Air Force takes down Navy, 30-21, in critical battle for Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

  • Published
  • By John Van Winkle
  • Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Air Force's sound defeat of Navy 30-21 at Falcon Stadium Oct. 4 puts the Falcons one win away from earning the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

The coveted trophy is awarded to the service academy football team that bests its military rivals.

Air Force and Navy battled to a 14-tie in a rough first half. On offense, the Falcons went to the air to keep the sticks moving: Quarterback Kale Pearson tossed the ball back to wide receiver Jalen Robinette, who loosed a long pass down the left edge to fellow wide receiver Garrett Brown, who sprinted into the end zone.

The 118 passing yards the Falcons racked up in the first half were essential, as the Midshipmen limited the Falcon rushing juggernaut to just 30 yards by halftime, but halftime adjustments gave Air Force the winning edge.

Shelving their successful aerial attack to reignite their rushing game, the Falcons ran the ball 41 times for 168 yards, all the while grinding down the clock.

"Our coaches did a phenomenal job - an incredible job at half time," said Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun. "We were fortunate that we have guys who can handle adjustments ... (they are) as responsive of a group as I've ever been around."

The Falcons return to the rushing game yielded 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, giving Air Force a 24-14 lead into the game's final minutes.

"Second half, defensively, we were superb," Calhoun said. "(Navy) did have one big play - which was a big play - but I think we played really, really well in the third and fourth quarter."

A 10-point lead would be enough to make most teams relax, but Falcon fans know nine of the last 11 Air Force-Navy games were decided by eight points or less.
Navy stayed in the fight, putting together a scoring drive in the final four minutes, taking the game to 24-21. But, that drive cost them precious time, leaving the Midshipmen with 2:17 on the clock.

Navy went for the onside kick, but Robinette went airborne to pull down the ball at the 45-yard line and return it to the Navy 32-yard line.

The Falcons offensive brain trust called for four straight runs, gaining a first down and forcing Navy to burn through its remaining timeouts. Navy fought for every inch, forcing Air Force into a fourth-and-2 situation at the Navy 13 with 38 seconds left in the game.

Air Force opted to go for the first down versus a chip-shot field goal. Navy expected another run up the gut, but Pearson stepped back into the pocket as three receivers headed to the end zone. Pearson found middle receiver Brown uncovered and hit him for an easy touchdown, sending Falcon fans into frenzy as Air Force pulled ahead, 30-21. Navy stuffed the two-point conversion but was still down by nine. 

Navy made one last attempt with 35 seconds left on the clock, but it was a case of too little time with too many points to overcome.

"This was a good quality victory," Calhoun said. "The second half, we played really, really good football. I mean really, really good football. In a large big scope picture, this was a slam dunk. When you think about who you have fighting for your country, we saw good things from both squads."

The win raises Air Force to 4-1, tying the Falcons with Colorado State University for best overall record in the Mountain West Conference. Navy drops to 2-4.

The Falcons take on Mountain West rival, the Utah State Aggies (3-2), Oct. 11, in Logan, Utah. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPNU, KVOR 740AM in Colorado Springs, The Fan 104.3 in Denver and online at www.goairforcefalcons.com. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. (MT).