Air Force Academy – Air Force linebacker Drew Fowler might have been in the minority Saturday among the throngs attending the Air Force-Notre Dame football game, but he wasn’t claiming Brady Quinn was the best quarterback he had seen this season.
Quinn had just delivered four touchdown passes in Notre Dame’s 39-17 victory that left the Falcons with a hard road ahead in hopes of becoming bowl-eligible. They face Utah in a key Mountain West Conference game Saturday at Falcon Stadium, needing two victories in the final three games to reach the minimum of six for bowl-game eligibility.
“I think John Beck of BYU is just as good,” Fowler said. “I put Beck right up there with him (Quinn). They’re a good team, but I don’t think they’re any better than BYU from my perspective. The roughing-the-kicker penalty really took the breath out of us.”
Fowler and a number of Falcons thought their second-half performance provided some momentum going into the final three games against Utah, UNLV and TCU.
“It gives us something to build on,” Fowler said. “We have a lot to play for. The teams we’re playing are scraping for victories just like us.”
Fowler led Air Force’s defensive performance with 12 tackles. Robert Kraay, Air Force’s 6-foot-8 starting left tackle on offense, is used in the middle of the line on opponents kick attempts. He blocked two extra points.
Coach Fisher DeBerry said the call to attempt a blocked punt came out of urgency.
“We needed something big to happen,” DeBerry said. “We thought we could block a punt, and that’s a gamble you take. But I think the call could have been running into the kicker, and that’s a whole lot different.”
DeBerry challenged the call, but lost. Instead of getting the Irish off the field while trailing 14-3, Notre Dame retained possession and scored a touchdown to lead 20-3 with 1:19 left in the first period.
Reflections
DeBerry wasn’t happy with his defensive team’s ability to finish the job.
“We didn’t tackle very well,” the Air Force coach said. “I was very disappointed the way our team tackled. Against a team of that caliber, you have to rise up and make those plays.
“For us to be successful in the next three games, we have to play a full game the way we played in the second half. That ought to send a message to our players that if we play with that intensity and passion, we have a good chance against anybody we play.”
Quarterback Shaun Carney, who completed 14-of-17 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, was sure his offensive teammates could muster the performance needed in the next three games.
“We just missed opportunities,” Carney said. “All we had to do at one point was kick a field goal. That’s something we know how to do. I know we can do the job. We’re better than we showed and know that.”
