Minnesota vs Air Force

[JYST2]

Does anyone know why the return game at Air Force was cancelled? Did Minnesota buy it out? If not, will Air Force share in the revenue of the game this year?

Also, I noticed that 58 of the 62 posters to your prediction contest (I'm an AF fan) are picking Minnesota over AF. I assume this is natural for what most "independent" fans / experts anticipate will be a close game; however, I would like to point out that AF has a long history of doing well against OOC opponents in the regular season who they don't play regularly (i.e. excluding Army, Navy and ND). Since 1987, AF is 13-0 against FCS teams and 12-6 against FBS teams (including a 52-3 win against Northwestern in 2002). My theory is that OOC teams have difficulty adjusting to the AF variations on the option and their blocking techniques. Looking forward to a good game.

 

[gopherguy05]

Does anyone know why the return game at Air Force was cancelled? Did Minnesota buy it out? If not, will Air Force share in the revenue of the game this year?

Also, I noticed that 58 of the 62 posters to your prediction contest (I'm an AF fan) are picking Minnesota over AF. I assume this is natural for what most "independent" fans / experts anticipate will be a close game; however, I would like to point out that AF has a long history of doing well against OOC opponents in the regular season who they don't play regularly (i.e. excluding Army, Navy and ND). Since 1987, AF is 13-0 against FCS teams and 12-6 against FBS teams (including a 52-3 win against Northwestern in 2002). My theory is that OOC teams have difficulty adjusting to the AF variations on the option and their blocking techniques. Looking forward to a good game.

Air Force backed out of the return commitment because they wanted to "make their schedule easier and only schedule one BCS team a season. They dropped the game with us to schedule a Former I-AA school...whatever they are calling them these days..FCS schools I think...

 

[JYST2]

I can understand why AF wants to schedule a FCS team (helps becoming bowl eligible, allows inexperienced players to ease into the season, helps schedule a game on Parent's Day etc.). I also understand why AF would want to be careful about scheduling too many BCS powerhouses, yet to cancel a return engagement against a "mid-level" BCS team seems odd. It is also hard to believe that AF did this without some remuneration. Do you know any details about this? Unfortuantely, you Minnesota fans will miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a great "game day" experience at the Academy.

 

[Son of a Badger]

As a Minnesota alum living in Colorado Springs and being able to drive past their stadium ever day, I am extremely disappointed about them not coming here

 

[WriterGoph]

I can understand why AF wants to schedule a FCS team (helps becoming bowl eligible, allows inexperienced players to ease into the season, helps schedule a game on Parent's Day etc.). I also understand why AF would want to be careful about scheduling too many BCS powerhouses, yet to cancel a return engagement against a "mid-level" BCS team seems odd. It is also hard to believe that AF did this without some remuneration. Do you know any details about this? Unfortuantely, you Minnesota fans will miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a great "game day" experience at the Academy.

I'm sure they knew the level that Minnesota would be at by the time that return game came around in 2012 (99% sure this was the year it was on the sked) and wanted no part of that action.

 

[nsmike]

I can understand why AF wants to schedule a FCS team (helps becoming bowl eligible, allows inexperienced players to ease into the season, helps schedule a game on Parent's Day etc.). I also understand why AF would want to be careful about scheduling too many BCS powerhouses, yet to cancel a return engagement against a "mid-level" BCS team seems odd. It is also hard to believe that AF did this without some remuneration. Do you know any details about this? Unfortuantely, you Minnesota fans will miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a great "game day" experience at the Academy.

None of the Service Acadamies have to worry about making a profit on their athletic departments it's all payed for by the taxpayers.

 

[rbpr09]

None of the Service Acadamies have to worry about making a profit on their athletic departments it's all payed for by the taxpayers.

A common misconception. Why don't you make sure you know what you're talking about before you throw out assumptions?

"Despite this common assumption that the AFA receives most of its funding from the federal government, the AFA Athletic Association has an annual payroll of over $5 million and total operating expenses of $13 million that must be supplemented by athletic-generated revenue (nongovernmental/nontaxpayer dollars). Donations in any form not just from the Blue and Silver Club help support 27 men's and women's varsity teams by providing for a full range of necessities to operate a quality, nationally competitive program including salaried coaches, recruitment of top athletes from across the nation, travel costs and athletic facilities expansions."

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

Air Force scheduling

Here's a link to an article on Calhoun's concerns and the schedule changes needed to accomodate those concerns:


http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_9797098

 

[AAFalcon]

My theory is that OOC teams have difficulty adjusting to the AF variations on the option and their blocking techniques. Looking forward to a good game.

[/QUOTE]

I have been watching Air Force football since 1967 and have a different view of the reason for our success. During that period, they have beaten Heisman Trophy candidates, Rose Bowl champions, and just about any category of team you can name. They did it years ago with a pro style offense. Today, although we run an option based offense, we don't and can't beat the caliber of teams that we play with trickery. We play most of our opponents every year--MWC teams and Navy and Army. They all know us and our schemes very well. Yet two seasons ago we beat TCU and Utah, and we have beaten all of the others that see us annually.

Air Force wins because they find high school players that have potential, and then the coaches develop that potential to make a marginal prospect into a good player and a good prospect into a great player. These players, who have been developed to their maximum potential, play unselfishly as a team, make few mistakes, and work on flawless execution of the game plan. I remember an interview with one of our assistant coaches a few years ago. This coach had come to the Academy from Marshall. He said that the first day he walked into the locker room, he noticed that Air Force didn't have a single player that looked like some of the good ones that they had at Marshall. "We're going to get killed," he thought. However, he said that when that first game rolled around, he was overwhelmed at what those guys could do on the field. Despite what they looked like, he said, they could play football.

While the Minnesota fans might look at the Air Force team during warmups and wonder how the Falcons will ever be able to compete with the Gophers, those thoughts will subside after kickoff. They may not look like the other teams you face, but Air Force has some players.

By the way, Cal was mentioned in another thread. In 2002, Air Force went to Berkeley and beat an undefeated, ranked Cal team in its home stadium. The Gophers can do it, too, but Cal has talent and an outstanding coach in Jeff Tedford.

I can't wait to visit Minneapolis and see your great, new stadium! Good luck against Syracuse!

 

[thailleagle]

While the Minnesota fans might look at the Air Force team during warmups and wonder how the Falcons will ever be able to compete with the Gophers, those thoughts will subside after kickoff. They may not look like the other teams you face, but Air Force has some players.

Trust me...*NOBODY* with even 1/10th understanding of football thinks we're just gonna beat Air Force hands down, we could easily start the season 1-2 or 0-3 worse case scenario.......

 

[JYST2]

Re AF schedule

Here's a link to an article on Calhoun's concerns and the schedule changes needed to accomodate those concerns:


http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_9797098

In the article it indicates that for its two discretionary OOC games, AF wants to play an FCS opponent at home on Parents Weekend followed by an FBS team. Assuming AF has to pay the FCS team, does this also mean that the FBS team (e.g. Minnesota) has to pay AF for its home game (i.e. because there is no return game at AF)? In other words, do you know if Minnesota is having to AF to cancel the game at AF?

Thanks

 

[JYST2]

AF Success in OOC Games

My theory is that OOC teams have difficulty adjusting to the AF variations on the option and their blocking techniques. Looking forward to a good game.

I have been watching Air Force football since 1967 and have a different view of the reason for our success. During that period, they have beaten Heisman Trophy candidates, Rose Bowl champions, and just about any category of team you can name. They did it years ago with a pro style offense. Today, although we run an option based offense, we don't and can't beat the caliber of teams that we play with trickery. We play most of our opponents every year--MWC teams and Navy and Army. They all know us and our schemes very well. Yet two seasons ago we beat TCU and Utah, and we have beaten all of the others that see us annually.

Air Force wins because they find high school players that have potential, and then the coaches develop that potential to make a marginal prospect into a good player and a good prospect into a great player. These players, who have been developed to their maximum potential, play unselfishly as a team, make few mistakes, and work on flawless execution of the game plan. I remember an interview with one of our assistant coaches a few years ago. This coach had come to the Academy from Marshall. He said that the first day he walked into the locker room, he noticed that Air Force didn't have a single player that looked like some of the good ones that they had at Marshall. "We're going to get killed," he thought. However, he said that when that first game rolled around, he was overwhelmed at what those guys could do on the field. Despite what they looked like, he said, they could play football.

While the Minnesota fans might look at the Air Force team during warmups and wonder how the Falcons will ever be able to compete with the Gophers, those thoughts will subside after kickoff. They may not look like the other teams you face, but Air Force has some players.

By the way, Cal was mentioned in another thread. In 2002, Air Force went to Berkeley and beat an undefeated, ranked Cal team in its home stadium. The Gophers can do it, too, but Cal has talent and an outstanding coach in Jeff Tedford.

I can't wait to visit Minneapolis and see your great, new stadium! Good luck against Syracuse![/QUOTE]

Likewise, I have been following AF football for many years and did not mean to imply that its success over the years has been due to trickery. That wouldn't make sense. However, AF's style of play is different from the style employed by most teams and so this "difference" factor comes into play more against OOC teams that AF does not play regularly than against Army / Navy and conference opponents. In addition to the Northwestern game to which you alluded (52-3 in 2002), I also remember watching the 1998 42-0 win against Wake Forest on TV. And I had the fun of watching OOC wins against Cal and Washington in person and it is tuly enjoyable to sit in the home team's stadium and hear all the complaints about how the BCS teams should be able to handle the "little" Falcons. If AF beats the Gophers, let me know if you hear similar comments. I can still remember leaving the AF @ ND game two years ago and having one of the ND fans ask me, "Is Chad Hall really only 5' 8"?

Enjoy the game.

 

[josh087]

Preaching to the Choir

You will find most fans on this site have respect for Air Force and are in no way thinking that it will be an easy game. We know about your success and history of "upsets," if you want to call them that.

I expect a very close game and we are lucky that the game is at TCF Bank Stadium - otherwise I might even predict a Gopher loss.

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

In the article it indicates that for its two discretionary OOC games, AF wants to play an FCS opponent at home on Parents Weekend followed by an FBS team. Assuming AF has to pay the FCS team, does this also mean that the FBS team (e.g. Minnesota) has to pay AF for its home game (i.e. because there is no return game at AF)? In other words, do you know if Minnesota is having to AF to cancel the game at AF?

Thanks

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your question. Since the original contract called for a return game, there may not have been a provision for a pay out or it may have been minimal, e.g. geared to cover travel expenses. Given the frequency with which games get scheduled and then un-scheduled, you would think that the contracts have something in them to deal with these possibilities.