AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.—For the first in nearly a quarter-century, the Air Force Falcons won’t have Fisher DeBerry on the sidelines or the triple-option as their offense Saturday.
New coach Troy Calhoun, the first former cadet to be named head coach at the school, will make his debut when Air Force plays South Carolina State at Falcon Stadium.
Calhoun brings much more than a new face to academy. He brings NFL experience and a new pro style offense. He spent four years on Mike Shanahan’s staff in Denver, then followed Gary Kubiak to the Houston Texans, where he was offensive coordinator last season.
Calhoun has ditched the classic wishbone and wing-T offense that the Falcons were known for under DeBerry, who resigned over the winter after 23 years at the academy. Questions abound about whether the new style will fit with a team full of players recruited for the ground game.
The players, however, are excited about opening up the offense.
“So far there hasn’t been one person on offense that wishes we could go back to the old triple-option,” insisted running back Kip McCarthy. “I think we’re going to surprise some teams with how well we’ll be able to pass the ball this year.”
High praise considering McCarthy plays at the most glorified position in the old offense.
Calhoun said the team isn’t throwing all the option-style plays out the window, but there aren’t any wishbone formations in his playbook, he said.
“I think teams, when they look at (Air Force), what they’re going to look for is, ‘Do they have an adequate runner at quarterback? Do they execute the option well?’ That will still be a key part of what we do,” Calhoun said.
But there is no doubt the emphasis has shifted to the passing game.
Last year’s leading rusher, Chad Hall, was moved to wide receiver, where he can continue to have a big role in Calhoun’s offense.
South Carolina State is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA, and was the coaches’ pick to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The Bulldogs have four players on the All-MEAC first team, including the reigning freshman of the year, running back William Ford.
“You look at NFL Hall of Famers Harry Carson, Marion Motley, Deacon Jones, they all played at South Carolina State,” Calhoun said. “You flip the tape on and there’s the evidence. That’s all you need to see. This is a talented football team.”
Air Force returns senior quarterback Shaun Carney, who was school’s first-ever freshman to start a season opener in 2004. He threw 12 touchdown passes and only three interceptions in just 137 attempts last season.
“He’s a guy that I think can be a dual-threat player,” Calhoun said, noting that Carney led the team in passing and rushing in 2005.
“He’s not incredibly dynamic as a runner, but he’s more than adequate. From a leadership standpoint, I think he’s got a very good command of what we’re doing.”
