Air Force Falcons football
| Air Force Falcons football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1955 | ||
| Athletic director | Jim Knowlton | ||
| Head coach |
Troy Calhoun 9th year, 55–43 (.561) | ||
| Stadium | Falcon Stadium | ||
| Seating capacity | 46,692 | ||
| Field surface | Turf | ||
| Location | Colorado Springs, Colorado | ||
| Conference | Mountain West | ||
| Division | Mountain | ||
| All-time record | 337–278–13 (.547) | ||
| Bowl record | 11–12–1 (.479) | ||
| Conference titles | 3 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 5 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors |
Blue and Silver[1] | ||
| Fight song |
"Falcon Fight Song" (unofficial: "The U.S. Air Force") | ||
| Mascot | The Bird | ||
| Marching band | United States Air Force Academy Drum & Bugle Corp "The Flight of Sound" | ||
| Rivals |
Army Black Knights Navy Midshipmen Colorado State Rams | ||
| Website | GoAirForceFalcons.com | ||
The Air Force Falcons football program represents the United States Air Force Academy in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) level. Air Force has been a member of the Mountain West Conference since its founding in 1999. The Falcons play their home games at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Troy Calhoun has been the team's head coach since 2007.
Falcon Stadium
Falcon home games are played in Falcon Stadium, which sits below the main campus at an elevation of 6621 feet (2018 m) above sea level. Pre-game activities include flyovers by USAF aircraft, including the F-15 and B-2. The highest attendance at a home game was 56,409 spectators in 2002, when the Falcons battled the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.[2]
History
Running back Asher Clark and the Falcons take on the Houston Cougars during the 2009 Armed Forces Bowl
The Falcons are not only recognized by the lightning bolt on the side of their helmets, but their traditional option attack. Air Force is one of the premier rushing teams in the nation. Since Fisher DeBerry took over as Falcons head coach in 1984, they have ranked among the nation’s top 10 in rushing 19 times in 21 years. The Air Force football team has enjoyed success not only on the field but also in the classroom. In 49 years of Air Force football, there have been 39 Academic All-Americans.[3]
The 1985 season
See also: 1985 Air Force Falcons football team
1985 was the most successful season in Air Force football history. Under second-year coach Fisher DeBerry, the Fightin’ Falcons came within one win of playing for the national championship. They recorded 10 straight wins to start the season, climbed the polls to #2 in the nation, but lost to BYU by seven points in the penultimate game of the regular season. Air Force rebounded with a bowl game win over Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished with a 12–1 record as the #5 ranked team in the nation.
Bowl Games
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Ben Martin | 9–0–2 | T Cotton | 8 | 6 | ||||
| 1963 | Ben Martin | 7–4 | L Gator | ||||||
| 1970 | Ben Martin | 9–3 | L Sugar | 11 | 11 | ||||
| 1982 | Ken Hatfield | 8–5 | 4–3 | W Hall of Fame | |||||
| 1983 | Ken Hatfield | 10–2 | 5–2 | W Independence | 16 | 16 | |||
| 1984 | Fisher DeBerry | 8–4 | 4–3 | W Independence | |||||
| 1985 | Fisher DeBerry | 12–1 | 7–1 | T-1st | W Bluebonnet | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1987 | Fisher DeBerry | 9–4 | 6–2 | L Freedom | |||||
| 1989 | Fisher DeBerry | 8–4–1 | 5–1–1 | L Liberty | |||||
| 1990 | Fisher DeBerry | 7–5 | 3–4 | W Liberty | |||||
| 1991 | Fisher DeBerry | 10–3 | 6–2 | W Liberty | |||||
| 1992 | Fisher DeBerry | 7–5 | 4–4 | L Liberty | |||||
| 1995 | Fisher DeBerry | 8–5 | 6–2 | T-1st | L Copper | ||||
| 1997 | Fisher DeBerry | 10–3 | 6–2 | L Las Vegas | 21 | 23 | |||
| 1998 | Fisher DeBerry | 12–1 | 7–1 | 1st | W Oahu | 10 | 16 | ||
| 2000 | Fisher DeBerry | 9–3 | 5–2 | W Silicon Valley | |||||
| 2002 | Fisher DeBerry | 8–5 | 4–3 | L San Francisco | |||||
| 2007 | Troy Calhoun | 9–4 | 6–2 | L Armed Forces | |||||
| 2008 | Troy Calhoun | 8–5 | 5–3 | L Armed Forces | |||||
| 2009 | Troy Calhoun | 8–5 | 5–3 | W Armed Forces | |||||
| 2010 | Troy Calhoun | 9–4 | 5–3 | W Independence | |||||
| 2011 | Troy Calhoun | 7–6 | 3–4 | L Military | |||||
| 2012 | Troy Calhoun | 6–7 | 5–3 | L Armed Forces | |||||
| 2014 | Troy Calhoun | 10–3 | 5–3 | W Famous Idaho Potato | |||||
| 2015 | Troy Calhoun | 8–5 | 6–2 | L Armed Forces | |||||
| Total: | 356–303–13 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title | |||||||||
| †Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll. | |||||||||
Championships
- WAC Champions: 1985 (tie), 1995 (tie), 1998
- WAC Mountain Division Champions: 1998
- Mountain West Mountain Division Champions: 2015[5]
- Commander in Chief's Trophy Winners (AF-Army-Navy): 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989-1992, 1994, 1995, 1997-2002, 2010, 2011, 2014.
Since 1980, the Falcons and Colorado State Rams have competed for the Ram-Falcon Trophy. Air Force currently holds a 21-14 advantage over Colorado State in games that the trophy has been contested in.
All-time record vs. Mountain West teams
|
Won | Lost | Tied | Percentage | Streak | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | Won 2 | 2011 | 2015 |
| Colorado State | 32 | 21 | 1 | .602 | Lost 1 | 1957 | 2015 |
| Fresno State | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | Won 1 | 1993 | 2015 |
| Hawaii | 13 | 6 | 1 | .675 | Won 2 | 1966 | 2015 |
| Nevada | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | Won 1 | 2012 | 2014 |
| New WEENR | 21 | 12 | 0 | .636 | Lost 1 | 1957 | 2015 |
| San Diego State | 19 | 15 | 0 | .559 | Lost 6 | 1980 | 2015 |
| San Jose State | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | Won 1 | 1996 | 2015 |
| UNLV | 14 | 6 | 0 | .700 | Won 1 | 1981 | 2014 |
| Utah State | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | Won 1 | 1969 | 2015 |
| Wyoming | 28 | 23 | 3 | .546 | Won 1 | 1957 | 2015 |
| Totals | 140 | 92 | 5 | .601 |
|}
Head coaches
| Season(s) | Head coach | Record (W–L–T) |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Robert V. Whitlow | 4–4 |
| 1956–1957 | Buck Shaw | 9–8–2 |
| 1958–1977 | Ben Martin | 96–103–9 |
| 1978 | Bill Parcells | 3–8 |
| 1979–1983 | Ken Hatfield | 26–32–1 |
| 1984–2006 | Fisher DeBerry | 169–107–1 |
| 2007–present | Troy Calhoun | 49–41 |
Individual accomplishments
Notable individual records
- Chance Harridge: In 2002, Harridge set the NCAA Division I record for most single-season rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 23. Tied by the University of Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007. Broken by Navy's Ricky Dobbs in 2009 with 27.
- Beau Morgan: He became the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in a season twice. He broke the NCAA single season rushing record for a quarterback, along with being only the second player in NCAA history to run and pass for 3,000 yards in a career.
Alumni in the National Football League
|
|
All-Americans
| Year | Player | Position | Award(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Larry Thomson | FB | Little America (3rd) |
| 1958 | Brock Strom | OL | Consensus |
| Robert Brickey | HB | Helms | |
| 1963 | Terry Isaacson | QB | Helms |
| Joe Rodwell | C | Helms | |
| 1966 | Neal Starkey | DB | Playboy Magazine All-American |
| 1967 | Neal Starkey | DB | Associated Press (3rd) |
| 1969 | Ernie Jennings | WR | Central Press (2nd) |
| 1970 | Ernie Jennings | WR | Consensus |
| 1971 | Orderia Mitchell | C | Black Sports |
| Gene Ogilvie | DE | UPI (3rd) | |
| 1972 | Orderia Mitchell | C | Associated Press (2nd), Gridiron (2nd) |
| Gene Ogilvie | DE | UPI (2nd) | |
| 1973 | Steve Heil | ROV | Associated Press (3rd) |
| 1974 | Dave Lawson | LB/K | Football Writers |
| 1975 | Dave Lawson | LB/K | UPI (2nd), Football News (2nd) |
| 1981 | Johnny Jackson | DB | Associated Press (2nd) |
| 1982 | Dave Schreck | OG | Associated Press (2nd) |
| 1983 | John Kershner | FB | Football News (2nd) |
| Mike Kirby | WR | Sporting News (2nd) | |
| 1985 | Mark Simon | P | Scripps Howard, Associated Press (2nd) |
| Scott Thomas | DB | Walter Camp, Kodak, Football Writes, Associated Press (2nd) | |
| 1986 | Terry Maki | LB | Kodak, Football News (2nd), Associated Press (3rd) |
| Tom Rotello | DB | Football News (2nd) | |
| 1987 | Chad Hennings | DT | Consensus, Walter Camp, Kodak, Football Writers, Associated Press, UPI, Scripps Howard, Sporting News, Football News, Outland Trophy winner |
| 1989 | Dee Dowis | QB | Heisman Trophy finalist |
| Ron Gray | KR | Associated Press (3rd) | |
| 1991 | Jason Christ | P | Associated Press (2nd), Football News (3rd) |
| 1992 | Carlton McDonald | DB | Consensus, Walter Camp, Kodak, Football Writers, Associated Press, UPI, Scripps Howard, Sporting News |
| 1993 | Chris MacInnis | P/K | UPI, Associated Press (2nd) |
| 1996 | Beau Morgan | QB | Associated Press (3rd) |
| 1998 | Chris Gizzi | LB | Associated Press (3rd), Football Writers (2nd) |
| 1998 | Tim Curry | DB | Sporting News (3rd) |
| Frank Mindrup | OL | American Football Foundation (3rd) | |
| 2001 | Anthony Schlegel | ILB | Sporting News (Freshmen 3rd team) |
| 2002 | Brett Huyser | OL | Sporting News (4th) |
| 2007 | Chad Hall | WR | Rivals (3rd), Sports Illustrated |
| Carson Bird | CB | Sports Illustrated | |
| 2008 | Ryan Harrison | K | College Football News |
| 2010 | Reggie Rembert | DB | AFCA (1st),[6] Associated Press (3rd) |
Academic All-Americans
| Year | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Brock Strom | OT |
| 1959 | Rich Mayo | QB |
| 1960 | Rich Mayo | QB |
| Don Baucom | HB | |
| 1967 | Ken Zagzebski | MG |
| Carl Janssen | OE | |
| 1969 | Ernie Jennings | WR |
| 1970 | Ernie Jennings | WR |
| Bob Parker | QB | |
| Phil Bauman | LB | |
| 1971 | Darryl Haas | LB/P |
| Bob Homburg | DE | |
| John Griffith | DT | |
| 1972 | Gene Ogilvie | DE |
| Bob Homburg | DE | |
| Mark Prill | MG | |
| 1973 | Joe Debes | OT |
| 1976 | Steve Hoog | WR |
| 1977 | Mack McCollum | ROV |
| 1978 | Steve Hoog | WR |
| Tom Foertsch | LB | |
| Tim Fyda | DE | |
| 1981 | Mike France | LB |
| Kevin Ewing | ROV | |
| 1982 | Jeff Kubiak | P |
| 1983 | Jeff Kubiak | P |
| 1987 | Chad Hennings | DT |
| Scott Salmon | DB | |
| James Hecker | DB | |
| 1988 | Scott Salmon | DB |
| David Hlatky | OL | |
| James Hecker | DB | |
| 1989 | Chris Howard | HB |
| 1990 | Chris Howard | HB |
| J.T. Tokish | LB | |
| 1992 | Grant Johnson | LB |
| 1996 | Dustin Tyner | WR |
| Rashad Penton | DB | |
| 1997 | Rashad Penton | DB |
| 1998 | Rashad Penton | DB |
| 2003 | Ryan Carter | DE |
| 2004 | Ryan Carter | DE |
Air Force Academy Falcons free safety Bobby Giannini (#11) prepares to finish off Tennessee tailback Montario Hardesty, while Falcons defensive end Josh Clayton (#97) loosens Hardesty's grip on the football. The Falcons lost 31-30 in 2006.
Current coaching staff
- Troy Calhoun - Head Coach
- Steve Russ - Asst. Head Coach/Def. Coord./DBs
- Mike Thiessen - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Clay Hendrix - Assoc. Head Coach/Off. Line
- Matt McGettigan - Strength/Conditioning
- Ron Vanderlinden - Inside Linebackers
- Matt Weikert - Outside Linebackers
- Jake Campbell - Assistant Backfield
- Tim Cross - Defensive Line
- Ben Miller - Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator
- Steed Lobotzke - Tight Ends
- Derek Lewis - Wide Receivers
- John Rudzinski - Secondary
- Steve Senn - Director of Recruiting and Player Personnel
- Capt. Ross Weaver - Asst. Off. Line
- Chris Miller - Director of Football Video Operations
- Janel Mitchell - Administrative Assistant
- Scott Richardson - Equipment Supervisor/Head Football Equipment Manager
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of July 15, 2015
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| vs Abilene Christian | at Michigan | at Army | vs Army | at Army | vs Army | at Army |
| vs Georgia State | at Navy | vs Navy | at Navy | vs Navy | at Navy | vs Navy |
| vs Navy | vs Army | at Wake Forest | ||||
| at Army | at Colorado | vs Colorado |
Rivals
Air Force has a traditional rivalry against the other two FBS service academies, Army and Navy; the three play for the right to hold the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Air Force has held the trophy 20 times, more than either Army or Navy. Among other schools, Air Force has played more games against Colorado State and Wyoming, having played each school 53 times since 1957, the Falcons' first season.
Top 10 rivals
Below are Air Force's record against its top ten most-played opponents.[9]
| Opponent | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Last Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State | 54 | 32 | 21 | 1 | Oct 18, 2015 (L 23-38) |
| Wyoming | 54 | 28 | 23 | 3 | Oct 11, 2015 (W 31-17) |
| Army | 50 | 35 | 14 | 1 | Nov 7, 2015 (W 20-3) |
| Navy | 48 | 28 | 20 | 0 | Oct 3, 2015 (L 11-33) |
| San Diego State | 34 | 19 | 15 | 0 | Dec 5, 2015 (L 24 - 27) |
| New Mexico | 33 | 21 | 12 | 0 | Nov 28, 2015 (L 35-47) |
| BYU | 30 | 7 | 23 | 0 | Sep 11, 2010 (W 35-14) |
| Notre Dame | 30 | 6 | 24 | 0 | Oct 26, 2013 (L 10-45) |
| Utah | 27 | 14 | 13 | 0 | Oct 30, 2010 (L 23-28) |
| UNLV | 20 | 14 | 6 | 0 | Nov 8, 2014 (W 48-21) |
References
- ↑ "Air Force Trademark and Licensing Program - Colors". Trademark.af.mil. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- ↑ airforcesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3000&KEY=&ATCLID=157958&SPID=804&SPSID=22383
- ↑ http://www.airforcesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3000&KEY=&ATCLID=157958&SPID=804&SPSID=22383
- ↑ 2013 Air Force football media guide. Retrieved 2013-Sep-25.
- ↑ "Air Force clinches Mountain Division and spot in Mountain West championship game". www.goairforcefalcons.com. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
- ↑ Mayer, Larry (2013-05-12). "Tryout players followed unusual path to minicamp". Chicago Bears. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
- ↑
- ↑ "Air Force Falcons Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
- ↑ "Air Force Falcons Head-to-Head Results". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air Force Falcons football. |
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