Air Force Academy – Round one in the battle for the starting tailback slot at Air Force went to Kip McCarthy.
McCarthy vaulted ahead of seniors Chad Smith and Jim Ollis in coach Troy Calhoun’s appraisal Monday after the Falcons’ first practice with full pads. Going into preseason practices, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound McCarthy, a senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, was third on the depth chart.
McCarthy’s playing time has been minimal the past two years, but Calhoun wasn’t minimal in accessing the first day of heavy practice.
“No doubt about it, he’s our starter right now,” Calhoun said. “It was pretty clear-cut today. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the crew.”
McCarthy explained he recognized the time and place. He knows once the Falcons get into full pads, everyone is getting evaluated a little harder.
“Just because I had one day of good practice, I don’t think that puts me No. 1 at all,” McCarthy said. “It’s still up in the air for sure.”
But Calhoun wasn’t sure that McCarthy didn’t win the first- day battle by default.
“I thought our running backs as a group were poor today with the exception of Kip McCarthy,” Calhoun said. “Sometimes you get out here and think it’s touch football with no pads and a cream puff, but it’s not. The last time I checked, you’re always going to be in pads, especially on Saturdays.”
Ollis left practice early because of an ankle injury, leaving Calhoun in a searching mode.
“Right now Kip McCarthy is No. 1, but we don’t have a two,” Calhoun said. “We have a bunch of guys who are threes and fours.”
Calhoun’s search could lead to freshman candidates as well as 5-9, 210-pound senior fullback Ryan Williams, who could begin the season with duty scheduled at both positions.
“If I had to set our two-deep today, Ryan Williams might be our No. 2 tailback,” Calhoun said. “But I also bet I’ll have a freshman or two involved.
“We might have eight freshmen up here in four or five days. And in 2008, Air Force might have a bunch of freshmen playing.”
McCarthy said the 2007 season is going to be different in ways other than playing time. Over the past two seasons, McCarthy had 29 carries for 144 yards in 21 games.
“I think the halfbacks will have a little more weight to carry on their shoulders than previous years,” McCarthy said. “It’s a totally different position this year. We’ve kept a little bit of stuff from our offense last year, but we’re running between the tackles this year and that’s something we haven’t done the last three or four years.”
Calhoun has scrapped the triple-option offense Fisher DeBerry used for 23 years as Air Force’s coach. While Calhoun says the Falcons still will run some option, he also has said he is looking for a tailback capable of getting 20, 22 carries a game.
Chad Hall was Air Force’s leading rusher last year with 784 yards in a 4-8 season. Hall, now a senior, has been moved to wide receiver.
Carney returns
Senior quarterback Shaun Carney, a three-year starter, participated Monday after missing practice time last week because of a strained hamstring.
“He was rusty,” Calhoun said. “But our whole practice is better with him out there because he’s taking charge of the offense.
“My gut feeling is he’s going to be a heck of a leader for us on the field.”
Practice times
Calhoun changed the practice schedule for the next two days before classes begin Thursday.
The Falcons will work at 2:45 p.m. today instead of in the morning, and there will be two practices Wednesday, 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Practices will be at 4 p.m. once classes begin.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
