Armed Forces Bowl Game Preview

A high-scoring affair between Houston & Air Force is sure excite fans at Ft. Worth’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

Armed Forces Bowl Game Overview:
Power run and the spread meet in Ft. Worth, Texas, as the tough Air Force Falcons take on the No. 2 offense of the Houston Cougars in what is sure to be a game of many points. The Houston Cougars and the Air Force Falcons met in Dallas, Texas, during Hurricane Ike, and the wind and rain grounded the Houston Cougars offense. The Houston Cougars hope to avenge their loss a few miles away in Ft. Worth in the Armed Forces Bowl. Fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets will see a bitter rivalry powered by two potent, very different offenses.

Houston Cougars Offense:
The spread offense of the Houston Cougars lags only behind the Texas Tech Red Raiders in passing yards, and it carves up secondaries like a pastrami slicer. QB Case Keenum is the heart of the Houston Cougars offense and fits the system perfectly. WR Tyron Carter is a tiny man but is about to break the 1,000-yard receiving mark. TE Mark Hafner and WR Patrick Edwards are not far behind on the stat sheet. RB Bryce Beal is a 1,000-yard rusher and gives a new balance to the offense. Fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets who haven’t seen the Houston Cougars offense will be amazed.

Houston Cougars Defense:
The Houston Cougars defense has improved greatly this season and has won a few games that the high-octane offense could not. DE/LB Phillip Hunt is the best player on the Houston Cougars quick defense, and he has registered 12 sacks. Phillip Hunt really impresses with his run defense and has nearly 20 tackles for loss. Armed Forces Bowl tickets will feature LB Cody Lubojasky, who has been a stalwart of the Houston Cougars defense for 50 games and will play his final down at the Armed Forces Bowl. Massive NT Isaiah Thompson anchors the 4-3 defense up front.

Air Force Falcons Offense:
The Air Force Falcons live to run the ball, and QB Tim Jefferson gives them more options to do so. As a pure-option team, the Air Force Falcons use the speedy Tim Jefferson to set up RB Asher Clark for some big gains. FB Todd Newell gets plenty of touches as well and provides a good lead block when needed. Tim Jefferson is not just a runner, however, and he can make throws to move the chains or get a surprise touchdown. Fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets who love the run game will be cheering for the Air Force Falcons.

Air Force Falcons Defense:
Wiley DE Jake Paulson is the leader of the Air Force Falcons front seven and has made the life of opposing QBs quite difficult. The defense is built around various complex line stunts and looks to catch pass blockers with twists and bull rushes. SS Chris Thomas was a monster against the Houston Cougars before, and his ability to hit and hawk the ball deep has made him one of the top players on the Air Force Falcons roster. Fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets should be thrilled to see a chess match of coordinators on the field.

Houston Cougars Keys to Victory:
The Houston Cougars were able to establish their run game but found their passing attack foiled by the winds of Hurricane Ike. If the Houston Cougars can get near the 200-yard rushing mark, then filleting the secondary of the Air Force Falcons should be no problem. The matchup of LT Sebastian Volmer on DE Jake Paulson is the key battle in the trenches that has to be won. QB Case Keenum will have to work the slants and shallow crosses more since aggressive SS Chris Thomas will be deep. If Chris Thomas comes up in the box, then Case Keenum can torch the defense deep and fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets won’t want to miss it.

Even fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets know that the fifth-ranked rushing offense of the Air Force Falcons is going to run the ball again and again. In their first meeting, the Houston Cougars did not allow a single pass completion but still lost. Beefy interior DLs like Isaiah Thompson and Cody Pree have to hold the point of attack to allow the linebackers to fill and stuff the run. DE Phillip Hunt will not see much pass-rushing action, but he will be busy keeping outside contain on QB Tim Jefferson. Two men have to be on the ball carrier to make a play on the option man.

Air Force Falcons Keys to Victory:
Fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets realize that controlling the clock, line of scrimmage, and the ball are all top priorities of the Air Force Falcons. The Houston Cougars know what’s coming, but the offense must soldier through. With great size in the center of the front seven, QB Tim Jefferson and RB Asher Clark will have to work to the outside more. Tim Anderson must hold onto the ball until the last possible second before pitching it to one of his backs. A few passes off of play-action could catch the Houston Cougars out of position and would rack up a lot of yards after catch.

To stop the momentum of the spread offense, fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets know that the Air Force Falcons have to get in the face of QB Case Keenum early and put some hits on him. RB Bryce Beal had a monster game against them before, but with the weather being improved the passes are sure to rain. SS Chris Thomas will have to play out of his mind as the deep cover man. Tiny WR Patrick Edwards is quick, but a few strong blows from Chris Thomas will make him think twice about going over the middle. The twists and stunts are key to fooling the disciplined Houston Cougars line.

Armed Forces Bowl Game Outlook:
No two styles of offense could differ more than the spread and the triple option. Both of these disciplines have their teams at the top of the passing and rushing lists respectively. Fans with Armed Forces Bowl tickets will be treated to two extremes on the field, and execution will be the deciding factor. The previous meeting of the Houston Cougars and Air Force Falcons has little bearing on the Armed Forces Bowl as the effects of Hurricane Ike skewed the game plan.

The Air Force Falcons offense is totally one-dimensional while the Houston Cougars have a 1,000-yard rusher to go along with the 5,000 yards passing. This ability to attack both facets of the defense at once gives the Houston Cougars a strong advantage when it comes to offense. With weeks to plan, the defense should be able to adjust to the triple-option attack, the same cannot be said for the Air Force Falcons and the spread. Fans with Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl tickets will see the air power of the Houston Cougars reign supreme in Ft. Worth.