College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Air Force Falcons season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Air Force Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-2 overall, 7-1 in MW
Head Coach: Troy Calhoun, 14th year, 98-69
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 29
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 24
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 106
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Offense 3 Things To Know
– Once again, Air Force went Air Force with one of the nation’s best rushing attacks. It all worked, finishing second in the nation in time of possession, second in rushing, and for the purposes of making it all work, being third in passing efficiency was a really big deal.
Only four starters are back, but they’re the right ones.
CFN in 60 Video: Purdue Preview
Air Force at Purdue, Sept. 19
– Having a veteran O line isn’t a given with the Falcons, and three starters are gone. However, tackle Parker Ferguson and guard Nolan Laufenberg are killers on the left side to build around – they’re both going to be all-stars – but there are some big losses with two All-Mountain West stars gone in tackle Scott Hattok and center Connor Vikupitz.
The backfield has the two main parts. Senior Donald Hammond only hit 50% of his passes, but he averaged 12 yards per throw with 13 touchdowns and six picks. He also led the team with 13 rushing scores to go along with 553 yards.
Also returning is leading rusher Kadin Remsberg, a quick 5-9, 195-pounder who tore off 1,050 yards and eight scores. 6-3, 190-pound Timothy Jackson isn’t the normal fullback type, but he was able to pound for six yards per carry, rushing for 745 yards and six scores.
– It’s actually sort of a big deal for Air Force to lose its top receivers. Geraud Sanders and Benjamin Waters combined for 52 catches for all 14 touchdowns, with the leading returning target – senior Ben Peterson – coming up with three total grabs.
As always, the receivers are 6-2ish big, the top ones will average over 20 yards per catch, and they can all block. Expect 6-4 sophomore Jake Spiewak to rise up into a key role.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense was rested thanks to an offense that always kept the ball, but it did its part when it had the chance. It finished second in the Mountain West and 17th in the nation overall in total defense, and was fantastic against the run.
Now there’s a ton of work to do with six of the top seven tacklers gone. However, leading tackler Demonte Meeks is back as one of the Mountain West’s best linebackers – coming up with 98 stops with four sacks.
Lakota Wills is a good one on the outside, making 36 tackles and two sacks in just eight games. He has the potential to be a statistical star.
– The line is good enough. The killer is the loss of 330-pound Mosese Fifta in the middle – he gummed up everything for the great run D – but Jordan Jackson and Christopher Herrera are veteran ends. Now the line needs the 275-pound Kolby Barker to produce on the inside.
– The secondary is the big problem with three starters – including some of the team’s top tacklers – needing to be replaced. Milton Bugg is a tough corner who’s only 5-9 and 165 pounds, but made 49 tackles with three picks.
It’ll be a battle for safety jobs, but junior Corvan Taylor will grab one of them – he’s a 6-2, 200-pounder who’ll be one of the team’s leading tacklers.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Air Force Falcons Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Air Force Falcons Players
Best Air Force Falcons Offensive Player
QB Donald Hammond III, Sr.
He might not be the most dynamic of Air Force quarterbacks, but he gets the job done for an offense that needs the steady for the ground game, and the spectacular deep.
Built, the 6-2, 220-pounder can blast a bit, running for 553 yards and 13 scores. As long as he’s hitting a few big pass plays a game – he averaged over 20 yards per attempt in four of hit last eight games – he’ll be doing his job opening things up.
2. OG Nolan Laufenberg, Sr.
3. RB Kadin Remsberg, Sr.
4. OT Parker Ferguson, Sr.
5. FB Timothy Jackson, Jr.
Best Air Force Falcons Defensive Player
LB Demonte Meeks, Sr.
The team’s leading returning tackler, the 6-1, 235-pounder made 98 tackles with four sacks and nine tackles for loss. He’s not much in pass protection, but that’s not his game. His job is to get around the ball and use his excellent range to help the cause – 55 of his stops were assisted. It won’t be his job to get into the backfield, but he can do it if needed.
2. DE Jordan Jackson, Sr.
3. CB Milton Bugg, Jr.
4. S Corvan Taylor, Jr.
5. DE Christopher Herrera, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Air Force Falcons Offense
Everything revolves around the same formula that it’s been for years. Control the clock, keep the chains moving, dominate on third downs.
That last past is especially important.
The 2016 team converted 51% of its third down tries – and it went 10-3. Over the last four seasons, the team is 22-3 when converting half of its third down chances or more, and last season it finished second in the nation in conversions averaging 53.5% per outing.
The two games it lost, it was under 50% in two of the four worst games of the year conversions-wise.
Biggest Key To The Air Force Falcons Defense
Interceptions tend to matter for this defense. The bulk numbers aren’t always there considering the defense isn’t on the field enough to generate a ton of sacks and tackles for loss, but as long as the pass rush is effective on key downs, it’s fine.
But interceptions tend to be a key part of the overall formula. Last year’s team was great at coming up with fumble recoveries, and the secondary picked off seven passes, but it didn’t come up with an interception in the two losses.
To be fair, one of those games was against Navy, but out of the 16 losses over the last three seasons, the defense came up with a grand total of two picks.
It’s about holding serve. Every time the defense can get the ball back to the offense, just assume another five plus minutes is about to be taken off the clock.
Key Air Force Falcons Player To A Successful Season
DT Kolby Barker, Sr.
It’s hard to overemphasize what Mosese Fifita meant to the Falcon defensive front. It’s not often the program gets a 330-pound Coke machine sitting in the middle of the line.
Fifita could move, though, with six sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss to go along with his 48 stops. Now he’s gone, and the team needs the 275-pound Barker to be a major playmaker after coming up with just four tackles as a reserve. He’s not going to be Fifita, but he has to be able to hold his own in the rotation or else forget about having the nation’s seventh-best run defense again.
Key Game To The Air Force Falcons Season
Boise State, Sept. 12
You might as well know where you stand from the start.
It’s the Mountain West opener in the second overall game of the season, and the Falcons get the defending conference champs at home.
Three of the next four conference games are on the road, and five of the next seven are away from Fort Collins – with Purdue coming up right after. Coming up with the home win would mean everything to the division race – it would be the first win over the Broncos since 2016.
– Air Force Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Air Force Fun Stats
– Sacks: Air Force 27 for 168 yards – Opponents 4 for 22 yards
– 4th Down Conversions: Air Force 16-for 21 (76%) – Opponents 13-for-28 (46%)
– Rushing Yards: Air Force: 3,881 – Opponents 1,307
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Air Force Falcons Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
That’s how it’s all supposed to work.
The offense was efficient, tough, and relentless, and the defense did its part by only allowing more than 26 points in two games. Those happened to be the two losses, though, and there will be more shootouts.
There were a lot of wins over mediocre teams – just three of the 11 victories were against FBS teams that finished with winning seasons – and this year’s schedule won’t be as forgiving.
There are just enough quickly road games and tough-timing battles to keep it from being another 11-win season, but there’s no reason to not get to a bowl game for the second season in a row with ease.
Set The Air Force Falcons Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 8.5
Assuming New Mexico is a layup and the Duquesne game is still on, there are two wins right there.
Everything else will be a fight.
There isn’t any one game Air Force can’t win, but even the date with Colorado State might be a battle.
There are just enough annoying personnel losses to expect a step back, and the four road games in five wins after facing Boise State is brutal early on. But it’ll be another good year that could be amazing if the 2019 defense shows up.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
