AIR FORCE ACADEMY — When asked Tuesday what his role could be for Air Force the rest of the season, senior quarterback Shea Smith pointed to the “team player” aspect.
Smith was the Falcons’ starter the first five games as they went 3-2, but freshman Tim Jefferson was the starter Saturday at San Diego State.
The Falcons won 35-10, and Smith played in the fourth quarter after Jefferson suffered a mild concussion. Smith completed both of his passes for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Jefferson rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown and had the Falcons ahead 28-10 when he left. Tuesday morning at his weekly news conference, coach Troy Calhoun wouldn’t officially say Smith is now the reliever.
However, after practice Calhoun said if he “had to pick right now,” Jefferson would be the starter in Saturday night’s game at Nevada-Las Vegas.
“I still think you have to go week to week,” Calhoun said. “Shea will play for us a good bit. I can’t necessarily tell you when. I have an idea. You always have to plan and prepare for various spots. Shea is a phenomenal leader and he has everything you want — the kind of heart, the kind of spirit, the kind of will — to be a quarterback on a football team and a graduate of the Air Force Academy. He’s going to have to do a lot on the field for our team.”
Calhoun said Jefferson has the composure and awareness needed to play quarterback.
“The more you play the more instinctive you become,” Calhoun said. “(Jefferson) has the grit and the nerve and the field awareness that you want at that position.”
As a starter, Smith is 26-of-48 passing for 356 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. He also has rushed for 229 yards and scored six touchdowns.
“My role is to be ready to play. . . . You go into a game and might get 70 snaps or you might get zero snaps. I’ll be ready for how many I get,” Smith said. “I feel confident I can do whatever needs to be done in this offense. T.J. can do that, too. Even if I don’t play a lot, it’s important to me to show I’m a team player.”
Footnotes.
Calhoun said freshman tailback Asher Clark, who also made his first start against San Diego State, likely would be a starter at UNLV. Clark rushed for 109 yards against the Aztecs. “All of our young players have to learn to play with the kind of strength to where you’re really good with the ball even when you get drilled,” Calhoun said. . . . Calhoun said sophomore fullback Jared Tew, who came out of the San Diego State game with an injured shoulder, has about a 20 percent chance of playing against the Rebels.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
