following an open date, losing to BYU (24-41) in 2005, Utah ( OT) in 2003 and Navy (17-20) in Air Force s last home win following an open week came in 1995 against Army, Air Force is 6-3 following an open week since the MWC started play in Air Force s results following an open week since joining the MWC Year Game Result 2006 at Wyoming W at New Mexico W BYU L Utah L OT 2002 at #23 California W at San Diego State W at Utah W at BYU L at Washington W Air Force turns around recent October trend The Falcons inished 3-1 in the month of October last season which turned around a recent ugly trend. Prior to last season s mark, Air Force had not posted a winning record in the month of October since going 4-0 in In fact, the Falcons had not won more than two games in the month since then. Air Force s three wins in 2007 matched the total from the previous three years combined. Air Force was undefeated at home last season (2-0), defeating UNLV, 31-14, and Wyoming, Air Force is all-time in the month of October. The Falcons are at home and on the road. The team is 0-1 in neutral site games. Air Force is in conference games in October, including a mark at home and a road record. Recent October records Year Overall Conference Last game Utah defeated Air Force, 30-23, in another classic battle in a historically close series. Darrell Mack scored on a nine-yard run with 58 second left to give the Utes the lead for good and Joe Dale added an interception on Air Force s next offensive play to seal the victory. Utah opened the game with a Brian Johnson 47-yard touchdown pass to David Reed to take a 7-0 firstquarter lead. The Utes added a safety when punter Ryan Harrison miss-handled a snap in the end zone to take a 9-0 advantage. Harrison got the Falcons on the board with a 44-yard field goal early in the second quarter and the team took the lead, 10-9, with a Shea Smith to Kyle Lumpkin eight-yard TD pass. On Utah s next drive, Jake Paulson picked up a fumble after a Rick Ricketts sack and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to give the Falcons a 16-9 halftime lead. The Falcons forced three first-half turnovers and turned two of them into touchdowns. The Utes took control in the second half. Mack scored the first of three touchdowns on the opening Fast Facts Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is one of three coaches in the Mountain West Conference and 17 in the NCAA to be the head coach at his alma mater. Calhoun joins Rocky Long of New Mexico and Steve Fairchild of Colorado State in the conference. A complete look at the list follows. Troy Calhoun, Air Force Brady Hoke, Ball State Steve Fairchild, Colorado State Mark Snyder, Marshall Ralph Friedgen, Maryland Randy Shannon, Miami Chris Alt, Nevada, Reno Rocky Long, New Mexico Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Charlie Weis, Notre Dame Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee Tom Amstutz, Toledo Rick Neuheisel, UCLA Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech Paul Wulff, Washington State Air Force football best in MWC, among the nation's best in academic success The Air Force Academy football team, along with men's basketball, wrestling and men's and women's outdoor track and ield were honored by the NCAA for being in the top 10 percent of their respective sports in the Academic Performance Reports (APR), released last summer. Air Force continues to be the leader in academic excellence among the Mountain West Conference. The football team's score of 975 ranked highest among the nine-team MWC. Air Force is one of only ive football playing Division I institutions to post a four-year APR in the top 10 percent nationally while playing in a major conference with the football bowl subdivision. Duke, Rice, Rutgers and Stanford are the other four. Air Force football also tops the MWC in the other NCAA academic benchmark of graduation success rate. The Falcons have a 92 percent graduation success rate. The rate is more than 20 percent higher than any other school within the conference. Top MWC Programs APR: Graduation Success Rates Air Force Air Force TCU SDSU BYU TCU The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 965 to a perfect 1,000. Air Force Football Page 6

7 drive of the third quarter on an eight-yard run to tie the game at He added a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter to give Utah a lead. The Falcons answered with a Savier Stephens oneyard run to tie the game at 23 before Mack s game-winner in the final minute. Utah finished the game with 440 total yards, including 197 rushing. Their defense held Air Force to just 191, the lowest in the Troy Calhoun-era at Air Force. Utah also held Air Force s rushing attack 53 yards, the second fewest since the Falcons went to the option offense in Mack led the way with 101 yards on 18 carries while Matt Asiata added 116 yards on 19 carries. Johnson hit 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards and a score. Air Force was led by Smith, who hit seven of 13 passes for 138 yards. Lumpkin added 36 yards rushing while Stephens added 33. Kevin Fogler chipped in with four catches for 93 yards. The defense was led by linebacker Ken Lamendola, who matched a career high with 12 tackles. Hunter Altman added a career-best 12 stops. Last game s notes Team Notes Utah s safety in the first quarter was the first against Air Force since Oct. 30, 2004 when Wyoming tackled Air Force running back Anthony Butler in the end zone. Utah scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the second half which is the first points Air Force has allowed on an opening drive of either half this season. The Falcons have forced three punts and a turnover on downs on the opponent s opening drive of the game. Air Force forced two punts and a fumble on the opponent s opening drive of the second half prior to the Utah TD. Utah s fourth-quarter touchdown gave the Utes a lead and marked the first time this season that Air Force has trailed in the second half of a game. Air Force finished the game with 191 total yards which is a season low and the lowest under head coach Troy Calhoun. The 191 total yards are the fewest since gaining 142 at TCU in The Falcons also rushed for a season-low 53 yards. The 53 rushing yards is the fewest by Air Force since rushing for just 48 vs. Colorado State in Air Force s seven-game home winning streak was snapped. The loss is the first at home for Air Force under second-year head coach Troy Calhoun. Individual Notes Junior SS Chris Thomas recorded his second quarterback sack of the season. The sack came on fourth down and forced a change of possession for Air Force. Thomas later added his third sack of the season. Thomas also added a fumble recovery, his second of the season. Sophomore CB Reggie Rembert recorded the first interception of his career. The pick came off a deflection by junior SS Chris Thomas in the Utah end zone. The interception is the third by Air Force this season. Rembert later added the first quarterback sack of his career. Junior NG Ben Garland recorded his first solo sack this season and now has 1.5 on the year. Garland forced a fumble on the sack, his second forced fumble this season, which was recovered by junior SS Chris Thomas. Sophomore TB Kyle Lumpkin scored the first touchdown of his career. The TD came on an eightyard catch to give Air Force a 10-9 second-quarter lead. Senior DE Jake Paulson scored the first touchdown of his career. The TD came on a 25-yard fumble recovery as a result of the first-career quarterback sack and forced fumble by sophomore DE Rick Ricketts. The defensive touchdown is the first this season for Air Force and first since John Rabold vs. Notre Dame last season. Paulson s touchdown is the first by an Air Force defensive lineman since Bryce Fisher scored on a 45-yard fumble return against Oregon in the 1997 Las Vegas Bowl. Paulson recorded a sack in the fourth quarter which was his seventh this season. Sophomore ILB Ken Lamendola finished with a career-best 12 tackles to mark the third straight game he s reached double figures in tackles. Lamendola had 11 vs. Wyoming and a career-best-tying 12 vs. Houston. Senior PK Ryan Harrison matched his season long with a 44-yard field goal in the first half. Harrison has hit eight of nine field goals this season. Senior OLB Hunter Altman recorded a career-high 12 tackles. His previous career best was 10 vs. TCU last season. Sophomore WR Kevin Fogler recorded career bests in every receiving category. Fogler caught four passes for 93 yards with a long of 42. His previous bests came with three catches for 38 yards with a long of 19 vs. Southern Utah. Fogler s 93 yards receiving are the most by a Falcon this season. Junior WR Josh Cousins recorded his first-career catches in the game. Cousins finished with two catches for 37 yards with a long of 29. One of America s top coaches Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is quickly becoming one of America s top coaches. He is 12-5 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 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 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 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. Air Force Personnel Chart General Information Location: Colorado Springs, CO Enrollment: ,400 Founded: Nickname: Falcons Colors: Blue (287), Silver (877) Stadium: Falcon (46,692) Surface: FieldTurf Conference: Mountain West Superintendent:.... Lt. Gen. John Regni Athletic Director:... Dr. Hans Mueh Athletic Phone: Ticket Manager:.... Chris Peludat Ticket Phone: USAF Coaching Staff Head Coach: Troy Calhoun Alma Mater: USAFA, 1989 School Record: (2 years) Career Record: Same Assistant Coaches Tim DeRuyter (Air Force, 1985), 2nd year (6th) Assoc. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Matt Wallerstedt (Kansas State, 1988), 1st year Asst. Head Coach/ILBs Clay Hendrix (Furman, 1986), 2nd year Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Ron Burton (North Carolina, 1987), 6th year Defensive Line Capt. Charlton Warren (Air Force, 1999), 4th yr. Secondary/Recruiting Coordinator Jemal Singleton (Air Force, 1999), 6th year Running Game Coordinator/Running backs Blane Morgan (Air Force, 1999), 7th year Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Ben Miller (Air Force, 2002), 2nd year Tight Ends/Specialists Matt Weikert (Ohio, 2002), 2nd year Outside Linebackers Patrick Covington (Furman, 2006), 2nd year Offensive Assistant Mike Thiessen (Air Force, 2001), 2nd year Wide Receivers Lt. Col. Steve Senn (Air Force, 1990), 4th year JV Head Coach Capt. Tony Sampson (Air Force, 2000) JV/Varsity Assistant/Quality control Maj. Anthony Roberson (Air Force, 1989), 2nd yr Director of Football Operations Assistants on Game Day In the booth Blane Morgan Tim DeRuyter Matt Weikert Patrick Covington On the field Troy Calhoun Clay Hendrix Jemal Singleton Mike Thiessen Tony Sampson Matt Wallerstedt Ron Burton Capt. Carlton Warren Lt. Col. Steve Senn Ben Miller Air Force Football Page 7

8 Calhoun was named the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year for Calhoun, who was also named the Mountain West Conference coach of the year, joined five other coaches to win the honor. Calhoun is fourth in Mountain West Conference history in career winning percentage in conference games with a.700 mark (7-3). Winningest MWC Coaches # Name, School Tenure Record Pct. 1. Urban Meyer, Utah Bronco Mendenhall, BYU Gary Patterson, TCU Troy Calhoun, Air Force Young team in 2008 Air Force features one of its youngest teams in history in 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, 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, Top passer lost Rushing yards 3, Top six rushers lost Receiving Top two receivers lost Punt returns Top punt returner lost Scoring Three of top four scoreres lost All-purpose yards 5, Top four lost Total offense 4, Top six lost Interceptions 14 ints 93.3 Top three and seven of top eight lost Tackles Team leader, four of top five lost Air Force 14th nationally in terms of freshmen playing The Falcons are the youngest team in the Mountain West Conference and 14th youngest nationally in terms of freshmen playing. The freshmen that have played for Air Force this season follow: 5 - Anthony Wright (CB), 7 - Tim Jefferson (QB), 11 - Jaquon Robinson (WR), 15 - Jonathan Warzeka (WR), 16 - Jon Davis (SS), 17 - Asher Clark (TB/QB), 33 - P.J. Adeji-Paul (CB), 73 - A.J. Wallerstein (OT), 84 - Daniel Pickett (TE), 99 - Erik Soderberg (PK). Wright, Jefferson, Davis and Wallerstein appear in the Air Force two-deep chart weekly. True Freshmen Who Have Played Florida State Miami (Fla.) Arkansas Alabama SMU Minnesota Georgia Tulane UAB Central Michigan Rice Iowa State UCLA Air Force Arizona State Florida North Texas San Jose State Air Force defense continues to improve Air Force s defense has been solid this season. Despite the loss to No. 20 Utah, the Falcons are still among the league leaders in several categories. Air Force ranks third in the conference and 30th nationally in scoring defense with a 17.0 average. Air Force s defense has had several bright spots this season, which follow below. Falcons to honor the Air Force again in 2008 The Air Force Academy football team is honoring the the Air Force and and several different units throughout the Air Force this season by wearing patches on its uniforms. The team will wear the Air Force patch to honor the men and women of the U.S. Air Force. The team will also honor 10 of the Air Force's Heritage Wings and Groups by wearing patches on their home uniforms; and six USAF Air and Space Expeditionary Wings by wearing patches on their away uniforms for the second straight year. The team will wear the Air Force logo on both uniforms for the first time in The Heritage Wings and Groups date back to the foundations of the Air Force, beginning on Aug. 1, 1907, when the U.S. Army Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Division to take "charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects." But, it was not until May 26, 1909, that military aviation was born, when Lts. Frank P. Lahm and Benjamin D. Foulois made their first ascent and qualified as the airship's first Army pilots. The National Security Act of 1947 created a separate Department of the Air Force, headed by a Secretary of the Air Force; from that law, today's Air Force was officially born on Sept. 18, The 10 patches represent active duty units that have colorful and distinguished histories. These "heritage units" not only represent the legacy of the Air Force past, but also the promise of its future. Each Air Force mission and capability is represented with this cross-section of units. The Air and Space Expeditionary Force concept is the Air Force's vision for the 21st century to organize, train, equip and deploy forces for contingency operations while remaining ready to meet national crises. AEF also helps create a mindset and culture that embraces the unique characteristics of air and space power - range, speed, flexibility and precision. Military personnel that are deployed become a part of one of these six wings. Heritage wing/groups: 8th Fighter Wing - Kunsan AB, Korea 31st Fighter Wing - Aviano AB, Italy 3rd Wing - Elmendorf AFB, Alaska 14th Flying Training Wing - Columbus AFB, Miss. 2nd Bomb Wing - located around the world 19th Air Refueling Group - Robins AFB, Ga. 9th Reconnaissance Wing - Beale AFB, Calif. 341st Space Wing - Malmstrom AFB, Mont. 1st Special Operations Wing - Hurlburt Field, Fla. 315th Airlift Wing - Charleston AFB, S.C. Air and Space Expeditionary Force Wings: 380th Air Force Expeditionary Wing - SW Asia 455th Air Force EW - Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan 379th Air Force EW 332nd Air Force EW - Balad AB in SW Corner of Sunni Triangle 376th Air Force EW - Mansa International Airport, Bishkek, Krygyz Republic. 38th Air Force EW - SE Asia Air Force Football Page 8

9 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 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. The Falcons have ranked as high as fifth nationally in total defense with an average of yards allowed per game. The ranking came in week two. 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 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 10thbest single-game effort in school history. Air Force held Wyoming to 2-13 on third-down conversions and 22:46 time of possession. Air Force scored its first defensive touchdown of the season when senior DE Jake Paulson returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown vs. Utah. The score is the first by an Air Force defensive lineman since Bryce Fisher vs. Oregon in the 1997 Las Vegas Bowl. More on the defense Air Force has allowed just one score on the opeing drive of the first or second half this season. Utah did the honors to open the second half, scoring a touchdown. The Falcons have forced two punts and a fumble in the other three games to open the second half. Air Force has forced opponents to a turnover on downs and and three punts on the opening drive of the game. The Air Force offense has had five 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 four drives (one turnover vs. Utah ended the game) combined, the defense has allowed just 24 yards on 17 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 Utah Down (5-12-2:38) Touchdown (8-69-3:53) Total 15 plays; 49 yds 21 plays; 119 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) Utah Interception AF 44 Fumble (3-1-:53) Interception AF 39 End of game Totals 17 plays; 24 yards Air Force offense solid Air Force ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with a 29.5 scoring average. The Falcons are in their normal position rushing the football, leading the conference with a mark, despite a 53- yard effort vs. Utah. The Falcons rank sixth 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 fourth in the conference and 11th nationally in time of possession holding the ball for 33:20 per game. 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 sixth nationally Air Force has scored in 185 consecutive games dating back to 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. Mountain West Conference enters 10th year in The Mountain West Conference enters its 10th year of competition in As the league enters its 10th year, some notworthy things about Air Force and its history in the league follow. Air Force is in overall since joining the MWC in 1999 which is a.493 winning percentage. The school s 35 wins rank ifth in the conference while the winning percenrage is the sixth best. Air Force vs. the MWC -- BYU (3-6), Colorado State (4-5), New Mexico (4-5), San Diego State (5-4), TCU (1-2), UNLV (6-3), Utah (4-6), Wyoming (6-4). Air Force leads the MWC in non-conference road wins as a member of the conference with a 9-5 overall record. TCU, at 4-2, is the only other school with a winning non-conference road record. Air Force has posted two nine-win seasons as a member of the MWC which is tied for third among conference schools. Utah leads the way with four, followed by BYU with three and Air Force, TCU and Colorado State with two each. Air Force is tied for fourth in the MWC with a (.588) home record. The team s 20 home wins ranks third behind BYU (23) and Utah (23). Air Force has scored in all 111 games it s played as a member of the conference, which is the longest streak in the league. AFA has scored in every conference game its played (73) which leads the conference. New Mexico (62), Utah (62) and Colorado State (56) have the next longest streaks. Air Force is all-time in television games as a member of the conference. The breakdown by network follows: Fox (3-0), ESPN+ (6-8), ESPN2 (5-7), ESPN (0-8), ABC (3-2), NBC (1-1), CBS C (3-5), ESPN Classic (0-1), The Mtn (7-4), VERSUS (0-3) Academics and athletics Air Force is one of three MWC schools (BYU, Colorado State) to win an NCAA College Football Scholar-Athlete award (Scott Becker, 2000). Air Force is the only school with an NCAA post-graduate scholarship winner (Cale Bonds, 1999; Scott Becker, 2001). Air Force is one of three schools to have an athlete earn back-to-back Academic All-American honors. Ryan Carter did it in 2003 and 2004 and joins Cody Kase of New Mexico (2006, 2007) and Eric Pauley of Colorado State (2001, 2002, 2003). # School Streak Last Shutout 1. Michigan 292 Oct. 20, 1984 at Iowa (0-26) 2. Washington State 278 Sept. 15, 1984 at Ohio State (0-44) 3. Florida 247 Oct. 29, 1988 vs. Auburn (0-16) 4. Colorado 239 Nov. 12, 1988 at Nebraska (0-7) 5. TCU (MWC) 195 Nov. 16, 1991 at Texas (0-32) 6. Air Force (MWC) 185 # Dec. 31, 1992 vs. Mississippi (0-13), # Liberty Bowl) Air Force s 185-game scoring streak is the 17th longest in Division I-A college history Air Force Football Page 9

10 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/ /15/2003 Utah 2. Michigan /27/ present 3. Texas /29/ /02/2004 Oklahoma 4. Washington State /22/ present 5. Washington /14/ /16/2004 USC 6. Oregon /05/ /15/2007 UCLA 7. Florida /05/ present 8. UCLA /02/ /17/1992 Arizona State 9. Colorado /19/ present 10. Nebraska 233 1/01/ /29/1991 Miami, Fla. 11. Florida State 232 9/10/ /11/2006 Wake Forest 12. Hawaii /04/ /04/1995 Colorado State 13. Arizona 214 9/09/ /15/1990 Syracuse 14. Virginia 195 9/15/ /28/2000 Georgia Tech 15. TCU /23/ present 16. *Nevada 187 9/05/ /01/2007 New Mexico 17. Air Force 185 8/04/ present... Air Force conference/national rushing numbers Air Force leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally in rushing with a average. Air Force has won 24 conference rushing titles since joining conference play in In 2002, the Falcons won the school s first national rushing title with a per-game average. The Falcons won their 10th straight conference title in 2007 with a average. Year Stats Conf. National th 79th th 53rd st 4th st 2nd st 2nd st 6th st 15th st 2nd st 2nd st 3rd st 7th st 2nd nd 7th st 4th st 2nd st 2nd st 2nd nd 9th st 3rd st 2nd st 2nd st 3rd st 1st st 4th st 4th st 8th st 3rd st 2nd st 6th Quarterback sacks Air Force is among the national leaders in quarterback sacks, both offensively and defensively. The Falcons have forced 16 quarterback sacks for 115 yards which is ited for the national lead. Senior defensive end Jake Paulson has recorded 7.0 sacks and leads the nation with a 1.75 per-game average. He s recorded at least one sacks in every game this season. Offensively, the Falcons have not allowed a quarterback sack this season, which is tied for the conference and national lead National Sack Leaders # Team Total Average 1. Air Force Texas Tulane Oklahoma Northwestern Falcon Facts Month 2008 Calhoun August September October November December Air Force s Conference Record at home on the road neutral Air Force s Non-Conference Record at home on the road neutral Air Force s record in games... decided by 7 points or less decided by 3 points or less Away during the day Away at night Home during the day Home at night Air Force s record when scoring... less than 20 points points points points points Air Force s record when allowing... less than 20 points points points points points Air Force s record when... leading at halftime trailing at halftime tied at halftime leading after 3rd quarter trailing after 3rd quarter when tied after 3rd quarter when scoring irst when opponent scores irst when out-rushing opponent when opponent out-rushes with more total yards when opponent has more with a 100-yard rusher Air Force s record in... Thursday night games Saturday games Bowl games Overtime games Nationally-televised games Regionally-televised games Games without television Air Force Football Page 10

11 Blocked kicks The Falcons have blocked 101 kicks since 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 * * - school record Totals 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 Result 2007 South Carolina St. Kip McCarthy 129 W 34-3 Utah Shaun Carney 113 W TCU Jim Ollis 138 W OT UNLV Chad Hall 169 W Colorado State Chad Hall 256 W Wyoming Chad Hall 167 W Army Chad Hall 275 W Notre Dame Chad Hall 142 W San Diego State Jim Ollis 163 W Chad Hall 151 Ty Paffett 105 California Shaun Carney 108 L Jim Ollis 101 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, two at Houston and three vs. Utah. The Falcons have a +7 turnover margin for the season which leads the conference and ranks fifth in the nation. 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. Over the last two seasons, Air Force has a combined +17 mark under head coach Troy Calhoun. Air Force takeaways and +/- in last 10 years Year Takeaways(Int./Fum.) +/- W/L (3/9) (15/13) (9/13) (9/8) (9/8) (13/10) (12/14) (14/14) (7/12) (8/6) (17/13) Did you know... Bring on overtime Air Force has been very successful playing in overtime games since the format was added to college football in Air Force is 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Falcon Stadium during the extra period. The team is 4-1 in conference overtime games. Year Game Result 1996 at Notre Dame W at Fresno State* W San Diego State* W at Notre Dame L New Mexico* W Utah* L OT 2007 TCU* W * - Conference game An old school look For the first time since 1979, Air Force football did not feature the blue and silver striping in the center of its helmet last season. In addition to the Lightning Bolts on each side, the Falcons have had the stripes on the helmet from 1980 to Air Force originally had just the Lighting Bolts on the helmet for the first 25 years from the program s inception in There is also a slight alteration to the Lightning Bolts as the silver lining of the blue bolts has been replaced by an all-blue bolt. The Falcons brought back the old-school look last season and will continue in National program Air Force is a national program in every way. The Falcons have 25 difference states represented on its roster which is the fourth most nationally. Only Army (35), Notre Dame (29) and Navy (27) have more. Rounding out the other schools with 20 or more states represented are Stanford (24), Northwestern (23), West Virginia (21) and Colorado (20). Air Force History First Year: All-Time Record: (53 years) Home: Away/Neutral: Bowl Record: October Record Air Force is all-time in the month of October. The Falcons are at home and on the road. The team is 0-1 in neutral site games. Air Force is in conference games in October, including a mark at home and a road record. Air Force Football Page 11

12 2008 National Turnover Margin Leaders # Team Games Avg 1. Vanderbilt Boston College Rice Minnesota Air Force Florida 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 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 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 ranks second in the MWC in punt returns this season with a 20.2 average. Rembert is the irst 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 Evans did not have any statistics and played both only that week. LeRon Hudgins is the last player to play both ways signi icantly as a safety and running back in Hudgins was listed as a starter on defense and played most of the season as a backup hal back in the option offense. In 1967, Carl Janssen was the irst 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 highlights Had 102 all-purpose yards for a 20.2 average per touch vs. Southern Utah... also had three tackles. 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. Six solo tackles and the irst two tackles for loss of his career vs. Houston... 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 Seven tackles and the first quarterback sack and interterception of his career vs. Utah. Opponent Plays (Def/Off/ST) Tackles Rushing Receiving Returns Totals Avg. Southern Utah 53 (42/4/7) Wyoming 67 (50/7/10) Houston 92 (85/0/7) Utah 93 (79/0/14) Totals 305 (256/11/38) Paulson leading the nation Senior defensive end Jake Paulson is having an outstanding start to the season. Paulson has 7.0 quarterback sacks and leads the nation with a 1.75 per-game average. Paulson is tied for second in the conference and fourth nationally in tackles for loss with 8.0 which is a 2.00 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 one sack 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 de lection. He added three tackles and a sack vs. Utah and scored the irst touchdown of his career on a 25-yard fumble recovery. The TD is the irst defensive score this season and irst touchdown by a defensive lineman since Bryce Fisher vs. Oregon in the 1997 Las Vegas Bowl. 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 de lection Utah 2-1-3, 1.0 sack, 25-yard fumble return for a TD Falcons picked sixth in MWC Two-time defending Mountain West Conference football champion BYU was predicted to capture its third consecutive title in 2008 in a poll of media members. The Cougars made their second straight undefeated run in conference play in 2007, compiling an 8-0 mark against league opponents en route to an 11-2 overall record and a Top 20 ranking in the inal USA Today Coaches (t-14), Associated Press (14) and Harris (18) polls. BYU returns 10 starters from an offensive unit that ranked among the top 25 nationally in passing and total offense a year ago. The Cougars are led by irst-team all-mwc honorees Max Hall (QB), Dennis Pitta (TE), Ray Feinga (OL) and Dallas Reynolds (OL). Three starters also return on defense for BYU, which ranked among the top 10 nationally in scoring, rushing and total defense. BYU, which enters the 2008 season with the nation's longest win streak at 10 games, received 29 irst-place votes and a total of 299 points. Utah was chosen second with 274 points and ive irst-place votes. The Utes tied for third place (5-3) in Conference play in 2007, winning eight of their last nine games and ending the season with a 9-4 mark overall. Utah, which enters the season with the nation's second-longest bowl win streak at seven games, returns six starters from a defense that ranked among the top 20 nationally in scoring, pass and total defense last season. TCU was picked to inish third after posting an 8-5 record (4-4 MWC) and winning its third consecutive bowl game last season. The Horned Frogs, who return eight starters on offense and six on defense, totaled 239 points in the poll. New Mexico was chosen fourth with 197 points, followed by Wyoming (5th points), Air Force (6th points), San Diego State (7th - 92 points), Colorado State (8th - 73 points) and UNLV (9th - 59 points). # Team Points 1. BYU (29) Utah (5) TCU New Mexico Wyoming Air Force San Diego State Colorado State UNLV 59 Air Force s history in the MWC poll (Year - Where AF selected) Year Selection Finish/Difference nd (3) 7th / th 2nd / th T5th / th (1) T3rd / rd (1) T4th / th T4th / th 7thj / th T6th / th 2nd / +5 (#) - First place votes Air Force Football Page 12

13 Individual National Leaders # Name, Team Total Avg 1. Jake Paulson, Air Force Brian Orakpo, Texas Brandon Graham, Michigan Diyral Briggs, Bowling Green Aarson Maybin, Penn State 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 ield goals, averaging 2.00 per game. Harrison is near-perfect hitting eight of nine ield goals. Harrison in perfect in 12 extra point attempts to tie for the national lead. He is averaging 9.0 points per game which ranks third in the conference and 31st nationally. He is also a weapon on kickoffs, collecting 15 touchbacks in 24 kickoffs. Harrison tied a career high with three ield goals vs. Southern Utah and Wyoming earlier this season. He had had three consecutive games with three ield goals dating back to last year s inale vs. California in the bowl game. He hit his irst attempt at Houston to extend his consecutive streak of ield goals to 16 before missing from 41 yards. Harrison is a dangerous punter as well, averaging 38.5 yards per punt. Harrison is tied for ifth in Air Force history in career ield goals with 27 which is the most since Joey Ashcroft hit 29 from Harrison has hit 27 of 36 careeer attempts and his 75.0 percentage ranks fourth all-time at Air Force. Harrison career numbers Season FG Punting PATs Kickoffs (88.9) (1.000) 24 total -15 TBs (70.4) (.957) 77 total -32 TBs Totals (75.0) (96.6) 101 total - 47 TBs (46.5 pct) Career Field Goals Career Field Goal Percentage # Name, Years FGs # Name, Years Pct 1. Dave Lawson, Jackson Whiting, (19-23) 2. Sean Pavlich, Joe Wood, (39-49) 3. Joe Wood, David Adams, (26-34) 4. Joey Ashcroft, Ryan Harrison, (27-36) 5. Dennis Leuthauser, Carlos Mateos, (12-16) 6. Ryan Harrison, Joe Ashcroft, (29-39) Halderman hauls it Sophomore Kyle Halderman is one of the big-play men for the Falcons. Halderman is second on the team and ninth in the conference in rushing with a 60.8 per-game average. Halderman rushed for 87 yards on six carries in the season opening win over Southern Utah and scored on a 48-yard dash. Halderman led the Falcons with 85 yards on three carries at Wyoming and broke open the game in the third quarter with a 74-yard run to set up a touchdown to give Air Force a 13-3 lead. The 74-yard run is the longest by a Falcon since Blane Morgan went 80 yards vs. New Mexico in Halderman rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries against Houston. He has rushed for 243 yards on 24 carries this season and is averaging a conference-best 10.1 yards per carry among the league s top 10 rushers. Air Force s 1-2 tailback punch A pair of sophomores make up Air Force s one-two punch at tailback this season. Second-year players Kyle Lumpkins and Savier Stephens are the top two players on the depth chart at tailback. Lumpkin leads the team and ranks sixth in the MWC in rushing with 258 yards on 67 carries and is averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Lumpkin scored the irst touchdown of his career vs. Utah, hauling in an eight-yard pass to give Air Force an early 10-9 lead. Stephens is fourth on the team in rushing with 192 yards on 56 carries. He is second on the team in rushing touchdowns with two. The pair has combined for over 100 yards in three of four games this season. They had a season-best 139 vs. Southern Utah. The pair also rushed for 108 at Wyoming and 134 vs. Houston. They were held under the 100-yard mark for the irst time this season in the Utah game, inishing with 69 yards on 25 carries. Game Lumpkin Stephens Total Southern Utah Wyoming Houston Utah Totals Together again The Air Force trio of juniors Chris Thomas (safety) and Justin Moore (ILB) and sophomore Will Keuchler (OLB) have reunited at the Academy. The trio of classmates was irst together in Westerville, Ohio, at St. Francis DeSales High School where they helped the football team to a state championship game appearance. They are together again this season. Keuchler, who attended the Academy s Prep School, is a back at outside linebacker, while Thomas enters his second season as a starter at safety. Conference Champions Air Force conference statistical champions in the Mountain West Conference follow: Team Rushing Year Stats (2) (3) (3) (1) (4) (4) (8) (3) (2) Total Offense (9) Scoring Offense (16) (15) Passing Defense (38) Sacks by * Punting (3) Punt Returns * (17) Rushing Chad Hall, 2007 Receiving Ryan Fleming, 2000 Scoring Dave Adams, 2000 Chance Harridge, 2000 Tackles Drew Fowler, 2006 Quaterback Sacks John Rudzinski, 2002 Interceptions Carson Bird, 2007 Individual ( ) - National rank * - Conference games only ypg 84.5 ypg 8.5 ppg 10.2 ppg 10.2 tpg 4 sacks* Air Force Football Page 13 6 INTs

14 Moore is listed as a backup inside linebacker. They were coached by Bob Jacoby in high school. Smith continues solid play Senior quarterback Shea Smith has been solid this season in his irst year as the starting quarterback. Smith has rushed for 224 yards and leads the team with ive rushing touchdowns. He has hit 18 of 36 passes for 228 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a quarterback ef iciency rating. Smith rushed for a career-high 93 yards and a career-best three touchdowns vs. Houston. He threw for a career-best 138 yards and a touchdown on seven of 13 passing vs. Utah. Smith rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown vs. Southern Utah in his irst-career start. He is the irst Falcon quarterback to win his irst three career starts since Chance Harridge in Lamendola rolling Sophomore inside linebacker Ken Lamendola is off to a great start in his irst season as a starter. Lamendola leads the Falcons and is tied for second in the conference in tackles with a 9.0 per-game average. After recording just one tackle in his irst-career start in the Southern Utah game, Lamendola has chipped in with three straight games of 10 or more tackles. Lamendola had 11 tackles at Wyoming, then added a career-best 12 tackles vs. Houston to lead the team for the irst time in his career. He led the team for the second straight week with a career-high-tying 12 stops vs. Utah. He is the irst Falcon with three straight 10-plus tackle games since Drew Fowler in Falcon honors Honors for Air Force football players so far in 2008 Ryan Harrison, PK,P - 11th best kicker in the nation by Phill Steele s Magazine... second-team preseason all-mwc as kicker and punter by Phil Steele s Magazine... Lou Groza National Place Kicker Award star of the week vs. Wyoming. Nick Charles, OL - First-team all-mwc preseason... second-team preseason all-mwc by Phil Steele s Magazine. Keith Williams, OL - second-team preseason all-mwc by Phil Steele s Magazine. Chris Thomas, DB - second-team preseason all-mwc by Phil Steele s Magazine. Ryan Kemp, DE - First-team all-mwc preseason. Travis Dekker, TE - Nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team. Chris Thomas, SS - MWC defensive player of the week vs. Wyoming. Falcon Facts Air Force uses honorary captains for each game, along with game captains. The honorary captains are former footabll players (graduation year listed). The captains for each this season follow below. Southern Utah Honorary: Bart Holiday (1965), Randy Cubero (1961). Game: Ryan Kemp, Keith Williams, Ryan Harrison. Wyoming Honorary: John Martin (1971), Ross Weaver (2006). Game: Jake Paulson, Andrew Pipes. Houston Honorary: Mike Bloomfield (1981), Chad Hennings (1988), former coach Bob Noblitt. Game: Chris Thomas, Shea Smith. Utah Honorary: John Lorber (1964), John Ziegler (1986), Bob Brickey (1961). Game: Brandon Reeves, Keith Madsen, Chris Campbell. Air Force Football Page 14

15 Charting the 2008 Opponents Southern Utah (2-3) A. 30 at Air Force...L 7-41 S. 6 Adams State...W S. 13 at Montana...L S. 20 No. Arizona...L S. 27 at Texas State...W O. 4 Youngstown State O. 11 at UC Davis* O. 18 Open O. 25 at Cal Poly* N. 1 Open N. 8 at North Dakota* N. 15 South Dakota* N. 22 Northern Iowa Houston (2-3) A. 30 Southern...W 55-3 S. 6 at Oklahoma St...L S. 13 Air Force...L S. 20 at Colorado St....L S. 27 at E. Carolina*...W O. 11 UAB* O. 18 at SMU* O. 28 at Marshall* N. 8 Tulane* N. 15 Tulsa* N. 22 UTEP* N. 29 at Rice* Wyoming (2-3, 0-2) A. 30 Ohio...W S. 6 Air Force*...L 3-23 S. 13 North Dakota St..W S. 20 at BYU*...L 0-44 S. 27 Bowling Green...L O. 4 at New Mexico* O. 11 Utah* O. 25 at TCU* N. 1 San Diego State* N. 8 at Tennessee N. 13 at UNLV* N. 22 Colorado State* #15 Utah (5-0, 2-0) A. 30 at Michigan...W S. 6 UNLV*...W S. 13 at Utah State...W S. 20 at Air Force*...W S. 27 Weber State...W O. 2 Oregon State O. 11 at Wyoming* O. 18 Colorado State* N. 1 at New Mexico* N. 6 TCU* N. 15 at San Diego State* N. 22 BYU* Navy (3-2) A. 30 Towson...W S. 5 at Ball State...L S. 13 at Duke...L S. 20 Rutgers...W S. 27 at #15 W. Forest...W O. 4 at Air Force O. 18 Pittsburgh O. 25 SMU N. 1 Temple N. 15 Notre Dame (N) N. 25 at Northern Illinois D. 6 Army (N) San Diego State (1-3) A. 30 Cal Poly...L S. 6 at Notre Dame...L S. 13 at San Jose St....L S. 27 Idaho...W O. 4 at TCU* O. 11 Air Force* O. 18 at New Mexico* O. 25 Colorado State* N. 1 at Wyoming* N. 8 at BYU* N. 15 Utah* N. 22 UNLV* UNLV (3-2, 0-1) A. 30 Utah State...W S. 6 at Utah*...L S. 13 at Arizona St (OT)...W S. 20 Iowa State (OT)...W S. 27 Nevada, Reno...L O. 4 at Colorado State* O. 18 Air Force* O. 25 at BYU* N. 1 TCU* N. 8 New Mexico* N. 15 Wyoming* N. 22 at San Diego State* New Mexico (2-3, 0-1) A. 30 TCU*...L 3-26 S. 6 Texas A&M...L S. 13 Arizona...W S. 20 at Tulsa...L S. 27 at New Mexico St...W O. 4 Wyoming* O. 11 at BYU* O. 18 San Diego State* O. 23 at Air Force* N. 1 Utah* N. 8 at UNLV* N. 15 at Colorado State* Army (0-4) A. 29 Temple...L 7-35 S. 6 New Hampshire..L S. 20 Akron...L 3-22 S. 27 at Texas A&M...L O. 4 at Tulane O. 11 Eastern Michigan O. 18 at Buffalo O. 25 Louisiana Tech N. 1 Air Force N. 8 at Rice N. 22 at Rutgers D. 6 Navy Colorado State (2-2, 0-0) A. 30 Colorado...L S. 6 Sacramento St...W S. 20 Houston...W S. 27 at California...L 7-42 O. 4 UNLV* O. 11 TCU* Oct. 18 at Utah* O. 25 at San Diego State* N. 1 BYU* N. 8 at Air Force* N. 15 New Mexico* N. 22 at Wyoming* #7/8 BYU (4-0, 1-0) A. 30 Northern Iowa...W S. 6 at Washington...W S. 13 UCLA...W 59-0 S. 20 Wyoming*...W 44-0 O. 3 at Utah State O. 11 New Mexico* O. 16 at TCU* O. 25 UNLV* N. 1 at Colorado State* N. 8 San Diego State* N. 15 at Air Force* N. 22 at Utah* TCU (4-1, 1-0) A. 30 at New Mexico*...W 26-3 S. 6 S. F. Austin...W 67-7 S. 13 Stanford...W S. 20 at SMU...W 48-7 S. 27 at Oklahoma...L O. 4 San Diego State* O. 11 at Colorado State* O. 16 BYU* O. 25 Wyoming* N. 1 at UNLV* N. 6 at Utah* N. 22 Air Force* Opponent Notes Air Force s 2008 opponents are a combined this season. Air Force s 2008 opponents combined for a (.470) record last season. The teams were (.474) in conference play in Six of Air Force s opponents qualified for bowl games last year: Houston, Utah, Navy, New Mexico, BYU and TCU Four of the six bowl teams won their bowl game last season. Two opponents won conference championships: BYU, Houston. Air Force is playing six opponents that won eight or more games in 2007: Houston (8), Utah (9), Navy (8), New Mexico (9), BYU (11) and TCU (8) Air Force Opponent s 2007 Records Southern Utah: 0-11 (0-4) Wyoming: 5-7 (2-6) Houston: 8-5 (6-2) Utah: 9-4 (5-3) Navy: 8-5 San Diego State: 4-8 (3-5) UNLV: 2-10 (1-7) New Mexico: 9-4 (5-3) Army: 3-9 Colorado State: 3-9 (2-6) BYU: 11-2 (8-0) TCU: 8-5 (4-4) Series Results vs Opponents Opponent Series Southern Utah AF 1-0 Wyoming AF Houson AF 1-0 Utah AF Navy AF San Diego St AF 17-9 UNLV AF 9-4 New Mexico AF Army AF Colorado St AF BYU BYU 22-6 TCU TCU Air Force Football Page 15

16 Head Coach Troy Calhoun Sometimes people seem born for a particular job or situation. That has never been the case more than Troy Calhoun being the head football coach at the Air Force Academy. Calhoun has led the Falcons to an 12-5 overall mark and is 7-3 in conference games in two seasons. The coach ushered in a new era of Falcon football in 2007 as Calhoun replaced the legendary Fisher DeBerry, who retired 23 years as head coach. Calhoun, a 1989 Academy graduate, is the sixth head coach in school history and first graduate to hold the position. Calhoun returned the Falcon football program to its accustomed lofty status in just one season and, in the process, earned a reputation as one of the top young coaches in college football. Air Force, coming off a three straight losing seasons, finished the 2007 season 9-4 overall and placed second in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-2 mark in Calhoun s first year. The Falcons earned their first bowl bid in five seasons, advancing to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. The five-game turnaround from last season, in which Air Force was 4-8, was the largest in the nation by a first-year head coach and tied as the third-largest overall in the nation. The five-game turnaround is the best in school history since the 1958 team had a school-record turnaround of six games. Air Force s nine wins tied Calhoun for the most wins ever at the Academy by a first-year head coach, matching the mark set by Ben Martin in The six MWC wins is a new Academy standard and is two wins better than the previous mark for conference wins by a first-year head coach at the Academy. Air Force also posted just the third undefeated home record in school history, establishing Falcon Stadium as one of the toughest venues in the country for visiting teams to visit. Calhoun was named the conference s coach of the year for his efforts. In addition, he was named coach of the year in Region 5 by the American Football Coaches Association and was one of eight finalists for national coach of the year honors. The Falcon offense reestablished itself as one of the top units in the MWC. Air Force was second in the conference in scoring offense with a 29.9 per-game average. The Falcons won their 24th conference rushing title and ranked second nationally with a average per game. Air Force was also second in total offense with a per-game average. Defensively, the Falcons showed tremendous success. Air Force finished fifth in the conference and 22nd nationally in scoring defense with a 21.1 average. The Falcons only allowed four opponents to hit the 30-point mark on the year. Calhoun brought a wealth of experience and impressive resume at the collegiate and professional levels that is flooded with success at every stop to the Academy. Calhoun came to the Academy after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Houston Texans in The Texans were one of only two NFL teams to triple their number of wins from the previous year. They also were the last team to defeat the Indianapolis Colts on their way to the Super Bowl championship. On offense, the Texans had the NFL's leading receiver (Pro Bowler Andre Johnson with 103 catches), the NFL's best quarterback completion percentage (68.4 percent) and quarterback David Carr tied an NFL record against Buffalo with 22 straight completions. Calhoun became a well-rounded NFL coach, working as a defensive assistant, special teams assistant and offensive assistant with the Denver Broncos from He began his NFL coaching career by serving as the defensive assistant under defensive coordinator Larry Coyer in He was a part of the NFL's fourthranked defense. The Broncos' defense ranked seventh against the run and sixth against the pass. Denver's defense yielded a mere 17.6 points per game as they made the playoffs for the first time since In 2004, Denver utilized Calhoun's offensive prowess moving him to offensive assistant/special teams. On the offensive side of the ball, the Broncos ranked fifth in the NFL, averaging yards per game. Broncos' quarterback Jake Plummer set a team record for passing with 4,089 yards and tied a team record with 27 touchdown passes. Coupled with an outstanding passing attack, the Broncos finished fourth in the NFL in rushing. The offense's ability to combine the run and the pass The Calhoun Ledger Sixth coach in Air Force history 1989 graduate of the Academy First Academy graduate to be head coach 13 years as a college coach 4 years in the NFL 2007 MWC coach of the year 2007 Region 5 coach of the year Finalist for national coach of the year (2007) Tied as the winningest first-year head coach in school history Winningest first-year head coach in school history for conference games Coaching Experience Air Force, Head Coach Present Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator Denver Broncos Asst. to Head Coach Off./Special Teams Asst Defensive Assistant Wake Forest, Offensive Coord Ohio, Offensive Coord Ohio, Quarterbacks Air Force, JV/Varsity Asst Air Force, Grad Asst The Calhoun file Date of Birth Sept. 6, 1966 Hometown: Roseburg, Ore. Wife: Amanda Children: Tyler, Amelia Years in Coaching: th Career Record: (2 years) Record at Air Force: Same Calhoun in 2007 Named MWC Coach of the Year -- the first coach in school history to win the award in his first season and just the second coach ever, joining Fisher DeBerry (1985, 1995, 1998). AFCA Region 5 Coach of the year Tied the school record for most wins by a coach in his first year with nine. He matched Ben Martin, who led the 1958 team to nine wins. Calhoun could set the mark with 10 with a win in the bowl game. Posted the nation s largest turnaround (5 games) for any first-year head coach. Posted the nation s third-largest turnaround, leading the the Falcons to nine wins following a 4-8 mark in Air Force Football Page 16

17 Head Coach Troy Calhoun led to Denver ranking second in the NFL in time of possession with 32:37 per game. The Broncos' special teams connected on 29 field goals, second best in the NFL. Calhoun worked closely with Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan in the 2005 season, serving as the assistant to the head coach. He helped the Broncos win the AFC West title for the 10th time in their history. Denver reached the AFC Championship game for the first time in seven seasons. Their 14-4 record was the best since Denver finished the 1998 season with a 17-2 mark on their way to winning Super Bowl XXXIII. The offense finished fifth in the NFL averaging yards per game. The defense was stout against the run, finishing second in the NFL with 85.2 yards per game. Denver finished with an undefeated record at home during the regular season for the fifth time in team history. During Calhoun's three years in Denver, the Broncos made the playoffs every season, averaging over 11 wins per season. Prior to the NFL, Calhoun was an offensive coordinator for six seasons on the collegiate level. He began his coaching career at Air Force, where he worked as a graduate assistant from He started at quarterback for the Academy in 1986 and was one of only two freshmen to letter for the 1985 team that finished fifth in the final polls with a 12-1 record that included wins over national powers Notre Dame and Texas. Calhoun served his country from as an active duty officer in the Air Force. He was the Falcons' recruiting coordinator and the junior varsity offensive coordinator in He moved to Ohio University in 1995 where he served as the quarterbacks coach for two seasons. Calhoun guided the play of quarterback Kareem Wilson. In 1996, Wilson was named the Mid- American Conference Player of the Year. Wilson set a pair of Ohio records with 282 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns against Bowling Green. He set an Ohio record with 14 rushing touchdowns in Calhoun was promoted to offensive coordinator in During his first season at the helm, the offense totaled 612 yards against Eastern Michigan, second most in school history. The Bobcats defeated Maryland in 1997, marking the school's first win against a team from the ACC in school history. The '97 Bobcats' 8-3 record was the school's best in 29 years. During his last season in 2000 at Ohio, the Bobcats won two games against bowl teams, Minnesota and Marshall, for the first time in school history. Calhoun's 2000 offense set a school record with yards per game and rushed for a school best 3,553 rushing yards. Calhoun moved to Wake Forest in The Demon Deacons were one of only seven teams in the country to score more than 30 points in each of the final four games. During his second season, Wake led the ACC in total offense with yards per game. His offense had a league-best 990 plays and was efficient with the ball, committing only 16 turnovers to lead the ACC. The 2001 season culminated with a bowl victory over Oregon to give Wake Forest its first back-to-back winning seasons since the ACC expanded from eight teams. Groomed on the basics of integrity and passion, Calhoun is a native of Roseburg, Ore., and was raised in a home where both kids graduated from the Air Force Academy and were varsity letterwinners on nationallyranked teams. Calhoun s younger sister, Callie, is a 1991 Academy graduate and four-year letterwinning in track and cross country. Calhoun finished at the Academy on the superintendent's list and graduated with over a 3.0 grade point average and a military performance average of better than 3.0. He and his wife, Amanda, live in Colorado Springs and have two children, Tyler (six) and Amelia (four). Calhoun by the numbers Opponent Army 1-0 BYU* 0-1 California# 0-1 Colorado St* 1-0 Houston 1-0 Navy 0-1 New Mexico* 0-1 Notre Dame 1-0 San Diego St* 1-0 South Carolina State 1-0 Southern Utah 1-0 TCU* 1-0 UNLV* 1-0 Utah* 1-1 Wyoming* 2-0 * - Conference opponent # - Bowl game For the record Record Overall Conference Air Force Football Page 17

18 Offense Depth Chart vs. Navy Defense WR - X 83 Kevin Fogler (6-5, 205, So.) Fort Wayne, IN 87 Josh Cousins (6-0, 200, Jr.) Xenia, OH TE 85 Keith Madsen (6-3, 230, Sr.) San Marcos, CA 81 Sean Quintana (6-2, 200, Jr.) Highlands Ranch, CO LT 79 Keith Williams (6-6, 275, Sr.) LaFayette, GA 59 Ryan Gonzales (6-3, 255, Jr.) Schertz, TX LG 57 Nick Charles (6-4, 285, Jr.) San Antonio, TX 61 Tyler Shonsheck (6-1, 265, So.) Wixom, MI C 63 Andrew Pipes (6-1, 265, Sr.) San Antonio, TX 65 Michael Hampton (6-2, 260, Jr.) Waco, TX RG 62 Peter Lusk (6-3, 270, Jr.) Raleigh, NC 73 A.J. Wallerstein (6-4, 285, Fr.) Canyon Country, CA RT 60 Chris Campbell (6-3, 270, Jr.) Waxahachie, TX 77 Ben Marshall (6-4, 250, So.) Burlington, NC QB 14 Shea Smith (5-11, 190, Sr.) Odessa, TX 7 Tim Jefferson (6-0, 200, Fr.) Atlanta, GA FB 25 Todd Newell (5-10, 215, Sr.) San Diego, CA 42 Jared Tew (6-0, 210, So.) Park City, UT TB 28 Kyle Lumpkin (5-9, 180, So.) Cincinnati, OH 2 Savier Stephens (5-11, 190, So.) Jacksonville, FL WR -Z 4 Kyle Halderman (5-11, 175, So.) Katy, TX 9 Luke Hyder (5-11, 195, Jr.) Cave Spring, GA LE 95 Jake Paulson (6-4, 255, Sr.) Lake Oswego, OR 51 Myles Morales (6-3, 250, Jr.) San Antonio, TX NG 93 Ben Garland (6-5, 275, Jr.) Grand Junction, CO 90 Rick Ricketts (6-3, 260, So.) San Jose, CA RE 91 Ryan Kemp (6-5, 255, Sr.) Mannford, OK 74 Chase Darden (6-3, 235, So.) Plano, TX OLB 32 Hunter Altman (5-11, 205, Sr.) Orlando, FL 37 Will Keuchler (6-0, 200, So.) Westerville, OH ILB 48 Brandon Reeves (6-1, 225, Sr.) Suwanee, GA 43 Justin Moore (5-11, 225, Jr.) Columbus, OH ILB 47 Ken Lamendola (6-2, 230, So.) Westlake, OH 45 John Falgout (6-0, 225, Jr.) Beaumont, TX OLB 36 Andre Morris, Jr. (6-3, 235, So.) Newnan, GA 44 Patrick Hennessey (6-2, 215, So.) Strongville, OH CB 5 Anthony Wright (5-10, 189, Fr.) Cleveland, OH 22 Brenton Byrd-Fulbright (5-10, 190, Jr.) Colo. Spgs., CO CB 8 Reggie Rembert (5-7, 175, So.) Flower Mound, TX 6 Kevin Rivers (6-0, 193, Sr.) Satellite Beach, FL SS 34 Chris Thomas (5-11, 205, Jr.) Westerville, OH 21 Stephan Atrice (6-1, 195, So.) Fairburn, GA FS 23 Aaron Kirchoff (6-0, 200, Sr.) Barrington, IL 30 Luke Yeager (6-0, 195, Sr.) Portland, OR Special Teams PK 13 Ryan Harrison (6-1, 180, Sr.) Keller, TX 94 Zach Bell (6-2, 180, So.) Darien, IL P 13 Ryan Harrison (6-1, 175, Sr.) Keller, TX 98 Brandon Geyer (6-4, 200, Jr.) Bay City, MI DS 50 Scott Howley (6-0, 205, Sr.) Marlton, NJ 40 Ryan Southworth (5-10, 220, So.) Paris, TX H 98 Brandon Geyer (6-4, 200, Jr.) Bay City, MI 14 Shea Smith (5-11, 190, Jr.) Odessa, TX KR 8 Reggie Rembert (5-7, 175, So.) Flower Mound, TX 26 Spencer Armstrong (6-1, 195, Sr.) Henderson, NV PR 8 Reggie Rembert (5-7, 175, So.) Flower Mound, TX 5 Anthony Wright (5-10, 189, Fr.) Cleveland, OH Air Force Football Page 18