Sophomore kicker enjoys strong debut for Falcons

Perhaps no player on the Air Force roster has a tougher act to follow than kicker Erik Soderberg.

The sophomore is charged with replacing Ryan Harrison — a two-year starter and one of the Falcons’ better kickers.

Soderberg had a successful and confidence-inspiring debut. He made all seven of his extra-point attempts and his lone field-goal try of 23 yards in Saturday’s 72-0 victory over Nicholls State.

“I thought it went pretty well today,” he said. “Made all the kicks. Kickoffs were pretty good. Got to work on placement a little bit with the ball on kickoffs. But I felt good to get out there and get some jitters out.”

Soderberg misplaced his first kickoff, sending it down the middle — “we want the ball on the hash (marks) or outside between the hash and the sideline,” he said. But “he hit his later kickoffs fine,” coach Troy Calhoun said, including a “decent squib kick” into the wind in the second quarter.

“He’s just another guy who’s got to play,” Calhoun said. “He’s got a good leg, you can see the ball, he’s got some good pop off his foot.”

Soderberg, who hails from Eden Prairie, Minn., will head home next weekend when Air Force plays at Minnesota.

“I know a bunch of people that go to school there, so they’ve been talking a little smack,” he said. “So it’ll be a fun time. I’m excited.”