Falcons, Cougars have evolved since September tussle

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 30, 2008 at 8:46 p.m.

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Houston and Air Force have faced each other once this season, but that's where the familiarity ends.

The teams that will meet today (10 a.m., ESPN) in the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium are much different than the two that squared off in Dallas on Sept. 13 because Hurricane Ike drove them out of Houston.

The Falcons won that one 31-28 after jumping to a 31-7 lead.

Plenty has changed since then.

Shea Smith was Air Force's quarterback in the first game and didn't complete a pass. Tim Jefferson, the Mountain West Conference's freshman of the year, has taken over at quarterback, and another freshman, Asher Clark, is the starting tailback.

Those two players have added quickness and flash to the Falcons offense.

Houston, which started 1-3 under new coach Kevin Sumlin, has nine different starters than in the first meeting, and the Cougars have become more accustomed to the pass-happy offense installed by Sumlin.

"I think we are two different teams than the ones that played the first time," Sumlin said. "Nobody saw the first game anyway, and this will be on national TV."

The announced attendance was 2,546 in the first meeting that was played at Gerald Ford Stadium on the Southern Methodist campus. More than 41,000 tickets have been sold and distributed for today's game.

"They're a different team, we're a different team," Air Force junior guard Nick Charles said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of having to play a team that we've beat already."

The weather forecast calls for a sunny day with temperatures in the 50s, so the Cougars' attention will be directed at the Falcons and not the Weather Channel.

"There were a couple of tragedies on the team because a few people lost their homes," said senior linebacker Phillip Hunt, the Conference USA defensive player of the year. "Obviously, we were thinking about that. It was on our minds. That situation took a toll on us mentally, but physically, the game was based on great play from Air Force."

Air Force is a 31/2-point underdog, and the Falcons are 0-5 in games played in Fort Worth, including last season's 42-36 loss to California in the Armed Forces Bowl.

In 16 previous bowl games that have featured rematches of games played during the regular season, there have been only five sweeps.

Air Force (8-4) will have to contain Houston's potent offense to achieve a nine-win season. The Cougars (7-5) lead the nation in total offense (575.08 yards a game) and have the second-best passing offense (414.1). Sophomore quarterback Case Keenum, C-USA's offensive player of the year, is the national leader in total offense (416.1), total passing (4,768) and passing yards per game (476.8).

"They stretch your defense to the hilt," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. "They were pretty darn good when we played them the first time, and they're even better now."

Armed Forces Bowl

Air Force (8-4) vs. Houston (7-5), 10 a.m. today, Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

* TV/radio: ESPN; KVOR-AM (740) in Colorado Springs and KCKK-AM (1510) in Denver.

* Favorite: Houston by 31/2.

* Payout: Each school receives $750,000.

* Coaches: Troy Calhoun (17-8 in second year at Air Force) and Kevin Sumlin (first year at Houston).

* Bowl records: Air Force, 8-9-1; Houston, 7-10-1.

* Series history: Air Force leads 1-0.

* Injury update: Air Force - TE Steve Shaffer (concussion) and NG Jared Marvin (knee) are out. FB Todd Newell (ankle) is doubtful. WR Jonathan Warzeka (hip) is questionable. Houston - DT Ell Ash (torn pectoral muscle), OL Josh Bell (Achilles), WR Patrick Edwards (broken leg), DE Billy Hartford (knee), LB Matt Nicholson (knee) and OL Sir Vincent Rogers (knee) are out.

* Scouting report: Air Force needs to run the football and control the time of possession in order to help contain Houston's explosive offense. It also would help if the Falcons could get an early start, like the 31-7 lead they managed in a 31-28 win against Houston earlier this season. And Air Force probably will need to complete a pass, even though it didn't in the September win.

* Stat that matters: Houston has not won a bowl game since a 35-0 win against Navy in the 1980 Garden State Bowl.

What's next?

Coach Troy Calhoun believes the Air Force football program is strongest when it has stalwart senior classes. The Falcons, though, didn't have that luxury this season, with fewer seniors than usual.

Still, one of the youngest teams in Air Force history compiled an 8-4 record heading into today's Armed Forces Bowl, and the future looks promising because of all the underclassmen who return next season.

"I think the future is really bright," senior tight end Travis Dekker said.

* The Falcons will lose nine senior starters off the offensive and defensive units, plus placekicker and punter Ryan Harrison.

* Forty-four underclassmen on the two-deep offensive and defensive depth charts will return, including three freshmen and three sophomore starters. Among those is quarterback Tim Jefferson. "I do think we have some quality young players who will certainly benefit from being in the weight room in the offseason," Calhoun said. "When they become juniors and seniors we'll have a pretty good football team."

* Five of the Falcons' top six rushers this season are sophomores or freshmen, including starting tailback Asher Clark.

* Three of the top four receivers are underclassmen, including top receiver Josh Cousins, a junior who entered this season without any career catches.

* Three of the Falcons' leading tacklers also are underclassmen. Sophomore Ken Lamendola leads Air Force with 112 tackles.

While the Falcons' future appears encouraging, keeping Calhoun as head coach is an ongoing concern.

Calhoun, who helped revitalize the program the past two seasons with a 17-8 record and consecutive bowl appearances, is mentioned whenever job openings occur.

"I sure hope coach Calhoun sticks around," Dekker said. "He's a great coach. He's got the most brilliant football mind I've ever been around."

Last January, Calhoun agreed to a new rolling contract that calls for a year to be added annually so he is always under contract for five years. The base salary of the new deal was $560,000, with a 5 percent increase each year. With a benefit package, he could make about $650,000 a year.

However, Calhoun has been negotiating hard to increase the pay for his assistant coaches, and that's something he and athletic director Hans Mueh often discuss.

Calhoun and Mueh have had ongoing meetings, and the Falcons hope to have an announcement sometime after the first of the year.

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