2014-15 Football Previews – (Mountain West) – Falcons
The Air Force Falcons walked away 2-10 in 2013, and while you shouldn’t expect them to be a contender for a Mountain West championship—let alone a Mountain Division title—you shouldn’t be surprised when they show improvements during the upcoming college football season.
UNLV
- Mountain West Conference 2014-15 College Football Previews:
- Head Coach: Troy Calhoun
- 2013 Record: 2-10
- Air Force Gambling Odds to win BCS Championship:
- Air Force Gambling Odds to win Mountain West Mountain Division:
- Air Force Gambling Odds to win Mountain West Conference: 30/1
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At this juncture, the Falcons have lost 14 of their last 17 total games. This team lacked both size and explosive skill players this past season as it pertained to depth, and while those problems still exist within the roster, the team will be more experienced and better prepared in close situations.
Team Strengths:
You can’t start talking about this group’s strengths without first mentioning the rushing attack. This group was 12th in the nation last season in rushing yards per game at 262.7, and it was the only thing threatening about the offense, as it was just 93rd overall in points scored (24.7 per contest).
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From an athleticism standpoint, the Falcons’ offensive line is one of the nation’s most elite. They have to be to keep up with the running game, and that theme should hold true again in 2014.
One player to look out for on offense is Jalen Robinette. He has the potential to be a big playmaker as a receiver, but his role in such a run-heavy offense has limited him in the past. This could be the case again in 2014, although he has a better chance at boosting his stats if Nate Romine wins the starting job behind center.
Team Weaknesses:
The upcoming season could be defined by which quarterback earns the starting spot. That’s not necessarily a weakness in its own right, except that neither Nate Romine nor Kale Pearson has established himself as the better option. Romine is a better passer and Pearson is more mobile, so while the system will surely have an impact on the decision, so will overall performance the closer we get to the season.
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When it comes to the defense, this group returns seven starters. That’s typically something to cheer about, as more experience equals more wins, right? With this group, maybe not considering these are the same starters that gave up 40 points per contest, not to mention more than 490 yards per game last season.
Size is a problem on the defensive line, which is why this group struggled to put pressure on virtually any quarterback it faced in 2013. Assuming nobody shoots up drastically in weight this upcoming year, this will likely hold true for another season.
2014-15 Boise State Football Gambling Prediction: 4-8
Air Force will be better in 2014 than it was last season. In fact, projecting them to win twice as many games isn’t unreasonable considering they only walked away from last year with two wins total.
If the Falcons can keep games close, they have an excellent field-goal kicker waiting to make plays. Will Conant went 11-of-13 last season, and he could be just as valuable this year if we do in fact see this group improve enough to contest late week after week.
2014 Air Force Schedule
- Sat, Aug 30 vs Nicholls State
- Sat, Sept 6 @ Wyoming
- Sat, Sept 13 @ Georgia State
- Sat, Sept 27 vs Boise State
- Sat, Oct 4 vs Navy
- Sat, Oct 11 @ Utah State
- Sat, Oct 18 vs New Mexico
- Sat, Nov 1 @ Army
- Sat, Nov 8 @ UNLV
- Sat, Nov 15 vs Nevada
- Fri, Nov 21 @ San Diego State
- Fri, Nov 28 vs Colorado State
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