Falcons grind out win/ Wyoming kept off field by Air Force's ground

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Sep 21, 2003 | by MARK FITZHENRY

After Air Force tried almost everything to stop Wyoming quarterback Casey Bramlet, except for using 14 defensive backs or whacking him from behind with a steel chair, the solution became simple.

Bramlet couldn't hurt the Falcons if he didn't take snaps from his center.

So Air Force went into grind mode, possessing the ball for more than two-thirds of the second half Saturday at Falcon Stadium. Quarterback Chance Harridge called it "vintage Air Force football," and his teammates will be happy to call it a 35-29 victory in the Mountain West Conference opener.

Playing in front of 38,622 fans, Air Force improved to 4-0 despite allowing 398 passing yards. Bramlet completed 26 of 51 passes for 379 yards, threw two touchdown passes, escaped seven "legitimate" sacks (by Air Force defensive coordinator Richard Bell's count) and increased his streak of passes without an interception to 163.

The Falcons countered by rushing for a season-high 431 yards. They were at their most impressive in the second half, when they controlled the ball for 20 minutes, seven seconds and ran 47 plays to Wyoming's 25.

"We wanted to go on some long drives," halfback Darnell Stephens said. "We kept the ball. We wanted to keep doing what we were doing, just eating away, eating away, eating away at the clock."

Harridge rushed for a season-high 117 yards, Stephens gained a career-best 91 and sophomore Matt Ward scored two touchdowns on five carries. Air Force had as many rushing first downs (26) as Wyoming had overall.

Bell called the victory "a big relief." The hurt was as prevalent from Wyoming's end; running back Derek Armah cried as he tried to explain why Air Force won, and Bramlet's eyes were red and puffy as he spoke with reporters.

The teams combined for 996 yards of total offense. Wyoming (1-3, 0- 1 Mountain West) averaged 6.1 yards per play. Air Force averaged 5.8 yards per play despite running the ball more than 85 percent of the time.

Wyoming wasn't out of hope until Air Force halfback Joe Schieffer gained 5 yards on a fourth-and-1 play near midfield with 2:05 remaining. The Falcons didn't need another first down after that.

"We feel very fortunate to win against a team like that," Air Force nose guard Nicholas Taylor said. "They stuck it to us for four quarters straight."

Wyoming, which trailed 21-6 early in the second quarter, took a 22- 21 lead with 4:42 left in the third quarter when Bramlet hit Ryan McGuffey with a 5-yard pass. After that, Air Force ran 37 plays to Wyoming's 13.

The Falcons responded to Wyoming's score with a 17-play drive. The first 16 plays were runs by five players. The last was a 7-yard touchdown pass from Harridge to Alec Messerall.

Messerall's touchdown capped Air Force's longest drive of the season, in plays and time (6:20).

After Air Force's defense forced Wyoming to punt after four plays, the Falcons engineered another run-heavy scoring drive. This one took eight plays and included a 25-yard run from Anthony Butler, a 23- yarder from Stephens and an 18-yard score from Ward.

Wyoming made it 35-29 when Bramlet threw a 7-yard touchdown to Aaron Robbins. The Cowboys never got the ball back.

Wyoming called its final timeout with 2:05 left, when Air Force faced a fourth and 1 from the Wyoming 48. Coach Fisher DeBerry decided he would rather try to gain 1 yard than risk Bramlet and Co. traveling 80 or so for the winning score.

First, Air Force tried to draw Wyoming offside. It didn't work and Air Force called timeout. Then Harridge, given an option play to the left, changed the play at the line of scrimmage. He pitched to Schieffer, who gained 5 yards around the right end, clinched a victory and prevented Bramlet from doing any more damage. Finally.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0178 or markf@gazette.com