Air Force removes Gophers matchup

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jul 26, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

Air Force has removed Minnesota from its 2012 football schedule, athletic director Hans Mueh said Friday at the Ritz Grill, where the Falcons had an open session with the downtown crowd.

The Falcons were slated to open that season at home against the Gophers on Sept. 1, but they now have an open date that Mueh said he hopes to fill with either a team from the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) or a lower-tier team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has said he wants to open each season at home against an FCS or lowertier FBS team.

The 2012 game was to be the second of a homeand-home series, as Air Force is scheduled to play at Minnesota on Sept. 12, 2009. Mueh said that game will be played.

Mueh said Air Force still is negotiating with Florida State to get out of a 2011 game scheduled to be played at the academy -- so he can replace it with a less daunting opponent. But Mueh said the Falcons will play at Florida State in 2012 as scheduled.

Mueh also said there are no plans at this time to renew a series with Colorado -- "for the foreseeable future, it just doesn't fit," he said.

He also said he hasn't given up on getting Notre Dame back on the schedule at some point.

Bowl contingency?

Calhoun said Friday that he hoped a contingency plan could be made for Air Force for seasons like 2007 when Navy has a direct tie- in with the Mountain West Conference-affiliated Poinsettia Bowl.

Last season Air Force was not considered for the bowl because Navy, which had a direct tie-in, earned an invitation and the bowl would not host a rematch of a regular season game.

Air Force and Navy meet annually in the regular season.

Calhoun said in those years Air Force should have a shot to go to another bowl.

"I think we should say, 'Hey, if we're going to get blackballed by a bowl game, then we need to have an opportunity,'" Calhoun said.

A possibility would be the newly created Congressional Bowl, which has tie-ins with Navy this season and Army in 2009.

Congressional Bowl organizers have said they'd like to have a tie- in with Air Force in 2010 -- coincidentally the next time Navy has a tie-in with the Poinsettia Bowl.

Etc.

Air Force senior Ty Paffett had a second procedure on his back after his surgery in late June. Calhoun said earlier this week that Paffett was not yet able to work out "with complete exertion." ... Junior defensive lineman Ryan Gonzales has been moved to the offensive line, according to a source close to the program.