1970 Air Force Falcons football team

American college football season

1970 Air Force Falcons football

Sugar Bowl, L 13–34 vs. Tennessee

Conference| Independent
Ranking
Coaches| No. 11
AP| No. 16
Record| 9–3
Head coach|

* Ben Martin (13th season)

Captain| Cyd Maattala, Virgil Staponski
Home stadium| Falcon Stadium

Seasons

<- 1969

1971 ->

1970 NCAA University Division independents football records

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| Conf |  |  | Overall

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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

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.

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]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 12| Idaho| |

* Falcon Stadium
* Colorado Springs, CO

| | W 45–7| 25,000| [5]
September 19| at Wyoming| |

* War Memorial Stadium
* Laramie, WY

| | W 41–17| 24,541| [6]
September 26| at No. 9 Missouri| No. 20|

* Busch Memorial Stadium
* St. Louis, MO

| | W 37–14| 43,118| [2][7]
October 3| Colorado State| No. 10|

* Falcon Stadium
* Colorado Springs, CO (rivalry)

| | W 37–22| 29,030| [8]
October 10| Tulane| No. 8|

* Falcon Stadium
* Colorado Springs, CO

| | W 24–3| 31,508| [9]
October 17| vs. Navy| No. 7|

* RFK Stadium
* Washington, DC (rivalry)

| | W 26–3| 46,414| [10]
October 24| Boston College| No. 7|

* Falcon Stadium
* Colorado Springs, CO

| | W 35–10| 38,032| [11]
October 31| at Arizona| No. 7|

* Arizona Stadium
* Tucson, AZ

| | W 23–20| 36,000| [1]
November 7| at Oregon| No. 9|

* Autzen Stadium
* Eugene, OR

| | L 35–46| 24,700| [12][13][14]
November 14| No. 6 Stanford| No. 13|

* Falcon Stadium
* Colorado Springs, CO

| | W 31–14| 41,638| [3]
November 21| Colorado| No. 10|

* Falcon Stadium
* Colorado Springs, CO

| | L 19–49| 45,447| [15]
January 1, 1971| vs. No. 4 Tennessee| No. 11|

* Tulane Stadium
* New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)

| ABC| L 13–34| 78,655| [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

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RB | `` | Brian Bream | Jr
WR | `22` | Ernie Jennings | Sr
C | `58` | Orderia Mitchell | So
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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DL | `70` | Eugene Ogilvie | So
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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Head coach

* Ben Martin (13th year)

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

Source:[18]

## Postseason

[edit]

### NFL draft

[edit]

Main article: 1970 NFL draft

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

Round  | Pick  | Player  | Position  | NFL Team

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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.

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Air Force Falcons football

Venues|

* DU Stadium (1955–1961)
* Falcon Stadium (1962–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Army (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)
* Colorado State (Ram–Falcon Trophy)
* Hawaii (Kuter Trophy)
* Navy (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)

Culture & lore|

* History
* The Bird
* "Falcon Fight Song"
* "The U.S. Air Force"
* United States Air Force Academy Band

People|

* Head coaches
* Statistical leaders
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
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*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number