Air Force seeks redemption today
Toolbox
By BRIAN GOMEZ The Colorado Springs Gazette - Published: December 31, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas — As hard as he tried, despite the countless times he grabbed his coat and put on his shoes, Peter Lusk couldn't leave the pity party in his hotel room last year.
So what if his parents and some of his Air Force teammates were downstairs waiting on New Year's Eve? Air Force had lost to Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl, and a wild night on the town certainly wasn't going to make Lusk feel any better.
"A bunch of guys just stayed in their rooms," he said. "It's tough to take a loss like that."
The Falcons hope a third consecutive trip to the Armed Forces Bowl, featuring a rematch today with high-powered Houston, produces a reason to celebrate and lays the framework for next season, when Air Force could have the depth to contend for a conference title.
Possessing the nation's top-ranked passing defense to counter the country's No. 1 passing offense, Air Force (7-5) will try to avoid dropping its fourth straight bowl game — a loss to Virginia Tech in the 2002 San Francisco Bowl preceded defeats against California and Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl.
The Falcons won the 2000 Silicon Valley Bowl.
For Air Force, an underdog of 4 1/2 or 5 points, to give Houston (10-3) a challenge, it must control the time of possession, limit turnovers and rediscover the late-season magic in its triple-option attack — all in the name of keeping the Cougars' offense, anchored by 5,000-yard passer Case Keenum and 1,000-yard receiver James Cleveland, on the sidelines.
"Twenty years from now, even though integrity is the backbone of what they're all about, they're going to tell stories about how good they were in a bowl game," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said Wednesday about his players before an Armed Forces Bowl luncheon in Fort Worth, Texas. "Those stories might get a chance to be stretched if we win."
The last time Air Force nose guard Ben Garland's team won the last game of a season, he was in the eighth grade. Thursday is his final chance. Ditto for Air Force's other 14 seniors.
"It really would be special," Garland said. "Going out on a win is the only way to go out. The rest of your life to haunt you with a loss? No way."
Lusk added, "The last two years, we've lost, and it kind of leaves you in a funk, and you don't get out of it until you put on pads again in the spring. ... A win would be huge."
27