Falcons edge Frogs in overtime

  • Published
  • By Wayne Amann
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  The way Air Force beat TCU, 20-17, in overtime Sept. 13 at Falcon Stadium may be the corner the Falcon football program has been waiting to turn the previous three losing seasons.

Trailing the Horned Frogs, 17-3, with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter, Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney hit back-up tight end Keith Madsen with a 9-yard touchdown pass. Two minutes and 26 seconds later, tailback Jim Ollis' 71-yard touchdown gallop tied the game at 17.

Then, with :49 left in regulation, TCU quarterback Andy Dalton's underthrown end zone pass was intercepted just inside the goal line at the pylon by Air Force cornerback Carson Bird to set up the winner-take-all overtime period.

TCU had first crack in the OT, but kicker Chris Manfredini's 36-yard field goal attempt hit high off the left upright no good, much to the relief of the 31,556 raucous Falcon fans in the stands and those watching nationwide on College Sports Television.

The bluesuiter faithful were rewarded when, on the Falcons first extra-session possession, kicker Ryan Harrison, who booted a career-best 57-yard field goal to put his team on the board late in the first half, drilled a 33-yard game winner to cap the rally and trigger a wild celebration of players and fans who came pouring onto the field cheering, laughing, crying and hugging.

"This tells you a lot about Academy kids in general, and tonight specifically about our football players," first year Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun said. "These are the future leaders of our country. They're loaded with a ton of salt. This is, absolutely, a quality win."

The late game heroics improved Air Force to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference. It snapped a four-game losing streak to the Horned Frogs. The Falcons are 2-4-1 lifetime versus TCU (1-2, 0-1 MWC). Air Force is 5-2 all-time in overtime games, including 3-1 at home. The Falcons are 3-8 in Thursday night games.

Offensively Air Force was lackluster in the first half, surrendering a blocked punt and an interception which led to a 10-0 TCU lead.

But, for the second straight week, the Falcon defense said not on our watch.

Following a wide right 50-yard field goal try by Harrison in the second quarter, the Horned Frogs drove to the Air Force 22 before cornerback Garett Rybak forced and recovered a Ryan Christian fumble.

Strong safety Chris Thomas blocked a 20-yard field goal attempt and linebacker Drew Fowler intercepted an Andy Dalton pass at the 5-yard line to keep Air Force within striking distance in the third quarter.

"People are making plays left and right," said Fowler who last week was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Week. "I'm proud of the guts we showed playing on a short field all the time and never giving up. This defense is jelling."

So did Carney and company in the fourth quarter.

The senior signal-caller found tight end Travis Dekker over the middle, who broke a tackle for 50 yards to set up Madsen's TD catch.

On a fourth-and-1 from the Air Force 29 Carney pitched wide right to Ollis who broke into the clear for the tying touchdown.

"We were getting a little antsy," admitted Ollis who rushed for a game and career high 16 carries for 138 yards. "I knew if we could finally get them out-flanked we'd have a chance."

Carney, who completed 17-of-28 passes for 193 yards despite getting sacked four times and being intercepted once, agreed.

"We finally showed up," he said. "Before that we weren't playing well as a unit. Plus, there's a reason TCU's defense was ranked number three in the country last year. They're outstanding."

The Falcons were fortunate to reach overtime, considering with one minute left to play, the Horned Frogs had the ball on Air Force's 22-yard line, well within Manfredini's field goal range.

Bird's interception prompted reporters to second guess TCU head coach Gary Patterson's play calling.

"We should have run the football," Patterson said. "Why we threw it I don't know. We made a mistake. I give Air Force all the credit. They made the plays at the end of the game."