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NCAA Football Recap (Air Force-Washington)
Posted: Sat December 26, 1998 at 3:06 a.m EST HONOLULU (Ticker) -- Air Force earned its first postseason victory in seven years and put a definitive capper on a disappointing season for Brock Huard and Washington with a 45-25 victory in the inaugural Oahu Bowl. Jemal Singleton ran for two touchdowns in the first half and Blane Morgan threw for a pair in the second for Air Force (12-1), which had lost three straight bowl games since defeating Mississippi State in the 1991 Liberty Bowl. This triumph was the ninth in a row for the Falcons, whose offensive outburst ended the first Christmas doubleheader in college football bowl history. Earlier in the day, Colorado held on for a 51-43 victory in the Aloha Bowl in the same stadium. In Hawaii for a bowl game for the first time, Air Force turned to the passing game after riding its powerful rushing attack all season. Morgan completed 12-of-16 passes for a career-high 267 yards and the Falcons amassed more yards through the air than on the ground for the first time since a 1989 loss to Notre Dame. Their rushing offense -- ranked third in the nation entering this game -- still rolled up 232 yards. "Going into the game during practice this week, we were throwing the ball well, probably as well as we've thrown it all year long," Morgan explained. "We knew we were going to have to throw the ball more frequently because of the defense they played." Scott McKay had a 15-yard TD scamper and caught a scoring strike from Morgan, who also contributed 50 rushing yards to help Air Force notch the second 12-win season in school history and sixth in Western Athletic Conference history. "The goal was to gain respect and the only way you're going to gain respect is to win the football game," said Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry. "I think the way our players prepared, the way they practiced, this game wasn't just won tonight, this game was won before we got to the stadium because they were not going to be denied tonight." This likely was the final collegiate game for Huard, the Huskies' all-time leading passer who announced after the regular-season finale that he will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft. The 6-5, 225-pound Huard was unable to withstand the Falcons' pass rush and finished 23-of-32 for 267 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. "Well, you're probably looking for something sentimental and nice to put on film, and I'm really not thinking that way now," Huard said. "After a game like this, you're just really disappointed. ... When you look at guys in the eyes and know it's the very last time you'll do it, it doesn't hit you until it's over." Washington (6-6) had lost three straight games before posting a 16-9 triumph over Washington State in the regular-season finale to become eligible for a bowl bid. But this ugly effort saddled the Huskies, who were nationally ranked early in the season, with their first non-winning campaign since going 5-6 in 1976. Air Force had five sacks and never trailed, taking a 22-13 halftime lead before scoring the only 16 points of the third quarter to virtually put the game out of reach. The Falcons turned the momentum in their favor on the game's opening drive when Washington drove across midfield. Joe Jarzynka tried a 44-yard field goal but defensive tackle Shawn Thomas blocked the attempt to keep the game scoreless. That effort led to an 11-yard touchdown run by Singleton, who broke a tackle before racing around the left end and into the end zone. Following a punt by the Huskies, Morgan engineered an 11-play, 83-yard drive that produced a two-yard TD run by Singleton for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. "It was kind of one of those days when you took a shot and your shot fell empty and their shots were well loaded," said Huskies coach Jim Lambright. Washington cut the deficit in half less than two minutes later. Huard completed a 44-yard bomb to Andre Desaussure to the 3 before Braxton Cleman went untouched into the end zone. Air Force answered with 2:21 to go before halftime as McKay took a reverse 15 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. Morgan ran it into the end zone for the conversion, building the lead to 22-7. It took just over a minute for the Huskies to march back downfield. Huard hit Desaussure for a 15-yard gain to the 1 and Cleman plunged into the end zone. But Huard's pass on the conversion attempt fell incomplete and the Falcons' lead remained 22-13 at halftime. Air Force clearly dominated the first half, collecting 17 first downs to Washington's seven and owning a 149-53 edge in rushing yardage. It was more of the same after intermission. The Huskies botched a fake punt in their own territory early in the third and that led to Jackson Whiting's 42-yard field goal. Huard was picked off by cornerback Tim Curry on Washington's next possession and the Falcons took advantage, building a 32-13 lead on a four-yard TD run by Spanky Gilliam. The Falcons defense again came through on the ensuing possession. Huard marched the Huskies to the 22, but Curry stuffed Cleman on 4th-and-2. On the next play, Morgan fired a 79-yard bomb down the right sideline for Matt Farmer that made it 38-13 with seven seconds left in the third. "You can't credit the quarterbacking and the play calling enough for the way that they found success, and they found it in so many ways," Lambright added. Washington got on the board in the second half with 12:16 to play as quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo scrambled seven yards for a score. But the Falcons put away the game with a 12-play, 78-yard drive that chewed over 6 1/2 minutes off the clock midway through the fourth quarter. Morgan capped that march with a 30-yard TD toss to McKay. "We had some success early with the option and then they started blitzing a few guys, and we had to put the ball in the air," Morgan added. "We ran different plays out of different formations and I think it kept them off balance a little bit." Farmer had four catches for 109 yards and McKay caught four passes for 77. Tuiasosopo added an 11-yard touchdown pass to Milo Austin in the waning seconds as Washington closed out its fourth loss in its last five bowl games. Dane Looker had eight receptions for 100 yards for the Huskies, who fell to 14-11-1 all-time in bowl games.© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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