AIR FORCE DEFENSE KEEPS ITS HEAD

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Sep 11, 2005 | by BRIAN GOMEZ THE GAZETTE

Maybe Air Force's defense is for real. It's probably too early to tell, but the Falcons took another step in the right direction Saturday by forcing San Diego State into three turnovers and limiting big plays that were costly last season.

Sparked by cornerback Chris Sutton and defensive end Gilberto Perez, Air Force kept San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell in the pocket, holding him to 52 yards rushing. The Falcons also contained running back Lynell Hamilton, who rushed for 65 yards on 15 carries.

Air Force allowed only three plays longer than 20 yards, causing San Diego State to settle for short passes and revert to a running game that never got off the ground.

"Teams really can't beat you with the short game," said Sutton, who had six tackles and a pair of third-down pass breakups. "Our mind-set was to give them 3 yards here and 3 yards there, and then to get a sack and push them back and make them work for every yard they get."

The strategy proved effective, even though Air Force failed to register a sack for the second consecutive week. O'Connell was pressured at times, and his lone interception with 4:33 left sealed the outcome.

Air Force led 34-22 when free safety Bobby Giannini picked off O'Connell at the San Diego State 44, setting up Jacobe Kendrick's 1- yard touchdown run.

Giannini said he had a read on the pass from the second it left O'Connell's hand. Plus, he didn't mind taking a chance with Falcon back Denny Poland cutting off the underneath route.

"If he was going to throw it short, it was Denny's. If he was going to throw it long, it was mine," Giannini said. "He threw it a little bit long, and I got it."

Asked why he didn't score on the 35-yard return, Giannini said, "I guess I'm just not a good player. I went to the sideline, and it all collapsed on me."

Air Force's biggest defensive stops came late in the third quarter, when the offense stalled and special teams continued to struggle. San Diego State had three chances to pull within seven but managed just a field goal.

First, Sutton broke up a thirddown pass intended for split end Jeff Webb, and the Aztecs punted. Then San Diego State settled for a field goal after Poland stood up running back Michael Franklin. On their next possession, Sutton had another third-down pass breakup that forced an Aztecs punt.

"We kept everything underneath," Sutton said. "I figured they would try to go over the top a little, but they kept it down low."

Perez said Air Force's success in swarming the ball gives him confidence heading into next week's game against Wyoming, which has averaged 35 points against the Falcons the past three seasons.

"We're not going to be the biggest and we're not going to be the strongest. But we're definitely going to get to the ball," said Perez, who had five tackles, three for losses. "If we have everybody getting to the ball, things are going to happen, and people are going to start fumbling. Only good things can happen when you swarm the ball."