Air Force Falcons vs South Dakota Coyotes Football Recap

Air Force 37, South Dakota 20

The final margin of victory in what amounts to a cupcake game should not be taken as a surefire guarantee of anything. Nevertheless, human nature being what it is, it’s hard to see a 17-point win over a grossly inferior opponent as an indication that good things lie in store for Air Force football this season.

A distinctly subpar performance will tell the Academy’s head coach, Troy Calhoun, that a lot of attitudes need to be reshaped in his locker room and on the practice field. Service-academy football is built on the foundation of discipline and on the cornerstone of precise execution. Those two ingredients were manifestly absent in the Falcons’ first flight of the 2011 season. If this team doesn’t tend to details in short order, it won’t fulfill its goals for the coming months, which include the retention of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy it won in 2010.

Yes, Air Force made quick work of the South Dakota Coyotes on Saturday afternoon, sprinting out to a 30-7 halftime lead. The Falcons scored on a Mikel Hunter 80-yard end-around on the first play of the game and controlled the game throughout against the FCS Coyotes, as Air Force would go on to prevail by 17 points. Despite the still-easy victory (it’s not as though the outcome was in doubt after halftime), Air Force showed signs of sloppiness throughout the game, a bad sign as the Falcons prepare to host TCU next week.

The Falcons fumbled the ball four times; sure, they only lost one of those fumbles, but against TCU, they might not be so fortunate. What also has to worry Calhoun and the rest of the AFA coaching staff is that senior quarterback Tim Jefferson threw two interceptions in only nine pass attempts against South Dakota. The defense also showed lapses late in the game, allowing two Coyote touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

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Senior quarterback Dante Warren led the Coyotes on 15-26 passing for 184 yards and two touchdowns. If not for the three interceptions he threw, South Dakota may have found itself within striking distance down the stretch due to Air Force’s sloppy play. Chris Ganious led South Dakota in rushing with 79 yards on 15 carries.

By the end of the game, Air Force had amassed just under 400 rushing yards. Asher Clark led the effort with 97 rushing yards, while Hunter finished with 82, and Jefferson and Wes Cobb pitched in 69 yards and 60 yards, respectively. Aside from the two interceptions, Jefferson had an adequate game passing, going 4-9 for 96 yards and a touchdown. The win marked Jefferson’s 22nd as an Air Force quarterback, tying him for the school record.

While Air Force gets ready for TCU, South Dakota prepares to host defending FCS champion Eastern Washington.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer