AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Air Force coach Troy Calhoun brought the Falcons back together for practice sessions Friday and Saturday in preparation for the Dec. 28 Military Bowl against Toledo in Washington.
After Friday’s initial workout, Calhoun said his team looked the part of not having been on the field for a week and a half.
“Their ball skills were a little rusty,” Calhoun said. “Once we get back into the football routine, we’ll be all right.”
The Falcons (7-5) practice twice this week before breaking for the holidays. They reassemble Dec. 23 in Washington, where they will practice four more times before playing in their fifth consecutive bowl game.
“All we need is one practice to get back in the groove,” quarterback Tim Jefferson said. “We looked like what you’d expect us to look like on our first day back. We’ll be fine.”
Calhoun said linebacker Ken Lamendola and wide receiver Ty MacArthur could come off the injured list and see action against Toledo.
Catching up.
Calhoun had been on the recruiting road since the CSU game and not available for comment on a couple of issues. Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Gould announced that Air Force was staying in the Mountain West and not moving to the Big East Conference.
There also had been reports that Calhoun interviewed for the vacant coaching job at Texas A&M. “Not true,” Calhoun said of the reports. “I’ve been asked, but I haven’t talked to any school, including Texas A&M.”
Calhoun looked at the decision to stay in the MW as a positive move.
“For right now, that’s the direction we’re taking,” Calhoun said. “It gives us the chance to be with schools in the conference we’ve been with for some time. There were concerns about having our sports teams in a bunch of different conferences.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
