Seventh place, Air Force

08-29-2007

By Tom Shanahan, San Diego Hall of Champions

QUARTERBACKS: For most of 23 seasons, they’ve wonder at Air Force how the program would survive without Fisher DeBerry leading the program to national rankings and bowl wins with a triple option offense. Well, the Falcons are about to find out. DeBerry has retired after a third straight losing season and fourth straight year without a bowl trip. New head coach Troy Calhoun is an Air Force graduate who returns to the Academy from coaching in the NFL. Calhoun was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Houston Texans in 2006 after head coach Gary Kubiak was named head coach and brought Calhoun with him from the Denver Broncos’ staff. Although Calhoun started at Air Force in 1986 under DeBerry, he is taking the program in a new direction, scrapping the triple option for a multiple offense. He has experience to help in the transition as senior Shaun Carney is a returning starter who earned honorable mention last year in the MWC. Carney wasn’t asked to throw the ball much in the triple option, but he completed 84 of 146 passes for 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Despite Air Force’s record dropping off in DeBerry’s final years, Carney ranks third in career total offense with 5,824 yards.

RUNNING BACKS: Senior running back Chad Hall, a second-team All-MWC pick a year ago, is another veteran who provides experience in the backfield as Air Force makes the transition in offensive style. Hall averaged 5.1 yards a carry with 155 carries for 784 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Ryan Williams takes over at fullback after gaining 442 yards and scoring four touchdowns. But Air Force’s running backs aren’t big, and they must make a difficult adjustment of blocking against the blitz in an new offensive scheme.

RECEIVERS: Senior tight end Travis Dekker is the only returning starter among the receivers, but he was primarily a blocker last year. He caught only four passes for 40 yards and one touchdown. The new offense means Calhoun will identify a wide receiver and a slot receiver instead of the normal one split end in the triple option. Senior Mark Root junior Spencer Armstrong split that role a year ago. Root averaged 19.6 yards and catch on 16 receptions.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Senior center Blaine Guenther is the only returning starter in the offensive line, but one reason for the 4-8 record last year was the number of injuries among the offensive line. That means backups gained playing time in a constantly shuffling lineup. After spring ball, the tackles are senior Dan Holder and senior Ryan Zeman and the guards are senior Caleb Morris and sophomore Nicholas Charles. But more changes could be made as the season begins. The backups include juniro Chris Manson and sophomore Chris Campbell at the tackle spots and junior Tyler Weeks and junior Andrew Pipes at guard. Sophomore Michael Hampton backs up Guenther, but he can also shift to guard.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Unlike the change on offense, Air Force will still play a three-man front on defense. Junior Jake Paulson is the only returning starter up front as a defensive end. Junior Keith Williams has the edge on Ben Garland at nose tackle and junior Ryan Kemp emerged as the other starting defensive end from spring drills. Air Force must improve its pass rush in the pass-happy MWC. Paulson had only two sacks last year and the team totaled only 18.

LINEBACKERS: Senior Drew Fowler was a first-team All-MWC pick who led the conference in tackles with 123. His average of 10.2 tackles a game ranked 11th in the nation. His career-high was 18 against Navy. Air Force has played a 3-3-5 scheme in recent years, but the new alignment is a 3-4. Seniors John Rabold and Julian Madrid were rovers, a cross between an outside linebacker and safety in the old scheme. But they will line up as outside linebackers in the new defense. That means there are three returning starters at linebacker, although only Fowler lined up as a linebacker a year ago. Brandon Reeves and Austin Randle will play inside next to Fowler.

SECONDARY: Normally the secondary would list four returning starters, but Rabold and Madrid have shifted positions in the new scheme. But there are two other traditional defensive backs that are returning starters. Senior free safety Bobby Giannini earned honorable mention All-MWC and was third on the team in tackles with 64. Senior cornerback Garrett Rybak returns as the Falcons’ top cover guy. Junior Kevin Rivers will play cornerback and sophomore Chris Thomas is the strong safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Air Force traditionally has a strong kicking game, but the Falcons will rely on a new kicker and punter. Senior Zach Sasser is being counted on to handle both duties.

Returning starters: 10; Offense 4; QB: 1; RB: 1; WR/TE: 1; OL: 1; Defense 6; DL: 1; LB: 3; DB: 2; ST: 0.

2006 Record: 4-8; 2006 Conf. Record: 3-5

Head Coach: Troy Calhoun (1)

Last Bowl Appearance: 2002 San Francisco Bowl

Lost to Virginia Tech 20-13

2006 Turnover Ratio: + 8

Home Surface: Grass

Returning Lettermen: 50

Lettermen Lost: 18

Offense: Multiple

Defense: Multiple