Falcons dominate UNLV, 24-7

  • Published
  • By John Van Winkle
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Turnovers yielded 10 points as the Air Force Falcons returned to their winning ways with a 24-7 victory over University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Oct. 11.

The win improves the Falcons’ record to 6-1 and makes the team eligible for a post-season bowl game.

"A lot of people really doubted whether this football team could recover from losing the Navy game, and certainly a lot of people have second-guessed our football team in the month of October," said Falcons head coach Fisher DeBerry. “I think we sent a great message today that we could be a very competitive team."

Falcons Chance Harridge, Darnell Stephens and Dan Shaffer led the offense down the field for their first score, when Harridge ran it in from 9 yards out. An interception by Air Force back Adrian Wright led to a field goal by Joey Ashcroft, giving the Falcons a 10-0 lead going into the half.

Falcons special teams then demonstrated their punting prowess with a 65-yarder by Andrew Martin. The punt angled into the right coffin corner, which forced UNLV kick returner Trema Kirkland to backpedal to his 6-yard line. But he fumbled and Falcon Jordan Wilkie recovered the loose ball in the end zone for his first career touchdown.

“That was a great hustle play on the part of Jordan Wilkie, to go down there and recover that ball in the end zone,” said DeBerry. “That gave us a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence.”

UNLV’s lone score pulled a page from Air Force’s playbook. In the third quarter, the Rebels ran 15 times in a 16-play, 80-yard drive, before Larry Croom plunged in from 1 yard out to keep the Rebels from being shut out, 17-7.

The Falcons responded with a 64-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard dive by Harridge, to put the game away at 24-7. UNLV fell to 4-2 with the loss, while the Falcons remained in first place in the Mountain West Conference with their 6-1 record.

“I think we’ve separated ourselves in the conference,” DeBerry said. “We certainly know the challenge that we’ve got in front of us (Oct. 16).”

The Falcons face 4-3 Colorado State University next. CSU also comes off a win, having thrashed Brigham Young University 58-13 Oct. 9, giving the team a full week to prepare to face the Falcons.

“We don’t have any time to really sit back and enjoy this win, because we’ve got the biggest game of our schedule coming up (Oct. 16),” said Falcons inside linebacker Trevor Hightower. “CSU’s a big game. We know how big it is. They know how big it is. And that’s one of the beautiful games about college football -- sometimes you play on Thursday night in front of millions of people, and that’s what’s going to happen this week.”

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 from Fort Collins, Colo. Check local listings for times.