Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson hands the ball off to running back Jared Tew during the first half of Armed Forces Bowl against Houston in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tom Pennington)
It’s been a charmed first half for Air Force. The Falcons managed to dodge disaster at the end of the half, scrambling their field goal team onto the field as the final seconds ticked away and converting a 27-yard field goal as time expired. The previous play, quarterback Tim Jefferson had slipped and fallen in the Air Force backfield without getting hit, and because the Falcons had used up all their timeouts, they were helpless to stop the clock.
Air Force has dominated pretty much every phase of the game so far. Defensively, the Falcons kept Houston’s potent pass offense in check by forcing three turnovers and one punt, and buckling down whenever Houston drove into the red zone. Two field goals was all the Cougars could come away with.
Meanwhile, the Air Force offense has capitalized on the ball-hawking defense’s gifts. Quarterback Tim Jefferson is 8 of 9 for 120 yards, as the Falcons have used a balanced attack to keep the Cougars on their heels. Air Force has rolled up 193 yards rushing, including 93 yards and two touchdowns from sophomore running back Asher Clark. The Falcon have dominated time of possession by holding the ball for 19:30, keeping Houston’s offense from getting into any sort of rhythm.
The only real miscues for the Falcons have been one fumble and a missed field goal. Despite the 18-point lead, I’m sure Air Force is well aware that if anybody can put a bunch of points on the board in a short period of time, it’s Houston.
Someone already posted Air Force’s final second field goal:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJbPjX9B-IQ[/youtube]
