For a split second Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Air Force cornerback Anthony Wright might have thought it was the 2009 season revisited.
It was late in the game, and the Falcons needed a turnover and some points to take the momentum from San Diego State. As Aztecs quarterback Ryan Lindley rolled to his right, Wright read the play as a throwback pass to the opposite side. It was a perfect read, and it appeared the fast-closing Wright would intercept the ball and maybe take it back for a touchdown.
“I had picked up on that play earlier in the week on film,” Wright said this week. “I broke on it, but at the last second, an offensive lineman caught my left arm and I got only my right hand on the ball. The ball went up in the air and on the ground behind me.”
So goes the 2010 season for Falcons junior Wright, who led the Mountain West Conference last season with seven interceptions.
If Wright had made the play against the Aztecs, it would have been his first pick of the season.
“This year isn’t going my way in terms of interceptions,” said the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Wright. “I’m not as productive as last year, but we still have five games to play in the regular season.”
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun acknowledges Wright hasn’t had as much action as he did a year ago but believes that will change significantly Saturday when Air Force plays at No. 4 TCU.
“He had more opportunities last year,” Calhoun said. “Our corners by and large have played really good this year. Anthony is a much better player this year than last year, and he was a good player last year.”
Wright has started 30 games and played in 33 games in his first three seasons. He figures he has made some good plays this year other than what shows up on the interception column. He’s eighth on the team in tackles with 26 and he has three passes defensed.
But he wasn’t pleased with his tackling against the Aztecs, particularly against running back Ronnie Hillman. The freshman rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yarder in the second quarter.
“I didn’t make tackles in space,” Wright said. “He (Hillman) is a slippery back. You definitely can’t cut his feet out from under him. You have to wrap him up.”
Wright intends to file away his findings for next year when he and Hillman meet again.
But for now, it’s back to focusing on the rest of the Mountain West Conference schedule and shaking off the Falcons’ first league loss.
With ninth-ranked Utah and TCU unbeaten this season, one loss could end championship hopes, as it has in the past. But Wright isn’t buying it.
Three questions for AFA
1. How will Air Force’s rushing offense, without workhorse fullback Jared Tew, fare against TCU’s touted defense? Tew has been the heart of Air Force’s ground game the past two seasons. However, he’s out for the rest of the regular season with a broken bone in his right leg. Senior Nathan Walker steps in, making his second career start.
2. Will Air Force coach Troy Calhoun stay on track of not losing three straight regular-season games in his four years? With last week’s 27-25 loss to San Diego State in the books, the Falcons play No. 4 TCU on Saturday and No. 9 Utah on Oct. 30. Air Force has to win one of the next two games to avoid losing three in a row.
3. Will Air Force’s triple-option offense find a way to carve out scoring drives against a defense that doesn’t allow the opposition on the field very long? Air Force is No. 1 in first downs during MWC play with 99 (76 on the ground). TCU’s defense has allowed the fewest first downs (26) in league play.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “On any given day, any team can lose.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
