Kicking - and blocking kicks - highlights year

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Nov 28, 1999 | by Meri-Jo Borzilleri

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Air Force suffered a demoralizing 33-28 loss to New Mexico in the season's final game Saturday.

A couple bright spots: Air Force senior kicker Jackson Whiting goes 4-for-4 in PATs to finish the season without missing a kick. That makes him 12-for-12 in field goals and 26-for-26 in PATs this season.

Linebacker Buck Hodgkinson also blocked his first career kick when he smothered Cort Moffitt's punt in the first quarter. That's Air Force's seventh block this season, 58th overall in the 90s, second to Virginia Tech.

OUT AND HURTING - Senior starters Jason Blevins and Tony Jones sat out the final game of their collegiate careers with injuries. Blevins and Jones made the trip, but did not dress.

Blevins broke his collarbone in the loss to Brigham Young Oct. 30, and Jones underwent surgery this week to repair a left elbow ligament injured during the Colorado State game last week.

MCKAY'S DAY - Saturday was the first anniversary of junior tailback Scotty McKay's first career start in 1998 against New Mexico.

This year he carried the ball eight times for 52 yards, second to Mike Thiessen's 142 yards on 20 carries for the day.

But McKay didn't forget a hit he took a year ago from a certain Lobo safety - NFL high draft prospect Brian Urlacher.

"I caught a pitch. I didn't even see him coming. He hit me as hard as I've ever been hit. He definitely rang my bell, kind of took me by surprise."

No surprise. McKay is 5-foot-8, 175 pounds. Urlacher is 6-4, 240. Urlacher, whom draftnik Mel Kiper projects as a seventh pick in the first round, was named one of three Jim Thorpe Award semifinalists this week. The award recognizes the nation's best defensive back.

McKay and Urlacher met a few times Saturday, but there were no jarring collisions this time.

Urlacher led the nation in tackles (178) as a junior, setting a school record. This year, he expanded his resume, catching seven passes - six for touchdowns, as well as leading the team in scoring with seven touchdowns (he returned a fumble for a score against San Diego State).

He didn't catch a pass against Air Force, but he made his presence known early, making eight tackles in the first two drives alone and winding up with 12 - though that stat seems awfully low. Urlacher, who was named by The Sporting News as the nation's top strong safety heading into this season, also forced a key fumble (his fifth of the season) in the fourth quarter by Air Force's Matt Rillos that might have saved the game.

With Air Force down by two touchdowns at the New Mexico 6, Urlacher hit Rillos and the ball popped loose with 5:49 left in the game. Teammate Desmar Black fell on it and the Lobos took over on their own 4.

HOME IN 2000 - Air Force's home crowd average for 1999 was 45,981. That included 50,000-plus at three games at Falcon Stadium.

Which means a couple things: 1. You might want to start planning your ticket purchases now; and 2. It'd be good to bring extra food for a post-game tailgate. Waiting for traffic to disperse has become an unfortunate, and aggravating, Air Force tradition for fans.

Highlights for next season: the Sept. 2 season-opener against Division I-AA Cal State-Northridge and the Oct. 7 game against Navy. Air Force will also host conference rival Brigham Young, but the conference schedule won't come out for a month. ESPN is still working out what games it will televise.

THE IRISH AWAIT - If you want to take a trip to an Air Force game, do it in late October. Air Force resumes its rivalry with Notre Dame on Oct. 28, when the Falcons travel to South Bend. It'll be the first time Air Force has played the Irish since 1996, when the Falcons pulled off the stunning 20-17 overtime upset at South Bend. Dallas Thompson hit a 27-yard field goal to win it. Thompson, who spent the next two years on a mission, was on the squad this year and will vie for the starting kicker's job as a senior next season.