NCAA Football Preview - Air Force Falcons

Aug 24, 2012 - 5:57 PM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - 2011 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Air Force Falcons closed out the 2010 campaign with four straight wins and a record of 9-4 overall, so big things were expected from the Academy when it took the field last year as well.

In the early going, the Falcons were served some very favorable opponents, defeating the likes of South Dakota, Tennessee State and Navy, but in between the squad kicked off its Mountain West Conference schedule in early September and was defeated by league favorite TCU by a score of 35-19. The victory versus the Midshipmen (35-34 in OT) was by no means easy, but it did come on the road and provided the Falcons with a 3-1 start to the campaign.

Unfortunately, the opposition grew tougher as Notre Dame, San Diego State and Boise State all defeated Air Force by double digits in the three weeks following the triumph over Navy. The Academy was able to get back on track thanks to a 42-0 thrashing of overmatched New Mexico in Albuquerque in late October, and then used a 24-14 win over Army at home to retain possession of the coveted Commander-in-Chief's Trophy which is awarded to the Academy which finishes with the best mark amongst the three programs.

If not for a 25-17 setback versus Wyoming the Falcons, who defeated both UNLV and Colorado State rather convincingly, would have closed out the regular season on a five-game win streak, but instead the team went into the 2011 Military Bowl against the Toledo Rockets riding only a two-game run and finished up only 3-4 in conference play. In a wild meeting the day after Christmas, Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun watched his squad crumble under the pressure of a failed two-point conversion with under a minute remaining in regulation, resulting in a painful 42-41 setback versus the Rockets.

Known primarily as a squad that pounds the ball on the ground one play after another, Air Force finished first in the conference and third in the nation in rushing with 314.8 ypg and again the passing attack took a distant second with just 140.1 ypg. However, quarterback Tim Jefferson did supply plenty of aerial highlights for the Falcons as he became the first signal-caller in service academy history to take his team to the postseason four straight years.

2012 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: The Falcons are in rebuilding mode heading into 2012, trying to figure out how they are going to get by with only a handful of returning starters altogether. Jefferson took almost all of the snaps for the squad when he was healthy and while Air Force is not known as a passing program by any stretch, the signal-caller was able to put his own stamp on the offense while he was at the Academy, something that Connor Dietz might have some trouble replicating.

Now entering his senior campaign, Dietz has attempted a total of just 60 passes in 21 career games, resulting in a grand total of 393 yards and 3 touchdowns. By comparison, in nine games last year he ran for 252 yards and scored twice on 38 attempts so don't be surprised to see the coaching staff revert back to an almost exclusive running attack.

Focusing on who might be coming out of the backfield with the ball, Mike DeWitt is a logical option given that he was second on the team and first among fullbacks with 567 yards and led everyone with 12 touchdowns, tying for third in the MWC in rushing scores.

Wes Cobb was one of four players to carry the ball at least 100 times a year ago, finishing with 425 yards and 4 TDs.

As is typically the case, expect a wealth of players to take their turn carrying the ball for the Falcons in an effort to keep running backs fresh while continuing to pound away at the line of scrimmage.

DEFENSE: Experience on the defensive side of the ball is rather thin for the Falcons. The team will try to build around the example set by linebacker Alex Means. A preseason all-conference selection, Means is the top returning tackler for the group after posting 77 stops a year ago. Means did it all for the Falcons through 13 games as he led the program in tackles for loss (9.5), sacks (6.0) and blocked kicks (2), not to mention placing second with 3 forced fumbles.

Junior linebacker Jamil Cooks also showed an ability to fight his way into the opponent's backfield in 2011 as he rolled up 8.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and a blocked kick of his own.

Providing some experience in the secondary, junior defensive back Anthony Wooding returns after placing fifth on the team in total stops with 57 although, oddly enough, he failed to register a single pass breakup in 13 games for the Falcons.

SPECIAL TEAMS: While both the offense and defense might be in a state of flux for the Falcons, the team can find some comfort in knowing that senior kicker Parker Herrington is ready to repeat as one of the top players at his position in the MWC. Herrington, an all-conference performer who led the Mountain West in field goal percentage (.833), has been named to the 2012 Lou Groza Award Watch List.

David Baska handled the punting duties last year, averaging close to 41 yards per kick and landing six of his 32 attempts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Baska didn't see too much action, compared to a number of other punters in the league, but he can still handle the job.

OUTLOOK: With a shortened practice time, players enduring training outside of football and the area around the Academy being so heavily affected by wild fires, football is always put into perspective at Air Force but the games are still to be played.

"For us, we know we have a pretty significant challenge ahead of us," admits coach Calhoun."

Of all the teams on the schedule this season, Air Force has a winning record against all but two with which it has a previous history, those being Michigan and, surprisingly enough, Idaho State which is first on the list to kick off the month of September. The Falcons actually catch more than a few breaks, missing out on playing Boise State which is a gift all by itself. Then again, the Academy lost by just 11 points to the Broncos when they were ranked seventh in the nation last season, so maybe the Falcons are disappointed in being left off the BSU slate. Catching Hawaii at home is also key, as is playing Navy in Colorado rather than Maryland. The Falcons do have to travel to Army in early November, but still the squad should be able to retain the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy as long as everything goes according to plan.