AIR FORCE ACADEMY — When in doubt, there’s no doubt where Air Force will find its answers.
That’s because there really is no doubt about Chad Hall. The incomparable Air Force offensive machine stands ready, willing and able to solve any problem that arises, and he was at his all-time best Saturday at Falcon Stadium.
With an Air Force offense sputtering through most of the first half, Hall answered the call time and again to propel the Falcons to a 30-10 victory over an Army team that probably still is in a daze from chasing the elusive Hall.
The Falcons amassed 437 yards – as well as 18 of their 24 first downs – on the ground.
With 46,144 fans watching, Hall turned Air Force’s record book upside down. And in so doing, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior helped lift the Falcons to 7-3 and their first winning season in four years.
Hall churned out 275 yards rushing, breaking the school record of 256 yards he set Oct. 13 against Colorado State. He did it on a career-high 34 carries.
Coach Troy Calhoun had no doubt Hall’s number was the right one to call.
“It gives me confidence as a player when they call on me,” Hall said. “It has been working great for us this season. We have to secure victories. As players, we love that. We have to make sure we get a win. Everyone was doubting our offensive line at the beginning of the year. They stepped up big time.”
Hall’s 333 all-purpose yards, which included 19 receiving and 39 on kickoff returns, surpassed 315 yards by Ernie Jennings against Colorado in 1968. His performance raised his all-purpose yards for the season to 1,961 yards, breaking the mark of 1,735 by Cormac Carney in 1978.
And Army coach Stan Brock said his team knew what was coming.
“He’s their go-to guy, and everybody knows it,” Brock said. “We knew what they do with him. They do a good job of moving him around and getting him the ball. They move him around a lot. He’s not the kind of player that you can play man up and say, ‘We’ll take care of him.”‘
Hall left no doubt this was his day, reeling off runs of 58 and 52 yards and setting up 10 of Air Force’s last 13 points.
“He had some juice today,” Army senior linebacker Brian Chmura said. “Give him all the credit in the world. His big plays really hurt us. He’s a great football player, no doubt, but we should have made some defensive plays, too.”
Said Calhoun: “You still have to block extremely well. We have to be a group that plays with phenomenal purpose each Saturday we’re out there. I thought it was a complete team effort all the way around.”
AFA quarterback Shaun Carney added an element to Army’s burden. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Armstrong gave the Black Knights something else to think about and the Falcons a 10-3 lead with 1:02 played in the second quarter. Carney completed 9-of-12 passes for 105 yards.
Hall took over in the third quarter, picking up an Air Force offense that was sputtering. He seemed to be everywhere on the field, darting for a 58-yard run and then scoring his only touchdown to open a 24-10 lead with 6:58 left in the third quarter.
“We figured out which plays worked for us,” AFA senior guard Caleb Morris said.
Said Carney, “It was a special day, no doubt about it.”
The Grades | By Irv Moss
OFFENSE
A: One interception couldn’t take away an otherwise big day. The Falcons rushed for 437 yards, and had 24 first downs and a 10:32 advantage in possession time.
DEFENSE
A: When considering Army’s only touchdown followed an interception at the AFA 3, there was no need to consider a lower grade. Tack on just 17 yards rushing for Army and it was special.
SPECIAL TEAMS
A: Field goals of 56, 40 and 35 yards by Ryan Harrison and an average of 42 yards on two punts made it a big day.
OVERALL
A: An “A” for an awesome performance that ensured a winning season for the first time since 2003. The seven victories also move the Falcons closer to their first bowl game in five years.
Irv Moss: 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
