Air Force Falcons

Head Coach

Troy Calhoun	2nd year
07-08	9-4
Mt West	6-2
FCR	38

Previous Season Wins

Head Coach - Troy Calhoun led the Falcons to a 9-4 record in his first season as Head Coach after replacing the incredibly successful Fisher DeBerry who retired after 27 at the helm. Only 8 starters return but Air Force has a schedule that will help and in Colorado Springs it’s more about the system than the personnel. Despite being out gained by their opponents last year the Falcons did all the little things right, as they finished the season ranked 8th in the nation in penalties and 15th in turnover margin.

Quarterback - Air Force will need to replace four year starter Shaun Carney, senior Shea Smith and junior Eric Herbert appear to be the frontrunners but there is a large field to choose from at quarterback. Look for a two, maybe three quarterback rotation until someone steps up and takes the reins. The underclassman are a talented bunch and the position is well stocked for the future.

Running Back - At tailback will be Savier Stephens who saw limited action last year having gained 148 yards with two TD’s, look for him to have an increased role in the passing game as well this season. Todd Newell saw significant time as a backup last season and will take over as the starter at fullback. The Falcons will look for talented cornerback Reggie Rembert to gets some touches out of the backfield and in the passing game as well.

Wide Receivers - In the Falcon system the Z slot is as much a running back as a wide receiver, in the Z position will be senior Ty Paffert who is being asked to replace Mt West Offensive Player of the Year Chad Hall. Paffert has outstanding open field speed but you have to expect some drop off at the position for Air Force. Senior Sean Quintana will battle sophomore Kevin Fogler for playing time at the X slot, Fogler has the physical skills to be a major contributor in the near future. Senior tight ends Travis Dekker is one of the best in the conference and expect to see him have an expanded role in the offense this season.

Offensive Line - Three starters return upfront led by 2nd team All-Mt West Nick Charles who will move from right to left guard. Also returning will be Peter Lusk at right guard and Keith Williams at the left tackle spot. At center senior Andrew Pipes will start and look for junior Chris Campbell to be the right tackle, the coaching staff believes he has the talent to be one of the better linemen in the Mt West. Evan Epstein and A.J. Wallerstein are a couple of big time recruits who could contribute immediately.

Defensive Line - With all three starters returning on the defensive line this will clearly be the strength of the Falcon defense in 08’. In the middle will be junior Ben Garland and he’ll be flanked by seniors Jake Paulsen and Ryan Kemp. They’re a bit undersized but Kemp has shown the ability to get in the opponents backfield and Garland has size and quickness and is a capable run stopper. Senior Jared Marvin will see action when they employ a four-man line, he’s solid against the run.

Linebackers - Hunter Altman is the only returning starter and he’ll man one of the outside slots, he’s undersized but is an excellent pass rusher and has more than held his own against the run. Sophomore Andre Morris will be the other OLB, he showed good upside last season, especially against the run. In the middle look for junior John Falgout and senior Ken Lamenddola to start. Falgout has good quickness and Lamenddola has size and had a solid spring campaign.

Defensive Backfield - Strong safety Chris Thomas is the lone starter returning, he excels against the run and he’ll be joined by senior Aaron Kirchoff at free safety who was solid in a reserve role last season. Reggie Rembert will be at one corner; the sophomore has outstanding speed but will need to prove he can stop the run. Junior Brenton Byrd a converter running back will man the other corner.

Special Teams - Senior Ryan Harrison returns to handle the kicking duties, he averaged 42.9 on his punts and hit 19 of 27 of his field goal attempts last season, he’s one of the nation’s premier two-way kickers. The coverage units were excellent, due in large part to Harrison. Punt and kickoff returns will be handled for the most part by Reggie Rembert who averaged 22.8 on kickoff returns and is a future All-American return man.

Schedule - All and all, it’s quite manageable, they get Utah and BYU at home but they close the season at TCU. The Falcons must win at UNLV and San Diego St if they want to get a bowl invite. Look for Air Force to take a step back as they'll manage to only get 4 wins this year.