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1970 Air Force Falcons football team

Summary

The 1970 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy as an independent during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. Led by thirteenth-year head coach Ben Martin, the Falcons compiled a record of 9–3, outscored their opponents 366–239, and finished No. 16 in the AP Poll. They won their first eight games and were ranked seventh in the AP Poll for three weeks.[1] Air Force played their home games at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1970 Air Force Falcons football
Sugar Bowl, L 13–34 vs. Tennessee
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 16
Record9–3
Head coach
CaptainCyd Maattala, Virgil Staponski
Home stadiumFalcon Stadium
Seasons
← 1969
1971 →
1970 NCAA University Division independents football records
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Notre Dame   –   10 – 1 – 0
Villanova   –   9 – 2 – 0
No. 16 Air Force   –   9 – 3 – 0
No. 13 Georgia Tech   –   9 – 3 – 0
Boston College   –   8 – 2 – 0
No. 19 Houston   –   8 – 3 – 0
West Virginia   –   8 – 3 – 0
No. 17 Tulane   –   8 – 4 – 0
No. 18 Penn State   –   7 – 3 – 0
West Texas State   –   7 – 3 – 0
Cincinnati   –   7 – 4 – 0
Florida State   –   7 – 4 – 0
Virginia Tech   –   5 – 6 – 0
Syracuse   –   6 – 4 – 0
Dayton   –   5 – 4 – 1
Pittsburgh   –   5 – 5 – 0
Rutgers   –   5 – 5 – 0
Utah State   –   5 – 5 – 0
Colgate   –   5 – 6 – 0
Southern Miss   –   5 – 6 – 0
New Mexico State   –   4 – 6 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   3 – 8 – 0
Northern Illinois   –   3 – 7 – 0
Marshall   –   3 – 6 – 0
Buffalo   –   2 – 9 – 0
Navy   –   2 – 9 – 0
Army   –   1 – 9 – 1
Xavier   –   1 – 9 – 0
Holy Cross   –   0 – 10 – 1
Rankings from AP Poll

This was the last season that Army was off of the Falcons' schedule; the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy was introduced two years later which matched the three academies annually. Previously, Air Force played Army in odd years and Navy in even years.

Behind the passing of quarterback Bob Parker, the Falcons' notable wins were over No. 9 Missouri,[2] and No. 6 Stanford, led by Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett.[3] Stanford went on to upset No. 2 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

For the first time in seven seasons, the Falcons appeared in a bowl game, but lost by 21 points to No. 4 Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year's Day.[4] The favored Volunteers jumped out to a 24–0 lead in the first quarter and the Falcons could not make up the difference.[4] Through the 2021 season, this is the Falcons' most recent appearance in a major bowl game.

Schedule edit

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 12Idaho
W 45–725,000[5]
September 19at Wyoming
W 41–1724,541[6]
September 26at No. 9 MissouriNo. 20
W 37–1443,118[2][7]
October 3Colorado StateNo. 10
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO (rivalry)
W 37–2229,030[8]
October 10TulaneNo. 8
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 24–331,508[9]
October 17vs. NavyNo. 7
W 26–346,414[10]
October 24Boston CollegeNo. 7
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 35–1038,032[11]
October 31at ArizonaNo. 7
W 23–2036,000[1]
November 7at OregonNo. 9
L 35–4624,700[12][13][14]
November 14No. 6 StanfordNo. 13
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 31–1441,638[3]
November 21ColoradoNo. 10
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
L 19–4945,447[15]
January 1, 1971vs. No. 4 TennesseeNo. 11
ABCL 13–3478,655[4][16]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[17]

Personnel edit

1970 Air Force Falcons football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB Brian Bream Jr
WR 22 Ernie Jennings Sr
C 58 Orderia Mitchell So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DL 70 Eugene Ogilvie So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt
Source:[18]

Postseason edit

NFL draft edit

The following Falcon was selected in the National Football League draft following the season.[19]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
10 257 Ernie Jennings Wide receiver San Francisco 49ers

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Air Force, 23-20". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 1, 1970. p. 7B.
  2. ^ a b "Air Force bombs Missouri". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 27, 1970. p. 6B.
  3. ^ a b "Air Force upsets Stanford, 31-14". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 15, 1970. p. 5B.
  4. ^ a b c "Tennessee rips AFA". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1971. p. 2B.
  5. ^ Payne, Bob (September 13, 1970). "Air Force blitzes Vandals". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 1, sports.
  6. ^ "Passes lead Falcons past Wyoming '11'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 20, 1970. p. 7B.
  7. ^ "Country's major collegiate football yardsticks". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 27, 1970. p. 6, sports.
  8. ^ "Air Force blitzes CSU, retains undefeated record". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 4, 1970. p. 7B.
  9. ^ "Greenie fumbles help Air Force win". Sun Herald. October 11, 1970. Retrieved October 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Unbeaten Air Force Academy overcomes Midshipmen, 26-3". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 18, 1970. p. 2B.
  11. ^ "Air Force survives slow start to overcome BC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 25, 1970. p. 6B.
  12. ^ Cawood, Neil (November 8, 1970). "Ducks shoot down Air Force, 46-35". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
  13. ^ "Ducks stun Air Force". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 8, 1970. p. 3, sports.
  14. ^ "Oregon beats Air Force, spoils perfect record". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. November 9, 1970. p. 8.
  15. ^ "Colorado shocks Falcons, 49-19". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 22, 1970. p. 7B.
  16. ^ "Tennessee demolished Air Force defense". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. January 2, 1971. Retrieved May 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "1970 Air Force Falcons Schedule and Results". Sports-Reference. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  18. ^ "Sugar Bowl rosters". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. January 1, 1971. p. 34.
  19. ^ "1970 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2023.