Calhoun Puts The Air Back In Air Force (Rivals.com)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Air Force Academy - Colorado Springs
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<p>By Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer</p>

<p>Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com</p>

<p>Air Force football fans might have scratched their heads in wonder during the Falcons’ spring game.</p>

<p>Some of the verbal exchanges that might have gone like this:</p>

<p>Q: “Where is the quarterback?”</p>

<p>A: “He’s standing a few yards behind center to take a shotgun snap.”</p>

<p>Q: “What’s a shotgun snap?”</p>

<p>There have been bunch of changes in Colorado Springs, and the biggest one is that Air Force is looking to the skies. That would be expected anywhere else in the world except at Falcon Stadium, where Air Force was grounded in coach Fisher DeBerry’s flexbone offense.</p>

<p>However, DeBerry retired last December and was replaced by former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Troy Calhoun - who immediately installed a Spread offense. That’s akin to Nebraska shelving the power option system it ran under Tom Osborne to the West Coast offense of Bill Callahan.</p>

<p>In 1990 and 1991, the Falcons’ leading receivers caught just eight passes. Air Force has ranked no higher than 98th nationally in pass offense since 1999. Now, Calhoun is throwing caution to the wind. His team will be throwing into the wind - and everywhere else.</p>

<p>“No doubt about it, it’s definitely strange,” said Shaun Carney, the Falcons’ starting quarterback since 2004. "I ran the Spread in high school, so we’re doing things I’ve done in the past. That makes me feel more comfortable.</p>

<p>“I think everyone is really excited. We came out in the spring with a fresh opportunity and everyone attacked it. Guys that didn’t get a lot of touches last year will get them this year. That brought the morale of the offense up.”</p>

<p>The Falcons needed a morale boost, especially after three consecutive losing seasons.</p>

<p>“It was time for a change,” Carney said.</p>

<p>Carney’s role in the offense will definitely change.</p>

<p>In his three seasons as Air Force’s quarterback, he has completed 268 of 434 passes for 3,900 yards. He has 30 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions.</p>

<p>Just last year USC’s John David Booty completed 269 of 436 for 3,347 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions.</p>

<p>Carney only threw 137 passes last year, and he’ll likely exceed that many attempts before the end of September.</p>

<p>“I hope it won’t be too long,” Carney said. “I’m excited about it. I know coach definitely wants to throw more and take a couple of carries away from me to preserve my body. I’m curious to see how it works out.”</p>

<p>No doubt, the Falcons receivers are just as excited and curious.</p>

<p>“They’ve been glorified linemen out there,” Carney said. “But we have guys who can stretch the field.”</p>

<p>But can the Falcons, who have managed only 13 wins the last three seasons, stretch out their victory total?</p>

<p>Carney thinks so, but his optimism might be questioned.</p>

<p>When Nebraska changed its offense in 2004 the Cornhuskers finished 5-6, their first losing season in 43 years.</p>

<p>That Nebraska team was comprised of players that were recruited specifically for a power-option offense.</p>

<p>But that’s not the case at Air Force. In fact, Carney was a very successful quarterback at St. Edwards High School in North Elmstead, Ohio. He threw for 3,849 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior.</p>

<p>Besides, he said the Falcons won’t completely abandon the flexbone.</p>

<p>“Coach said for that (offense) to be so successful for a long period of time and then to throw it away doesn’t make sense,” Carney said. "That will make it a lot harder for teams to prepare for us. We’re ready to run the Spread, the ‘I’ and the flexbone.</p>

<p>“Unlike Nebraska which went straight to the West Coast offense, we’re still using the flexbone. Anytime we need our bread and butter, we feel like can go back to it.”</p>

<p>Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:olin@rivals.com">olin@rivals.com</a>.</p>

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<p>Finally! I hated seeing Carney go up the middle on 3rd and 24...</p>

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<p>Calhoun comfortable in charge
By Irv Moss
Denver Post Staff Writer</p>

<p>Air Force Academy - The departure and arrival ceremonies are over, and Troy Calhoun is sitting firmly in the head football coach's chair at Air Force.</p>

<p>After 23 years of Fisher DeBerry at the helm, Calhoun slowly and surely is changing the guard of Air Force football. He's not nervous about following the DeBerry legend, and welcomes the former coach's influence. But there's no question Calhoun is bringing a new, youthful exuberance to the program and that he is in charge.</p>

<p>"This is a very challenging but also motivating place," Calhoun said last week during a brief break from the academy's summer sports camp program. "We're all wondering what's going to happen this first season. But that's why you put the shoulder pads on and find out."</p>

<p>Calhoun, 39, left a promising coaching career in the NFL when his alma mater called. When DeBerry departed, he said Calhoun, a former AFA quarterback who graduated from the academy in 1989, was his choice to succeed him as well.</p>

<p>"It's humbling," Calhoun said of sitting in DeBerry's former chair. "Candidly, he's a guy whose influence you want to be around here forever. I want to do everything I possibly can to make sure the imprint of Fisher DeBerry is carried through from squad to squad, from generation to generation."</p>

<p>DeBerry compiled a 169-109-1 record as Air Force's head coach. But the Falcons went 4-8 last year, their third consecutive losing season. Calhoun said there is some rebuilding to do, and it starts with recruiting.</p>

<p>"We completely evaluated the program and there will be some changes made in how we play on both sides of the ball," he said. "We have to get to the point where we have a chance to win more Mountain West Conference games and we have to be more consistent in Falcon Stadium in terms of how we compete against the other service academies (Army and Navy)."</p>

<p>Calhoun is making some tall orders. Air Force's best record in eight seasons in the MWC was 2000, when it won five league games. The Falcons haven't defeated Army or Navy at Falcon Stadium in the past three seasons.</p>

<p>When Air Force begins its season Sept. 1 against South Carolina State at Falcon Stadium, DeBerry's triple-option offense will be history.</p>

<p>"We won't have 50, 60 running plays," Calhoun said. "We want to boil our running game down to utilize some motion and different formations. We want to be a zone running team that runs some option."</p>

<p>Defensively, Calhoun sees the Falcons playing more aggressively, doing a better job stopping third-down conversions and creating more turnovers.</p>

<p>"You can create some spunk and energy within your team by being an attacking defense," Calhoun said.</p>

<p>Calhoun plans to get the job done at Air Force with a dedicated coaching staff that understands the academy's mission and a hard-nosed style of play.</p>

<p>"This is a no-frills place in football," Calhoun said. "We're not worried about having fancy shoelaces. We want our trademark stamped on Air Force football."</p>

<p>Calhoun's transition from the NFL to Air Force was hectic. His final game as an assistant coach with the Houston Texans was Dec. 31. He was on the job at Air Force the next day.</p>

<p>Calhoun quickly put together a coaching staff that includes many former Air Force players. Some were on DeBerry's staff.</p>

<p>"I love the staff that we were able to put together," Calhoun said. "This is a remarkable institution. You find incredible young people here who are motivated, competitive and team-oriented.</p>