AIR FORCE ACADEMY — It would seem that Air Force coach Troy Calhoun’s game plan for Saturday’s game at Colorado State might be ignoring the scouting reports.
Knowing that San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley threw six touchdown passes Saturday against the Rams and CSU’s pass defense ranks 116th among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, it would seem Calhoun would have quarterback Tim Jefferson warming up his right arm. That’s not the case.
Calhoun has maintained all week that Air Force is a running football team, and he intends to stick with his usual game plan.
“Fort Collins is a challenging place for us to play,” Calhoun said. “We know we have to play excellent football in every part of the game. But that’s what our guys have to do every week.”
Air Force has won at CSU only once in the past 11 seasons.
Comments from several principals in the passing game show the players are going along with Calhoun’s appraisal without question. In his assessment of Jefferson, Calhoun doesn’t provide even a hint that more passing might be part of the game plan.
“I think the ball comes off his hand fairly clean both on pitches and throws downfield,” Calhoun said of Jefferson. “He has some experience from both last season and earlier this season.”
Jefferson will start Saturday, after Connor Dietz suffered a broken bone in his right hand in last week’s loss at Utah. Jefferson started the first three games before he suffered an ankle injury.
Even if Calhoun wanted to aim at what might be considered CSU’s weakness, there isn’t a lot of statistical evidence he could. Jefferson and Dietz have combined for 82 pass attempts, 42 completions and three touchdowns in the first eight games. Kevin Fogler leads the Falcons with 12 catches for 227 yards and all four passing touchdowns (including one on a halfback pass from Jonathan Warzeka).
“Every week would be a good week to have everything going in our offense,” Jefferson said. “We’re going to have to execute really well in the running game and hopefully be able to complete some passes to help our running game. We have to have some way to balance out our running game. When we pass, it’s usually off the play action. That keeps the threat of the pass in there.”
Warzeka has caught 11 passes for 139 yards and isn’t expecting to get tired running on pass routes.
“Our philosophy is to pass when we want and not when we have to,” Warzeka said. “I don’t see us changing the game plan that much. I’ll take a win any day over a pass reception.”
Footnote. Cornerback Reggie Rembert is on the travel squad, but Calhoun hasn’t said whether Rembert will play. He was held out of practice early in the week after suffering a possible concussion in Saturday’s game at Utah.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Three questions for Air Force
1. Will Air Force’s passing offense become a factor in terms of ball control and scoring drives? The Falcons have attempted only 85 passes. In comparison, Texas Tech, the leader in passing offense among NCAA top-division teams, has 408 pass attempts. The Falcons have a 5:16 edge in time of possession over their opponents. The Falcons have chalked up 148 first downs, 22 through the air.
2. Will the Falcons continue coach Troy Calhoun’s record of not being below .500 at any time during his three seasons at Air Force? The 4-4 Falcons need to beat CSU to keep Calhoun’s record intact: He’s made it through 34 games at the helm without a losing record.
3. Will the Falcons get back-to-back wins in Fort Collins for the first time since 1989 and ’91? In recent history, CSU has been tough on the Falcons in Fort Collins, winning four of the past five games at Hughes Stadium. Air Force leads the overall series 27-19-1.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
