Fisher DeBerry has a strong work ethic, and that may be the biggest hint the longtime coach will be back to help fix a broken Air Force football program.
Some might ask why, at age 68, with a 169-109-1 record in 23 seasons at Air Force as well as a 6-6 mark in bowl games, would DeBerry want to return?
The Falcons have had three straight losing seasons, the first streak of that kind in the De- Berry era, and did not win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
But after Saturday’s 38-14 loss at Texas Christian that finished the Falcons’ season at 4-8, De- Berry was pointing forward.
“This team has a lot of work to do,” he said. “I expect us to win. I think this program has some good young players. Sometimes we come up a little shy on talent. Our football team has to get into the weight room, get stronger and gain some confidence. The No. 1 thing we have to do now is get out and recruit players.”
Next year’s Falcons will be senior-laden, led by quarterback Shaun Carney, who most likely will be a starter for the fourth consecutive season. That’s another reason DeBerry can be expected to roll up his sleeves and help put Air Force football back on track.
“You look at Notre Dame,” DeBerry said. “Notre Dame has 28 seniors and has played with basically the same team week in and week out. When you can’t play with the same team week in and week out, it makes a difference.”
The Falcons were hit with many injuries this year, losing 13 linemen for the season or a significant period of time.
AFA athletic director Hans Mueh said Sunday that DeBerry is frustrated about how the 2006 season played out. But he also expects DeBerry to return.
“He’s still the head coach,” Mueh said. “We always talk after the season ends. We haven’t been able to do that yet, but we will. Anything before we meet is premature.”
DeBerry and Mueh are in New York this week to attend the induction ceremony of former Air Force star Chad Hennings into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Toward the end of the season, the Falcons’ performance indicated opponents, particularly in the Mountain West Conference, weren’t fretting over playing against their triple-option offense. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said playing the Falcons still is the ultimate “chess match,” but noted that MWC teams are familiar with their option attack now.
Carney said he believed the edge provided by the difficulty in preparing to play Air Force in a short week of practice has disappeared.
AFA offensive coordinator Chuck Petersen disputes that.
“I really don’t think it has disappeared,” Petersen said. “Take a poll of the eight conference opponents. I think they’ll tell you they still are concerned about what we’re doing.”
Petersen said Air Force’s offense deserved a B grade for the season. However, the Falcons were shut out in the first half of four MWC games, by San Diego State, Brigham Young, Utah and TCU, and Air Force’s scoring was down about six points a game from the past two seasons.
The Falcons lost three games by a total of seven points. And San Diego State beat Air Force 19-12, but that margin was deceiving because the Aztecs scored a touchdown on a fumbled kickoff return as time expired.
San Diego State and Utah kicked winning field goals in the closing seconds of their games.
Air Force’s defense struggled against BYU and quarterback John Beck in a 33-14 loss to the MWC champion Cougars. TCU quarterback Jeff Ballard said after Saturday’s game he thought Air Force played soft defense.
But the AFA defense was the big factor in the Falcons beating Army 43-7, with a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Adam Zanotti. The Falcons also intercepted four passes.
Junior linebacker Austin Randle, who made his first start Saturday against TCU, is a voice of the Falcons’ future.
“We can bring enthusiasm,” Randle said. “We’re itching to come in and make an impact.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
AFA SEASON REPORT CARD
Offense
D Air Force’s running game produced 41 more yards than it did last year, but six fewer touchdowns. Shaun Carney’s passing was the mainstay of the offense, and his 12 passing touchdowns were five more than a year ago. However, his overall yardage was down 201 yards. In consecutive losses to San Diego State and Brigham Young, Carney threw a total of only 13 passes.
Defense
C The Falcons brought their average points allowed down to 25 a game, six less than a year ago. Junior linebacker Drew Fowler made 123 tackles, ranking high in the Mountain West Conference and nationally. However, the Falcons had difficulty getting other offenses off the field when it mattered.
Special teams
C Senior kicker Zach Sasser got off to a strong start, earning MWC honors the first two games of the season. But the special-teams performance was spotty down the stretch, and Sasser’s kicking fell off toward the end of the season. A successful two-point conversion attempt in a 31-30 loss at Tennessee could have improved the grade.
Overall
D No excuses for losses to San Diego State and Nevada-Las Vegas. For a team that supposedly wanted to get the program back on the winning side of the ledger, everyone should share the blame. With the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy the top goal, it’s a bad year when it’s not in the Air Force trophy case.
– Irv Moss
Air Force (4-8)
Sept. 9 at Tennessee L, 31-30
Sept. 23 at Wyoming W, 31-24
Sept. 30 New Mexico W, 24-7
Oct. 7 Navy L, 24-17
Oct. 12 Colorado St. W, 24-21
Oct. 21 at San Diego St. L, 19-12
Oct. 28 BYU L, 33-14
Nov. 3 at Army W, 43-7
Nov. 11 Notre Dame L, 39-17
Nov. 18 Utah L, 17-14
Nov. 24 at UNLV L, 42-39
Dec. 2 at TCU L, 38-14
