2011 Air Force Football Predictions

Written by Steve Janus

The Air Force Falcons continued to thrive under head coach Troy Calhoun in 2010. The Falcons finished tied for third in the MWC with a 5-3 record and ended the season with a 14-7 win over Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl to finish the year at 9-4. In the three seasons before Calhoun took over the Falcons were just 13-21. In the four seasons under Calhoun Air Force is a solid 34-18. The impressive part about that is Calhoun hasn’t had more than 12 starters back in any of those four seasons. That will change in 2011, as the Falcons welcome back 14 starters, including eight on the defensive side of the ball. Here is a quick look at who Air Force will be sending to the field on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the MWC.

Offense:

Air Force returns starting quarterback Tim Jefferson, who really improved in his second season as the starter. Jefferson threw for 1,459 yards with 10 touchdowns and added another 794 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. As long as he stays healthy the Falcons will be one the more explosive offenses in the MWC.

While Jefferson improved in the passing game, it’s no secret that the Falcons want to move the ball on the ground. On top of Jefferson’s 794 rushing yards, Asher Clark had 1,031 yards and five touchdowns. Clark returns for his senior season, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they improved on their rushing totals from a year ago.

To give you an idea of how little the Falcons pass, senior Jonathan Warzeka tied for the team lead with just 18 catches in 2010. Warzeka should improve on that total in 2011, but it will be hard for him to top 30 catches with the offense they run.

Air Force does an amazing job of sending out a great offensive line, something they have to do with the emphasis they put on the running game. They have three starters returning, including two of the top linemen in the conference in senior left tackle Jason Kons and senior right gaurd A.J. Wallerstein.

Defense:

Air Force returns two of their three defensive linemen to their 3-4 front in senior nose tackle Ryan Gardner and senior defensive end Zach Payne. Senior Harry Kehs will likely join this group at the other defensive end spot. Air Force really needs these three to play well if they are going to surprise everyone and win the MWC. After holding opponents to just 134 yards a game on the ground in 2009, the Falcon allowed an average of 202 in 2010.

At linebacker the Falcons return senior inside linebackers Brady Amack and Jordan Waiwaiole, who should be two of the top linebackers in the conference in 2011. Also back is senior outside linebacker Patrick Hennessey. With the experience of these three starters and the expected improvement on the defensive line, Air Force should be much better against the run this season.

In the secondary the Falcons bring back talented senior corner Anthony Wright and senior free safety Jon Davis. In 2010 Davis and Wright combined for five interceptions, and Davis was second on the team with 93 tackles. Sophomore Anthony Wooding was impressive as a freshman, and should only get better in his second season. The only new starter on this unit will be senior Josh Hall at the other corner slot.

2011 Prediction: 2nd MWC - I think the Falcons are primed to put together their best season under Calhoun. I think they will be able to upset TCU at home in the second game of the season and should be able to beat every team in the MWC expect for Boise State, who they have to play on the road. If they can beat either Navy or Notre Dame on the road, I will call for the Falcons to finish the regular season at 10-2.

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