AIR FORCE ACADEMY — One of the staples of the success in Troy Calhoun’s term as Air Force’s coach has been the Falcons achieving his desire for a more tenacious and effective defense.
Tim DeRuyter, a former Air Force player, as is Calhoun, was brought in as the defensive coordinator. Some credited DeRuyter’s aggressive coaching personality as a factor in restoring the vigor in the Falcons’ defense.
Last year in an 8-5 season, the Falcons ranked second in the Mountain West Conference and 11th nationally in total defense, allowing just 288.3 yards per game. The Falcons were second in the MWC and 10th nationally in scoring defense, allowing an average of 15.7 points. They led the MWC and ranked fifth nationally in pass defense, allowing 154.3 yards per game.
DeRuyter left for Texas A&M during the offseason, and Calhoun quickly filled his absence from within, promoting Matt Wallerstedt.
“They’re both quality coaches,” Calhoun said of DeRuyter and Wallerstedt. “Our defense is an area that has improved, but hopefully we’ve improved across the board. We still have the same coaches who put the game plans together.”
Wallerstedt is in his third season with the Falcons.
“I’m going to be pretty aggressive with them as far as pushing them to do things right,” Wallerstedt said of his coaching technique. “I’ll be squeezing them for effort. One thing about coaching here, you don’t have to pry the players too hard.”
Wallerstedt believes football is played and coached with emotion, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“Keeping things the same with continuity and terminology for the most part and our staff being intacted helps in a transition,” Wallerstedt said. “It’s a team effort here. It’s not Tim DeRuyter. It’s not Matt Wallerstedt. It’s a collective group of minds.”
Wallerstedt’s first challenge as a coordinator in the MWC comes Saturday against Brigham Young, which owns a 24-6 record and a six-game winning streak against the Falcons. To add to the challenge, the BYU offense uses two quarterbacks: junior Riley Nelson and freshman Jake Heaps.
Defensive line coach Ron Burton, in his eighth season at Air Force, said all of the Falcons’ defensive coaches are aggressive in the way they teach.
“Being aggressive is the mentality you’re looking for on your defense,” Burton said. “Our defensive staff is together. Hearing the same voice in the same situation is a plus. That’s a great carryover on our staff.”
Outside linebackers coach Matt Weikert said DeRuyter was an intense coach with a lot of energy and that Wallerstedt is the same.
“I think it rubs off on our defenders in a good way,” Weikert said. “They’re both tremendous motivators.”
Junior safety Jon Davis believes the Falcons follow their coaches.
“Coach DeRuyter kept us calm and put us in the right spots,” Davis said. “Coach Wallerstedt does the same things, and the entire defense plays to his intensity.”
Calhoun had the best answer.
“Having big, fast and experienced players is when you play the best,” he said.
Irv Moss: 303-934-6800 or imoss@denverpost.com
