Air Force Falcons
Report Card
Offense: A | Defense: A+ | Special Teams: A | Meeting/Exceeding Expectations: A+
It’s not that no one saw the Falcons coming, exactly.
After all, Troy Calhoun’s cadets had been projected to finish second in the conference at Mountain West football media days in July. Still, they also came into 2023 with substantial questions about who would step up at quarterback, fullback, and in the front seven. There’s no question, however, that the Falcons have played like one of the Group of 5’s best teams through their first five games.
Yes, the schedule hasn’t been great, but at a minimum, they’ve removed all doubt about whether they would be in the mix against other preseason favorites like Boise State and Fresno State. After Week 6, they’re 36th by SP+ and Sagarin, and 22nd by FEI. The Falcons are fourth in the country in earning +2.74 net points per drive and +36.3% net available yards per drive, and they’re 11th with +1.95 net yards per play. They’re first in third-down conversion rate on offense (57.6%) and 15th in third-down conversion rate allowed on defense (29.1%). They’re second in turning red zone trips into touchdowns on offense (85%) and the defense has faced just eight such situations, tied for the second-fewest in FBS.
In other words, they’ve dominated inferior competition to this point but still have some “prove it” games left on the schedule against Wyoming, UNLV, and Boise State.
Head of the Class: Bo Richter, LB
Richter had been a solid role player on the Falcons defense over the past two seasons, but he’s taken a major step forward in his senior year. In five games, he’s totaled 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks, but according to Pro Football Focus, he also leads the Mountain West with 16 quarterback hurries and has missed just one tackle. All of these are reasons why he currently leads Air Force with an overall PFF grade of 87.8.
One Player Deserving of More Attention: Adam Karas, OT
Karas had a potentially difficult task in replacing Everett Smalley at left tackle, but he’s taken to the blind side with ease and helped the Falcons remain as dangerous as ever on offense as a result. His 86.3 overall PFF grade is far and away the best among all Mountain West offensive linemen thanks to just one penalty and one quarterback hurry allowed in 296 total snaps.
Midseason Grades By Team
Air Force | Boise State | Colorado State | Fresno State | Hawaii | Nevada | New Mexico | San Diego State | San Jose State | UNLV | Utah State | Wyoming
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