DALLAS — It was a shock for many Air Force players Saturday that they beat Houston 31-28 without a single pass completion.
“I didn’t know we didn’t complete a pass,” wide receiver Spencer Armstrong said.
Cornerback Reggie Rembert said the same thing. Offensive tackle Keith Williams reminded that Air Force is a running team.
Quarterback Shea Smith ignored the stat, saying there were too many other positives to talk about other than his 0-for-7 day passing the ball.
“It was a team win today,” Smith said. “We had a big punt return, Spencer Armstrong making the play on the onside kick, the defense had some key stops and the offense put it in the end zone a few times. You have to find a way to win and we did that today. Nobody panicked when they were coming back in the fourth quarter.”
AFA coach Troy Calhoun wanted to see some success before mixing too many passes into the game plan.
“You have to connect on some throws and make your own confidence,” Calhoun said. “That comes through execution. We had about four dead duck throws and didn’t connect.”
One was early in the game when Armstrong was wide open in the end zone, but the ball was overthrown.
“The ball was right there. I just dropped it,” Armstrong said.
Air Force improved to 4-1 in its history when going without a completed pass.
Calhoun had more important things to focus on in preparation for next Saturday’s return to Mountain West Conference play against Utah. In order, Calhoun listed penalties, ball security, catching the ball and busted assignments as areas of concern for his 3-0 team.
Tough trip.
Calhoun said there wasn’t anything easy about the Falcons’ trip to Texas. There was the site switch to Dallas from Houston, change in game time and change in pregame routines. The Falcons had breakfast Saturday at 6:30 a.m.
“We’re used to being up at 6:30,” defensive end Jake Paulson said. “(The Cougars) were saying ‘Wake up.’ We were looking at each other and saying ‘Hello.’ ”
Footnotes.
Ryan Harrison’s miss on a 41-yard field goal into the wind in the fourth quarter snapped a string of 16 straight conversions for the Air Force kicker. . . . Fullback Todd Newell was listed with a sprained ankle and safety Aaron Kirchoff with a strained shoulder on Air Force’s injury report.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
