AIR FORCE ACADEMY — When Air Force coach Troy Calhoun acknowledges his team’s passing game has to get better, it could be considered an understatement.
Even though Air Force’s average of 57 yards passing a game ranks last among the 119 Division I-A teams, there isn’t any panic in Calhoun’s practice sessions.
“Naturally I’m concerned, because we need some balance to what we do,” Calhoun said. “We probably need to be better with our passing offense.”
With the Falcons (3-1) having a bye before playing Navy at Falcon Stadium on Oct. 4, quarterback Shea Smith is 18-of-36 passing this season for 228 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
The team’s top targets — senior receiver Ty Paffett and senior tight end Travis Dekker — have not played this season because of injuries. Senior receiver Spencer Armstrong also is sidelined until mid-November with a broken bone in his left leg.
The passing game troubles seem to be standard for service academies. While Air Force ranks last in passing offense, Army is next to last and Navy is fourth from the bottom.
“I think primarily that’s the way it has been for the service academies over the last 30 years,” Calhoun said. “That doesn’t mean that’s the course you continue to chart. But it does tell how important it is to recruit and develop skill players on offense.
“I think if you look back three and four years, Navy did a dynamite job recruiting some skill players.”
On the other side, Navy and Air Force still show that running the ball continues to be the academy teams’ strength. Navy leads the nation in rushing at 345.8 yards a game, and Air Force is fifth, averaging 281.8.
“I don’t think there have been many academy teams over the last 30 years that have gone into a game with a throw-first mentality,” Calhoun said.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
