With former four-year starting quarterback Shaun Carney out of eligibility, Air Force is looking for a new signal-caller (a subject that will be explored in detail in my story that is scheduled to appear inThursday's Gazette).
But whoever the quarterback is in 2008, he’ll be inexperienced. And I think that makes the performance of the Falcons’ receivers incredibly important to the success of the Air Force offense.
So I thought I’d pass along some thoughts on the Falcons’ potential 2008 pass catchers.
X Receiver
Who’s Graduating: Mark Root. The reliable 6-foot-2 receiver started the majority of the Falcons’ games last year. Root ranked second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards with 28 and 385, respectively. He also caught a pair of touchdown passes.
Who’s Back: Spencer Armstrong and Sean Quintana. Those two give the Falcons a deep threat and a dependable possession receiver, respectively.
Armstrong, who will be a senior next year, was listed as the Falcons’ backup at X when spring practice started. He was not on the second two-deep chart released early last week, but since then, Armstrong has had several quality practices, in particular last Saturday when he made an impressive leaping catch in the end zone on the last play of the day. Those performances earned him the starting spot on the depth chart released Tuesday by Air Force coach Troy Calhoun (scroll down to the post below to see the full depth chart).
Armstrong was a non-factor early last year as he struggled to get on the field. But he came on late and made several big plays down the stretch – including a touchdown on a reverse against Notre Dame and a 48-yard touchdown reception against Army.
“He did some really good things at the end of the year,” Calhoun said. “But I think now he’s really ready to emerge and be an Air Force football player that’s a senior.”
Quintana, who will be a junior next fall, was listed as the starter at X on the Falcons’ first two two-deep charts before slipping to backup on the chart released Tuesday. Quintana emerged from obscurity in practices last August by catching whatever was thrown in his general direction. He made eight catches for 67 yards and a score in 2007.
Who Else: Freshman Kevin Fogler played on the Falcons’ junior varsity in 2007 but was impressive enough early in spring practice to earn the backup spot on Air Force’s second two-deep chart. The 6-6 Fogler “had some problems,” last week, Thiessen said, with some drops and a busted assignment and dropped off the chart released Tuesday. But he has shown plenty of potential this spring. Like Quintana, he is more of a possession receiver.
“He’s got a little bigger body, and he’s more physical,” Thiessen said. “He plays long, extends really well to fight for the football.”
Thiessen said the Falcons’ top three X receivers right now are Armstrong, Quintana and Fogler, but that Anthony Hemphill and Josh Cousins will push for playing time.
Z Receiver
Who’s Graduating: Chad Hall. You might have heard of him. Only player in the nation to lead his team in rushing yards (1,478), receiving yards (524) and all-purpose yards (2,683).
Who’s Back: Ty Paffett. Calhoun has said all positions on his team are open, but Paffett is pretty well entrenched as the Falcons’ starter at Z. Paffett got good experience last year, playing the position when Hall lined up at tailback, and he has breakaway speed. Much more on Paffett in The Gazette later this week.
Who Else: Kyle Halderman and Brett Skene. Both players will be sophomores next year, though Halderman has a bit of an advantage as he played and traveled with the varsity the second half of last season.
“He got coached a lot last year, and we really came into spring expecting him to be the next guy,” behind Paffett, Air Force receivers coach Mike Thiessen said. “He’s got some growing up to do, he’s young, but that’s alright.”
Tight End
Who’s Graduating: Chris Evans, who played sparingly last year.
Who’s Back: Travis Dekker, Keith Madsen, Steve Shaffer. After years when the tight end seemed borderline extinct at Air Force, it was brought back by Calhoun. Last season Travis Dekker caught 25 passes for 382 yards and two scores. The previous four seasons Air Force tight ends caught 19 combined passes.
The renewed emphasis on getting the tight end the ball is a good thing for the Falcons in 2008. Other than a dominant ground game that can relieve pressure from the passing game, nothing is better for an inexperienced quarterback than a big, reliable tight end. The Falcons have three.
Dekker, who will be a senior in 2008, clearly is the starter after ranking third in receptions in 2007 for Air Force. “I thought Travis played well for us last year,” Calhoun said. “He’s going to have to play even better this year. I think we’ve got to keep finding ways to be really resourceful to get him the ball.”
Madsen, who also will be a senior in 2008, caught five passes for 49 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2007.
“I thought early in (2007), clearly, I thought Madsen was a pretty good football player for us,” Calhoun said. “I thought in the first half against Notre Dame, when he started, he was not very good. I thought in the second half of the game against Notre Dame, I thought he was a pretty solid football player. But it can’t be that temperature one time is at 30 degrees and all of a sudden it goes to 210 degrees – Madsen’s got to find some consistency.”
Madsen started spring as the Falcons’ backup at tight end, but Shaffer has supplanted him. Shaffer, who will be a sophomore in the fall, is big and athletic and talented. Calhoun said he “may have played better than Madsen at the end of (2007), but he wasn’t ready because he was a freshman.”
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
New Depth Chart
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun released a new two-deep chart on Tuesday. It is the third depth chart of spring practices and contains just two changes:
-At X Receiver, Spencer Armstrong now is listed as the starter, bumping Sean Quintana to backup and Kevin Fogler off the chart
-At TB, junior-to-be Devon Ford now is listed as the backup to Kyle Lumpkin.
The full chart is below. Again, the years listed for each player are what they’ll be in the fall. For example, Spencer Armstrong is a junior, but he’ll be a senior in the fall.
OFFENSE
WR- X 26 Spencer Armstrong, Sr.
81 Sean Quintana, Jr.
TE 88 Travis Dekker, Sr.
84 Steve Shaffer, So.
LT 79 Keith Williams, Sr.
70 Matt Markling, So.
LG 57 Nick Charles, Jr.
64 Jake Morrow, So.
C 63 Andrew Pipes, Sr.
65 Michael Hampton, Jr.
RG 62 Peter Lusk, Jr.
67 Tyler Shonsheck, So.
RT 60 Chris Campbell, Jr.
78 Ben Marshall, So.
QB 7 Eric Herbort, Jr.
14 Shea Smith, Sr.
FB 25 Todd Newell, Sr.
42 Jared Tew, So.
TB 28 Kyle Lumpkin, So.
20 Devon Ford, Jr.
WR-Z 19 Ty Paffett, Sr.
4 Kyle Halderman, So.
DEFENSE
LE 95 Jake Paulson, Sr.
49 Ryan Gonzales, Jr.
NG 93 Ben Garland, Jr.
76 Stephen Larson, Jr.
RE 91 Ryan Kemp, Sr.
90 Rick Ricketts, So.
OLB 36 Andre Morris, Jr., So.
92 Myles Morales, Jr.
ILB 45 John Falgout, Jr.
55 Clay Bryant, Jr.
ILB 47 Ken Lamendola, So.
43 Justin Moore, Jr.
OLB 32 Hunter Altman, Sr.
37 William Keuchler, So.
CB 22 Brenton Byrd, Jr.
22 Ryan Curry, So.
CB 8 Reggie Rembert, So.
18 Elliot Battle, So.
SS 34 Chris Thomas, Jr.
30 Luke Yeager, Sr.
FS 23 Aaron Kirchoff, Sr.
29 Luke Hyder, Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
94 Zachary Bell, So.
P 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
98 Brandon Geyer, Jr.
-At X Receiver, Spencer Armstrong now is listed as the starter, bumping Sean Quintana to backup and Kevin Fogler off the chart
-At TB, junior-to-be Devon Ford now is listed as the backup to Kyle Lumpkin.
The full chart is below. Again, the years listed for each player are what they’ll be in the fall. For example, Spencer Armstrong is a junior, but he’ll be a senior in the fall.
OFFENSE
WR- X 26 Spencer Armstrong, Sr.
81 Sean Quintana, Jr.
TE 88 Travis Dekker, Sr.
84 Steve Shaffer, So.
LT 79 Keith Williams, Sr.
70 Matt Markling, So.
LG 57 Nick Charles, Jr.
64 Jake Morrow, So.
C 63 Andrew Pipes, Sr.
65 Michael Hampton, Jr.
RG 62 Peter Lusk, Jr.
67 Tyler Shonsheck, So.
RT 60 Chris Campbell, Jr.
78 Ben Marshall, So.
QB 7 Eric Herbort, Jr.
14 Shea Smith, Sr.
FB 25 Todd Newell, Sr.
42 Jared Tew, So.
TB 28 Kyle Lumpkin, So.
20 Devon Ford, Jr.
WR-Z 19 Ty Paffett, Sr.
4 Kyle Halderman, So.
DEFENSE
LE 95 Jake Paulson, Sr.
49 Ryan Gonzales, Jr.
NG 93 Ben Garland, Jr.
76 Stephen Larson, Jr.
RE 91 Ryan Kemp, Sr.
90 Rick Ricketts, So.
OLB 36 Andre Morris, Jr., So.
92 Myles Morales, Jr.
ILB 45 John Falgout, Jr.
55 Clay Bryant, Jr.
ILB 47 Ken Lamendola, So.
43 Justin Moore, Jr.
OLB 32 Hunter Altman, Sr.
37 William Keuchler, So.
CB 22 Brenton Byrd, Jr.
22 Ryan Curry, So.
CB 8 Reggie Rembert, So.
18 Elliot Battle, So.
SS 34 Chris Thomas, Jr.
30 Luke Yeager, Sr.
FS 23 Aaron Kirchoff, Sr.
29 Luke Hyder, Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
94 Zachary Bell, So.
P 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
98 Brandon Geyer, Jr.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Fisher Foundation Events
Hello all.
With former Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry set to be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame tomorrow night, I thought I’d pass along some information about some events that will be taking place next month to raise money for his foundation:
The 3rd Annual Fisher DeBerry Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic (May 16)
-Will be held at the Eisenhower Blue Course at the academy
-Special guest and honorary chairman will be former Notre Dame walk-on football player Rudy Ruettiger, who provided the inspiration for the movie “Rudy.”
The 5th Annual Fisher DeBerry Foundation Chick-fil-A 5K Run and Walk (May 17)
-Will be held at America the Beautiful Park in Colorado Springs at 3 p.m.
-Cost: $15 for students and children;$20 for adults
-Register here
The Inaugural Colorado Coaches for Charity silent auction and dinner (May 19)
-Will be held at the Denver Marriott City Center.
-DeBerry will be on hand along with former Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing and Colorado coach Dan Hawkins.
-Visit this site for more information.
With former Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry set to be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame tomorrow night, I thought I’d pass along some information about some events that will be taking place next month to raise money for his foundation:
The 3rd Annual Fisher DeBerry Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic (May 16)
-Will be held at the Eisenhower Blue Course at the academy
-Special guest and honorary chairman will be former Notre Dame walk-on football player Rudy Ruettiger, who provided the inspiration for the movie “Rudy.”
The 5th Annual Fisher DeBerry Foundation Chick-fil-A 5K Run and Walk (May 17)
-Will be held at America the Beautiful Park in Colorado Springs at 3 p.m.
-Cost: $15 for students and children;$20 for adults
-Register here
The Inaugural Colorado Coaches for Charity silent auction and dinner (May 19)
-Will be held at the Denver Marriott City Center.
-DeBerry will be on hand along with former Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing and Colorado coach Dan Hawkins.
-Visit this site for more information.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Practice Report - 4/2
Late in Air Force's Wednesday practice, freshman defensive end Rick Ricketts and freshman fullback Ryan Southworth got into a brief scuffle after a play.
In preseason – and to some degree, in spring sessions – coaches sometimes like to see fights. Some won’t admit it, others will come right out and say that it shows players are getting after it and playing hard and with emotion.
So after Wednesday’s practice, I asked Troy Calhoun what he thought about the dust-up.
“We’ve got competitive guys,” he said. “And they’re physical, and they’re going to be active, so every once in a while that’s going to happen. I think the key is this – you play extremely aggressively, and yet you’ve got to have poise too. You ever cross the line, that’s 15 (yards) against us. Our guys are pretty good about that. You don’t see it very often, but you certainly see them flying around.”
Calhoun sent Ricketts, who appeared to be the aggressor, off on a disciplinary run around a far goalpost following the scuffle.
But I think the coaches liked that their players were fired up during a spring session.
Other Thoughts:
-While quarterbacks Eric Herbort and Shea Smith were extremely sharp and receivers made great catches in traffic during Tuesday’s practice at Falcon Stadium, there were some errant throws and drops on Wednesday. Ty Paffett, in particular, dropped a high yet catchable ball on a deep post.
-It will be interesting to see what Brenton Byrd does at cornerback during the last few practices of spring, specifically scrimmage situations. Wednesday he showed the speed and athleticism to stay with receivers, but he’s still learning the coverages. He's had just four practices at the position.
-Freshman tailback Chase Wilke seemed to run hard and show some burst.
-The hit of the day belonged to sophomore inside linebacker Justin Moore, who laid a shoulder into Z receiver Kyle Halderman and elicited cheers from his defensive teammates on the sideline.
Note: I’ll be out of town this weekend but will file practice reports to the blog after each of the Falcons’ last three spring sessions – next Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (the controlled scrimmage).
In preseason – and to some degree, in spring sessions – coaches sometimes like to see fights. Some won’t admit it, others will come right out and say that it shows players are getting after it and playing hard and with emotion.
So after Wednesday’s practice, I asked Troy Calhoun what he thought about the dust-up.
“We’ve got competitive guys,” he said. “And they’re physical, and they’re going to be active, so every once in a while that’s going to happen. I think the key is this – you play extremely aggressively, and yet you’ve got to have poise too. You ever cross the line, that’s 15 (yards) against us. Our guys are pretty good about that. You don’t see it very often, but you certainly see them flying around.”
Calhoun sent Ricketts, who appeared to be the aggressor, off on a disciplinary run around a far goalpost following the scuffle.
But I think the coaches liked that their players were fired up during a spring session.
Other Thoughts:
-While quarterbacks Eric Herbort and Shea Smith were extremely sharp and receivers made great catches in traffic during Tuesday’s practice at Falcon Stadium, there were some errant throws and drops on Wednesday. Ty Paffett, in particular, dropped a high yet catchable ball on a deep post.
-It will be interesting to see what Brenton Byrd does at cornerback during the last few practices of spring, specifically scrimmage situations. Wednesday he showed the speed and athleticism to stay with receivers, but he’s still learning the coverages. He's had just four practices at the position.
-Freshman tailback Chase Wilke seemed to run hard and show some burst.
-The hit of the day belonged to sophomore inside linebacker Justin Moore, who laid a shoulder into Z receiver Kyle Halderman and elicited cheers from his defensive teammates on the sideline.
Note: I’ll be out of town this weekend but will file practice reports to the blog after each of the Falcons’ last three spring sessions – next Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (the controlled scrimmage).
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Schedule Thoughts
So Air Force’s 2008 schedule was finalized on Tuesday (scroll down two posts to see the full slate).
First impression upon looking at it?
It sets up pretty well for the Falcons.
First of all, and most importantly, Air Force has a bye week at an opportune time for the first time since the 2004 season when it had a break between its sixth and seventh games.
In 2005, Air Force’s bye came before the last game of the season when a losing season already was assured. In 2006, the Falcons had two bye weeks, but they were sandwiched around their first game. And last season, of course, Air Force had no bye weeks, playing 12 games in 12 weeks.
In the upcoming season, the Falcons will get a break between their fourth game (a tough one against Utah, which should be one of the favorites in the Mountain West Conference) and their fifth (against archrival Navy).
Other impressions on the schedule:
-It’s not as difficult early as it was last season when the Falcons played the teams predicted to be the top three in the conference (Utah, TCU and BYU) and then Navy in consecutive weeks in September. That’s important, as the 2008 team will be young
-Not a terribly difficult start, but how about the finish? Back-to-back games against defending league champ BYU and then at TCU for the regular season finale. Think the Horned Frogs will be hungry for some revenge?
-A couple not-so-fortunate notes for the Falcons: UNLV has a bye week prior to playing host to Air Force on Oct. 18. The Falcons, meanwhile, play at San Diego State the week before facing the Rebels. Plus, TCU has a bye week before playing host to Air Force on Nov. 22. Air Force plays at home against BYU the week before. And finally, Air Force plays at UNLV (at night) on Saturday, Oct. 18. It then has to travel home and prepare to play New Mexico on Thursday, Oct. 23 after a short week.
First impression upon looking at it?
It sets up pretty well for the Falcons.
First of all, and most importantly, Air Force has a bye week at an opportune time for the first time since the 2004 season when it had a break between its sixth and seventh games.
In 2005, Air Force’s bye came before the last game of the season when a losing season already was assured. In 2006, the Falcons had two bye weeks, but they were sandwiched around their first game. And last season, of course, Air Force had no bye weeks, playing 12 games in 12 weeks.
In the upcoming season, the Falcons will get a break between their fourth game (a tough one against Utah, which should be one of the favorites in the Mountain West Conference) and their fifth (against archrival Navy).
Other impressions on the schedule:
-It’s not as difficult early as it was last season when the Falcons played the teams predicted to be the top three in the conference (Utah, TCU and BYU) and then Navy in consecutive weeks in September. That’s important, as the 2008 team will be young
-Not a terribly difficult start, but how about the finish? Back-to-back games against defending league champ BYU and then at TCU for the regular season finale. Think the Horned Frogs will be hungry for some revenge?
-A couple not-so-fortunate notes for the Falcons: UNLV has a bye week prior to playing host to Air Force on Oct. 18. The Falcons, meanwhile, play at San Diego State the week before facing the Rebels. Plus, TCU has a bye week before playing host to Air Force on Nov. 22. Air Force plays at home against BYU the week before. And finally, Air Force plays at UNLV (at night) on Saturday, Oct. 18. It then has to travel home and prepare to play New Mexico on Thursday, Oct. 23 after a short week.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Depth Chart Moves
There were plenty of changes on the updated two-deep chart released by Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun on Tuesday (scroll down to see the full chart).
But that’s to be expected with so many positions considered to be wide open at this point. Calhoun said if coaches released a new depth chart after each practice “we’d probably have five changes every day.”
So how does Calhoun decide who belongs on the two-deep?
“You just want guys that are completely reliable,” Calhoun said. “And I think guys that are dependable and guys that are productive are the ones that get a chance to move to the surface and work with the primary units.”
Here are the changes from the initial spring two-deep chart:
Quarterback: Eric Herbort, listed as a backup on the first depth chart, moved in front of Shea Smith. But Herbort by no means has a stranglehold on the position.
“They’ve been pretty balanced,” Calhoun said of Herbort and Smith. “And that could continue to flip back and forth.”
Much more on the quarterback battle in an upcoming edition of The Gazette – likely this Sunday’s or Monday’s.
Tailback: Sophomore-to-be Savier Stephens and junior-to-be Brenton Byrd were listed as the starter and backup, respectively, at the start of spring practice.
But Stephens, the leading returning rusher from the 2007 squad, has been held out of practice because of a hernia that will require surgery. And Byrd (see below) is getting a look at cornerback.
So two players who were on the Falcons’ junior varsity as freshmen in 2007 – Kyle Lumpkin and Chase Wilke – now are listed as the starter and backup, respectively.
“They’re the two best tailbacks,” Calhoun said. “I think it’s the fairest way to operate is the guys that play the best are the guys that are in the two-deep. … Lumpkin, the kid loves football. He’s spunky, he’s a tough little nut. He’s got to learn how to run a little bit more downhill. But we’ll see how he does.”
Wide Receiver-X: Kevin Fogler, who will be a sophomore next year, moved in front of senior-to-be Spencer Armstrong as the backup to Sean Quintana.
Fogler impressed coaches in the first half of spring by making plenty of plays – specifically coming up with tough catches. “That’s a guy that every day did something in practice,” Calhoun said.
Fogler has an impressive 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame. And Calhoun said Fogler “plays with length.”
“There are times when guys are 6-4 and they play like they’re 5-6,” he said. “This guy’s 6-6 and he plays like he’s 6-6. He’s a great target. … You talk about the old term ‘upside,’ this guy has some.”
Tight End: Another sophomore-to-be, Steve Shaffer, moved in front of senior-to-be Keith Madsen as the backup to starter Travis Dekker. Shaffer is 6-4 and 230 pounds and began to emerge toward the end of last season. He, like Fogler, has plenty of upside.
Fullback: Jared Tew, who will be a sophomore next year, now is listed as the backup to Todd Newell, replacing junior-to-be Justin Moore.
Right Guard: Tyler Shonsheck, who will be a sophomore next year, now is listed as the backup to Peter Lusk, replacing senior-to-be Tyler Weeks.
Defensive Line: A few changes because of a knee injury suffered by nose guard Jared Marvin, who will be a senior next year.
Marvin tore both the ACL and MCL in his knee prior to spring break. He had surgery on March 17 and is expected to be out five to seven months.
With Marvin out, Ben Garland – listed as the starting left end at the beginning of spring – has moved inside to starting nose guard. Jake Paulson, who began spring as Garland’s backup, now is listed as the starting left end. Ryan Gonzales, a nose guard last year, now is listed as Paulson’s backup.
Inside linebacker: At one inside spot, Ken Lamendola, who will be a sophomore next year, now is listed as the starter, bumping Brandon Reeves. Justin Moore, who will be a junior next year, is listed as Lamendola’s backup.
Cornerback: Byrd, who began spring as the Falcons’ backup tailback, is trying his hand at corner. Calhoun said Byrd will finish spring there. Kevin Rivers, originally listed as a starter, has not practiced due to injury and now is not on the depth chart. Ryan Curry, who will be a sophomore next year, is listed as Byrd’s backup, replacing Devon Ford.
But that’s to be expected with so many positions considered to be wide open at this point. Calhoun said if coaches released a new depth chart after each practice “we’d probably have five changes every day.”
So how does Calhoun decide who belongs on the two-deep?
“You just want guys that are completely reliable,” Calhoun said. “And I think guys that are dependable and guys that are productive are the ones that get a chance to move to the surface and work with the primary units.”
Here are the changes from the initial spring two-deep chart:
Quarterback: Eric Herbort, listed as a backup on the first depth chart, moved in front of Shea Smith. But Herbort by no means has a stranglehold on the position.
“They’ve been pretty balanced,” Calhoun said of Herbort and Smith. “And that could continue to flip back and forth.”
Much more on the quarterback battle in an upcoming edition of The Gazette – likely this Sunday’s or Monday’s.
Tailback: Sophomore-to-be Savier Stephens and junior-to-be Brenton Byrd were listed as the starter and backup, respectively, at the start of spring practice.
But Stephens, the leading returning rusher from the 2007 squad, has been held out of practice because of a hernia that will require surgery. And Byrd (see below) is getting a look at cornerback.
So two players who were on the Falcons’ junior varsity as freshmen in 2007 – Kyle Lumpkin and Chase Wilke – now are listed as the starter and backup, respectively.
“They’re the two best tailbacks,” Calhoun said. “I think it’s the fairest way to operate is the guys that play the best are the guys that are in the two-deep. … Lumpkin, the kid loves football. He’s spunky, he’s a tough little nut. He’s got to learn how to run a little bit more downhill. But we’ll see how he does.”
Wide Receiver-X: Kevin Fogler, who will be a sophomore next year, moved in front of senior-to-be Spencer Armstrong as the backup to Sean Quintana.
Fogler impressed coaches in the first half of spring by making plenty of plays – specifically coming up with tough catches. “That’s a guy that every day did something in practice,” Calhoun said.
Fogler has an impressive 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame. And Calhoun said Fogler “plays with length.”
“There are times when guys are 6-4 and they play like they’re 5-6,” he said. “This guy’s 6-6 and he plays like he’s 6-6. He’s a great target. … You talk about the old term ‘upside,’ this guy has some.”
Tight End: Another sophomore-to-be, Steve Shaffer, moved in front of senior-to-be Keith Madsen as the backup to starter Travis Dekker. Shaffer is 6-4 and 230 pounds and began to emerge toward the end of last season. He, like Fogler, has plenty of upside.
Fullback: Jared Tew, who will be a sophomore next year, now is listed as the backup to Todd Newell, replacing junior-to-be Justin Moore.
Right Guard: Tyler Shonsheck, who will be a sophomore next year, now is listed as the backup to Peter Lusk, replacing senior-to-be Tyler Weeks.
Defensive Line: A few changes because of a knee injury suffered by nose guard Jared Marvin, who will be a senior next year.
Marvin tore both the ACL and MCL in his knee prior to spring break. He had surgery on March 17 and is expected to be out five to seven months.
With Marvin out, Ben Garland – listed as the starting left end at the beginning of spring – has moved inside to starting nose guard. Jake Paulson, who began spring as Garland’s backup, now is listed as the starting left end. Ryan Gonzales, a nose guard last year, now is listed as Paulson’s backup.
Inside linebacker: At one inside spot, Ken Lamendola, who will be a sophomore next year, now is listed as the starter, bumping Brandon Reeves. Justin Moore, who will be a junior next year, is listed as Lamendola’s backup.
Cornerback: Byrd, who began spring as the Falcons’ backup tailback, is trying his hand at corner. Calhoun said Byrd will finish spring there. Kevin Rivers, originally listed as a starter, has not practiced due to injury and now is not on the depth chart. Ryan Curry, who will be a sophomore next year, is listed as Byrd’s backup, replacing Devon Ford.
Football Schedule, Depth Chart Released
There hadn't been much to talk about in a while when it came to Air Force football, but now there’s a whole bunch.
The Mountain West Conference released its 2008 football schedule today, which finalized the Falcons’ slate. And, prior to Air Force’s practice today – the first in the second half of spring practices – coach Troy Calhoun released an updated depth chart with a whole bunch of changes.
I’ll be weighing in on both the schedule and the changes to the depth chart in this blog later tonight. Until then, here’s the Falcons’ 2008 schedule and the new depth chart.
2008 Air Force Football Schedule
Day Date Time Opponent (TV)
Saturday Aug. 30 12 p.m. Southern Utah
Saturday Sept. 6 1:30 p.m. at Wyoming* (CBS C)
Saturday Sept. 13 TBA at Houston (TBA)
Saturday Sept. 20 2 p.m. Utah* (VERSUS)
Saturday Sept. 27 OPEN
Saturday Oct. 4 2 p.m. Navy (VERSUS)
Saturday Oct. 11 6:30 p.m. at San Diego State* (The Mtn.)
Saturday Oct. 18 7 p.m. at UNLV* (The Mtn.)
Thursday Oct. 23 6 p.m. New Mexico* (CBS C)
Saturday Nov. 1 TBA at Army (TBA)
Saturday Nov. 8 4 p.m. Colorado State* (The Mtn.)
Saturday Nov. 15 1:30 p.m. BYU* (CBS C)
Saturday Nov. 22 2:30 p.m. at TCU* (VERSUS)
* - Mountain West Conference game
All times local to site
(The Mtn.) – MountainWest Sports Network;
(CBS C) – CBS College Sports Network, formerly known as College Sports Television (CSTV).
Updated Air Force Depth Chart
Note: Each player’s class in the depth chart refers to what he will be in 2008, e.g. quarterback Shea Smith currently is a junior, but he is listed as a senior.
OFFENSE
WR- X 81 Sean Quintana, Jr.
93 Kevin Fogler, So.
TE 88 Travis Dekker, Sr.
84 Steve Shaffer, So.
LT 79 Keith Williams, Sr.
70 Matt Markling, So.
LG 57 Nick Charles, Jr.
64 Jake Morrow, So.
C 63 Andrew Pipes, Sr.
65 Michael Hampton, Jr.
RG 62 Peter Lusk, Jr.
67 Tyler Shonsheck, So.
RT 60 Chris Campbell, Jr.
78 Ben Marshall, So.
QB 7 Eric Herbort, Jr.
14 Shea Smith, Sr.
FB 25 Todd Newell, Sr.
42 Jared Tew, So.
TB 28 Kyle Lumpkin, So.
20 Chase Wilke, So.
WR-Z 19 Ty Paffett, Sr.
4 Kyle Halderman, So.
DEFENSE
LE 95 Jake Paulson, Sr.
49 Ryan Gonzales, Jr.
NG 93 Ben Garland, Jr.
76 Stephen Larson, Jr.
RE 91 Ryan Kemp, Sr.
90 Rick Ricketts, So.
OLB 36 Andre Morris, Jr., So.
92 Myles Morales, Jr.
ILB 45 John Falgout, Jr.
55 Clay Bryant, Jr.
ILB 47 Ken Lamendola, So.
43 Justin Moore, Jr.
OLB 32 Hunter Altman, Sr.
37 William Keuchler, So.
CB 22 Brenton Byrd, Jr.
22 Ryan Curry, So.
CB 8 Reggie Rembert, So.
18 Elliot Battle, So.
SS 34 Chris Thomas, Jr.
30 Luke Yeager, Sr.
FS 23 Aaron Kirchoff, Sr.
29 Luke Hyder, Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
94 Zachary Bell, So.
P 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
98 Brandon Geyer, Jr.
The Mountain West Conference released its 2008 football schedule today, which finalized the Falcons’ slate. And, prior to Air Force’s practice today – the first in the second half of spring practices – coach Troy Calhoun released an updated depth chart with a whole bunch of changes.
I’ll be weighing in on both the schedule and the changes to the depth chart in this blog later tonight. Until then, here’s the Falcons’ 2008 schedule and the new depth chart.
2008 Air Force Football Schedule
Day Date Time Opponent (TV)
Saturday Aug. 30 12 p.m. Southern Utah
Saturday Sept. 6 1:30 p.m. at Wyoming* (CBS C)
Saturday Sept. 13 TBA at Houston (TBA)
Saturday Sept. 20 2 p.m. Utah* (VERSUS)
Saturday Sept. 27 OPEN
Saturday Oct. 4 2 p.m. Navy (VERSUS)
Saturday Oct. 11 6:30 p.m. at San Diego State* (The Mtn.)
Saturday Oct. 18 7 p.m. at UNLV* (The Mtn.)
Thursday Oct. 23 6 p.m. New Mexico* (CBS C)
Saturday Nov. 1 TBA at Army (TBA)
Saturday Nov. 8 4 p.m. Colorado State* (The Mtn.)
Saturday Nov. 15 1:30 p.m. BYU* (CBS C)
Saturday Nov. 22 2:30 p.m. at TCU* (VERSUS)
* - Mountain West Conference game
All times local to site
(The Mtn.) – MountainWest Sports Network;
(CBS C) – CBS College Sports Network, formerly known as College Sports Television (CSTV).
Updated Air Force Depth Chart
Note: Each player’s class in the depth chart refers to what he will be in 2008, e.g. quarterback Shea Smith currently is a junior, but he is listed as a senior.
OFFENSE
WR- X 81 Sean Quintana, Jr.
93 Kevin Fogler, So.
TE 88 Travis Dekker, Sr.
84 Steve Shaffer, So.
LT 79 Keith Williams, Sr.
70 Matt Markling, So.
LG 57 Nick Charles, Jr.
64 Jake Morrow, So.
C 63 Andrew Pipes, Sr.
65 Michael Hampton, Jr.
RG 62 Peter Lusk, Jr.
67 Tyler Shonsheck, So.
RT 60 Chris Campbell, Jr.
78 Ben Marshall, So.
QB 7 Eric Herbort, Jr.
14 Shea Smith, Sr.
FB 25 Todd Newell, Sr.
42 Jared Tew, So.
TB 28 Kyle Lumpkin, So.
20 Chase Wilke, So.
WR-Z 19 Ty Paffett, Sr.
4 Kyle Halderman, So.
DEFENSE
LE 95 Jake Paulson, Sr.
49 Ryan Gonzales, Jr.
NG 93 Ben Garland, Jr.
76 Stephen Larson, Jr.
RE 91 Ryan Kemp, Sr.
90 Rick Ricketts, So.
OLB 36 Andre Morris, Jr., So.
92 Myles Morales, Jr.
ILB 45 John Falgout, Jr.
55 Clay Bryant, Jr.
ILB 47 Ken Lamendola, So.
43 Justin Moore, Jr.
OLB 32 Hunter Altman, Sr.
37 William Keuchler, So.
CB 22 Brenton Byrd, Jr.
22 Ryan Curry, So.
CB 8 Reggie Rembert, So.
18 Elliot Battle, So.
SS 34 Chris Thomas, Jr.
30 Luke Yeager, Sr.
FS 23 Aaron Kirchoff, Sr.
29 Luke Hyder, Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
94 Zachary Bell, So.
P 13 Ryan Harrison, Sr.
98 Brandon Geyer, Jr.
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