Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun answers in the affirmative to two key questions that will go a long way toward determining whether his sixth team will finish with a winning record and a bowl appearance.
Calhoun said “yes” when asked whether his team faces its toughest schedule since he arrived and if he is doing it with his least-experienced group of players.
A senior class of 28 players gobbled up most of the playing time a year ago as the Falcons chalked up their fifth consecutive winning season and fifth consecutive bowl appearance. Air Force lost 42-41 to Toledo in the Washington D.C. Military Bowl to finish 7-6.
“This absolutely looks to be the most challenging season we’ve had here,” Calhoun said. “We have only a short time to bring a bunch of new players into the fold, but this group is capable of making strides as the season goes along. We’ll have to see how fast we can make those strides.”
Air Force faces a strong nonconference test Sept. 8 at Michigan. After a Mountain West opener against Nevada-Las Vegas, the Falcons enter a testy three-game stretch Sept. 29 against Colorado State, Oct. 6 against Navy and Oct. 13 at Wyoming.
A change in the summer schedule at the academy has cut the number of preseason practices from 28 to 23. The freshman class was brought in a week later than usual, resulting in less work on the field.
The Falcons remain in demand. Six of their games are scheduled for national television, tied for second most among MW teams. The conference schedule presents some new obstacles, with Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii moving over from the Western Athletic Conference.
“We’ve always benefitted from playing the same conference teams for three or four years or more,” Calhoun said. “We’ve had to put in a lot of extra work in June and July. We’ve played Fresno State and Hawaii before, but it has been some time. We’ve haven’t played Nevada before.”
Calhoun will call on a sprinkling of returning starters for leadership. At quarterback, 6-foot senior Connor Dietz returns. In three previous seasons, Dietz got into 21 games, mostly as an injury replacement for Tim Jefferson.
“We’re not green at the quarterback position,” Calhoun said. “He has played some snaps, and that helps overall.”
Dietz was granted an extra semester by the academy to make up academic and military time missed because of injuries. He brings veteran experience in running Calhoun’s multifaceted offense that includes some triple option.
Senior outside linebacker Alex Means, a preseason all-conference selection, and senior Jason Kons on the offensive line are getting the most preseason attention, along with senior place-kicker Parker Herrington.
“We have to find some players in the preseason and have them emerge into dependable starters,” Calhoun said.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com
Keys for Air Force
What’s up front: Seniors Jason Kons and Jordan Eason are the only players on the offensive or defensive lines who could be considered experienced starters. Some others, such as senior Nick DeJulio, sophomore Nick Fitzgerald and senior Cody Miller on defense, need to prove they can be both dependable and strong.
Running team: Air Force’s bread-and-butter has been a rushing offense that stacks up yardage comparable to anyone in the country. It will be up to Wes Cobb, a converted fullback at tailback, and senior Mike DeWitt to make the running game go. Junior Anthony LaCoste, injured last year, and sophomore Jon Lee have to supply the team’s additional horsepower.
Bring on the defense:Charlton Warren has taken over defensive coordinator duties, and it’s a good bet he’ll want aggressive, attacking play. The Falcons sometimes had trouble stopping teams on third down, leaving the defense out on the field too long. Opponents converted more than 50 percent of their third-down tries and had a time of possession advantage of 30:26 to 29:34.
Irv Moss, The Denver Post
