Final
Cal hopes to salvage winning season vs. Air Force
Dec 31, 2007 - 12:10 PM California (6-6) vs. Air Force (9-3) 12:30 pm EST Armed Forces Bowl December 31FORT WORTH, Texas (Ticker) -- After a staggering second-half collapse, all California has left is trying to salvage a winning season.
The Golden Bears will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they face Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl on New Year's Eve.
After posting a 31-24 victory at then-No. 11 Oregon on September 29, California climbed to No. 2 and seemed poised to make a run at the national championship.
Those hopes ended the following week in a 31-28 loss to Oregon State. The Golden Bears had a chance to force overtime but time ran out before they could get the field goal unit on the field to attempt what would have been a 30-yard kick.
California never recovered from that defeat, dropping six of its last seven games to turn a 5-0 start into a 6-6 finish. The only win during that stretch was a 20-17 victory against Washington State.
One of eight teams from the Pac-10 to receive bowl bids, California's regular season ended with a 20-13 loss to arch-rival Stanford. That loss snapped the Golden Bears' five-game winning streak against the Cardinal.
Despite the second-half struggles, running back Justin Forsett finished second in the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,406 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, quarterback Nate Longshore struggled down the stretch, throwing 11 interceptions in Cal's last six games.
Unlike Cal, Air Force comes into the game riding high, having won three straight and six of its last seven games. The Falcons scored 96 points in their last two contests, beating Notre Dame and San Diego State.
In a 55-23 victory over San Diego State, Air Force gained a season-high 569 yards as Jim Ollis, Ty Paffett and Chad Hall each rushed for more than 100 yards.
The Falcons posted the best turnaround in the country this season under first-year coach Troy Calhoun, who was nominated as one of eight finalists for Coach of the Year honors in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Air Force improved by five games after posting a 4-8 record in 2006.
The Golden Bears and Falcons are meeting for the eighth time. Cal leads the series 5-2, including a 56-14 victory in the last meeting in 2004.
- ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CALIFORNIA 0 14 14 14 42
AIR FORCE 7 14 6 9 36 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, SHAUN CARNEY 1 YD RUN (RYAN
HARRISON KICK), 6:33. AIR
FORCE 7-0
2ND QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM
SHAUN CARNEY (RY
Dec 31 4:03 PM
TD AIR FORCE CHAD HALL 4 YD RUN (TWO-POINT RUN CONVERSION FAILED)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:53 PM- ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD AIR FORCE
CHAD HALL 4 YD RUN
(TWO-POINT RUN CONVERSION FAILED)
CALIFORNIA 42
AIR FORCE 36 2:23 LEFT, 4TH QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:53 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD CALIFORNIA
KEVIN RILEY 1 YD RUN
(JORDAN KAY KICK)
CALIFORNIA 42
AIR FORCE 30 6:13 LEFT, 4TH QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:36 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
FG AIR FORCE
RYAN HARRISON 47 YD
CALIFORNIA 35
AIR FORCE 30 7:25 LEFT, 4TH QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:29 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD CALIFORNIA
JUSTIN FORSETT 21 YD RUN
(JORDAN KAY KICK)
CALIFORNIA 35
AIR FORCE 27 10:59 LEFT, 4TH QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:18 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CALIFORNIA 0 14 14 28
AIR FORCE 7 14 6 27 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, SHAUN CARNEY 1 YD RUN (RYAN
HARRISON KICK), 6:33. AIR
FORCE 7-0
2ND QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM
SHAUN C
Dec 31 3:08 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD CALIFORNIA
JUSTIN FORSETT 1 YD RUN
(JORDAN KAY KICK)
CALIFORNIA 28
AIR FORCE 27 1:33 LEFT, 3RD QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:05 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
FG AIR FORCE
RYAN HARRISON 19 YD
CALIFORNIA 21
AIR FORCE 27 2:50 LEFT, 3RD QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 3:00 PM
TD CALIFORNIA ROBERT JORDAN 18 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 2:42 PM
TD CALIFORNIA ROBERT JORDAN 18 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 2:42 PM
TD CALIFORNIA ROBERT JORDAN 18 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 2:42 PM- ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD CALIFORNIA
ROBERT JORDAN 18 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY
(JORDAN KAY KICK)
CALIFORNIA 21
AIR FORCE 24 7:49 LEFT, 3RD QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 2:42 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
FG AIR FORCE
RYAN HARRISON 30 YD
CALIFORNIA 14
AIR FORCE 24 10:29 LEFT, 3RD QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 2:32 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CALIFORNIA 0 14 14
AIR FORCE 7 14 21 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, SHAUN CARNEY 1 YD RUN (RYAN
HARRISON KICK), 6:33. AIR
FORCE 7-0
2ND QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM
SHAUN CARNE
Dec 31 1:57 PM
TD CALIFORNIA LAVELLE HAWKINS 5 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:42 PM
TD CALIFORNIA LAVELLE HAWKINS 5 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:42 PM
TD CALIFORNIA LAVELLE HAWKINS 5 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:42 PM- ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD CALIFORNIA
LAVELLE HAWKINS 5 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY
(JORDAN KAY KICK)
CALIFORNIA 14
AIR FORCE 21 4:09 LEFT, 2ND QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:42 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF CALIFORNIA 7
AIR FORCE 28 6:51 LEFT, 2ND QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:36 PM
TD CALIFORNIA DESEAN JACKSON 40 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:27 PM
TD CALIFORNIA DESEAN JACKSON 40 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:27 PM
TD CALIFORNIA DESEAN JACKSON 40 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY (JORDAN KAY KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:27 PM- ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD CALIFORNIA
DESEAN JACKSON 40 YD PASS FROM KEVIN RILEY
(JORDAN KAY KICK)
CALIFORNIA 7
AIR FORCE 21 10:31 LEFT, 2ND QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:27 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD AIR FORCE
JIM OLLIS 8 YD RUN
(RYAN HARRISON KICK)
CALIFORNIA 0
AIR FORCE 21 12:08 LEFT, 2ND QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:21 PM
TD AIR FORCE TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM SHAUN CARNEY (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:13 PM
TD AIR FORCE TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM SHAUN CARNEY (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:13 PM
TD AIR FORCE TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM SHAUN CARNEY (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:13 PM- ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD AIR FORCE
TRAVIS DEKKER 7 YD PASS FROM SHAUN CARNEY
(RYAN HARRISON KICK)
CALIFORNIA 0
AIR FORCE 14 14:10 LEFT, 2ND QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 1:13 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CALIFORNIA 0 0
AIR FORCE 7 7 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: AIR FORCE - TD, SHAUN CARNEY 1 YD RUN (RYAN
HARRISON KICK), 6:33. AIR
FORCE 7-0
Dec 31 1:08 PM - ARMED FORCES BOWL
AT FORT WORTH TX
NCAAF ARMED FORCES BOWL
TD AIR FORCE
SHAUN CARNEY 1 YD RUN
(RYAN HARRISON KICK)
CALIFORNIA 0
AIR FORCE 7 8:27 LEFT, 1ST QTR
California vs. Air ForceDec 31 12:44 PM
Related News
- OC Jake Spavital is rumored as an option for the Houston OC gig Feb 15
- ESPN’s preseason SP+ has California ranked 58th nationally, 8th in the Pac-12 Feb 14
- All-time great Cal Football RB Coach Ron Gould is headed to San Diego State Feb 14
- California misses back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time in over 50 years Feb 12
- College Football Bowl Game Best Bets & Predictions: Monday – Thursday (12/19 – 12/22) Dec 17
- College Football Week 13 Odds, Picks & Predictions: UCLA vs. California (Friday) Nov 25
- THE AXE IS STAYING IN BERKELEY Nov 19
- College Football Week 12 Odds, Picks & Predictions: Under-the-Radar Plays (2022) Nov 17
- Thor Nystrom’s Best College Football Week 11 Bets (2022) Nov 10
- College Football Week 11 Picks & Predictions (2022) Nov 10
- College Football Week 10 Picks & Predictions (2022) Nov 4