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2009 Armed Forces Bowl

2009 Armed Forces Bowl

FieldValue
year_game_played2009
title_sponsorBell Helicopter
game_nameArmed Forces Bowl
football_season2009
visitor_name_shortHouston
visitor_nicknameCougars
visitor_schoolUniversity of Houston
home_name_shortAir Force
home_nicknameFalcons
home_schoolUnited State Air Force Academy
visitor_record10–3
visitor_conferenceC-USA
home_record7–5
home_conferenceMountain West
visitor_coachKevin Sumlin
home_coachTroy Calhoun
visitor_rank_APNR
visitor_rank_coaches25
visitor_rank_BCSNR
home_rank_APNR
home_rank_coachesNR
home_rank_BCSNR
visitor_1q0
visitor_2q6
visitor_3q14
visitor_4q0
home_1q14
home_2q10
home_3q10
home_4q13
date_game_playedDecember 31
stadiumAmon G. Carter Stadium
cityFort Worth, Texas
MVPAsher Clark (Air Force)
Tyron Carrier (Houston)
refereeScott McElwee (MAC)
attendance41,414
payout750,000 per team
us_networkESPN
us_announcers_linkList of announcers of major college bowl games
us_announcersDave LaMont
J.C. Pearson
Cara Capuano

Tyron Carrier (Houston) J.C. Pearson Cara Capuano

The 2009 Armed Forces Bowl was the seventh edition of the Armed Forces Bowl, a college football bowl game, and was played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The game started at 12:00 p.m. US EST on Thursday, December 31, 2009. The game was telecast on ESPN and matched the Houston Cougars of Conference USA and the Air Force Falcons of the Mountain West Conference. The game earned a 1.6 rating.

This was the second year in a row that the two teams finished their seasons against each other in the bowl game played on the TCU campus. The Cougars, the Conference USA runner-up after losing to East Carolina in the championship game, beat Air Force 34–28 last year for their first bowl victory since 1980. Air Force played in the Armed Forces Bowl for the third straight season. The Falcons lost 42–36 to California in the 2007 game, which was then their first bowl appearance since 2002. Each team also made their third appearance in the bowl game. The only other meeting between the two schools was in 2008 when the Falcons defeated Houston 31–28 in a game played in front of just 2,546 people at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of SMU in Dallas, Texas. The game was originally to be a home game for the Cougars but due to Hurricane Ike the game was moved.

The game marked the first time that Houston had entered a bowl game with a national ranking in the Coaches' Poll since the 1979 season.

Game summary

Air Force wore blue home jerseys, and Houston wore home red jerseys with contrasting colors. This was the first bowl game in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season where teams wore contrasting color jerseys, allowed by a new rule this season.

The Falcons ground out 402 yards of rushing offense on their way to their first bowl victory since 2000. Air Force was led by tailbacks, Jared Tew who had 173 yards and two touchdowns and Asher Clark who carried 17 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Clark was named the game's MVP. Air Force's defense was just as impressive as the top ranked pass defense in the country held 2009 NCAA leading passer, Case Keenum to 222 yards and only one touchdown while intercepting him six times. Keenum only had six interceptions in the first 12 games of the season.

After Houston was held without a touchdown before halftime, Tyron Carrier returned the opening kickoff of the second half 79 yards for his fourth TD the season. He took the ball near the left sideline, then ran to the middle of the field before shooting through a gap and running untouched to get the Cougars within 24–13. Air Force immediately responded with its first kickoff return for a touchdown since 1985. Jonathan Warzeka fielded the ball and stepped back into the end zone before running 100 yards. Five Houston players got their hands on him, but couldn't get him down. According to STATS, it was only the sixth major college game since 1996 with kickoff return touchdowns on consecutive plays. None of them had been in a bowl game.

The loss for Houston was their ninth of its last 10 bowl games. The Falcons scored a school-record 47 points, the second-most by a service academy in a bowl game. Navy put up 51 in the 2005 Poinsettia Bowl.

Jared Tew takes a handoff from Tim Jefferson
Houston on offense

Scoring summary

Scoring PlayScore
**1st Quarter**
AF — Asher Clark 36-yard rush (Erik Soderberg kick), 12:38AF 7–0
AF — Jared Tew 6-yard rush (Erik Soderberg kick), 8:52AF 14–0
**2nd Quarter**
HU — Matt Hogan 33-yard field goal, 14:51AF 14–3
AF — Asher Clark 22-yard rush (Erik Soderberg kick), 8:55AF 21–3
HU — Matt Hogan 33-yard field goal, 1:21AF 21–6
AF — Erik Soderberg 27-yard field goal, 0:00AF 24–6
**3rd Quarter**
HU — Tyron Carrier 79-yard kickoff return (Matt Hogan kick), 14:47AF 24–13
AF — Jonathon Warzeka 100-yard kickoff return (Erik Soderberg kick), 14:29AF 31–13
HU — Case Keenum 10-yard pass to Patrick Edwards (Matt Hogan kick), 12:48AF 31–20
AF — Erik Soderberg 27-yard field goal, 7:27AF 34–20
**4th Quarter**
AF — Tim Jefferson 1-yard rush (Erik Soderberg kick), 14:04AF 41–20
AF — Jared Tew 71-yard rush (Erik Soderberg kick missed), 3:32AF 47–20

References

References

  1. Rogers Redding, Secretary-Rules Editor, NCAA Football Rules Committee - [http://www.ncaapublications.com/ProductsDetailView.aspx?sku=FR09 NCAA Football 2009-10 Rules and Interpretations]. THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION May 2009
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