Getz back as Falcons grind past Warriors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. » For five games, Cody Getz might have been the best running back in America. After sitting on the bench for three seasons, he escaped to gain 887 yards and lead the nation in yards per game.

But for the next five games, Getz was hobbled with a left ankle sprain. He gained only 119 yards as the magic drained from his surprising season.

The magic returned Friday night at Falcon Stadium as Getz led Air Force to a 21-7 win over Hawaii. It was a primal effort by the Falcons, who rushed 68 times without attempting a pass.

"Just grinding," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said, describing the win. "Grinding. That’s what it was. It was a grind."

Getz, who gained 125 yards, stepped above the grind to transform the game in the third quarter. On Air Force’s first drive of the second half, Getz busted up the middle of Hawaii’s defense for a 54-yard gain.

These long runs were routine during Air Force’s first five games. Getz gained more than 200 yards against Idaho State, Navy and CSU, and nearly led Air Force to an upset win over Michigan at The Big House.

Then he injured his ankle Oct. 13 on a rainy night in Wyoming. Until the long run through the heart of the Warriors defense, he had been a mere shadow of himself.

Six plays after the long burst, Getz showed a different, tougher side. Getz is 5-foot-7 and says he weighs 175 pounds. By all appearances, he looks closer to 160.

Still, he runs with power.

Just ask Hawaii safety John Hardy-Tuliau.

On third and goal from the Hawaii 5, Falcons quarterback Connor Dietz pitched the ball to Getz, who soon encountered Hardy-Tuliau.

Hardy-Tuliau had a clear shot at Getz near the sideline, and hit him with strong impact. Getz shrugged off the hit and found his way to the end zone.

Calhoun, normally stingy with praise for his players, was dazzled.

"That was a great run," Calhoun said. "Holy cow. That was the best he’s ever had. He was hit absolutely shoulder on shoulder."

Getz laughed as he thought back on the play. He said he did not see Hardy-Tuliau until immediately before the two collided.

"I saw the end zone," Getz said, "and I wanted to get in it and I wanted to do whatever I had to do to get there."

After five games, Getz averaged 177.4 yards per game and was on pace to gain 2,128 yards. The injury at Wyoming robbed him of several hundred yards.

He refuses to complain. Getz watched, without griping, for three seasons while Asher Clark enjoyed nearly all the halfback carries for the Falcons. Clark departed Air Force as the second-leading rusher in the program’s history.

As this season approached, sophomore Jon Lee was the favorite to follow Clark as the Falcons starter. But Getz passed Lee in August practice sessions. He ran with extreme shiftiness and surprising power to earn the starting job.

The Falcons will be underdogs next week when they travel to Fresno State. But Air Force has a chance at an upset. As Hawaii found out Friday, Getz is back.