Football: Falcons drop heartbreaker to Utes

  • Published
  • By Maj. Brett Ashworth
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Utah ruined Air Force's senior night by beating the Falcons 17-14 on the last play of the game. Louie Sakoda nailed a 37-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to give the Utes the win in front of 27,611 fans Saturday night at Falcon Stadium.

The loss put a damper on the final home game for 21 Falcon seniors. It dropped the Falcons to 4-6 on the season and 3-3 in Mountain West Conference play.

Utah took a 7-0 lead into halftime on the strength of an Eric Weddle 6-yard touchdown run with just over four minutes left in the first quarter. The touchdown capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive and was the only scoring in the game until the fourth quarter.

Air Force missed two opportunities to get on the board before halftime. Zach Sasser missed field goal attempts of 35 and 34 yards on Air Force's final two possessions of the first half. Both kicks sailed wide left.

"We had our opportunities in the first half, but frankly, we didn't get it done in the red zone," said Air Force Coach Fisher DeBerry.

After a scoreless third quarter, the offensive fireworks began in the fourth quarter. The teams scored on four straight possessions to end the game. Air Force tied the score at seven on a Victor Thompson six-yard touchdown reception from Shaun Carney with 12:13 left in the game. Utah answered right back with a 63-yard drive culminating in a four-yard touchdown run by Weddle. Air Force would not be denied on their next possession as they drove 80 yards with Carney capping the drive with a one-yard plunge.

Following Carney's score, the Utes took over with just under four minutes left in the game and the ball on their own 20-yard line. They drove 60 yards, setting up Sakoda's game-winning kick.

Though he was disappointed in the outcome of the game, DeBerry was proud of the Falcon players and their effort.

"The people in this community ought to feel good about the type of young men representing us in our Air Force in positions of leadership in this country," he said. "They're warriors and they're winners."

Carney led the Falcons in passing with 218 yards and Chad Hall led the team in rushing with 38 yards.

BYU clinched the Mountain West Conference title Nov. 18 with a 42-17 victory over New Mexico. The Falcons can salvage a .500 record with wins over the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and Texas Christian University in the season's final two weeks.

The Falcons travel to UNLV for a showdown with the Rebels Nov. 24.