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2009 Air Force College Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

air-force-62909 The Falcons were expected to struggle each of the past two seasons with Troy Calhoun stepping in as the new head man, but he has led them to a 17-9 mark during those campaigns to raise expectations. Find out if Air Force is now ready to challenge for a Mountain West Conference title in Calhoun’s third season in this 2009 college football betting preview. Take advantage of a special $500 match bonus offer at BetUS.

Offense - Quarterback Tim Jefferson returns as the Falcons’ starter after being named Mountain West Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year. He is the catalyst for a rushing attack which ranked 6th in the nation in 2008 (266.9 yards per game). While Calhoun does not seek perfect offensive balance, throwing and running fifty-fifty, he would like to pass the ball more often and better this season. That way the Falcons can pose more of a threat to keep the defense a little bit more honest. Air Force ranked 117th nationally in passing yards per game with 82.2 and connected on only nine touchdown strikes. The Air Force passing game has the potential to be a big play weapon with the way it’s running attack has the ability to get the defense cheating. The guys on the other end of Jefferson’s passes will likely be Sean Quintana, Kyle Halderman, and Kevin Fogler.

The offensive line is one of the quickest in the country, which is a must for all the pulling that these guys do. Guys like Nick Charles, Peter Lusk, and Ryan Gonzales will help the Falcons boast one of the best rushing attacks in the country again in 2009. Asher Clark, who rushed for 588 yards and five scores last season, will combine with Jared Tew as the Falcons’ primary running threats along with Jefferson.

Defense – Air Force was a perfect 8-0 last season when holding its opponents under 30 points. That gives the team something to shoot for in 2009 as it looks to improve. There is high hopes for this unit, which returns six starters, as defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter feels he has the personnel to blitz the opposition to death. Noseguard Ben Garland anchors the defensive line. He is very skilled and very quick and returns for a big senior season after tallying four QB sacks in 2008. Andre Morris Jr. and Ken Lamendola lead the linebacking unit. I expect a breakout season from Morris Jr. and we all know what Lamendola can do after watching him rack up 118 tackles last season. Safety Chris Thomas provides the Falcons with one of the better sticks in the conference in the defensive backfield. Sophomore free safety Jon Davis appears to be cut out of the same mold as Thomas. These two should be quite the duo.

Prediction: 4th Mountain West Conference – The Falcons can be even tougher to stop offensively if Jefferson develops into a passer. Regardless, the running attack will be good enough to make the Air Force offense a nightmare once again. The key is defense where the Falcons have not been fast enough to cover top notch receivers like they saw when they faced BYU and Houston last season. While the defense should be improved, it will still be the side of the ball that keeps Air Force from challenging for a MWC title.

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Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks get results each and every season!

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