it really is the very definition of irony. The Air Force Falcons college football team, rarely ever attack their opponents through the air. They finished in the nation in passing. The service academy that runs our deadliest of war machines, the air planes and jets, actually does all it’s work on the ground- through the rushing obsessed triple option attack.
In this game of football, a metaphor for military combat, maybe the Air Force Falcons should be renamed the Ground Attack Coyotes? AF’s QB Tim Jefferson is a dual threat, and one of the best signal callers in school history. He won’t pass much, but can if he needs to.
2010 was: 9-4, 5-3 in conference with a bowl win over Georgia Tech. The defense was stellar against the pass (2nd nationally), but an abomination at stopping the run (103rd). Still, overall just 28th in the nation in points allowed. Offense had great balance.
BMOCs: WR Jonathan Warzeka, RB Asher Clark, CB Anthony Wright, but Jefferson is obviously the man with the plan. And the squadron leader. Everyone else is just his wingman. But don’t sleep on FB Wesley Cobb, this offense works for his abilities and vice versa.
2011 will be fruitful if: the running game gets their 300 yards per again, and there’s enough in the passing game to keep opponents of balance. Jefferson needs to be Maverick, Ice Man and Hollywood rolled into one if they’re going to be Top Gun in the MWC.
2011 will be awful if: the undersized front seven can’t stop the run again. They probably can’t fly as high as the MWC’s two big guns: Boise State and TCU, but if they can hang with ’em for awhile, it’s a morale victory.
Bottom Line: 8-10 wins. And no doubt the Mountain West Conference’s third best team.
AF Rankings: #29 Athlon, #35 Lindy’s, #48 Phil Steele
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
He does regular weekly radio spots in Chicago and Cleveland and has appeared on live shows all across the world from Houston to New Zealand. You can follow him on Twitter
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