Knoxville, Tenn. – It was a gutsy call on the road, but a two-point conversion try by Air Force failed after the Falcons had pulled within one point of the favored Tennessee Volunteers with 1:35 left in the game.
Tennessee defensive end Xavier Mitchell stormed across the line of scrimmage and dropped Air Force halfback Chad Hall well short of the goal line.
When a second onside kick went to the Vols at the 43-yard line, Air Force’s upset bid was over and Tennessee escaped with a 31-30 win Saturday night. But there was no discounting Air Force’s inspired play against the 11th-ranked Vols.
Everyone expected Tennessee’s touted offense to have a big advantage over Air Force, and quarterback Erik Ainge made it seem huge most of the way.
While Ainge’s pinpoint passing behind a protective offensive line finally proved superior, Falcons quarterback Shaun Carney didn’t play second fiddle by much.
After Julian Madrid intercepted Ainge on what could have been a clinching drive midway through the fourth quarter, Carney took the Falcons on a 78-yard touchdown drive. Fullback Ryan Williams slashed into the end zone from the three and Zach Sasser’s extra-point kick cut Tennessee’s lead to 31-24.
The Falcons then executed a successful onside kick with Daniel Hill recovering at the 42-yard line. Carney’s third-down, 24-yard pass to halfback Justin Handley put the Falcons at Tennessee’s 31-yard line with 1:53 remaining. Vols cornerback Inquoris Johnson was injured on the play and left the field on a stretcher.
Two plays later, Carney hit wideout Spencer Armstrong for another 24-yard gain to the 1, and Williams went the final yard to make it 31-30.
The Vols opened a 14-point lead – seemingly a safe advantage – on Ainge’s 5-yard TD pass to Robert Meachem on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Tennessee’s offensive power rendered Air Force’s defense almost helpless in the third quarter. The Vols drove 99 yards on 11 plays to open the half. The Falcons even got a break when Tennessee’s Demetrice Morley touched down at the one-yard line while returning the kickoff. But the Vols just took a deep breath and marched down almost unopposed for a 24-10 lead with 9:14 left in the period.
During one stretch of the third period, Ainge completed 15 straight passes. He finished 24 of 29 for 333 yards and three touchdowns.
The third period turned wild when the Falcons responded to Tennessee’s 99-yard drive by mounting a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive of their own, fueled by the running of Williams. Carney’s one-yard dive to end the drive triggered controversy when the Vols thought he fumbled. But after a challenge, the play stood and the Falcons trailed 24-17 with 6:14 left in the quarter.
For the first 16:29 of the game, Air Force made it promising for anyone pulling for an upset.
With Carney mixing the offense effectively, the Falcons raced out to a 10-3 lead with 1:29 played in the second period.
Scoring drives of 10 plays for 72 yards and 14 plays for 76 yards resulted in a 5-yard touchdown run by Hall to open the game’s scoring and a 22-yard field goal by Sasser.
But the Vols quickly ended any advantage the Air Force defense had early in the game and took charge after a first-period drive ended with a 35-yard field goal by James Wilhoit.
Ainge took over the game later in the quarter. He worked behind an offensive line that was a barrier and a no-huddle offense late in the period that had AFA’s defense back on its heels.
The Vols tied the game on a 16-play, 74-yard march capped by Ainge’s 4-yard pass to Meachem. Air Force’s defense couldn’t get the Vols off the field, surrendering four third-down conversions on the drive, including the scoring pass.
But on an eight-play, 75-yard march for the lead, Ainge didn’t face a third down and his 5-yard strike to wide receiver Jayson Swain beat the halftime clock by 28 seconds.
Ainge was 13 of 15 for 159 yards and the two scores at halftime.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
