-One of the things that jumped out at me while reading the bios of players added to the Falcons’ varsity roster was this nugget about freshman outside linebacker Alex Means: “Was also recruited by Notre Dame and Michigan State.”
That tells you the caliber of player Means is – and can be in the future. He’s athletic and has 215 pounds spread on his 6-foot-6 frame. Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said once Means spends some time in the weight room, he will be a really good player for the Falcons. “And yet we’re going to ask him to be a strong contributor right now,” Calhoun said.
Indeed. It looks like Means will start Saturday against Nicholls State in place of the injured Patrick Hennessey (shoulder).
-Three more freshmen have been added to the varsity roster:
35 Wesley Cobb – RB (5-9, 190) Houston, Texas (Cy-Fair)
37 James Chambers – LB (6-0, 220) Wichita Falls, Texas (Rider)
96 Daniel Compton – K (5-8, 190) Phoenix, Ariz. (Paradise Valley)
-There are 94 players on the varsity roster that appears in Air Force’s Nicholls State release. The class breakdown reveals the Falcons still are a pretty young team: 15 seniors, 23 juniors, 46 sophomores, 10 freshmen.
“There are some really good football players in the sophomore class and the freshman class and next year there’ll be another good batch of football players in next year’s freshman class too,” Calhoun said.
-Freshman Mikel Hunter will wear No. 30 (he’s been wearing 13 in practices).
-Here’s my question: I’m writing later this week about Air Force scheduling a Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA) squad for the home opener. I’m wondering what people think? Good idea for the health and progress of the team during the season? Or would you rather Air Force play a big-name out-of-conference foe?
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section or drop me a line at jake.schaller@gazette.com.
It’s a little tough to be excited about college football opening week when AF plays NIcholls State and not someone like Tenn, but really it probably helps for the rest of the season.
Jake,
Personally, I hate seeing us playing a Division IAA (I know, FCS). As a fan, I want to see us play Wake Forest, Rice, Stanford, Northwestern, Notre Dame, or Vanderbilt type of school and give them a run for their money (pun intended) and then a mid-level Pac or Big 12 type of team.
It is interesting to note that next year, Troy will have mostly his recruits, and projecting ahead a year, a chance to have a strong run through the MWC potentially (BYU and Utah at home). So if you want to talk about a serious bowl (which is hard because of all the tie-ins with the MWC) when you play someone legitimate such as Oklahoma it bolsters your portfolio.
Won’t that be a fun season to watch?
Look at this year’s home schedule…to paraphrase Dave Ramsey describing the BB schedule, “have fun watching those games”.
I’m glad to see FSU, Wake (away), Ok State, and Iowa State on future schedules. Those will be fun games to watch. Really fun home games.
I like to see Air Force in the underdog role, and they often thrive in those games. The FCS games negate that and are often trap games (just ask Michigan).
The service academy games are special, and even though the Navy fans get sensitive about it, are a lot of fun and I really respect the effort that the cadets (army and air force), and midshipmen put into those games.
I know all the reasons for having an FCS game to start the season, but you asked for what we thought…
Thanks again for all the GREAT posts and info Jake!
Bring on Nicholls State…the Colonels…Spouthland Conference…3-6 last year…wahoo!!
This kind of game gives us everything we need out of the home opener: a chance to warm up before a challenging conference and CIC schedule and a win on Parents’ Weekend. Face it, “strength of schedule” doesn’t matter unless we go undefeated for the entire season. There’s no reason to go out and lose to a big name team unless we need the money generated from a home and away. Would I love to see Florida or Texas in Falcon Stadium? Sure, but it doesn’t do a whole lot for the program unless the game is on TV or we’re making bank from the payout for the away game in a home and home.
Normally I would say, lets get ready for the tough conference games with a challenging opener. This year I think it works in our favor with some key injuries that need another week off and a lot of young guys that need the reps. Keep up the great work Jake.
I’m don’t have much problem with a 1-AA team for parents weekend – but if were going to go 1-AA get a team with a little name recognition. One that represents an entire state – like Montana or Maine, has a conection to the military like VMI or The Citadel, or has great Academics – like any of the Ivy’s.
Jake,
Never liked it, never will. It’s a body bag game pure and simple. As a fan I like to consider AF as a solid FBS team. Playing against other FBS teams generates excitement, enthusiasm, and fan interest. Playing a lowly FCS team no one has ever heard of generates apathy. Sorry, but I won’t even get out of bed to see AF whip up on Nichols State.
Oklahoma and Tennessee were EXCITING for the fans and a challenge for the players. Those were fun GAMES (even though we lost them both!)!
We don’t have to play top 10 FBS teams. WE only have two games to schedule. Lets play one solid team and one middle of the road FBS team. Wake, Vandy, Rice, Houston.
Every 13 to 15 years AF puts together a team with a chance for a run at the top 10. Let’s give that team a chance to build a decent resume with Out of Conference wins against solid teams. We owe that to the team, our fans, and the MWC, who is trying desperately to gain some respect. Beating Nichols State doesn’t do anything that a good intrasquad scrimmage won’t accomplish.
I am not a fan of playing below the level of our normal caliber of opposition. As noted above, there are any number of Division I schools, with comparable academic requirements, that we could play for an attractive game. For example, I would love to see us play more ACC teams-Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Boston College, in addition to Wake Forest-rather than schedule some supposed lightweight. Or one of the mid-level Big Ten or MAC teams (I’m very pleased to see us playing Minnesota this year). An important goal of this program is to expand our national footprint and the public’s awareness of the school. We simply aren’t going to get that kind of exposure playing out of our division, unless it’s the negative publicity of losing. I understand the need for tuneup games, especially with the limited amount of time that Air Force players can practice and focus on football. But I would hope that games like Nicholls State are aberrations.
The most important thing on Parents’ Weekend is getting a win. Getting a win over a FCS school is okay, but if they are going to play that type of school, I agree with AFAFAN that it would be better to get that win over a team with some name recognition.
I would prefer to see us beat a lower-level FBS team on Parents’ Weekend. Some of those games that I have attended that are most memorable are: the 38-10 win over BYU in 95, the 45-0 win over San Jose State the next year, the 48-0 crushing of a highly touted Wake Forest team in 98, and the 52-3 spanking of Northwestern in 2002. Those wins were the types that sent the freshmen cadets and their families away for the weekend with a good feeling about the Academy. The OU game in 01 probably did just the opposite.
This season we have a young team, and this type of game is probably appropriate for Parents’ Weekend. Give everyone a win, go home happy, and get the team ready to take on a Big 10 team in the opening game for their new stadium. Winning that one is really going to be nice.
Thanks for the coverage the past few weeks. Now that I have found you, I know more about the team going into the season than ever before. Look forward to your articles during the year!
Jake,
Agree completely with the Dr, TTail, ChicagoZoomie — what are Troys thoughts with a similiar caliber D1A institution versus the D1AA (I know — but I do not like the new designations). The Wakes (Grobe et al connections), Rices, Vandys, Northwesterns, Dukes, etc of the nation seem to leave plenty of options to still have a good chance at a W while also having more of a national interest. I am wondering here if those types of schools pose more of an issue scheduling wise for Parents Weekend and that is more of the issue or if Troy truly does not want to play them on the first weekend.
As a fan, sure, I’d like to see AF play a bigger name opponent.
However . . .
In Troy We Trust.
This is how he wants to do it, and although I may not like it, he hasn’t done anything so far to make me think he doesn’t know what’s best for this team.