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Monday, August 14
Air Force must improve in defense dept.

By Ed Graney
Special to ESPN.com

Air Force Falcons
1999 record: 6-5, 2-5.
Coach: Fisher DeBerry, 17th season, 126-69-1.
Starters returning: 6 (5 offense; 1 defense).

Outlook:
We will know quickly if the Falcons can fly high. Three of the first four games are against league teams, not the best recipe for a team this inexperienced defensively. Injuries offered DeBerry's team no chance at contending last season, and now he must rebuild a defense that returns just one full-time starter in senior linebacker Matt Pommer.

Opponents will slice up Air Force through the air if a questionable secondary doesn't improve fast. The offensive line is arguably the most athletic ever at Air Force, a group of three seniors and two juniors that will supply the option blocks for quarterback Mike Thiessen and his backfield mates. What kind of leader is the senior Thiessen? He was chosen as the academy's deputy group commander this past summer, leading more than 1,900 cadets through three weeks of basic training. In other words, he can probably convince 10 other guys to run the dive every play.

No, that loud sound is not a cannon firing after a touchdown. It's just the leg of senior kicker/punter David Adams. Problem is ... "You just never know where the ball is going to go," DeBerry said. "It could go 50 yards." Or? "It could go two."

Keep an eye on:
Senior running back Scotty McKay. It won't be hard, considering McKay also returns punts and kicks and probably marches in the color guard. Averages of 6.7 yards per carry and 114.4 all-purpose yards ranked him among the conference leaders last year. McKay will team with halfback Qualario Brown (now healthy from a variety of injuries) to offer Air Force its best combination of backs in years.

It's a good season if:
The first week of October arrives, and Air Force is still in the conference race. The traditional nightmares that accompany preparing for the Falcons offense still apply, but DeBerry's team lacks enough talented depth to remain in the hunt for long. Air Force hasn't finished below .500 in seven years. The Falcons likely will make it eight ... barely.

Ed Graney covers college football for the San Diego Union Tribune

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