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David Ramsey: How Air Force’s Troy Calhoun can repair his broken football program

By October 1, 2018 | updated 8 years ago

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Troy Calhoun revived Air Force’s broken football program when he returned to his alma mater in 2007. Once again, the call rings out for Calhoun to ride to the rescue.

This time, he must save the team he built, a disintegrating team, a team tumbling toward the bottom of service-academy football. In his 12th season, Calhoun is lead actor in a football catastrophe.

He desperately needs victory Saturday against Navy’s Midshipmen, who have beaten his Falcons seven of 11 times.

Saturday’s weird 28-25 loss to Nevada – this season’s losses have all been weird – dropped Calhoun and his Falcons to their sixth loss in their last seven Football Bowl Subdivision games. To add to his misery, Calhoun has lost two straight service-academy games.

A loss to Navy will torpedo the 2018 season and threaten Air Force’s football health for the next half-decade.

Air Force's rally behind sophomore quarterback falls short as Nevada escapes

Air Force, Navy and Army coaches travel the country recruiting the same players. It’s a limited collection. For the past few years, Navy and, especially, Army have won these highly specific recruiting struggles. If Navy and Army throttle the Falcons this season, the best recruits won’t travel to the edge of Colorado Springs.

This is a baffling edition of the Falcons. Over the past three games, the Falcons have fallen in massive deficits, inspiring fans to turn off TVs and, on Saturday, to flee the stadium at halftime. Trust me on that last one. I stood by the north exit at the half, watching fans walk into the inviting sunshine.

They thought they were escaping a boring rout. At halftime, Air Force trailed Nevada, 21-7, and the Falcons were blessed to be that close. A series of Wolfpack mistakes turned first and goal from Air Force’s half-yard line into a sensational 99-yard interception return by Zane Lewis.

The return was virtually the only thing Air Force did right in the half. The Falcons collected two first downs and 24 total yards. In the second quarter, they crawled to minus 12 yards and no first downs.

Departing fans missed a spectacular comeback, fueled by backup quarterback Donald Hammond III and aided by Nevada ineptitude. After falling behind 28-10, the Falcons came achingly close to stunning the Wolfpack and rewarding loyal fans who refused to leave.

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On fourth down at the Nevada 11 with 1:45 left, Hammond looked into the end zone and saw tight end Kade Waguespack in single coverage. A highly accurate throw would produce victory and joy.

But the ball sailed out of Hammond’s right hand and soared high over Waguespack’s arms. Rally over, and season still in a shambles.

This isn’t hopeless. Calhoun took over a program in 2007 that had lost 26 of 41 games. From 2007 to 2010, he reversed the slide, winning 34 of 52 games. It was a masterful performance. Calhoun’s Falcons played with emotion and precision. They were, above all, consistent.

Since then, The Calhoun Show has become erratic. Since the start of 2011, he’s 42-45 vs. FBS competition and has stumbled to three losing seasons. He requires instant transformation to avoid a fourth.

He talks constantly about the challenges of coaching a service-academy team. He has a point. While Mountain West football players wander around campus in shorts and T-shirts, the Falcons march in crisply ironed uniforms. It’s a tough gig.

But …

Navy and Army reside in the same service-academy universe. They march through a counter-culture existence, too.

As we speak, Calhoun and his Falcons run third in a three-team service-academy race.

He can’t stay there. He needs — no, he requires — victory at home Saturday.

Air Force Academy v. Nevada Football

Highlights from the Air Force Falcons against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Falcon Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Saturday September 29, 2018, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Nevada won 28-25. 

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David Ramsey

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