Updating the Numbers

UPDATING THE NUMBERS. Fisher DeBerry's record after 236 games, through the North Texas game of 2003, as head coach at Air Force stands at 152-83-1(.646) overall; 72-53-1(.575) on the road or at neutral sites and 80-30(.727) in home games.

DEE-FENSE, DEE-FENSE? From November 18, 1999, through this season's North Texas game, Air Force has played thirty-nine games against division 1-A opponents. In 25 (64.1%) of those games Air Force has allowed 24 or more points to the opposition. In those 25 games when allowing 24 or more points AFA has gone 11-14(.440). In the fourteen games in which the defense has allowed fewer than twenty-four points AFA has gone 12-2(.857). When AFA limits the opposition to fewer than 24 points it wins. When AFA allows twenty-four points or more its chances to win decrease rapidly and the figures support this assessment. In these thirty-nine games against division 1-A opponents Air Force has compiled a 23-16(.589) record. On October 19, 2002, Notre Dame became the first team to defeat AFA when scoring fewer than 24 points since Utah beat the Falcons, 21-15, in the Snow Bowl on October 16, 1999. The only other game Air Force has lost since November 18, 1999, when allowing fewer than twenty-four points is the San Francisco Bowl to Virginia Tech by a 20-13 score. A CHANCE TO ADVANCE. Here is a look at the leading rushers in AFA history through the North Texas game of the 2003 season. Chance Harridge needs 433 yards rushing to become the sixth player in AFA history to reach the 2,000 yard mark. Harridge pulled in the reins on his running game against the Mean Green, but still managed twenty yards which vaulted him past Shelby Ball on the career rushing list.

1. 3612 Dee Dowis

2. 3379 Beau Morgan

3. 2726 John Kershner

4. 2284 Pat Evans

4. 2284 Brian Bream

6. 1993 Greg Johnson

7. 1860 Marty Louthan

8. 1762 Jason Jones

9. 1760 Rodney Lewis

10. 1702 Rob Perez

11. 1677 Bart Weiss

12. 1633 Terry Issacson

13. 1630 Ken Wood

14. 1567 Chance Harridge

15. 1551 Shelby Ball

16. 1534 Mike Thiessen

17. 1478 Jake Campbell

18. 1470 Leotis Palmer

19. 1406 Qualario Brown

20. 1400 Scotty McKay

21. 1371 Mike Quinlan

22. 1354 Spanky Gilliam

23. 1347 Larry Thomson

24. 1296 Nakia Addison

25. 1233 Johnny Smith

26. 1129 Blane Morgan

27. 1091 Curtis Martin

The next name for which AFA fans should keep an eye peeled is that of current halfback Anthony Butler. The speedy HB chipped in with nine carries for 32 yards in the win over North Texas as the offense produced 34 points against a normally stingy Mean Green defense. Butler's career totals now stand at 875 yards on 160 attempts for a 5.47 yards per carry average. He needs one hundred twenty-five additional yards to become the 28th player to reach the one thousand yard mark in AFA history. AND JUST FOR KICKS. Entering the 2003 season PK Joey Ashcroft was on a pace to set and/or challenge several significant place-kicking records in AFA football history. Ashcroft hit on two off three attempts against UNT in the Falcons' 34-21 victory. Have a look where he stands in some prominent categories in AFA place-kicking annals. AFA Career FG Percentage Leaders FGM-FGA PCT.

1. Joey Ashcroft-current 19-23 .826

1. Jackson Whiting-1998-99 19-23 .826

3. Joe Wood-1989-91 39-49 .796

4. David Adams-1998-2000 26-34 .765

5. Carlos Mateos-1984 12-16 .750

Career Field Goals Made

1. Dave Lawson 51 (1972-75)

2. Sean Pavlich 42 (1980-83)

3. Joe Wood 39 (1989-91)

4. Dennis Leuthaser 27 (1967-69)

5. Dave Adams 26 (1998-2000)

With his three pointer against Northwestern, Ashcroft now has 19 FGs in his career and needs seven more to join this list. Field Goals Made in a Season

1. 19 Dave Lawson 1974

1. 19 Dave Adams 2000

3. 17 Joe Wood 1991

4. 16 Jim Sturch 1978

4. 16 Joey Ashcroft 2002

AFA AGAINST THE POINTS. From 2001 to the present here's look at how the Falcons have fared against the point spread. Bear in mind that Las Vegas does not set a line for a game matching a division 1-A team against a division 1-AA team. In 2001, Air Force went 3-8 against the spread. In 2002, AFA went 9-4 against the point spread. The Falcons are 1-1 against the spread this year. Air Force covered the 8 1/2 points by which they were favored to beat UNT. From the start of the 2001 season through this season's North Texas game, the Falcons have gone 13-13 against the point spread. WHITEWASHED. Air Force posted its ninth shutout during Fisher DeBerry's tenure as head coach when it beat Wofford, 49-0, to open the 2003 season. Army (1991), The Citadel (1993), San Jose State (1996) Colorado State and Army (1997), Wake Forest (1998), Army (1999) and Tennessee Tech (2001) are the other shutouts administered by the Falcons in the DeBerry era. TAKING THE OFFENSIVE. Chuck Petersen has been the offensive coordinator for the Falcons since the outset of the 2000 season. Since Petersen has assumed the reins to the Air Force attack the Falcons have posted a record of 26-14(.650) in forty games entering this week's Wyoming's contest. DEE-FENSE, DEE-FENSE? From November 18, 1999, through this season's North Texas game, Air Force has played thirty-nine games against division 1-A opponents. In 25 (64.1%) of those games Air Force has allowed 24 or more points to the opposition. In those 25 games when allowing 24 or more points AFA has gone 11-14(.440). In the fourteen games in which the defense has allowed fewer than twenty-four points AFA has gone 12-2(.857). When AFA limits the opposition to fewer than 24 points it wins. When AFA allows twenty-four points or more its chances to win decrease rapidly and the figures support this assessment. In these thirty-nine games against division 1-A opponents Air Force has compiled a 23-16(.589) record. On October 19, 2002, Notre Dame became the first team to defeat AFA when scoring fewer than 24 points since Utah beat the Falcons, 21-15, in the Snow Bowl on October 16, 1999. The only other game Air Force has lost since November 18, 1999, when allowing fewer than twenty-four points is the San Francisco Bowl to Virginia Tech by a 20-13 score. A CHANCE TO ADVANCE. Here is a look at the leading rushers in AFA history through the North Texas game of the 2003 season. Chance Harridge needs 433 yards rushing to become the sixth player in AFA history to reach the 2,000 yard mark. Harridge pulled in the reins on his running game against the Mean Green, but still managed twenty yards which vaulted him past Shelby Ball on the career rushing list.

1. 3612 Dee Dowis

2. 3379 Beau Morgan

3. 2726 John Kershner

4. 2284 Pat Evans

4. 2284 Brian Bream

6. 1993 Greg Johnson

7. 1860 Marty Louthan

8. 1762 Jason Jones

9. 1760 Rodney Lewis

10. 1702 Rob Perez

11. 1677 Bart Weiss

12. 1633 Terry Issacson

13. 1630 Ken Wood

14. 1567 Chance Harridge

15. 1551 Shelby Ball

16. 1534 Mike Thiessen

17. 1478 Jake Campbell

18. 1470 Leotis Palmer

19. 1406 Qualario Brown

20. 1400 Scotty McKay

21. 1371 Mike Quinlan

22. 1354 Spanky Gilliam

23. 1347 Larry Thomson

24. 1296 Nakia Addison

25. 1233 Johnny Smith

26. 1129 Blane Morgan

27. 1091 Curtis Martin

The next name for which AFA fans should keep an eye peeled is that of current halfback Anthony Butler. The speedy HB chipped in with nine carries for 32 yards in the win over North Texas as the offense produced 34 points against a normally stingy Mean Green defense. Butler's career totals now stand at 875 yards on 160 attempts for a 5.47 yards per carry average. He needs one hundred twenty-five additional yards to become the 28th player to reach the one thousand yard mark in AFA history. AND JUST FOR KICKS. Entering the 2003 season PK Joey Ashcroft was on a pace to set and/or challenge several significant place-kicking records in AFA football history. Ashcroft hit on two off three attempts against UNT in the Falcons' 34-21 victory. Have a look where he stands in some prominent categories in AFA place-kicking annals. AFA Career FG Percentage Leaders FGM-FGA PCT.

1. Joey Ashcroft-current 19-23 .826

1. Jackson Whiting-1998-99 19-23 .826

3. Joe Wood-1989-91 39-49 .796

4. David Adams-1998-2000 26-34 .765

5. Carlos Mateos-1984 12-16 .750

Career Field Goals Made

1. Dave Lawson 51 (1972-75)

2. Sean Pavlich 42 (1980-83)

3. Joe Wood 39 (1989-91)

4. Dennis Leuthaser 27 (1967-69)

5. Dave Adams 26 (1998-2000)

With his three pointer against Northwestern, Ashcroft now has 19 FGs in his career and needs seven more to join this list. Field Goals Made in a Season

1. 19 Dave Lawson 1974

1. 19 Dave Adams 2000

3. 17 Joe Wood 1991

4. 16 Jim Sturch 1978

4. 16 Joey Ashcroft 2002

AFA AGAINST THE POINTS. From 2001 to the present here's look at how the Falcons have fared against the point spread. Bear in mind that Las Vegas does not set a line for a game matching a division 1-A team against a division 1-AA team. In 2001, Air Force went 3-8 against the spread. In 2002, AFA went 9-4 against the point spread. The Falcons are 1-1 against the spread this year. Air Force covered the 8 1/2 points by which they were favored to beat UNT. From the start of the 2001 season through this season's North Texas game, the Falcons have gone 13-13 against the point spread. WHITEWASHED. Air Force posted its ninth shutout during Fisher DeBerry's tenure as head coach when it beat Wofford, 49-0, to open the 2003 season. Army (1991), The Citadel (1993), San Jose State (1996) Colorado State and Army (1997), Wake Forest (1998), Army (1999) and Tennessee Tech (2001) are the other shutouts administered by the Falcons in the DeBerry era. TAKING THE OFFENSIVE. Chuck Petersen has been the offensive coordinator for the Falcons since the outset of the 2000 season. Since Petersen has assumed the reins to the Air Force attack the Falcons have posted a record of 26-14(.650) in forty games entering this week's Wyoming's contest.