1987 Air Force Falcons football team

American college football season

1987 Air Force Falcons football
Freedom Bowl, L 28–33 vs. Arizona State
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record9–4 (6–2 WAC)
Head coach
  • Fisher DeBerry (4th season)
Offensive schemeWishbone triple option
Home stadiumFalcon Stadium
Seasons
← 1986
1988 →
1987 Western Athletic Conference football standings
  • v
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 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Wyoming $ 8 – 0 – 0 10 – 3 – 0
BYU 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 4 – 0
Air Force 6 – 2 – 0 9 – 4 – 0
UTEP 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
San Diego State 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 7 – 0
Hawaii 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 7 – 0
Utah 2 – 6 – 0 5 – 7 – 0
Colorado State 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 11 – 0
New Mexico 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 11 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1987 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Falcons offense scored 405 points while the defense allowed 269 points. At season's end, the Falcons appeared in the 1987 Freedom Bowl. In the Ram–Falcon Trophy match, the Falcons beat the Colorado State Rams to win the trophy. Air Force also won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, emblematic of beating both Army and Navy.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 5at Wyoming
L 13–2728,071
September 12TCU*W 21–1041,000
September 19San Diego State
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 49–735,035
September 26at Colorado StateW 27–1923,137
October 3Utah
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 48–2735,108
October 10at Navy*W 23–1335,622
October 17No. 11 Notre Dame*
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO (rivalry)
L 14–3551,112
October 24UTEP
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 35–736,922
October 31at BYU
ESPNL 13–2465,384
November 7Army*
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 27–1049,183
November 14at New Mexico
W 73–2615,309
November 21at HawaiiESPNW 34–3143,340
December 30vs. Arizona State*L 28–3333,261
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

1987 Air Force Falcons football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB Troy Calhoun Jr
QB Dee Dowis So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DT 87 Chad Hennings Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Season summary

At BYU

Air Force Falcons (6–2) at BYU Cougars (4–3)
Period 1 2 34Total
Air Force 10 0 3013
BYU 0 14 10024

at Cougar Stadium, Provo, Utah

  • Date: October 31, 1987
  • Game attendance: 65,384
  • Box Score
Game information

First quarter

  • AFA – Steve Yarborough 32-yard field goal. Air Force 3–0.
  • AFA – Anthony Roberson 3-yard run (Steve Yarborough kick). Air Force 10–0.

Second quarter

  • BYU – Mike O'Brien 3-yard run (Leonard Chitty kick). Air Force 10–7.
  • BYU – Fred Whittingham 5-yard pass from Sean Covey (Leonard Chitty kick). BYU 14–10.

Third quarter

  • BYU – Leonard Chitty 26-yard field goal. BYU 17–10.
  • BYU – Mike O'Brien 2-yard run (Leonard Chitty kick). BYU 24–10.
  • AFA – Steve Yarborough 32-yard field goal. BYU 24–13.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring
Top passers
Top rushers
  • AFA – Quinton Roberts – 15 rushes, 85 yards
  • BYU – Mike O'Brien – 16 rushes, 73 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
  • AFA – Tyler Barth – 1 reception, 13 yards
  • BYU – Rich Zayas – 3 receptions, 118 yards

Army

Army Cadets (3–5) at Air Force Falcons (6–3)
Period 1 2 34Total
Army 0 3 7010
Air Force 7 7 7627

at Falcon Stadium, Colorado Springs, Colorado

  • Date: November 7, 1987
  • Game attendance: 49,183
  • [1]

Air Force wins Commander-in-Chief Trophy

Team Category Player Statistics
Army Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Air Force Passing
Rushing Dee Dowis 129 Yds, TD
Receiving
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP ARMY AFA
1 10 86 Air Force Anthony Roberson 1-yard touchdown run, kick good 0 7
2 7:02 Army 32-yard field goal by Bit Rambusch 3 7
2 0:30 16 83 Air Force Dee Dowis 3-yard touchdown run, kick good 3 14
3 7:25 Army Mike Mayweather 46-yard touchdown reception from Tory Crawford, kick good 10 14
3 3:59 Air Force Albert Booker 1-yard touchdown run, kick good 10 21
4 Air Force Interception return 24 yards for touchdown by Kevin Hughes 10 27
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 27

Postseason

NFL draft

The following Falcon was selected in the National Football League draft following the season.[2]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
11 290 Chad Hennings Defensive tackle Dallas Cowboys

Awards and honors

  • Rip Burgwald, Bullard Award
  • Chad Hennings, Outland Trophy[3]

References

  1. ^ Bote, Terry (November 7, 1987). "Air Force 27, Army 10". UPI Archives. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  2. ^ "1988 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  3. ^ "Do You Know Which Team Has the Most College Football Championships?". Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2009.


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