AIR FORCE ACADEMY — After talking about the challenges his team faces Saturday at Minnesota, Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun said Tuesday the Falcons aren’t being led to slaughter.
He acknowledged the size, speed and strength of the Gophers and the added incentive of playing the inaugural game in a new TCF Bank Stadium, but he didn’t give any indication that the Falcons are sacrificial lambs.
Calhoun didn’t need a reminder of an overmatched team, thinking back to just Saturday when his team swamped Nicholls State 72-0 in Falcon Stadium.
“When this game was first scheduled we were coming off of a 4-8 season,” Calhoun said. “And yet, you also know when you go to the Air Force Academy, you embrace challenges. If you don’t want to embrace challenges, you’re at the wrong school. We’re going to get a stern test Saturday night.”
Calhoun said the test against the Gophers would be above and beyond the challenges the Falcons have faced in a while. Thoughts along those lines go back to the 2006 season when Air Force opened the season at Tennessee, losing a 31-30 squeaker.
“We know we have to play with a unique lightning jolt inside,” Calhoun said. “That absolutely will be required this Saturday. We have some players who are pretty mature guys. They may not all be seniors, but we have enough. It’s going to take an effort by everybody involved.”
Irv Moss: 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
