The End

Saturdays Air Force Football game at Colorado State is the final game of the season for the Falcons. Is there a lot riding on it? I say yes, and not because of the obvious. CSU needs the win to become bowl eligible. Air Force needs the win to avoid the worst season in school history. I've seen every game in Troy Calhouns Head Coaching career with the Falcons. I have not seem him that animated and frustrated as I did after Thursday loss to UNLV. He ripped his team, saying they can no longer use youth and inexperience as excuses. His tone (rant would be too strong a word) shocked many of his players, who have been used to seeing Calhoun deal with losses this year in a more reserved manner. But maybe thats what this club needs. I've always been from the school that rasing your voice once in a while and calling people out and demanding accountability is never a bad thing. Players can control effort and hustle. There was none of that for most of the first half Thursday Night. It got better but by then it was too late. If Air Force should beat the Rams Saturday some of the credit needs to go to Calhouns open questioning of his teams desire to the press after the UNLV game. And a win Saturday could give us a peek at what could be a very interesting 2014. But the Falcons need to come out and play with some spark and spirit. Some of that may need to be brought out by the head coach. But a lot of it needs to come from the players. It could be a springboard for next year if the results are positive. But it could also be a dismal end to the worse season in program history.

Next year Begins Thursday

Air Force has 2 football games left. There's no "saving" the season. You are what you are, and the Falcons are 2-8. True, you can put a crimp in UNLV's chances for a bowl, and perhaps do the same next week at Colorado State. But these two games have to be about Air Force. I was glad to see Troy Calhoun did not let up off the pedal during the bye week. Young inexperienced teams need work, and this team, especially on defense, needs a lot of work. And to build a base for next year, these two games can serve as a bit of a platform for the 2014 season. Whatever ails the Falcons on defense can only be fixed through hard work, and taking a step back and looking at every aspect of the defense, including schemes and coaching. After a week off, and perhaps a fresh perspective, its clear that this season can mean something if Air Force treats these next two games as building blocks for next year. Otherwise, nothing good comes out of this season.

Changes?

After watching yet another disappoining loss by Air Force to New Mexico Friday night, one has to ask if major changes are needed within the program after the season. Even the worst of defenses forces a team to punt every so often, but the Falcons could not get the Lobos off the field Friday Night. What hurts, (among many things) is, that was a 2-6 football team Air Force lost to. They threw 3 PASSES. Thats it. The Lobos never felt threatened to the point where they had to try more than 3. So whats the problem with the Falcon Defense? It's not just one thing, and I don't profess to have the answer, although earlier in the year it was clear against passing teams Air Force was too passive and played way too far off the line. But the fact this malaise has continued for the entire season would suggest Troy Calhoun has to take a hard look at everything defense. 1) The 3-4 Scheme-I've always liked the 3-4 but you have to wonder as teams evolve on offense how effective it continues to be. Crazy as it sounds, a 4-2-5 look might be the next defenisve evolution. 2) Youth-Its been a challenge all season long. 3) Injuries-See Youth 4) Coaching-Air Force has struggled on defense the last couple of years, so #'s 2 and 3 listed above were not as much of an issue last year. The Falcons seem to be a bend but lets-not-break squad. Thats not good enough anymore. If you rush 3 and drop 8 you will get beat. If you play too much zone you will get beat. I would like to see the coaching staff play more man to man and gamble more in the box. But the biggest question may be, does Air Force need a change of leadership on defense? I'm the last person to suggest firing people-the world is a tough enough place as it is. I do believe the Falcons, if not doing so already, must open themselves up to different concepts on defense. They may seem foreign, but you know what they say about doing the same thing over and over again. The Coaching staff can't be stubborn, (and I'm not suggesting they are) but they must do things differently on defense than what they have shown the last two seasons. Otherwise 2014 won't look much better than this year.

Army

Air Force plays Army Saturday in Colorado Springs, and if there's any hope of taking a tiny sting out of what has been a bad season, a win over the Black Knights could do that. There are some games where its less about the opponent and more about you. I think this game falls in that catagory. A winnable game for the Falcons? Yes. Doesn't mean its a victory. The Falcons have too many holes on defense and too much inconsistency on offense. And think about how Army views this game. Air Force is down, and Navy is certainly beatable this year. It could be the best chance the Black Knights have of winning the Commander In Chiefs Trophy in a long time. But this game is about the Falcons and what they do. At times you see sparks-stopping San Diego State on 3 4th down plays....Driving like they did at times against the Notre Dame defense. But there's no consistency. Much of that is youth. Some of that is coaching. There's just 4 games left this year. No bowl game. You gotta make these games count. Forget who you are playing. Take care of your own business first, and see what happens.

5 Left...What Happens?

Air Force football players talked this week about how they can still get to a bowl if they win their last 5 games. Its the right mindset to have after a 1-6 start and 16 days off between games. The biggest hurdle of the 5 is Saturday when Notre Dame comes to Colorado Springs. It's like a second season getting underway for the Falcons. There's an old saying, "They don't remember how you start-They do remember how you finish." The Falcons must finish strong. Injuries have been a factor and inexperience has played into the season as well, but the time is now to put those things behind them. It won't be easy. Notre Dame is not as good as last year, but still plenty good period. Their defense has really come on in the last 4 weeks, and won them the game last week vs USC. The Falcons must have a daring offensive game plan for the Irish. Air Force was too conservative in the 4th quarter against San Diego State and it contributed to the loss. And I'm not talking about running a reverse and having Sam Gagliano throw the football. Air Force needs to roll out more and throw short. They did that once against San Diego State and completed the pass. They don't have to throw 50 times a game, and every pass they do call does not have to be a bomb. Just give the Irish something else to think about besides the option. Otherwise next year may get here sooner than anyone wants.

Hurt, But Hope

There have been a lot of challenges this year for Troy Calhoun and his Air Force football team. Losing 2 starting quarterbacks, injuries, youth, inconsistency. But Thursday night the Falcons got off the mat and played an inspired game. They gave up a 14 point 4th quarter lead and succumbed to San Diego State 27-20. Yes, its easy to say Air Force is 1-6 and should have won last night, and the season is going nowhere. But if you looked closely you saw a lot from a gutty group of football players. 1st, Air Force loses another quarterback. Karson Roberts went out after taking a shot and Freshman Nate Romine came on. I asked him afterwards if he felt nervous, calm, anxious. He said to me, "Excited." Love that attitude. He can play. Romine managed the game well. Late in the 4th quarter, and out of timeouts he threw the best pass this year by a Falcon quarterback over the middle to Garret Griffin for a big gain and a first down. (Griffin made a hell of a catch too, up around his helmet.) 2nd-Signs of life from the Air Force Defense. I have been critical of the defense all season long. They play too far off the ball and have not attacked. Part of that is how the coaches have asked them to play. Last night, completely different. The Falcons were aggresive on the line of scrimmage. They had two sacks, and plenty of Quarterback hurries. They were spirited, animated, hungry, and even desperate, which is a good way to play. They stopped the Aztecs 3 times on 4th down, 2 in 4th and goal situations and once, on a big time one on one tackle by Christian Spears to save a touchdown at the 1 yard line. In recent weeks the coaching staff has simplified the playbook and helped the kids think less and play more. Plus, in watching last night I really believe the Coaches were more aggressive in their play calling and not sitting back playing everything underneath. I have said on this blog you can't play defense backing up. You attack. They did last night. Yes they did give up 21 4th quarter points and yes its a loss, but I believe you saw the beginnings of this team shaking off their malaise. Can good things come from a loss? Yes. In life sometimes the best lessons come from pain. Dawn still hasn't broken for the Falcon Football team, but the sky is slowly getting brighter.

Is there Time to Salvage the Season

Following the Falcons loss to Navy Saturday the title of this blog seems appropriate. At 1-5 Air Force is staring at a December without a bowl game for the first time in 7 seasons. Win out, or take 5 of 6 and you can go to a bowl. But you don't get any sense this team has that kind of run in them at the moment. Its youth has been a big factor. Injuries have not helped. And they are playing good teams. The team has been inconcistent in so many areas. The hope is things can turn around but you wonder if there's time this season for that to happen. Its more than a young team getting experience. And more troubling is the trend that says in its last 31 games Air Force is 14-18. And 3 of the 13 wins are against Football Championship Teams. Take them out and you are 11-18. There's a lot at stake these last 6 games. I've always believed this is where Coaches earn their money the most-when teams are down and struggling. There is hope for the rest of the year, but the window is closing.

The One That Got Away

The Air Force Football team showed a lot of heart and guts Saturday night in Reno Nevada. They wound up losing to the Nevada WolfPack 45-42 after coughing up a 12 point lead in the 4th quarter. Air Force will long regret two killer illegal substitution penalties late in the game that turned a 3rd and 1 into a 3rd and 11, and resulted in another dropped pass by a Falcon Reeceiver. Air Force had a chance to run out the clock late in the game, but those two penalties, the result of poor coaching, forced the Falcons to punt, and once again, the Air Force Defense could not stop another team. The Falcons were in such a position to win because of a gutty effort by Karson Roberts, who 3 weeks ago was the 3rd string quarterback. He ran for 161 yards and two scores and threw for another touchdown. His guile and leadership stood out bright and strong among the disaster this season has been so far. And although the defense struggled I saw some improvement. The Falcons played man to man in the secondary, and had their moments. Defensive back Gavin Mchenry had 11 tackles and knocked away 4 passes. I though Justin Decood also played well, as did Ryan Fitzgerald. Can Air Force build from this? Don't know? They play at Navy Saturday, and if there's a silver lining, the Midshipmen don't throw it all over the field like the previous 4 opponents. While Satudays game is the one that got away, it may also be the one that points Troy Calhouns team in the right direction. Because at this point, there's only 1 way to go.

No Awini

A bad Air Force season just got worse when it was announced Quarterback Jaleel Awini is not a cadet in good standing and thus, cannot represent the Academy. It means he can't play football because of an unknown violation of Academy Standards. Its the worst news Troy Calhoun could have received for his young football team. In 3 games we have seen flashes of the potential Awini has. He can throw. He's strong, and durable. But the term student-athlete means school comes first, and for Awini it looks like his sophomore season is done. So in steps Quarterback #3 Karson Roberts. I watched him practice and focused on him. I think people will be surprised how he does. He is the only quarterback on the roster with a touchdown pass-2 actually, both to Jalen Robinette. He looks very comfortable to me under center. He has played a little, and now he gets the bright lights as the new Air Force Starter. All he needs to do is manage the game for the Falcon offense. Don't try to be the hero. And hopefully he gets some help from his defense. They have simplified things in practice this week. Less thinking and scheming, and more playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Thursday Night join us for the Troy Calhoun show at Back East Bar and Grill at 630 on KVOR, and of course we'll have Saturdays game live from Reno at 6 on Colorado's 740 KVOR.

No Progress

The pain and the frustration were evident in the Air Force Lockeroom following Wyomings 56-23 win Saturday Night. And its now 3 weeks in a row the Falcons have this same kind of feeling. Its more than just losing a game. Its how Air Force is losing. The defense is getting shelled. Teams are throwing the ball all over the field and scoring at will. A 5 yard pass turns into a 15 yard gain or more. The numbers the Falcons defense have given up are staggering: In the last 3 games Air Force has given up 150 points, 1732 yards of Total Offense, and the last 3 quarterbacks the Falcons have faced are a combined 96-112 for 1037 yards and 10 touchdowns. So, what to do? Look, its not just one issue with the defense, and blame can't fall on just one person. Troy Calhoun certainly has to look at the defensive scheme he uses. It tends to be a 3 man front with 4 linebackers, with the outside guys up on the line on occasion, and 4 deep in the secondary. The last 3 games the Falcons have played a lot of nickel with a 5th defensive back coming in for a linebacker. Against Utah State Air Force gave wide receivers a big cushion off the line of scrimmage. Against Boise state they tightend up a bit in the second half. Saturday, Wyoming did not throw as many bubble screens but were more aggresive throwing down the field. Whatever the Falcons tried did not work. I would like to see the Air Force play man to man on the receivers and blitz as often as they can. You can rush 5, have 5 guys playing man to man when the offense uses 5 wide receivers, and your 11th guy can be a hybrid. He can "spy" the quarterback, especially if he tends to run. He can drop back in coverage, or he can blitz. The problem with blitzing is, most qb's throw from the shotgun and throw quick so its hard to get to them. But you have to do something to knock offenses off their rhythm. You need to take away the short passing game and make them throw over your head. You don't play defense backing up. And these days you can't drop 7 or 8 guys into zone ccoverage and stop teams. It does not work. A lot of fans have asked me about coaching. Here's what I know. The Air Force defense has not been the same since Tim Deruyter left. I think Defensive Coordinator Charlton Warren has to look at everything he is doing and, if need be, simplify the defense, and make it more aggressive. Here's what I don't know-Have the Falcons used essentially the same gameplan the last 3 games? If the answer is yes, then the coaches have to take a lot of blame. Youth-There is a lot of it on the defense. The only way you get older and wiser is play through it. I did like the fact we did see more of older players like Jared Jones, Chris Miller and Connor Healy, who have playing experience, in the 2nd half. Bottom line-everyobe must share the blame for the demise of the defense. Its Coaches, its players, its gameplans. Change must happen. If they don't, get used to more big numbers, especially in the loss column.

A Lot of Work to Do

The last two weeks Air Force has played two very good football teams, Utah State, and Boise State this past Friday Night. The Falcons are a young football team, and there are growing pains. But Friday night underscored the problems Air Force is having on defense. Boise State did not have to punt the football. They had the ball for 9 possessions. They scored touchdowns on 6 of them, turned the ball over twice, and took a knee to end the game. The Falcons defense did not stop the Broncos once on 3rd down-not once. And going into the game opposing teams were converting 3rd downs into first down against Air Force 60% of the time. I'm not a coach-but I am more than a casual observer. I can't tell you what kind of schemes were drawn up by the Falcons Coaches. I can tell you it looked like the defense was playing 15 yards off the ball trying not to get beat deep. I can tell you a number of times Air Force had linebackers covering wide receivers. I'm not trying to be critical. Perhaps the schemes were changed and the players did not adapt. Certainly the Broncos are an excellent team and that accounts for much of what they did. However.....The Falcons have to re-think dropping 15 yards off the line scrimmage. All Football teams are now throwing underneath. All Football teams are throwing bubble screens. All Football teams are trying to get skill guys in open space. As a defense you have to be more aggresive in the box, within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. You may have to play some man to man. As a defense you need to set a tone, for the offense to react to you. Easier said than done? Yes...and perhaps a bit unfair of me to sit on a Monday Morning and type this. However, if what you are doing isn't working, you need to try something else. The Air Force Defense isn't working....That much I know.

Improvement Needed Fast

Somebody asked me after the Falcons season opening win against Colgate what we learned about the Air Force football team. I replied, "Not a thing." After Saturdays loss to Utah State I don't know if things have become any clearer. But here's what I do know...The Falcons defense will face a lot of teams like Utah State this year and they need to get better fast on defense. When you are young, you learn on the fly and thats the task the Air Force defense has. The Aggies Chuckie Keeton is an excellent quarterback and will wreak havoc against a lot of teams. But you can't blow assignments, miss tackles, leave guys wide open and hope to win. And on offense I counted 6 catchable balls Air Force receiver and tight ends dropped. And if you can't get a first down in the 2nd half until there's 10 minutes left in the game, thats not good. And it only gets tougher the next 3 weeks. Friday night its Boise State with their high flying offense. A week from Saturday its Brett Smith and the Wyoming Cowboys, followed by Cody Fajardo and Nevada. 3 similiar styles of teams who can pile up the points. The defense needs stops and the offense needs first downs so the defense can rest, so they can get stops. There's a lotta "need" at the moment for the Air Force Football Team.

A Better Test

I understand why Troy Calhoun opens with a Football Championship Subdivision team every football season. Its Parents Weekend, and it ensures a home game for the Falcons every Labor Day Saturday. It makes sense. Does it prepare the Falcons for the rest of the season and the speed of the game when a Division 1 team comes in? I'm not so sure. With that being said, here comes Utah State to open the Mountain West season. The Aggies will provide a stern test for Air Force, and the Falcons for Utah State. When you have a young team with lots of potential, these games mean a lot. You are going up against better athletes, more experienced athletes, and simply a better football team. It gives you, win or lose, a better idea of what kind of football team you have. Th Falcons enter the game with a true rookie at quarterback, Jaleel Awini. He's big, and strong, and very athletic. And he will see things he has never experienced in a football game before. But Air Force has no choice, now that Kale Pearson is lost for most if not all the season. Awini got his feet wet in the second half against Colgate, and other than a big sack, managed fairly well. But Saturday he is facing a better team, and Satuday he won't be coming into the game with a big lead. You may see the Falcons try to run left, right and down the middle to take some pressure off of the sophomore. And that make sense because that's the strength of the Air Force Football program. But if the Falcons can't run, Awini will have to flash some of his potential. Doing it against Colgate is one thing. Doing it against a veteran Utah State team is a different challenge. He will have help, and no he does not need to win the game all by himself. But its clear Saturday we will find out more about Awini, and the Falcons. It Test Time.

The Young and the Restless

I'm holding a copy of the Air Force Football teams first official depth chart. There's only 7 seniors expected to start Saturday against Colgate. In the two deep 13 players are either freshman or sophomores. This will happen every 4 or 5 years, but it happens to the Falcons in a year where the Mountain West may be one of the deepest conferences in the nation. Its a young football team. The talent potential is big, but the experience level is not. If Air Force is going to be a serious contender in the Mountain division the Falcons must do 3 things: 1) Play better defense. They were not good last year and did not force enough turnovers. 2) Hang on to the football. They turned the ball over too many times on offense. 3) Play older than they are. Sometimes young guys don't know any better. You pat them on the fanny and tell them "Just go out and play." Sometimes the less you think the better. Colgate is not a bad footbal team. But the Falcons will find out in two weeks against Utah State if they are a young football team, or a team with a large upside. Our coverage of the season opener Saturday begins at 11am on Colorado's 740 KVOR. You can also hear the game online at GoAirforceFalcons.com, and you can download our 740 KVOR App from the App Store.

Young, But Hungry

8-13-13


I have been watching the Air Force Football team during the first two weeks of practice. Some observations:


      Sophomore QB Jaleel Awani has a large upside, but has struggled in scrimmages. Last Saturday he threw a pick and lost a fumble, and seemed to have trouble with his mechanics.

     3rd string QB Karson Roberts, on the other hand, looked really good. Very relaxed under center. He threw well from the pocket and on the run.

     Kale Pearson will be the starter against Colgate. He looked okay but needs a lot more work in game type situations.

     Have been very impressed with the defense. Some new faces at linebacker like Reggie Barnes and Kristov George joining Connor Healy and Joe Nichols who played some last year. The defense MUST play better this year. Last year they were bad, plain and simple.

    The Falcons were picked to finish 3rd in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West. But its going to be a tough, tough year. Every team in my opinion has gotten better. The Falcons have skill positions players to replace and a challenging schedule in front of them. Air Force will have to grow up quick to be a factor in the division race.

A Wonderful Season

  And just like that, the season is over for the Air Force Basketball Team. It ended Saturday night in Ogden Utah against the Weber State Wildcats. And while there were tears and heartache, there is so much to be proud of if you played on this Air Force team or follow the program. Way back in October the Falcons were picked to finish dead last in the Mountain West. I remember the day the 5 seniors, Todd Fletcher, Mike Lyons, Kyle Green, Mike Fitzgerald and Taylor Broekuis sat in front of the media and told the world this year would be different and special. 5 months later they were right. 18 wins this year, in the toughest conference in America, and a post-season appearance, is very special. Head Coach Dave Pilipovich did a masterful job of bringing it all together. He took chances, played his gut every so often and told his team to believe-believe you can beat 22nd ranked San Diego State, believe you can knock off #12 New Mexico, believe there is post season basketball in your future. As good a coach as Pilipovich is, he's a better human being. I think it was that element, more than anything else that blazed the path for Air Force this year. He told the team to take more ownership of the program. At halftime he encouraged them to write on the chalk board what went wrong and how they were going to fix it. Every practice was a chance for younger kids to prove they deserved more playing time, and he rewarded it. His attitude was always positive and one of opportunity. He understands "athlete" is the second word in the phrase "Student Athlete." His teams 18 wins tied for 4th best in 57 years of basketball at the Academy. A magical season for 5 seniors. A special year for a 1st year head coach. And a wonderful season for all of us.

Better Than Nothing

   So Air Force loses in the MWC Tournament to UNLV last week in the opening round, and at the same time loses star Mike Lyons to a torn meniscus. Many of us thought despite the loss the Falcons were still heading to the NIT Tournament. Someone forgot to tell the committee. Air Force was bypassed and instead winds up in the College Insider.Com Tournament, and opens play Wednesday night in Hawaii against the Warriors. The committee chair CM Newton, said Lyons' injury was a factor. The other problem was, the NIT guarantees regular season conference champions a spot in their tourney. When those same champions lose in their end of the season conference tournament, and do not get selected in the NCAA tournament, they wind up in the NIT and this year there were more of those types of teams, leaving less room for at large squads like Air Force.
    Yes, there is disappointment the Falcons are not going back to the NIT. However, if you are Todd Fletcher, Taylor Broekhuis, Mike Fitzgerald and Kyle Green, you are still playing. Because in a month its all over for those seniors.  No more college basketball. Boys who grow up to be young men who play college basketball have two clocks. The first one is set according to the time of year when basketball begins. For many its all they have known for 15 years. The second and more disquieting clock becomes noticeable the summer before their senior year in college when they realize college ball doesn't last forever. And as your final year winds down you want to keep stiff arming the second clock, hoping to squeeze in as many games as you can. So while Air Force isn't in the "Four Letter Tournament" and missed out on the NIT, its still nice to be invited to someones party.

A Magical Day

   Every once in a while as an announcer you catch magic in a bottle. That magic was Saturday afternoon at Clune Arena as the Air Force men's Basketball team hosted 12th ranked New Mexico. It was the final regular season game and it was also Senior Day. Despite awful weather,  a season high 6100 plus jammed into Clune Arena, and what they saw was magic. Air Force beat the Lobos 89-88, and one could make an argument it was the best game EVER PLAYED at Clune-by both teams. New Mexico had a lot to play for, hoping for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They brought their "A" game. The Falcons had been in a tailspin, losing 6 of their last 8, and needed some mojo heading into this weeks Mountain West Tournament. Over the course of 2 hours the teams beat the daylights out of each other, both shooting well over 50%. Air Force trailed by 4 with 19 seconds left. Then Senior Mike Lyons, hit a LONG 3 point shot to bring Air Force to within 1. The Falcons fouled Kendal Williams, and the New Mexico guard made 1 of 2 free throws leaving Air Force down 2 with 12 seconds left. The ball came to Lyons, and 3 Lobos went after him, as they should. He saw Todd Fletcher in the right corner and threw him the ball. Todd caught it, and in one motion let it fly, and it dropped straight through for a 1 point Air Force lead. New Mexico had a quick look at a long 3 late, which missed and the Falcons celebrated with delirious joy. That's a game they will talk about for years. And it propels Air Force into the Mountain West Tournament which begins at 1 Wednesday afternoon on Animal 1300 as the Falcons meet UNLV. They lost to the Runnin Rebels by 5 in overtime in January, then beat them up good in February at Clune. Don't tell Air Force they can't win Wednesday, and don't tell them they can't make a run in the Mountain West Tournament. After all, they can create Magic.

Sorry I have been Gone

  I was here, but I wasn't here. My apologies for not getting on the blog sooner. Its a long story for which you will have no interest I'm sure, so lets get to it!!!!


  Where is the Air Force Mens Basketball team going? I don't mean in terms of what tournament. I mean what direction. Having lost 5 of their last 7 the Falcons are playing their worst basketball at the worst time to do so, at the end of the regular season. 2 weeks ago some people mentioned Air Force as a bubble team in the NCAA tournament. But after disheartening losses to Nevada, Boise St, and Fresno St, all on the road,
the Falcons are giving the appearance of a team that's wants to finish the season and go home. What Dave Pilipovich and his squad have done this year has been amazing. They have spent much of conference play in the upper half of the division. They have beaten UNLV, San Diego St, Wyoming twice, and Boise State, all quality and tournament teams of one sort or another. They have won in the toughest conference in America this year. But their play on the road the last 3 weeks has been a mystery. No effort, no passion, no urgency, no "Want To." The clock is ticking on 5 seniors who will end their careers one way or another in 4 weeks or less. Pilipovich has done a marvelous job managing practice and giving his team as much rest as he can. But he can't make shots, He's can't dive on the floor for loose balls. He can't play with urgency. His team needs to do that.
   Now, 2 games remain in the regular season...Wednesday night at San Diego State, and home Saturday against 12th ranked New Mexico. Beat both teams and you have 18 wins, some momentum, and a chance to win a first round MWC Tournament game against a good opponent. And, the attention of the NCAA Selection Committee. Win 1 of the 2 and get an opening round tournament win, and you have some mojo back. The Falcons have it in them, and as tough as the Mountain West has been this year the Falcons COULD play for an automatic NCAA Tourney berth a week from Saturday. But it has to come from them, the passion, the urgency, the desperation, the "Want-To." Do they want it?

Conference Play Begins Wednesday

    We will find out how much better the Air Force Mens Basketball team is in a hurry as Mountain West play begins Wednesday January 9th against Nevada. The Falcons are 8-4 going in, having beaten the teams they should have beaten, and lost to the teams many did not give them a chance to get past. Depending on who you talk to,  the Mountain West is either the 2nd or 3rd toughest conference in the nation, and with good reason, when you look at UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State Wyoming, Colorado State and Boise State. So the Falcons could be better but because of the quality of the league, it may not show up in the standings
   But at the moment, what should concern the Falcons the most is.....well....the Falcons. They were blown out by Richmond last week 91-68 in a game that exposed several weaknesses. The Spiders came out in a tough man to man and dared Air Force to drive to the glass, thus shutting down the Falcons vaunted 3 point attack. And on defense Richmond ran their offense and ran the Falcon defense into the ground, finishing the night with 16 3 pointers. 
   This Air Force is team is better. They are deeper, better shooters, and experienced. But they need to push themselves every conference game, because there will be no nights off in conference play. It's time to get down and dirty, and when teams play with that mindset the Falcons must respond in kind. Otherwise it may be a long winter at Clune Arena.