1970 Air Force Falcons football team

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 13th-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. Air Force played their home games at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1970 Air Force Falcons football
Sugar Bowl, L 13–34 vs. Tennessee
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 16
1970 record9–3
Head coach
CaptainCyd Maattala, Virgil Staponski
Home stadiumFalcon Stadium
1970 NCAA University Division independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW 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 –1
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

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,[1] and No. 6 Stanford, led by Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett.[2] Stanford went on to upset No. 2 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

For the first time since the 1963 season, 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.[3] The favored Volunteers jumped out to a 24–0 lead in the first quarter and the Falcons could not make up the difference.[3]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 12Idaho
W 45–725,000[4]
September 19at Wyoming
W 41–17
September 26at No. 9 MissouriNo. 20
W 37–14
October 3Colorado StateNo. 10
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO (rivalry)
W 37–2229,030
October 10TulaneNo. 8
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 24–331,508[5]
October 17vs. NavyNo. 7
W 26–3
October 24Boston CollegeNo. 7
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 35–10
October 31at ArizonaNo. 7
W 23–20
November 7at OregonNo. 9
L 35–4624,700[6]
November 14No. 6 StanfordNo. 13
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
W 31–14
November 21ColoradoNo. 10
  • Falcon Stadium
  • Colorado Springs, CO
L 19–4945,447
January 1, 1971vs. No. 4 TennesseeNo. 11
ABCL 13–3478,655
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[7]

Personnel
1970 Air Force Falcons football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB Brian Bream Jr
WR Ernie Jennings Sr
C Orderia Mitchell So
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DL Eugene Ogilvie So
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured
    • Redshirt

    References
    1. "Air Force bombs Missouri". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 27, 1970. p. 6B.
    2. "Air Force upsets Stanford, 31-14". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 15, 1970. p. 5B.
    3. "Tennessee rips AFA". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1971. p. 2B.
    4. Payne, Bob (September 13, 1970). "Air Force blitzes Vandals". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 1, sports.
    5. "Greenie fumbles help Air Force win". Sun Herald. October 11, 1970. Retrieved October 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
    6. Cawood, Neil (November 8, 1970). "Ducks shoot down Air Force, 46-35". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B.
    7. "1970 Air Force Falcons Schedule and Results". Sports-Reference. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
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