Quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Shaun Carney are of the same mind as they look ahead to Saturday’s confrontation at Falcon Stadium.
Both say the secret to winning is inner focus. That’s not surprising for Quinn, as ninth-ranked Notre Dame is a heavy favorite to make Air Force its ninth victim in 10 games.
“We try not to focus on our opponents,” Quinn said Wednesday. “For us, it’s a matter of focusing on ourselves and our execution.”
But Carney might be expected to be focusing on the Irish instead of his Falcons, who are 4-4 and attempting to finish with a winning record for the first time in three seasons.
“We don’t care who we’re playing,” Carney said. “We think about the things we can control, and the rest will take care of itself. We can’t have turnovers, and we have to take advantage of our opportunities.”
Other than their outlooks, Quinn and Carney are quite different.
Quinn, listed at 6-feet-4, 227 pounds, probably could have gone to any university to play football. Coming into this season, Quinn had played in 36 games, starting 33. His talents have taken him to the top of the list of Heisman Trophy candidates, and he looks at his senior season as a rehearsal for the NFL.
“This is an internship for what I hope I’ll be doing a year from now,” Quinn said. “I’m starting to approach it that way. I’ve analyzed what I was doing before games. I think anytime you go into a game, you have to calm yourself down.”
Carney still has a season to play, and at 5-10, 190 pounds, his choices were limited. He had played in 21 games, 18 as a starter, coming into the season. The next level for Air Force players is active duty.
Both are key cogs in their team’s success, Carney with less flamboyant numbers, but is just as important to Air Force. He is second on the team in rushing (521 yards), but leads the team in rushing touchdowns (six). He has completed 38-of-70 passes for 514 yards and five touchdowns. Carney’s favorite receiver, Victor Thompson, has 12 catches.
Quinn’s strength is his passing, and he’s plenty strong.
He is 216-for-338 passing with 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions. His top four receivers all have caught at least 45 passes, with senior Rhema McKnight the leader at 52.
Even tight end John Carlson has the speed needed to stretch the field.
Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry sees keeping the Irish’s receivers in check as the major task.
“The biggest challenge to our defensive team is to keep everything in front of them and not give up the big play,” DeBerry said.
Quinn and Carney meet for the first time Saturday. And while it will be Quinn’s first time in Colorado Springs, Carney visited Notre Dame while growing up in Ohio, and once was an Irish fan.
“It would be huge for our program if we could win,” Carney said. “We all understand that, and that gets us fired up.”
All-star games
Senior defensive lineman Gilberto Perez was selected to play in the Hula Bowl. Senior offensive lineman Robert Kraay will be in the East-West Shrine game.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
