Spring Break
No. 13 Falcons got their heads caught in the clouds
The Associated Press
Issue date: 1/19/07 Section: News
AIR FORCE ACADEMY - As the Air Force Falcons soared to new heights, coach Jeff Bzdelik had a harder and harder time keeping their feet on the ground.
The Falcons reached an unprecedented No. 13 in The AP Top 25 this week and their 13-game winning streak matched the longest in school history.
Feeling pretty good about themselves at 17-1, the Falcons promptly lost at Utah, a defeat that Bzdelik hopes will accomplish what all his harping couldn't. The win ended unranked Utah's six-game losing streak.
"Well, now, it's an attention grabber," he said. "It falls on deaf ears when you're winning. We had the longest winning streak in the nation at 13. Our ranking, and all those kinds of things. It falls on deaf ears because, 'Hey, Coach, we're winning.'
"Well, now we're not. So, let's get back to reality. Otherwise we'll find ourselves 17-15 real quick."
Bzdelik said he saw the pothole in the road and just couldn't steer his team around it.
"Before, there was no consequence: 'Yeah, Coach,'" Bzdelik said, waving his hands in a yeah-whatever manner. "And you could see it. We weren't having good practices. In each of these three last first halves we got behind and it was like, 'Oh, we'd better get going here.'"
The Falcons, who face preseason Mountain West favorite San Diego State in a showdown Saturday at the academy, fell behind by 21 in the first half to New Mexico and trailed 39-24 at halftime. They trailed at Wyoming 21-19 following their worst 20-minute stretch of the season.
They came back to win both of those games, but they couldn't overcome their poor start against Utah on Tuesday night, when they fell behind 31-21 at the half and never caught up in an 85-79 loss.
"I think it's a couple of things: Don't underestimate the quality of the teams we're playing. Let's don't do that," Bzdelik said. "Coupled with, we've gotten away from who we are a little bit. There's a lot of good teams out there and you have to be at your very best every time you step on the court."
The Falcons reached an unprecedented No. 13 in The AP Top 25 this week and their 13-game winning streak matched the longest in school history.
Feeling pretty good about themselves at 17-1, the Falcons promptly lost at Utah, a defeat that Bzdelik hopes will accomplish what all his harping couldn't. The win ended unranked Utah's six-game losing streak.
"Well, now, it's an attention grabber," he said. "It falls on deaf ears when you're winning. We had the longest winning streak in the nation at 13. Our ranking, and all those kinds of things. It falls on deaf ears because, 'Hey, Coach, we're winning.'
"Well, now we're not. So, let's get back to reality. Otherwise we'll find ourselves 17-15 real quick."
Bzdelik said he saw the pothole in the road and just couldn't steer his team around it.
"Before, there was no consequence: 'Yeah, Coach,'" Bzdelik said, waving his hands in a yeah-whatever manner. "And you could see it. We weren't having good practices. In each of these three last first halves we got behind and it was like, 'Oh, we'd better get going here.'"
The Falcons, who face preseason Mountain West favorite San Diego State in a showdown Saturday at the academy, fell behind by 21 in the first half to New Mexico and trailed 39-24 at halftime. They trailed at Wyoming 21-19 following their worst 20-minute stretch of the season.
They came back to win both of those games, but they couldn't overcome their poor start against Utah on Tuesday night, when they fell behind 31-21 at the half and never caught up in an 85-79 loss.
"I think it's a couple of things: Don't underestimate the quality of the teams we're playing. Let's don't do that," Bzdelik said. "Coupled with, we've gotten away from who we are a little bit. There's a lot of good teams out there and you have to be at your very best every time you step on the court."
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