ShareThisBy JIM BENTON
Friday, November 10, 2006
Air Force's football chronicles are filled with upset victories, and that's why Falcons coach Fisher DeBerry is looking forward to the challenge this week.
The Falcons (4-4) will play No. 9 Notre Dame (8-1) on Saturday before a sellout crowd of nearly 53,000 at Falcon Stadium.
Notre Dame has won 21 of the 26 games played between the schools, with the Falcons victorious in four straight against the Irish between 1982 and 1985.
Air Force also stunned No. 8 Notre Dame 20-17 in overtime in a 1996 game in South Bend, Ind.
"We know Notre Dame has a really good football team," DeBerry said. "It's going to be a tremendous opportunity for our football team to play a highly ranked national team. It's not like it hasn't been done before. Our guys will fight their guts out. They love and thrive on challenges.
"It'll be a big challenge, but they have to come to our house. We'll give it everything we've got. We'll work in preparation for them. I'm sure they'll play good but they better play good.
"There were other times where we were fortunate to beat them and nobody gave us a chance then. That's all you want in competitive athletics is the opportunity."
After Notre Dame's 45-26 victory against North Carolina on Saturday, coach Charlie Weis turned his attention to Air Force.
"The biggest thing I'm concerned about is Air Force," Weis said. "I hate to be so practical, but, you know, I sat there and watched them win (43-7 over Army on Friday night). Things are going bad for them in the first drive and all of a sudden the guy (defensive back Adam Zanotti) takes it 98 (yards) to the house.
"Right now, more than anything else, I'm worried about getting any bumps and bruises healed and getting ready to play Air Force and really not worrying about any crescendo or fever pitch or anything like that, as far as a team on the rise.
"I'm more concerned with just continuing to get better and let's go make that trip out to Air Force and see if we can't beat Air Force."
Air Force, sparked by Zanotti's 98-yard return with a fumble for a touchdown in the first quarter, blitzed Army at Michie Stadium.
The Falcons forced six turnovers and converted those Army mistakes into 34 points in the win that snapped a two-game Air Force losing streak.
"It was a great win for us because of the way things have gone for us," DeBerry said. "We were like piranhas going for the football. We thought that if we could force some turnovers it would give us a good opportunity for success.
"The whole thing was trying to do whatever we could to try to get the train back on track."
