Air Force Falcons 2018 Football Preview

Air Force Falcons 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Air Force fell short of a winning record in 2017, and their defense was a major culprit, allowing 32 points per game. The Falcons would like to move closer to having a more Pro Set offense, but if they are to go in that direction, their QB play has got to improve in a big way, and that has not yet happened. With a porous defense, and a limited passing game, can the Falcons do what must be done to get back over the hump and become the king of the academies once again?

Breakdown Offense: Arion Worthman returns at QB, but that does little for the passing side of the offense. Worthman completed just 49.5% of his passes last season, and averaged just 110 yards passing per game, with 10 TD passes to 4 INTs. He did, however, lead the team in rushing with 821 yards and 13 scores, but averaged a pedestrian 3.78 yards per carry. As far as big play Air Force QBs go historically, he does not make the cut as being a great one. Isaiah Sanders is back as the backup, but was completely ineffective as a passer, completing just 4/15 passes in limited action. He rushed for 218 yards and 3 scores. Mike Schmidt, a junior, is holding onto the 3rd string role as we head into the summer.
The Falcons rushed for 307 yards per game as a team, but did not boast a 1000 yard rusher last fall. 23 different Falcons carried the football last season, leading to an area of massive success, even as the rest f the team floundered and failed at times. Tim McVey is gone, leaving a solid hole to fill after rushing for 741 yards and 7 scores last fall. Taven Birdow and Cole Fagan are slated in as the FBs this fall. Birdow rushed for 384 yards in a reserve role last fall, while Fagan carried just 5 times. Nolan Erickson, who ran for 228 yards, is slated in at RB, but there are plenty of other roles yet to be filled. Parker Wilson and Malik Miller both will be looking to push for time.
Ronald Cleveland and Marcus Bennett are both back at WR this season, which is a plus. They combined for 30 receptions last fall, and both averaged over 20 yards per catch. Cleveland also managed to rush for 418 yards, and averaged 9.5 yards per carry as a slot back. Garrett Amy and Geraud Sanders also return to provide depth.
Kade Waguespack is back to start at TE this fall after catching just 2 passes last season, and there is very little depth behind him.
The line has some issues, as the RT job is still wide open as we head into fall camp. Scott Hattock is slated to start at LT. Wolfgang Rehbock and Griffin Landrum are projected to start at the OG spots, while Christopher Mitchell is slated to start at C. There is virtually no developed depth at this time, so the backup jobs will have some competitions brewing in the fall.

Breakdown Defense: The Falcons allowed 32.4 points per game last season, and also allowed 171 yards passing, and 222.83 yards rushing per game. If they are to turn a corner and get back on track, they front seven has to be a place of developed improvement.
Micah Capra starts at DE, but finished with just 2 TFLs last fall. Danny Highland and Ben Harris will be there to push him in camp. Cody Gessler is the NT, but again, was not incredibly impactful last fall. Mosese Fifita will provide some push there, as will Kyler Ehm. Ryan Darby is the starting DT in the 3 man front, and played in just 6 games last season. Jordan Jackson will push him in camp.
Grant Ross and Jack Flor are both gone at LB, and so replacements must be found. Abraham Nuno and Lakota Willis are pegged to start at OLB, while Blake Dailey and Brody Bagnall are slated to start at ILB. Ross and Flor combined for 190 tackles last season, so this area is critical. Willis was the leading tackler among the returnees with 47. Kyle Johnson and Christopher Musselman are the key reserves inside coming out of the spring, while RJ Jackson and Jake Ksiazek will back up outside.
The secondary was fairly solid a year ago, but there are losses there as well. Marquis Griffin, who finished third in tackles, has moved on. Jeremy Fejedelem and Zane Lewis are the corners after spring ball. Fejedelem broke up four passes, while Lewis is just getting his feet wet. Robert Bullard and Dailon Sutton provide some depth at the CB position. Kyle Floyd is your starting SS, while James Jones starts at FS. Floyd led the team with 7 PBUs, while Jones finished with 1. Floyd added 60 tackles, good for 4th on the team. Ross Conors and Ben Waters are the reserves behind Floyd, while Bryce Von Zurmuehlen and Malik Dawkins are pushing Jones at FS.

Breakdown Special Teams: Luke Strebel is gone at PK after hitting 9/12 FG attempts. Matthew Philichi is the replacement, and connected on his lone attempt last fall. Charlie Scott averaged 42.15 yards per punt, and returns.
Ronal Celeveland will once again return punts after an uninspiring 5.78 yards per return last fall. Malik Miller, Garrett Amy, and Nolan Eriksen will all compete to return kicks.

Final Analysis: The Falcons just have too many questions all over the roster for me to take them seriously in the Mountain West's Mountain Division race in 2018. QB play is not great, running back depth and experience is thin, and the line has holes to fill and depth to figure out. On defense, the Swiss cheese front still has issues to work out, as production was not solid last fall, and many of the play makers remain, except at LB, where they lost a wealth of talent. With so many questions, and so few answers, it makes projecting a winning season for the Falcons difficult. It could be a tough go in 2018 for Air Force.