AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Zach Payne is a scary guy.
It’s not that he’s a monster. In fact, Air Force’s 6-foot-3, 255-pounder probably is considered a little small for a college defensive tackle.
But Payne is scary to some because he’s a whiz at math. A senior from Hoover, Ala., Payne was in the National Honor Society in mathematics in high school.
Those who are mathematically challenged might look at anyone who can work a problem beyond basic algebra as scary. Payne says he’s not alone.
“I think I had to get an ‘A’ in all my math classes in high school,” Payne said of the national designation. “Math might have been my best subject back then. I don’t think it is now. We have some players on the team who are smarter than me in math. They just try to keep it quiet.
“To get through this school, you have to be a little bit of a nerd.”
Teammate Michael Hester joked that Payne’s status in math was “pretty good for a defensive lineman.”
Payne is facing a mathematical problem as he completes his career at the academy. After missing five games because of a knee injury, he’s now trying to divide four big games into a small season. He got started Saturday against Army with eight tackles in his return.
His initial grade from coach Troy Calhoun didn’t match his math scores in high school.
“Zach struggled in the first half,” Calhoun said, pointing to a part of the game where Army took a 14-0 lead. “But after halftime, he played very well.”
Payne believed it just was a matter of learning to trust his injured knee. His eight tackles were the most of any Falcons lineman.
“We made a couple of adjustments at halftime that really helped,” Payne said. “As you go through a game, you pick up some tendencies of the other team and that helps you play faster.”
How much the Falcons missed Payne during his absence could be judged by a formula from assistant coach Ron Burton, who called Payne his “coach on the field.”
“He’s a big help to our younger players,” Burton said. “He knows the assignments for everybody, and he’s a leader for us.”
Payne’s return has strengthened the defensive line for the final push to a possible winning season and a bowl game.
Next up is Saturday’s game against Wyoming, which has a balanced offense under the direction of freshman quarterback Brett Smith. Smith has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns. Junior tailback Alvester Alexander has 406 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
“It was tough watching while I was injured,” Payne said. “I kept my confidence up that I could get back for the last couple of games.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Three questions for Air Force
1. Will the Falcons increase their series-best winning streak against Wyoming to six games? The Falcons won 20-14 last year in Laramie for their fifth straight victory over the Cowboys. Before Air Force’s current string, both the Falcons and Cowboys had three- game winning streaks in the 49-game series.
2. Will Air Force safety Jon Davis continue his hot play and gain a fourth interception? Davis, the Walter Camp Foundation National defensive player of the week for his play Saturday against Army, has three interceptions with three games to go in the regular season. He also had three interceptions last season.
3. Will the 2011 Cowboys continue on a course that is taking them to their best start to a season in seven years? The 5-3 Cowboys could equal the 6-3 start in 2004. In 1998, the Cowboys started the season 7-2.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
