2003 Statistics

Quarterback
Any chance Air Force had at having a predictable early season came to an end in April when junior Adam Fitch ruptured the Achilles tendon in his right leg during spring practice. Fitch, who is scheduled to be out until anywhere from late August to October, was the only returning quarterback with experience, as he replaced starter Chance Harridge and led the Falcons to a 22-21 win over Northwestern. Now, the Falcons will turn to inexperience (that has never taken a college snap). Junior Andy Gray and sophomore Luke Ewing will each take a shot, but it's not looking promising without Fitch, who would gives the Falcons a similar element to past running quarterbacks (i.e. Harridge, Blane Morgan, and Beau Morgan). Gray will open as the starter, and has speed and smarts, too, just not as tested since his two-year religious mission ended recently.

Running Back
Darnell Stephens and Anthony Butler are two powerful tailbacks who will take most of the pressure off whoever the quarterback will be. The duo combined in '03 to rush for nearly 1000 yards, and will therefore be asked to carry much of the early the load because of the quarterback inexperience. The X-factor here is the fullback in this wishbone. The Falcons will be unstoppable if the fullback(s) can rush for 100 yards per tilt - at least they have been over the years. Seniors Dan Shaffer, Adam Cole, and sophomore Jacobe Kendrick will all get carries, and each should power the Falcons to a(nother) top five rushing offense. Air Force is Air Force, and that means the Falcons will be able to run effectively no matter who's in the backfield.

Receiver
Oh, the joy of playing wide receiver in the wishbone. In this offense, a receiver's main job will be to block (over 80% of the time on this squad), especially being needed on wide (option) plays to either side. Seniors Alec Messerall and J.P. Waller will make their catches count. There's no reason to expect either will have many more receptions this time, but the two are seniors that will make a young, inexperienced quarterback's job in this offense a bit easier. Jason Brown, a 6-foot-4 junior, gives the Falcons another capable threat downfield. Remember, in a basic Air Force formation, there's only one wide receiver on the field.

Tight End
The Falcons will look to fill the lost void here with junior Robert McMenomy, who has very little experience, but showed well in the spring. Any Air Force TE will not be asked to catch many passes, but he has to be solid as mobile linemen so as to block, block, and keep blocking. This crew is capable of doing any of the above-listed tasks.

Offensive Line
Of all the positions, this may be the one hurting the most. Not one starter returns. Only center John Peel started (part-time), and he wasn't even listed as first-string when he did. There might not be a positive here, except that three of the starters are juniors and should be ready to handle the challenge better than a true freshman would. Most have seen football combat, so it is hard to predict how they will respond as a unit if no one along the line has confidence/leadership. A team who head coach Fisher DeBerry calls "impressive in the weight room" has the talent to and will make this running attack work well, especially in the case of sophomore T Mark Koalenz. The return of John Wilson (shoulder rehab) will surely add more, but the unit will struggle until identity is found, which will be tough through September's tests.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Air Force is Air Force, no matter who the personnel is. The Falcons will run the wishbone and the option and will be able to have success moving the ball. Why? Because their formations are tough to stop when executed with their usual precision. You can't effectively simulate a wishbone or a triple option offense (unless it's also your main offensive set). The running backs will help newbie QB Andy Gray adjust, because it's looking like Adam Fitch won't see the field till October, if at all. The Falcons have one of the best rushing units in recent memory. Yet, it is not only has an unproven quarterback, but an unproven offensive line, too. The offensive line is more of a doubt as we sit now, but if there's any coach who can quickly get this unit playing together, its Fisher DeBerry, the 65-year-old coach who has guided the Falcons to 18 winning seasons. This offense will start out slow as players get adjusted, but this talented group of running backs won't be slowed down for ran entire game too often this year. When they find someone who can effectively run the triple-option offense from the quarterback position, then the offense can flourish. It won't happen early, but the offense will get better by the campaign's end.

Defensive Line
Yikes! The defensive line also returns no one who has ever started a game. Senior Ryan Carter had modest, but quality numbers while seeing starter's minutes. He'll be the initial unquestioned leader on this line - he's got the most experience. Gilberto Perez is, "…going to be the next big time player we have…" according to DeBerry. This unit isn't as green as the offensive line, but close enough. Look for improvement overall by season's end, though, for, once gelled, they are capable of lowering the prior-group's rushing ranking of 75th nationally.

Linebacker
Inside linebacker John Rudzinski will be one of the best linebackers in the MWC and is setting himself up for an All-America season. He played with an ankle injury in '03 and racked up 65 tackles. Teams will run away from him, though, for not only is he good, but he's the only one with quality minutes. Rudzinski is also a fast linebacker, and since he's recovered from his injury, he'll be that much more pass-effective. The rest of the unit has good size and mobility, too. Seeing how these guys will be bolstering the run-support areas as the line sets, look for teams to test the LB's underneath coverages early.

Defensive Back
The Falcons employ five defensive backs. Poland, the Falcon Back (rover) has the size and makings to thwart any dimension team's throw at him, and he is only a junior. Allen is the secondary's leading returning tackler and has big-play potential, as well, seeing how he intercepted two passes, including a 79-yard return for a touchdown. This unit will aptly anchor the defense, even if it isn't that much more experienced than the linebackers and defensive line. Problem will come early when the secondary has to commit someone to run-support and they get lit up, accordingly. Trials-by-fire this way will pay dividends by mid-September.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Inexperience looms heavily, but there's plenty of skill to go around. Once it develops into on-the-field talent, the Air Force defense should be as solid as it usually is (41st total defense, 24th scoring defense in 2003). Each unit is green, but each has that needed leader in Nate Allen (secondary), John Rudzinski (linebackers) and Ryan Carter (line) to push them into maturity. It's much easier for players to become "seasoned" on defense, and the Falcons will have another strong crew by the end. One problematic stat DeBerry & Co. must fix is allowing opponents a 47% success rate on third-down conversions.