AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Parker Herrington finally got his due Monday for his part in Air Force’s 24-14 victory over Army on Saturday.
It wasn’t that the sophomore kicker’s three field goals and an extra point weren’t important. It was the crush of other things in Air Force’s come-from-behind victory that took precedent for a time.
But Monday, Herrington was named the Mountain West’s special- teams player of the week. The honor put Herrington’s career game back in perspective.
His 37-yard field goal with 3:05 played in the third period got the Falcons on the scoreboard, although they trailed 14-3. His 39-yard field goal with 3:35 left in the third period brought Air Force’s comeback to a tie at 14, and his 39-yard kick with 3:11 played in the fourth took the score to 24-14 and clinched the victory.
“Wind didn’t matter, the elements didn’t matter, one of the snaps was high, nothing mattered to him,” AFA coach Troy Calhoun said of Herrington’s poise. “We’ll need that over these next three games. Anytime you kick field goals, there are 10 other players involved. As a kicker, that means a lot to have that kind of support.”
Senior safety Jon Davis received defensive honors of the week from the conference for his solid game (12 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception).
Herrington thought his first field goal might have calmed his team after a turbulent first half.
“When we came out for the second half, we wanted to get points on that first drive whether it be three points or seven,” Herrington said. “That helped get things going. Once we got those three points, it got people energized.”
But Herrington isn’t taking full credit.
“I don’t like everything put on me,” he said. “I’m the last part in the whole setup of kicking the ball.”
Aiming for bowl.
Calhoun doesn’t downplay the importance of November games. But he says his team has created its own degree of importance heading into games against Wyoming, UNLV and Colorado State.
The Falcons (5-4) need two more victories to be eligible to play in a bowl.
“They would be important games no matter the circumstances, but we’ve put ourselves into a position to make them very important,” Calhoun said.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
