Air Force Academy – It seems like just yesterday that Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry had all the answers for anyone who doubted his program.
“People would say that we couldn’t beat Notre Dame, we couldn’t beat Texas, we couldn’t beat Virginia Tech, we couldn’t beat Washington, we couldn’t beat Ohio State, we couldn’t beat BYU. We’ve proved them wrong before,” DeBerry was fond of saying. “We’ve always been overmatched in some people’s minds.”
Those glory days seem long ago after a combined nine victories in the past two years – the worst back-to-back seasons of the DeBerry era, which began in 1984.
By comparison, the Falcons had only two losing seasons total in DeBerry’s first 20 years as coach.
The satisfaction of winning big games and playing the underdog role to the hilt has been reduced to scrapbooks. The big question in the AFA camp is, where do the Falcons go from here with much of last year’s team returning to try it again? With Tennessee and Notre Dame on the schedule this year, the opportunity exists for headline-grabbing victories – and a restoration of DeBerry’s legacy.
But the once-solid Air Force program has shown signs of cracking in areas other than the win-loss columns. Last season, after a 48-10 pounding by TCU, DeBerry signaled the need for better athletes in the program and especially minority athletes. The program was rocked during preseason practice by the indefinite suspension of touted kicker Ryan Harrison for breaking academy rules and the brief suspension of offensive line coach Pete Hurt because of an altercation with a player.
Banking mostly on additional game experience could prove a difficult road to recapturing past glory.
Quarterback Shaun Carney, already a two-year starter entering his junior season, believes the best plan is to ignore the recent past.
“We haven’t talked about the last two years,” Carney said. “Our program has great tradition. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.”
But DeBerry is looking to the past to provide a clue to the future. Namely, the necessity for better production on the ground out of his triple-option offense, which he believes will lead to more time of possession, less pressure on his defense and more opportunities for big plays in the passing game.
Air Force averaged 30 points a game last season, which DeBerry believes is plenty to post a winning record. Too often, however, the offense was erratic and prone to mistakes, and when it really needed a significant drive, often could not produce.
Carney’s return is a huge plus in DeBerry’s estimation, though he wants his quarterback to run the ball more. “There’s not much he hasn’t seen in a game,” DeBerry said. “He’s a talented player who is capable of running and passing the football. He knows how to react, and he radiates confidence to the rest of the team.”
If Carney can be a bigger running threat, DeBerry believes his fullbacks have a chance to be more effective, with the defense less able to key on them.
Senior Jacobe Kendrick was the leader at fullback, having rushed for 532 yards a year ago, but is nursing a hamstring injury. Junior Ryan Williams has moved to the front. Charles Wells and Scott Peeples are backups.
“If you run the offense we do, everything starts with the fullback game,” DeBerry said. “When we’ve been able to control the ball for 34 to 36 minutes a game, we’ve had some really outstanding teams.”
But last season, the Falcons’ offense averaged just over 30 minutes of possession time per game, a major reason DeBerry believes they lost four games by three points or fewer, along with turnover problems that led to the AFA defense surrendering 31.7 points per game.
Air Force also has lacked a breakaway threat at halfback. A year ago, the Falcons’ halfbacks combined for 794 yards rushing and just four touchdowns, not enough to put much fear into a defense – especially on the flanks. The fullbacks, by comparison, accounted for 933 yards and 10 touchdowns, while the quarterbacks ran for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“We had a lot of young guys who played last year and that’s the basis for our hope throughout this team,” said DeBerry, when asked how much the same group of players would turn things around.
Said offensive coordinator Chuck Petersen: “We’re in a better position than last year because all of them have played a year.”
It won’t take long for DeBerry to find out what he has. The Falcons’ opener is Sept. 9 at Tennessee, one of the marquee programs in college football. The difficulty increases late in the season, when Notre Dame comes to Falcon Stadium on Nov. 11.
Air Force players are banking on experience and team chemistry to break through and get back to a bowl game for the first time since the 2002 season.
“We believe we can beat anybody when we step on the field,” junior safety Bobby Giannini said. “I don’t want to go through my college career without going to a bowl game.”
Said senior offensive tackle Robert Kraay, “We want our legacy to be that we turned this program around.”
DeBerry can see that happening, even as the list of doubters grows. “That’s what we thrive on,” DeBerry said of the Falcons’ underdog role. “That’s what we’re all about. We want to have a winning season.”
Eye on the Falcons
Coach: Fisher DeBerry, 23rd year (165-101-1)
2005 record: 4-7 (3-5 Mountain West Conference)
What’s new: Installation of artificial turf at Falcon Stadium, replacing natural turf.
What to look for: How Air Force replaces wide receivers Jason Brown and Greg Kirkwood, who combined for 79 catches and nine touchdowns last year. Without an effective passing game, the Falcons have trouble keeping defenses honest.
Irv Moss predicts: 5-7. A third consecutive losing season, mainly because of a rugged nonconference schedule that includes Tennessee and Notre Dame.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FB Jacobe Kendrick: A force when healthy, which has been a problem in his career.
HB Chad Hall: Falcons need someone to step up at halfback; Hall has had the best preseason practice.
QB Shaun Carney: He has proved he can throw for 1,000 yards. Now he needs to rush for 1,000.
WR Victor Thompson: Falcons were depleted at wide receiver. Thompson leads that returning corps with six career catches.
FS Bobby Giannini: He led team in tackles (92), interceptions (three) and forced fumbles (two) last year as a sophomore.
2006 SCHEDULE
Sept. 9 at Tennessee, 5 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Wyoming, 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 New Mexico, noon
Oct. 7 Navy, noon
Oct. 12 Colorado State, 6 p.m.
Oct. 21 at San Diego State, 6 p.m.
Oct. 28 Brigham Young, noon
Nov. 3 at Army, 6 p.m.
Nov. 11 Notre Dame, 2 p.m.
Nov. 18 Utah, 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 at UNLV, 5 p.m.
Dec. 2 at Texas Christian, 2:30 p.m.
KEY GAME | SEPT. 23 AT WYOMING
The Falcons open conference play in their second game, not exactly ideal preparation time. Both teams are predicted to finish near the bottom of the league, so a victory here, especially on the road, could jump-start the Falcons’ season heading into three consecutive home games on the new turf.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
