AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Brad Roberts wore a Diesel hat to go along with his smile early Saturday evening at Falcon Stadium. But the former Ralston Valley standout ran more like a Cadillac.
“I just think the team chemistry that we have right now,” Roberts, Air Force’s senior fullback, said after hammering CU for a collegiate-best three rushing touchdowns and 174 yards during a 41-10 rout at Falcon Stadium, “is just better than any place in the country.”
Roberts happily greeted reporters during the Zoomies’ postgame news conference in a tan hat with the words “Diesel” printed at the top. Itap a totemic honor — to be considered for Air Force’s “Diesel” club requires teammates deciding that you cranked out an exceptional effort on the field.
“I think I got an honorary “Diesel” after the third or fourth game (last fall),” Roberts explained. “Itap a cool thing that the offensive line kind of created.”
Despite being outweighed by an average of 23 pounds per blocker — CU’s starting front three check in at 307 pounds; Air Force’s front five at 284 — the Falcons’ big men exposed, for a second straight week, what was supposed to be one of the Buffs’ strengths: Its defensive front seven.
Granted, Air Force offers arguably the country’s top triple-option game with seniors all over the backfield. While the Buffs hung in for two-and-a-half quarters against one of the top rushing attacks in the FBS — forcing five Falcons fumbles and recovering three — the script at the wild blue yonder played out eerily similar to the opener against TCU. Minus the rain. And the fog.
CU fans had seen it all before. Buffs’ defense plays tough into the third quarter. Buffs’ offense can’t score. Buffs’ defense wears out late. Other team takes advantage and runs away.
Of the Zoomies’ 435 yards on the ground, 167 — 38% — came in the fourth quarter, turning what had been a competitive contest into a rout.
Air Force’s margin of victory (31 points) was its largest-ever over the Buffs, eclipsing a 23-point win in Boulder back in 1968.
“(There will) definitely be a little bit of friendly banter between a couple of my friends that are on the CU football team,” Roberts said of the Buffs, who were positively humbled in their first visit to Falcon Stadium since 1974. “And a lot of the kids that I went to high school that are on the CU (roster), or just going to CU for school.”
As for Roberts’ friends in Boulder? Two weeks into the slate, they’ve still got a tackling problem. And a scoring problem. And, most distressing for longtime CU fans, a quarterback problem. Still.
In his first start behind center for the Buffs, against a good dense and in less-than-ideal passing conditions, Tennessee transfer J.T. Shrout completed just five of 21 throws with no touchdowns and an interception.
The rotation of Shrout and Brendon Lewis, coach Karl Dorrell’s Game 1 starter, have managed to put up just 286 passing yards, combined, over CU’s first two games, with one touchdown and one pick.
While the weather conditions were more akin to Seattle in early November than the Front Range in mid-September, Buffs fans on social media are already wondering if there’s another quarterback — freshman Owen McCown? Former Houston signal-caller Maddox Kopp? — behind Door No. 3. Or Door No. 4.
Regardless, missed scoring opportunities continue to dog the offense run by Dorrell and new coordinator Mike Sanford.
Slick balls and fumbles in or near the end zone took touchdowns off the board for both sides. While the Buffs took advantage late in the second quarter, putting up a 10-0 run to end the first half after digging a 20-0 hole, the whole capitalizing-on-gifts thing came to a grinding halt.
Down 20-10 and blessed with excellent field position — the Falcons’ 13-yard-line — at the start of the third quarter thanks to a comically high Air Force punt snap, the Buffs still couldn’t cash in.
A pass-interference call gave CU the ball at the Zoomies’ 2 with 11:20 left in the stanza. Tailback Alex Fontenot was stuffed on first down. During his next carry, the senior appeared to lose the ball before crossing the plane of the end zone. While television replays appeared to be inconclusive, an official review upheld the fumble.
In almost TCU-like fashion, the Zoomies scored the last 21 points. During a mid-game stretch, the Buffs started drives at the Air Force 23, the Air Force 13, the Air Force 40 and the CU 49. They came away from those four cracks with only three points.
Thanks to Roberts and his running mates, the Falcons proved far less generous the rest of the way.
“(The Buffs) were one of my teams,” the former Mustangs standout said. “It was tough to not to be able to get a (scholarship) offer from them. But I’m happy where I am now.”
