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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Preseason Primer: Air Force
7/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
GopherSports.com will provide Minnesota Football fans with a primer on the Gophers’ four non-conference opponents as we wind down toward preseason camp. Up next is the TCF Bank Stadium opener Sept. 12 vs. the Air Force Falcons.
Falcons First:
| The Air Force File | |
| Head Coach | Troy Calhoun |
| Coach's Record | Third Season |
| 2008 Record | 8-5 |
| Home/Away/Neutral | 4-3/4-1/0-1 |
| Starters Returning/Lost | 13/11 |
| Letterwinners Ret./Lost | 44/21 |
The Air Force game will be the first-ever intercollegiate contest in Minnesota's new home -- TCF Bank Stadium. The $288.5 million facility will have a test run on Aug. 22 with the Gopher Game Day Preview. But this game will mark the official opening of TCF Bank Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. and the contest will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Series History: 
This is the first meeting ever between Minnesota and Air Force.
Gophers vs. Service Academies: 
While Minnesota has never faced Air Force, there is a little bit of history with the nation's service academies. The Gophers are 1-0 all-time vs. Army, with a 24-8 win back in 1963 at Memorial Stadium. Minnesota face off with Navy in 1962. The Gophers defeated the Midshipmen 21-0 in a game that was also played at Memorial Stadium.
Air Force Overview: 
| 2008 Air Force Statistics/Rankings | |||
| | Stat | NCAA | MWC |
| Scor. Off. | 26.8 | 53 | 4 |
| Tot. Off | 349.1 | 69 | 5 |
| Rush Off. | 266.9 | 6 | 1 |
| Pass Off. | 82.2 | 117 | 9 |
| Scor. Def. | 22. | 43 | 4 |
| Tot. Def. | 341.5 | 50 | 5 |
| Rush Def. | 141.5 | 64 | 6 |
| Pass Def. | 199.9 | 50 | 4 |
The Falcons were 8-5 overall and 5-3 in Mountain West Conference play in 2008. Under head coach Troy Calhoun, who is now in his third season, the Falcons are 17-9 and have been to consecutive bowl games.
Calhoun's Falcons will have 13 starters returning from last year’s squad, which played in the Armed Forces Bowl and finished fourth in the MWC. Air Force has 34 players listed as either juniors or seniors on its pre-spring depth chart, so experience probably won’t be an issue for the Falcons.
Air Force was chosen to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference in the league's annual poll of media members. The Falcons were picked behind TCU, BYU and Utah. Rounding out the MWC Preseason Poll were UNLV, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming.
Air Force opens the season at home in Colorado Springs, hosting FCS opponent Nicholls State. The Falcons then visit TCF Bank Stadium. Air Force's other two non-conference opponents are the other two service academies -- Army and Navy.
Air Force Offensive Player to Watch: Quarterback/Tailback Asher Clark
The most intriguing situation on the Air Force offense is definitely the quarterback position, which directly affects the tailback spot. Tim Jefferson, the Falcons' 2008 starter at quarterback and MWC Freshman of the Year, sat out during spring drills to take care of some academic issues. That prompted the Falcons to convert running back Asher Clark to QB. Clark rushed for 588 yards and 5 TDs as a freshman last season.
Clark was recruited to Air Force as a quarterback. He worked out at quarterback and tailback for the preseason drills and through the first month of the season. He then made the switch to work exclusively at tailback. Clark is recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee that required surgery.
Calhoun expects both Clark and Jefferson to compete for the starting quarterback position and that he may not name a starter until the first week of the season. Clark could be switched back to tailback if he doesn't grasp the quarterback spot. Both Jefferson and Clark may see time at at quarterback, as well.
Air Force Defensive Player to Watch: Defensive Back Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas has started at strong safety for the Falcons for the past 26 consecutive games, dating back to the first game of his sophomore campaign in 2007. He was an Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference honoree as a sophomore and was a Second-Team All-MWC selection following last season.
Thomas has recorded more than 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons. He ranked second on the team with 107 lst season. That total also ranked him 10th in the MWC. Thomas led the squad with 66 unassisted stops. He could become just the fourth Falcon ever to register 100 or more tackles in three seasons and would be the first defensive back to accomplish that feat. Thomas isn't just a tackler in the secondary, either. He ranked 10th in the Mountain West in sacks with 0.31 per game last season.
In addition to his tackling ability, Thomas led the conference and ranked fifth in the nation in fumble recoveries last season, falling on four loose balls for an average of 0.31 per game. His 13 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery against Wyoming earned him MWC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Thomas recorded 16 tackles, including 12 unassisted, to set an Armed Forces Bowl record against Houston in his last outing of 2008.
Other Key Air Force Players:
QB Tim Jefferson; WR Josh Cousins; OL Nick Charles; OL Chris Campbell; KR Reggie Rembert; LB Ken Lamendola; LB Hunter Altman.
Air Force Offense At A Glance:
The Falcons averaged nearly 27 points and 350 yards of total offense per game in 2008. Air Force's scoring offense ranked fourth in the Mountain West and 53rd in the nation. The Falcons 349.1 yards per game ranked No. 5 in the MWC and No. 69 in the nation.
While Troy Calhoun promised to bring more of an aerial attack to the Air Force, the Falcons still primarily employed a ground attack. Air Force rushed for almost 267 yards per game last sesaon, ranking No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 6 in the nation. The Falcons have changed their offensive formation just a bit under Calhoun, but they still run plenty of triple option.
In contradiction to Air Force's ground attack, the future fliers didn't do much damage through the air last season. The Falcons passed for 82 yards per game, ranking last in the Mountain West and No. 117 of 119 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
Air Force returns six starters on offense, including 60 percent of its starting offensive line from 2008.
Air Force Defense At A Glance:
Much like the Falcon offense, the Air Force defense was right near the middle of the Mountain West Conference and the nation in both scoring and total defense. The Falcons allowed 22.2 points per game last season, ranking fourth in the MWC and No. 43 in the nation. Air Force gave up 341.5 yards per game in 2008, ranking No. 5 in the conference and No. 50 in the nation.
The Falcons return seven starters on defense, including their top two tacklers from 2008. Ken Lamendola (118 tackles) and Thomas (107 tackles) both return to the Air Force defensive units. Ben Garland, who recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks last year, returns to anchor the defensive line at the noseguard position. The Falcons return three-quarters of their linebackers and defensive backs as well.
Air Force primarily works out of a 3-4 scheme on defense. The Falcons were good at creating turnovers last season out of that scheme. Air Force finished the season ranked No. 10 in the nation in turnover margin and were No. 15 in the country, creating 30 turnovers.
Game Implications: 
It’s the home-opener for Minnesota and the debut of TCF Bank Stadium. The Gophers will be looking to open their new home on a winning note, playing outdoor football for the first time since 1981. This game will be Minnesota's only non-conference game against a non-BCS member of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Minnesota is Air Force's only BCS opponent. The Mountain West has a reputation for upsetting BCS schools and Air Force would like to do just that in this game. The Falcons are 1-1 vs. BCS opponents in the Calhoun era, stopping Notre Dame in the 2008 regular season, before falling to California in the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl. In the past 10 years, Air Force is 6-8 in games vs. BCS opponents.
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