Football: Falcons Armed Forces Bowl bound

  • Published
  • By Wayne Amann
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  The U.S. Air Force Academy football team on Nov. 26 accepted an invitation to play in the fifth annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to be held Dec. 31 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The agreement was made during a teleconference call involving Dr. Hans Mueh, the Academy athletic director, Tom Starr, the bowl's executive director, Troy Calhoun, the Air Force head football coach, and media members from Colorado and Fort Worth.

The game, set for an 11:30 a.m. CST kickoff at Amon G. Carter Stadium, will be televised nationally on ESPN. It marks the blusesuiters return to post season play after a four-year hiatus.

"I made a vow, if we went 6-0 at home, the first 200 tickets for the Cadet Wing were on me," Calhoun said.

Not only did his club go 6-0 at Falcon Stadium, but their 9-3 record was the best showing since finishing with the same mark in 2000. That year, Air Force defeated Fresno State, 37-34, in the Silicon Valley Bowl.

The New Year's Eve tilt will be the Falcons 18th post-season appearance. They are 8-8-1 in bowl games.

"If you love teamwork, phenomenal energy and a group passionate about competing, you're going to get that from the Air Force Falcons," Calhoun said.

The Armed Forces Bowl Committee selects representative teams from the Mountain West Conference and the Pacific-10 Conference. The PAC-10 school will be determined following that conference's regular season finales.

"I already spread the word to my family," Falcon senior linebacker Drew Fowler said. "So, they're probably on the phone trying to round up the crew."

Tickets are $40 for sideline seats and $15 for the end zone. Military veterans get half off any $40 seat while active duty members get in free thanks to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl corporate military ticket underwriting program. Part of local ticket sales benefits designated military charities.

For tickets, call 817-810-0012 or visit www.ArmedForcesBowl.com.

"The folks at the Armed Forces Bowl are getting a bunch of people in blue and silver that won't sit still," Calhoun said. "They'll be out of their seats. The bowl will be extraordinarily proud to have this institution represented."

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