Air Force Academy –
Although barely eligible for his wings, Air Force sophomore quarterback Shaun Carney is bringing the forward pass back to an offense that has been pretty much landlocked for 24 years.
“We have no question in our ability to throw the ball,” Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said, a departure from the usual preseason talk at Falcons camp.
When Air Force meets Washington on Saturday, expect Carney to test the Huskies’ secondary early and often.
“We’re not going to call a pass where we’re hoping we can complete the pass,” DeBerry said. “We’re going to call a pass because we know that we can complete the pass. But we also have players who can catch the ball and players who can protect.”
Carney emerged from the preseason to become a surprise starter a year ago, and racked up the fourth-most passing yards since Air Force went to the triple option in 1980. Carney completed 91-of-149 passes for 1,315 yards and 11 touchdowns with six interceptions.
His passing performance came two years after Chance Harridge scored 22 rushing touchdowns, an NCAA record for quarterbacks. If nothing else, Carney’s right arm and 61.1 completion percentage have changed how Air Force coaches view their offense.
Carney is up for the challenge, saying he has shaken some of the uncertainties of playing as a freshman.
“I feel more comfortable, and I have a lot more confidence,” he said. “I feel stronger and faster, and I know everybody a lot better.”
That includes offensive coordinator Chuck Petersen, who is giving Carney more freedom.
“He trusts me more and that gives me confidence and that transfers to the field,” Carney said.
Petersen said Carney’s growth gives the rest of the team confidence.
“This time last year we really hadn’t named a starter,” Petersen said. “It’s settling to know we have a commodity who we have a great deal of confidence in.”
Carney prepared for his second season by studying his craft. He and his brother Mark, the quarterbacks coach at the University of Richmond, talked about techniques of quarterbacking.
“I’m excited about the season,” said Carney, a 5-foot-10, 190-pounder. “I don’t think what we do with the ball is a big issue with the team. We’re just out to win games. Our offense is playing well together, and we have a little swagger.”
While traveling through the air isn’t as frightening as it once was at Air Force, the ground game is still the base of DeBerry’s attack, and Carney will be called on to be its leader there, too.
“You have to see yourself as a halfback accepting the challenge of running the football to be a quarterback in our offense,” DeBerry said. “If anyone is thinking we’re a precise Southern Cal team at throwing the ball, we’re not. The running game is our bread and butter, but if we can throw the ball successfully, it’s going to help our running game. But a good running game opens up the play-action passing off the option. That’s why the option is such a difficult offense to defend.”
Petersen envisions an offense more in line with that run by former quarterbacks Blane Morgan and Mike Thiessen, who were expert at running the option and could make a defense pay if it ganged up on the run.
Morgan was the quarterback from 1997-98 when the Falcons went 22-4, won the Western Athletic Conference championship in 1998 and defeated Washington 45-25 in the Oahu Bowl. Thiessen took Air Force to a 9-3 record in 2000 and a 37-34 victory over Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Bowl. He threw for 1,687 yards, the most in DeBerry’s era, and rushed for 713 yards.
“To a point, our offense is evolving,” Petersen said. “But we have to be able to run the football and use our passing game to complement that. That’s never going to change. But Shaun gives us the flexibility of doing things when we want to do them and not when we have to do them.
“We’re going to do what we have to do to win games. If that means throwing the ball 30 times, we will.”
The Falcons are smarting from back-to-back dismal seasons, including a 5-6 mark a year ago, only the third losing season in DeBerry’s 21 years. The past two years have ended with no bowl, and even more galling was losing the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to Navy each year. The Falcons had won or maintained the trophy 13 of the previous 14 years.
Asked about goals this year, DeBerry said: “We want to challenge in the conference race. We want to go to a bowl game and win it. But we have to regain the dominance against Army and Navy.”
To do that, DeBerry isn’t putting the entire burden on an offense he said he believes will only get better.
“The success of our season will depend on how much we improve defensively,” DeBerry said, noting the Falcons surrendered 31.1 points a game last year. “And we have to return to being special on our special teams. ”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
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AIR FORCE
Coach: Fisher DeBerry, 161-94-1
2004 record: 5-6 overall, 3-4 MWC
What’s new: The Falcons are coming off a losing season for the first time in 12 years. That’s not funny for a program that ranks 22nd nationally in victories (63) the past eight years.
What to look for: Air Force fans will know early how good this team is, starting with a road game at Washington and key early-season MWC games against San Diego State, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado State.
Irv Moss predicts: 8-3 overall, 5-3. Falcons are always good for an upset or two.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jacobe Kendrick, FB
His running could make the Falcons go.
Jon Wilson, C
The backbone of the projected strength of the offensive unit.
Denny Poland, SS
Veteran should lead, and the defense needs leadership.
Jason Brown, WR
If the talk of more passing is for real, Brown will be where the action is.
Gilberto Perez, DE
Air Force’s most active defensive lineman and key to its defensive front.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Offense
Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr.
WR 9 Jason Brown 6-4 225 Sr.
TE 91 Robert McMenomy 6-4 235 Sr.
LT 72 Robert Kraay 6-8 295 Jr.
LG 65 Lawrence Hufford 6-1 280 Sr.
C 56 Jon Wilson 6-4 300 Sr.
RG 62 Curtis Grantham 6-2 280 Sr.
RT 57 Ross Weaver 6-7 295 Sr.
QB 5 Shaun Carney 5-10 190 So.
FB 8 Jacobe Kendrick 6-0 230 Jr.
HB 23 Chad Hall 5-8 180 So.
HB 18 Justin Handley 5-8 175 Jr.
K 12 Scott Eberle 6-1 200 Sr.
Defense
Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr.
LE 55 Gilberto Perez 6-3 275 Jr.
NG 88 Russ Mitscherling 6-3 290 Sr.
RE 78 Nelson Mitchell 6-1 260 Sr.
LLB 26 Jared Baxley 6-0 200 Jr.
ILB 42 Joey Keller 6-2 240 Jr.
RLB 1 Overton Spence 6-2 245 Sr.
SS 27 Denny Poland 6-3 230 Sr.
SS 31 John Taibi 6-2 205 Sr.
LC 2 Carson Bird 5-11 190 So.
RC 6 Chris Sutton 6-0 180 Jr.
FS 11 Bobby Giannini 6-2 210 So.
P 30 Donny Heaton 6-2 195 Sr.
KEY GAMES
Sept. 10 vs. San Diego State
Oct. 8 at Navy
With Air Force there are two trophies to play for: the Mountain West Conference championship and the Commander-in-Chief’s against Army and Navy. The Falcons need a fast start in conference play and get nemesis San Diego State in the second week. The Aztecs have won the past three meetings. Air Force has lost two in a row to Navy, a team it used to dominate.
2005 SCHEDULE
Sept. 3 at Wash. (Seattle), 1:30 p.m., KMGH-7
Sept. 10 San Diego State, noon, ESPN
Sept. 17 Wyoming, noon, SportsWest
Sept. 22 at Utah, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Sept. 29 at Colorado State, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Oct. 8 at Navy, 11:30 a.m., CSTV
Oct. 15 Nevada-Las Vegas, TBA
Oct. 22 TCU, 1 p.m., ESPN Regional
Oct. 29 at BYU, TBA
Nov. 5 Army, 1:30 p.m., ESPN Classic
Nov. 19 at New Mexico, TBA
