AIR FORCE ACADEMY — When Air Force opened preseason practice in early August, junior Brady Amack was in the mix to be an answer at inside linebacker.
Ken Lamendola was recovering from knee surgery, and Amack, like most of the other candidates, didn’t have a lot of playing experience.
“You’re always a little concerned when you’re starting a player who hasn’t had many reps in a live game,” defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt said. “We knew (Amack) had good instincts, a good nose for the ball, and he had been recruited as an inside linebacker.”
Lamendola remains out, and Amack has answered the call with a team-leading 28 tackles in four games. He has some window dressing as well with two tackles for a loss, including 1 1/2 sacks, and an interception he returned 50 yards.
“I hope I can step up and be the leader of the defense,” said the 6-foot, 225-pound Amack. “I have some big shoes to fill. But I hold myself to pretty high standards.”
Amack and the entire defense has to play at a high standard Saturday when Navy comes to Falcon Stadium for the first leg of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy run.
The Midshipmen have beaten Air Force seven consecutive times, and senior quarterback Ricky Dobbs is a master at running Navy’s triple-option offense.
“He’s a Heisman Trophy candidate,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said of Dobbs, providing description enough of the task at hand.
In his third start this season, Amack faced what he considered a big-time player in Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray and led the Falcons with 10 tackles against the Sooners.
“I’m never satisfied with my play,” Amack said. “I’m happy with my intensity, but I think playing linebacker is more mental. You can be the biggest and the fastest player, but if you’re not in the right spot, you’re not going to make many defensive plays.”
Amack’s interpretation is especially timely against the Midshipmen. Navy runs an option offense similar to Air Force’s attack, meaning defenders have to play assignment football.
Dobbs mixes in enough passing to keep defenders on their toes. He has completed 19-of-32 passes for 376 yards and a touchdown. He has thrown one interception.
Amack played in 12 games last year and two games as a freshman, but he hadn’t filled a starting assignment until this season.
“He’s not the fastest and most athletic player we have,” Wallerstedt said. “He needs to improve defending open space, but he’s a hard-nosed, blue-collar guy who knows the game. He’s leading the charge like we thought he would.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Three questions for Air Force
1. Will Air Force break Navy’s seven-year hold on the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy? Before Navy’s hold on the trophy that began in 2003, Air Force had won the trophy 16 times outright, including six in a row, and retained it another year. In the past seven years the Navy-Air Force matchup has produced close games with Navy’s average margin of victory at just over five points a game.
2. Will Air Force’s offense break Navy’s defensive string of not allowing a touchdown in 12 quarters and an overtime in games against Army and Air Force? The Falcons have stormed along at a nation-best 394 yards rushing per game. AFA also has 17 rushing touchdowns in four games.
3. Will Air Force’s defense be able to keep Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs out of the end zone? Dobbs is making his 17th career start. He has scored at least one touchdown in each of his 16 career starts and has scored three rushing touchdowns this season.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
