College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Air Force season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Air Force Schedule Analysis
– Air Force Falcons Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
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2020 Record: 3-3 overall, 2-2 in Mountain West
Head Coach: Troy Calhoun, 15th year, 102-72
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 80
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 74
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 24
Air Force Falcons College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– It’s Air Force, so you know how this works. The team needs to run well to win, it has to control the clock, and it has to be able to overwhelm teams with its style.
The offense led the nation with 306 rushing yards per game, and the defense was relatively decent, but it was still just a 3-3 season because the O didn’t do quite enough low-scoring losses to San Jose State and Army. And now there’s a whole lot of work to do.
– Air Force is always rebuilding – that’s sort of how the service academy teams operate – but this year it’s really going to be a problem. It’s one thing when the Falcons have to replace eight starters, and it’s another to have to do it when so many teams get so much experience back in a super-senior season.
At least the backfield should be fine. Leading rusher Brad Roberts hammered out 461 yards and five scores as fullback, but he could move around where needed.
The offense is missing the top tailbacks, but QB Haaziq Daniels returns as a strong runner and good enough passer. Daniels and Roberts will bright the 1-2 punch, but the offense has to unearth more flash for the outside along with Brandon Lewis, who averaged nine yards per crack.
– The entire starting offensive line is starting over, but that’s nothing new. Again, Air Force is used to grooming pavers to be ready to go as upperclassmen, but again, this isn’t the year to need a wholesale overhaul at one unit that was so effective.
As always, it’s the job of the receivers to 1) block, 2) catch a few deep passes per game, 3) block more. TE Kyle Patterson led the team with 12 catches for 205 yards and two scores, but if Lewis is used more as a runner than a receiver, the corps is all but starting over.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Air Force Schedule Analysis
