Rush Hour

Falconatics know that when they watch AFA play football they'll see an offense predicated on running the ball down the throat of an opposing defense. It's a stuff or be stuffed approach to moving the ball.

OUTPACING THE OPPOSITION.  Since the start of the 2001 the Air Force Falcons have played thirty-seven games. AFA has compiled a 21-16 (.567) in those games. Here's a game by game look at the yards gained and allowed by the Falcons in this time and a look at how this performance correlates to AFA's record over the time span.

 

2001

 

AFA  249      Oklahoma  398    Loss  44-3
AFA  379      Tenn Tech  268    Win  42-0
AFA  427      S.D. State  403    Win  45-21
AFA  371      Navy          412    Win  24-18
AFA  524      Wyoming    516    Win  24-13
AFA  502      BYU           611    Loss 63-33
AFA  278      New Mex.   620    Loss  52-33
AFA  282      Army          486    Win  34-24
AFA  481      CSU           300    Loss  28-21
AFA  336      UNLV         353    Loss  34-10
AFA  603      Hawaii        572    Loss  52-30
AFA  274      Utah           543    Win  38-37

 

2002

 

AFA  523      N'western    221    Win  52-3
AFA  360      New Mex.   362     Win  38-31 (OT)
AFA  317      California    335     Win  23-21
AFA  287      Utah           290      Win  30-26
AFA  536      Navy          347      Win  48-7
AFA  463      BYU           304      Win  52-9
AFA  161      N. Dame    447      Loss 21-14
AFA  424      Wyoming   484      Loss 34-26
AFA  250      CSU          341      Loss 31-12
AFA  531      Army         330      Win  49-30
AFA  468      UNLV        469      Win  49-32
AFA  538      S.D.State  398      Loss 38-34
AFA  318      Va. Tech   278      Loss 20-13 (S.F. Bowl)

 

2003

 

AFA  469      Wofford    175       Win  49-0
AFA  409      N'western 452       Win  22-21
AFA  427      N. Texas  260       Win  34-21
AFA  510      Wyoming 486       Win  35-29
AFA  328      BYU        306       Win  24-10
AFA  362      Navy        326       Loss  28-25
AFA  324      UNLV      250        Win  24-7
AFA  430      CSU        564       Loss  30-20
AFA  362      Utah        459       Loss  45-43 (3OT)
AFA  446      Army       199       Win 31-3
AFA  273      NMex.     364       Loss 24-12
AFA  286      SDS        383       Loss 24-3

 

       In their past thirty-seven games the Falcons have outgained their opponents 18 times and posted a 13-5 (.722) record in doing so. In the remaining 19 games the Falcons have been outgained and posted a record of 8-11 (.421). It has been a crapshoot for AFA when being outgained since the start of the 2001 season. On the other hand it's clear that the Falcons' ability to pile up yardage has led to an increased likelihood of victory.

 

       WHAT'S THE RUSH? Coaches speak at length about the importance of establishing the rushing game as a means by which to secure victories. Here's a look from the start of the 2001 season to the beginning of the current season at how AFA and its opponents have done when one or the other has produced at least one back who's rushed for 100 or more yards in a game.

 

OPPONENTS

 

Date                     Site          Player                       Production         Result  

 

1. 9/1/01               AFA         Quentin Griffin         26-201-1TD       Okla. 44-3
2. 9/29/01            @SDS      Larry Ned               24-178-2TDs      AFA 45-21
3. 10/6/01            @Navy     Brian Madden         27-110-1TD        AFA 24-18
4. 10/13/01          AFA          Nate Scott(Wyo)     22-148-0TD        AFA 24-13
5. 10/20/01         @BYU       Luke Staley           14-134-2TDs        BYU 63-33
6. 11/3/01           AFA           C.J. Young(Army)   25-104-2TDs       AFA 34-24
7. 11/8/01           @CSU       Duan Ruff              19-108-2TDs        CSU 28-21
8. 12/1/01           AFA           Dameon Hunter      28-226-2TDs       AFA 38-37
9. 12/1/01           AFA           Adam Tate(Utah)    26-140-2TDs       SAME
10. 9/7/02           AFA          Quincy Wright(NM) 25-145-0TD         AFA 38-31(OT)
11. 9/28/02        @Utah       Brandon Warfield    30-193-3TDs       AFA 30-26
12. 10/12/02       AFA          Ryan Grant(ND)      30-190-1TD         N.D. 21-14
13. 10/31/02      AFA           Cecil Sapp             29-132-2TDs        CSU 31-12
14. 11/14/02    @UNLV       Dominique Dorsey  11-101-0TD         AFA 49-32
15. 9/6/03       @N'wst.       Jason Wright           22-108-1TD         AFA 22-21
16. 10/4/03      @Navy       Kyle Eckel                33-176-1TD        Navy 28-25
17. 10/16/03     @CSU       Bradlee Van Pelt      17-125-2TDs      CSU 30-20
18. 11/15/03    @ NMex.    DonTrell Moore         36-188-2TDs      NMex 24-12
19. 11/22/03    @ SDS       Michael Franklin       29-122-1TD        SDS  24-3

 

       In the past eighteen games in which AFA has allowed one or more backs to gain 100 yards the Falcons have posted a record of 9-9(.500). (Utah had two backs gain more than 100 yards the final game of the 2001 season).

 

AIR FORCE

 

Date	Site	Player	Production	Result
1. 10/6/01	@Navy	Keith Boyea	19-118-1TD	AFA 24-18
2. 10/13/01	AFA(Wyo)	Keith Boyea	26-196-0TD	AFA 24-13
3. 10/20/01	@BYU	Anthony Butler	8-120-1TD	BYU 63-33
4. 11/8/01	@CSU	Keith Boyea	35-188-3TDs	CSU 28-21
5. 11/24/01	@Hawaii	Keith Boyea	18-132-1TD	Hawaii 52-30
6. 11/24/01	@Hawaii	Dan Shaffer	15-101-1TD	Same
7. 12/1/01	AFA(Utah)	Keith Boyea	19-110-2TDs	AFA 38-37
8. 9/7/02	AFA(NM)	Leotis Palmer	15-125-1TD	AFA 38-31ot
9. 9/21/02	@Cal	Chance Harridge	25-124-3TDs	AFA 23-21
10. 10/5/02	AFA(Navy)	Chance Harridge	19-164-4TDs	AFA 48-7
11. 10/12/02	AFA(BYU)	Chance Harridge	22-104-4TDs	AFA 52-9
12. 10/31/02	AFA(CSU)	Chance Harridge	26-115-1TD	CSU 31-12
13. 11/16/02	@UNLV	Chance Harridge	21-114-2TDs	AFA 49-32
14. 11/23/02	AFA	Chance Harridge	22-117-3TDs	SDS 38-34
15. 11/23/02	AFA	Steve Massie	12-123-1TD	Same
16. 9/6/03	@Nwst.	Anthony Butler	12-107-1TD	AFA 22-21
17. 9/20/03	AFA(Wyo)	Chance Harridge	15-117-0TD	AFA 35-29
18. 10/4/03	@Navy	Chance Harridge	21-129-2TDs	Navy 28-25
19. 10/16/03	@CSU	Chance Harridge	22-136-2TDs	CSU 30-20

                                                                                                           

 

       There are two interesting trends to note. AFA has compiled a 10-7(.588) record in the last seventeen games in which it has produced at least one, 100 yard rusher. In the past seven games in which an AFA back has gained at least 100 yards, the Falcons have posted a disappointing 3-4 record. On the past two occasions on which the Falcons have had two players gain more than 100 yards rushing, Air Force has lost both contests (to Hawaii and San Diego State).