AFA back to Armed Forces Bowl, will face Houston

Air Force received a double-dose of déjà vu on Sunday.

As expected, the Falcons were extended an official invitation to play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth on Dec. 31 (kickoff is set for 10 a.m.). And, as expected, the Falcons will face Houston.

This will be Air Force's second straight trip to the Armed Forces Bowl and its second game against Houston this season in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Falcons defeated Houston, 31-28, on Sept. 13 at Sothern Methodist University's stadium.

When you add in Air Force's regular-season finale against TCU, this will be the Falcons' fourth game in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since Dec. 31, 2007.

But Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and athletic director Hans Mueh said the academy had no problems going back to the same bowl and playing a team it already faced.

"When you get to play in a bowl game, you're pleased as can be, no matter who the opponent is," he said. "For us, you can never get too picky in that way."

Mueh added that the first game against Houston, moved to Dallas on short notice because of Hurricane Ike, was not seen by many people. It wasn't televised, and attendance was generously announced at 2,546. Playing in the Armed Forces Bowl also helps Air Force because Dallas-Fort Worth is an extremely fertile recruiting area. Eleven starters or backups hail from Texas

"If we could go to this bowl 10 straight years, we would be very, very pleased," Calhoun said.

Players expressed excitement about going to a bowl, though some said they would have preferred to play at a different site.

"It would have been nice to go to a different location, but we've got the opportunity to go to a bowl game and not a lot of teams get to say that," said sophomore cornerback Reggie Rembert, who is from Flower Mound, Texas, which is about 45 minutes from Fort Worth.

"My preference would have been to play in new area, but no complaints at all," added senior kicker Ryan Harrison, who is from Keller, Texas, which is about 20 minutes from Fort Worth.

Air Force already had put in motion most of its preparation for the bowl, as an invitation seemed all but certain. Mueh said the academy already had received about 1,500 commitments for ticket purchases.