With two regular-season games remaining, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun isn’t ready to finalize the accolades for his football team, which has mounted an impressive comeback from last year’s forgettable 2-10 season.
Calhoun prefers players who are self-motivated and don’t always need pushing from their coaches.
“You have to be careful dangling a carrot,” he said.
At 8-2, Calhoun’s team has registered the biggest turnaround among major-college teams. Air Force’s plus six is matched only by Western Michigan’s comeback from 1-11 to 7-3.
Air Force can continue adding to its résumé when it plays Friday night at San Diego State. The Falcons have lost four consecutive games to the Aztecs (5-5, 3-3 Mountain West) and haven’t won in San Diego since 2008.
Stopping San Diego State’s running game is expected to be Air Force’s biggest challenge. Calhoun pointed to Aztecs sophomore running back Donnel Pumphrey, who has 1,362 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.
“He’s the fastest tailback in college football,” Calhoun said.
Making progress. Wyoming coach Craig Bohl isn’t ready to put a final stamp on his first year in Laramie. The Cowboys (4-6, 2-4 Mountain West) have two games remaining, starting with powerhouse Boise State (8-2, 5-1) on Saturday night.
“We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made, but are we happy where we are?” Bohl asked. “No.”
Bohl and his staff are getting to know the players better and how much they are dedicated to the program. “The players you win with are the players who really want to be here,” Bohl said.
Last call. Eleven seniors will play their final game for Northern Colorado against North Dakota (4-7, 2-5 Big Sky) at noon Saturday at Nottingham Field. The Bears are 3-7 overall, 2-5 in conference play.
UNC coach Earnest Collins Jr. isn’t happy with his team’s record.
“I never question our team’s effort,” Collins said. “There have been times when our execution had to be better.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
