Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge chokes up every time he watches the movie "Rudy."

There's just something about a little guy tenaciously fighting to make the big time and step on the field with Notre Dame.

In Search of a Running Game

Washington coach Rick Neuheisel is looking for a running game and a break. First, Neuheisel and the Huskies lost to California for the first time in 19 years and in the process saw a 17-game home winning streak end. Then, the NCAA sanctioned Neuheisel for recruiting violations that occurred when he was Colorado's coach from 1995-98 Finally, last weekend, the Huskies needed an 80-yard touchdown sprint from receiver Reggie Williams on a short slant route with two minutes left in the game to beat injury-riddled Arizona. Not only are the locals grumbling, but the Denver media is back to its old tricks of kicking Neuheisel, the man they years ago dubbed "Slick Rick." Writing in the Denver Post, Woody Paige referred to Neuheisel throughout his column as "Tricky Ricky Neuweasel." While that may sound like a 7-year-old causing trouble on the jungle gym, it reveals the depth of dislike some have for the Huskies' coach. "No, the level of venom didn't surprise me," Neuheisel said. "The only thing that disappointed me is when they misspelled my name." Humor helps, but winning cures everything in college football, and Neuheisel believes an improved running game would be the best medicine for the Huskies as they prepare for a visit to USC. Neuheisel therefore decided that junior Rich Alexis, who has started five of the first six games, will have to battle to hold onto his job during practices this week. "We are going to increase the competition at our tailback position and see if we can find a hot back," Neuheisel said. The Huskies rank ninth in the Pac-10 and 107th in the nation in rushing (99.8 yards per game). Alexis is averaging 73.3 yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry. Neither backup, senior Braxton Cleman nor sophomore Chris Singleton, has been terribly impressive in limited action. True freshman Kenny James could offer new blood, but Neuheisel appears reluctant to burn his redshirt season. The Washington coaches previously asserted that a potent passing attack would make the running game a secondary concern. Yet, while the Huskies are producing the most yards per game in the conference (480.3), they rank just sixth in scoring (33.5 points per game). "We've got some tremendous weapons on offense but we can't just rely on the throwing game to the exclusion of the running game because we all know what results that can bring about -- witness the Cal game," Neuheisel said. The Huskies threw 59 passes against California, with 28 runs netting just 44 yards in a 34-27 defeat. While Neuheisel has remained his typical glib self through the ordeals, he admitted the past two weeks have been less than pleasant. "No fun at all -- but if this job were easy, then everybody could do it," he said. -- Ted Miller

Yet anyone who suggests that Harridge and Air Force are merely a feel-good story on par with Rudy as the 15th-ranked Falcons prepare for their showdown Saturday with No. 7 Notre Dame, better think again.

Harridge was named for a gritty John Wayne character from the 1968 movie, Hellfighters. He's a (future) officer and gentleman off the field, but an in-your-grill brawler on the field.

Just ask BYU, which the Falcons drubbed 52-9 last weekend. Harridge spent much of the game jawing and shoving with the Cougars.

"He's got a lot of grit to him -- a lot of fight," BYU coach Gary Crowton said. "He backs it up, though, that's all I can say. He's going to talk and he's going to get in guys' faces … He makes guys mad."

Said Harridge, "I think you have different roles on and off the field. Off the field, I'm a pretty laid-back guy. I'm really quiet if you can believe that."

On the field, Harridge, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior, averages 102.5 yards rushing per game. He has scored eight touchdowns the past two games and 15 this season running the Falcons' triple-option.

Notre Dame has scored just 10 touchdowns.

Following in the tradition of former Falcons quarterbacks like Dee Dowis, Rob Perez, and the Morgan brothers, Beau and Blane, Harridge has guided Falcons to 339.2 yards rushing per game, tops in the nation.

Neither Harridge nor his coach, Fisher DeBerry, is ready to crown Harridge the best of the lot -- yet. "It's awful early," said DeBerry, the Falcons' coach for 19 years. "He has a chance to become a great option quarterback, if he stays healthy."

While other teams like to heave the ball downfield to their 6-foot-4 receivers, Air Force and its undersized players prefer to run right at you. So far, teams from the Big Ten (Northwestern) and Pac-10 (California) as well as Mountain West Conference opponents have been flummoxed and then whipped by the Falcons' disciplined, complicated attack.

It's not as though Air Force is a complete novelty either. Under DeBerry, the Falcons have bested Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Virginia Tech and Washington. Few big-time programs are willing to play Air Force with just four days to prepare. It's just too hard.

After losing 23-21 to Air Force, exasperated Cal players said they couldn't wait to play a "normal" team again.

"For six weeks in a row, you could see the will of the other team start to disintegrate," Harridge said. "To see defeat in the others' eyes is a great feeling."

Like nearly all of Air Force's players, Harridge didn't even get a sniff from any Division I-A programs coming out of Houston County High in Bohaire, Ga.

Still, he wanted to play D-I football. The decision to attend Air Force is not one to make lightly. Not only was it 2,000 miles away from Harridge's home, but it also included a minimum five-year military commitment.

The average cadet's day already is demanding. Toss in football, and it becomes endless. Harridge said he has a "light" 17 1/2-hour course load this semester. His day begins at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 11 p.m.

While other student-athletes take "Rocks for Jocks," Harridge has completed a course in engineering mechanics, not to mention Global Engagement and Combat Survival Training.

His parents, Ross and Linda, both retired school teachers, have moved to Colorado Springs so they can watch Harridge play.

Now the entire nation can, with ESPN's GameDay crew on hand to advance the broadcast.

"It's almost like a fairy tale," Harridge said.

Opposing coaches, however, smirk at the "fairy tale" talk. When Harridge puts on that helmet with a blue lightening bolt, he's a lot more John Wayne than Rudy.

"He's a cocky guy," Utah coach Ron McBride said. "He's the fuel that ignites what they are doing and they feed of his mentality."

Around the Pac-10

Arizona
The bottom line for Arizona after blowing its third consecutive fourth-quarter lead against Washington is the Wildcats have lost 13 of their past 15 Pac-10 games. The good news is they pay a visit Saturday to the only Pac-10 with worse problems: 1-4 Stanford. Injuries are the Wildcats' biggest problem, with free safety Jarvie Worcester, who broke is arm against the Huskies, and center Keoki Fraser (ankle) joining the conference's longest injury list. Three fourths of the starting secondary is missing, while defensive tackle Brad Brittain remains out after hurting his knee while negotiating his garage door. How bad are things? Thirteen walk-ons, 11 freshmen and four redshirt freshmen made up the 60-man traveling roster to Washington. While the Wildcats' rushing offense ranks last in the conference, the passing numbers are impressive. Quarterback Jason Johnson completed 29 passes for 443 yards -- both school records - against Washington, while Bobby Wade and Andre Thurman rank first and seventh respectively in the conference in receiving yards.

Arizona State
At 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference, Arizona State might be the surprise team in the Pac-10, but the toughest part of the schedule lies ahead. Four of the Sun Devils' final six games are on the road, and three of those games are against ranked teams, including this weekend's opponent, sixth-ranked Oregon. Still, Arizona State was able to slip past Oregon State last weekend 13-9 even though its potent offense was floundering. The Sun Devils had sacks on two of the last three plays to thwart the Beavers' final desperation drive. They also had seven sacks on the evening and forced four turnovers, which gave them 24 takeaways on the year, tops in the conference. The defense may get another boost from the likely return of safety Riccardo Stewart from an ankle injury. The defense will need another strong performance against the Ducks' offense, which is second in the Pac-10 with 37.5 points per game.

Cal
While California fans and players have a legitimate gripe with USC receiver Kareem Kelly's phantom touchdown -- an obvious drop that was ruled a catch -- the Bears should most concern themselves with a blown 18-point lead against the Trojans. Their opponent Saturday, UCLA, certainly can identify. The Bruins outgained Oregon by nearly 100 yards, but lost when kicker Chris Griffith missed a 46-yard field goal. Cal is outscoring opponents 163-55 in the first half, but it has to learn how to close. Bears quarterback Kyle Boller, who suffered a severe bruise on his left hand but will play against UCLA, is tied with Pat Barnes for the school's career touchdown pass record at 54. Cal has lost five of its last seven games against the Bruins, but a crowd of 45,000 is expected -- about 17,000 more than the Bears' season average.

Oregon
Might the BCS screw the Ducks again? It's way early, yes, and the first BCS standings won't come out until Monday, but CollegeBCS.com, which duplicates the unfathomable BCS system, ranks the Ducks seventh. That means, out of 10 unbeaten teams, the one with the nation's second longest winning streak (11 games), which thrashed Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl last year, could end up the odd team out again, even if it finishes 12-0. For example, if Miami and Oklahoma go unbeaten, it's hard to envision a scenario in which the Ducks pass the Sooners, even though the Sooners' schedule is far weaker. "If we were to run the table and not get in that would be … pretty tough," Ducks coach Mike Bellotti said. If Oregon does run the table, there might be a surprising explanation: the defense, which is tops in the Pac-10 against the run (82.8 yards per game) and scoring (17.0 ppg). This crew figures to only get better, particularly with the emergence of freshman defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. Generally considered the nation's top defensive line recruit last year, Ngata had five tackles, a sack and a blocked extra point against UCLA. Oh, and quarterback Jason Fife's 12-1 touchdown to interception ratio is pretty impressive, too.

Oregon State
No team could use a week off more than Oregon State, which after a 4-0 start, is now 0-3 in conference play. Coach Dennis Erickson will try to avoid only the second four-game losing streak of his 17-year career when the Beavers play host to Cal on Oct. 26. The once-potent offense simply looks terrible. It has scored only one touchdown -- an 80-yard run from Steven Jackson -- in 11 of the past 12 quarters. Sophomore quarterback Derek Anderson has completed just 40 of his last 114 passes and has been sacked 15 times during the losing streak. The defense, at least, picked itself up after a terrible performance against UCLA. It held Arizona State to 13 points and 241 yards. The Sun Devils had scored 100 points and amassed 1,009 yards in their previous two games.

Stanford
While Stanford's opponent this weekend, Arizona, is beaten up physically, the Cardinal is beaten up mentally. Little is going right. When the Cardinal scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in their 36-11 defeat to Washington State, it was their first touchdown in six quarters. That from an offense that was supposed to be loaded with talented, veteran players. "We feel like nothing's working," quarterback Chris Lewis told the San Francisco Chronicle. Lewis threw for only 102 yards with an interception before he was replaced by Kyle Matter in the fourth. Even more astounding, Stanford is playing undisciplined football. It's last in the conference in turnover margin (minus-5) and seventh in penalties yards per game (75.4). Under former coach Tyrone Willingham, now at Notre Dame, the Cardinal had the fewest penalty yards in the conference the past five seasons. Stanford had 11 penalties for 85 yards, including four personal fouls, against the Cougars. Stanford's already lukewarm fan base is turning away. The announced crowd of 30,750 was the smallest since the final home game of the 2000 season, when 29,795 watched the Cardinal beat Arizona State.

UCLA
It's another gut check for UCLA after a dispiriting loss to Oregon. The Bruins passed their first adversity test -- one they typically failed in recent years -- when they bounced back after a loss to Colorado to beat San Diego State and Oregon State. Yet they are 6-9 after defeats since 1999, and Cal is probably just as grumpy after blowing an 18-point lead to USC. The Bears likely will be motivated by the 56-17 ripping they suffered to UCLA last year. Bruins tailback Manuel White missed the Oregon game with an injured hamstring and he is listed as doubtful. That may not matter, considering his replacement, Tyler Ebell, has rushed for 322 yards in the last two games. Quarterback Cory Paus, who has moved into second place behind Cade McNown on the school's career passing list, was hot and cold vs. Oregon. He completed 17-of-31 passes for 361 yards with three touchdowns but he also tossed three interceptions. Sophomore Craig Bragg was his best friend, hauling in nine passes for 230 yards and all three scores.

USC
Has USC finally found its running game … after, what, two decades? Sultan McCullough led a power rushing attack in the comeback victory over California with a career-high 39 carries for 176 yards (4.5 yards per rush). With Malaefou MacKenzie playing fullback, it looks like Michigan transfer Justin Fargas, who was brilliant during spring practices, is the odd-man-out. In the victory over Cal, the Trojans had season-highs for yards (466), rushing attempts (51) and time of possession (38:32), and tied top marks for first downs (28) and plays (90). Yet they have injury issues with Washington coming to town. Defensive end Shaun Cody (knee) and offensive tackle Jacob Rogers (knee) are both out for Saturday's game. Mike Patterson will move from nose tackle to Cody's end spot, while senior Bernard Riley will take over the nose. Eric Torres will replace Rogers. Also, junior Marcell Allmond, a former receiver, has beaten out freshman William Buchanon at one cornerback. Receiver Kareem Kelly has caught a pass in 41 consecutive games, one short of the Pac-10 record set by Arizona's Dennis Northcutt from 1996-99.

Washington
After five consecutive home games and 48 days, Washington will finally go on the road again when it suits up against USC in the LA Coliseum. The game matches USC's pass defense, ranked seventh in the nation (156.67 yards per game), vs. the Huskies' pass offense, ranked second in the nation (380.5 ypg). Something has to give. Not only that, the UW is tops in the Pac-10 with a 52.5 percent conversion rate on third down, while USC's defense is allowing opponents to convert only 17.6 percent of its third down plays, which also leads the conference. In last year's game, backup quarterback Taylor Barton came off the bench for an injured Cody Pickett and led the Huskies to a 27-24 victory. Kicker John Anderson booted a last-second, 32-yard field goal for the win.

Washington State
Unlike Oregon State, Washington State will enjoy its bye week after crushing woeful Stanford, 36-11. "We've been able to continue to win despite being devastated by injuries," said coach Mike Price as he relaxed at his lake house. Eighteen injured players will sit out practices this week, but 14 are expected to return for the game at Arizona on Oct. 26. Price also said there are no major plans to try to pump up quarterback Jason Gesser's Heisman Trophy candidacy. "We're going to let it flow naturally," Price said. "If he has some great games, he's going to be a candidate -- if we continue to win."

Around the Mountain West
Air Force took massive revenge for its 63-33 beating to BYU last year, whipping the Cougars 52-9 -- a 73-point turnaround. Kicker Joey Ashcroft was named Mountain West Conference special teams player of the week after he was perfect on six PAT attempts and connected on a career-long 44-yard field goal. He also converted an on-side kick in the first quarter, which set up the touchdown that gave the Falcons a 21-3 lead. ... BYU has a new quarterback … again. Bret Engemann, who appeared rejuvenated after he led an impressive comeback win over Utah State, was benched against Air Force in favor of freshman Matt Berry, who will start Saturday against UNLV. Barry, one of four quarterbacks who played in the 52-9 defeat at Air Force, was 6-of-8 for 98 yards in mop-up work. "I like the way he plays," coach Gary Crowton said of Barry. "I'm not blaming Bret at all." Crowton said he would continue to use the mobile Lance Pendleton when the offense needs a change of pace. ... Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt was benched after he was flagged for a personal foul in the Rams' 44-36 victory over Wyoming. Van Pelt was penalized for purposely stepping on Cowboys' defenders in a pileup. In his stead, Justin Holland threw a pair of touchdown passes. Coach Sonny Lubick said Van Pelt remains the starter but needs to know that he's not irreplaceable if he makes dumb plays. "Everybody is making a big issue out of that," Lubick said. "I think the message was received." Holland will continue to play three or four series a game, starting this weekend at Utah. The victory over Wyoming was Lubick's 100th career win. ... New Mexico had a crazy week at quarterback. First, starter Casey Kelly broke his arm, and true freshman Kole McKamey was named the starter for the UNLV game. Then McKamey was busted for underage drinking and suspended, and Justin Millea, a former walk-on, was forced into action. All he did in his first career start was lead the Lobos a 25-16 victory, their first win in Las Vegas. Millea was named MWC offensive player of the week after he rushed 20 times for 143 yards -- the highest rushing total for a New Mexico quarterback in 29 years -- including a 73-yard dash that gave the Lobos a 21-10 lead in the third quarter. The defense helped a little, accounting for 11 points. Kelly is back and will start against Utah State, but coach Rocky Long said Millea also will play, with McKamey dropping to third string. ... San Diego State finally earned new coach Tom Craft his first victory after scoring 33 unanswered points in 36-17 victory over struggling Utah. The Utes had held the Aztecs to a combined 10 points in their last two meetings. The key -- shockingly -- was defense. The Aztecs, who had just one interception in their first five games, had four against the Utes, including two from cornerback Ricky Sharpe. They also surrendered just 32 yards on the ground, 149 below the Utes average. The offense did OK, too, with J.R. Tolver, the nation's leading receiver, hauling in 16 passes for 185 yards. He needs just one more reception to break Will Blackwell's school career record of 197. San Diego State has a good chance to improve to 2-0 in conference play this weekend at Wyoming. The Aztecs have won eight of their last games in Laramie. ... UNLV will start beleaguered quarterback Jason Thomas against BYU on Saturday, but backup Kurt Nantkes will also play. Neither looked good in the dispiriting 25-16 defeat to New Mexico in front of vociferously disgruntled fans. Thomas completed 12-of-30 passes for 188 yards. He also lost a fumble and his interception was returned for a touchdown. Nantkes completed 5-of-14 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, but threw a pair of interceptions and was sacked for a safety. Thomas was booed mercilessly, but the offensive line was just as much at fault. The already inexperienced unit will be without injured tackles Keith Kincaid and Zach Gorham this weekend. As if things couldn't get any worse, the Rebels are 1-8 all-time against BYU. ... Utah's four game losing streak wasn't much of a present as coach Ron McBride celebrated his 63rd birthday this week. After losing close games to quality opponents, the Utes were dumped 36-17 last weekend against previously winless San Diego State. It was their worst defeat since losing 38-10 in the 1996 Copper Bowl to Wisconsin. "The situation here is not good -- people expect more and I expect more," McBride said. "Everything that's gone wrong for the last 13 years … gets thrown in your face." More bad news: Utah will try to avoid its first five-game losing streak since 1986 against Colorado State, which has beaten the Utes four consecutive times. McBride had tried to give his team a spark by starting Brett Elliott at quarterback over Lance Rice. Elliott completed 28-of-50 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. McBride said he would still go with Elliott this weekend. ... Wyoming put up a fight against Colorado State before losing 44-36, demonstrating that the Cowboys aren't quitting on embattled coach Vic Koenning. The Pokes rallied from a 30-14 deficit to tie the score 30-30, but the Rams scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to escape with the victory. Wyoming plays host to another 1-5 team this weekend: San Diego State. The Cowboys have lost three consecutive games to the Aztecs by a combined count of 111-33.

Ted Miller covers college football for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.