Fort Worth, Texas – It was emotional for Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry as he walked out of his team’s locker room Saturday afternoon after a blowout loss to Texas Christian ended the Falcons’ season with four consecutive losses.
He said now wasn’t the time to talk about the future.
“I will not under the emotion of a game and the heartache I have for my players make a comment,” DeBerry said. “I wanted our seniors to win so badly. Our whole focus was that we aren’t going to a bowl, but we had a chance to beat a bowl team. I’m not going to comment or make a decision on the emotion of a game.”
Quarterback Shaun Carney didn’t hold back in his support of DeBerry.
“He’s a great coach and a proven winner,” Carney said. “That would be weird to play for a new coach my senior year, especially with the strong class we have. There are 22 or 23 of us coming back.”
The Falcons dissolved over the past four weeks of the season after beating Army 43-7 the first week of November. They lost 39-17 to Notre Dame, 17-14 to Utah, 42-39 to UNLV and then to TCU.
Athletic director Hans Mueh referred to a loss to lowly UNLV, a team that had lost 10 straight games, and an earlier 19-12 loss to equally lowly San Diego State as “bizarre.”
DeBerry said he saw some good play by a number of young players Saturday. Sophomore Aaron Kirchoff, making his first start at strong safety, led the Falcons in tackles with 10. Junior linebacker Drew Fowler, the Mountain West Conference leader in tackles, was second with eight and junior linebacker Austin Randle, also making his first start, was fifth with six, including a sack. Sophomore Hunter Altman returned a blocked punt for Air Force’s first touchdown.
And junior Jim Ollis got his first significant playing time at quarterback, scoring the game’s last touchdown on a 19-yard run.
“I think I did OK, but there are some areas I have to work on,” Ollis said. “As of right now, I think I’ll be back at quarterback in the spring.”
Said DeBerry, “I thought Jim Ollis came in and really sparked our team. It was pure option when he was in there. He has put the team first as our backup quarterback. It will be a wide-open opportunity for him next spring, just like every other position on this team.
“I think we have to evaluate everything we do and that evaluation already has started. Our team has to gain confidence. This program has some good young players. It all starts at quarterback and I think Shaun Carney has played great all season. But he’s going to have to step up and be a more vocal and stronger leader.”
Rubbing it in
Maybe some thought TCU coach Gary Patterson was heavy-handed when the Horned Frogs tried an unsuccessful onside kick after taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. But the Falcons couldn’t capitalize and punted after three plays.
Carney wasn’t critical of the TCU decision.
“That’s great to have a coach who is that driven to get victories,” Carney said. “We’re trying to score, why shouldn’t they?
Fowler wasn’t so sure.
“We definitely talked about it,” Fowler said. “I can see what they were doing. They were going for the kill.”
