Air Force Falcons vs Colorado State Rams Football Preview

The Air Force Falcons are winning, and that's the bottom line in a bottom-line business. Yet, if the boys from Colorado Springs want to have a fulfilling season, they must realize that they need to become a much more efficient football team in the weeks ahead.

Yes, Air Force is 4-1 after five weeks, and the tenure of coach Troy Calhoun is only getting better in the Rocky Mountains. Air Force just snapped a seven-game losing streak against Navy and is poised to reclaim the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Life is good at the academy, but underneath the surface lies a persistent and pesky problem that, if not rectified, will kill the Falcons when they play Mountain West heavyweights Utah and TCU. That problem? Scoring.

It's been really rather amazing to behold the progression of this AFA team in 2010. After smacking down BYU in week two, the Falcons - though still playing terrific defense and rushing the ball with distinction - have not been able to roll up big point totals. Calhoun's crew has amassed rushing totals that should be accompanied by very high scores. Yet, the United States Air Force has stopped itself on the gridiron through a combination of turnovers and penalties. It's the darnedest thing.

Against Oklahoma, Air Force piled up 351 rushing yards, but scored only 24 points. It's hard to see how that many rushing yards - the ultimate indicator of real-world football dominance - could not generate at least 30 points.

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Against Wyoming a week later, on Sept. 25, the Falcons romped for 379 rushing yards... and scored just 20 points. Such a coexistence of statistics borders on the impossible, not just the improbable. Not every team has the time or the ability to even get 379 yards of total offense in a game, so AFA's 20-point tally against the Cowboys left a lot of observers scratching their heads.

Last weekend against Navy, AFA did indeed snap its irritating, haunting losing skid against the Midshipmen, but despite 292 rushing yards, the Falcons collected only 14 points, with seven of those points coming on a drive that started at the Navy 12 following a blocked punt.

The reality is as simple as it is shocking: If Air Force continues to produce such paltry point totals against the backdrop of such sustained rushing proficiency, a lot of frustration will emerge against the Utahs and TCUs of the world. This week against lowly Colorado State, Air Force might be able to scrape by one more time, but this game needs to become an occasion in which this offense finishes drives. Practice needs to make perfect for a good team that can still get a lot better as 2010 rolls on.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer