Air Force 2005 Season | Team Page	Select Conference ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC Select Team

Special Athlon offer for SI.com readers

The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Fisher DeBerry (23rd season, 165-101-1) 2005 record: 4-7 MWC finish: 3-5 (7th) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 8th (246.6 ypg) Passing: 99th (170.7 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 84th (173.6 ypg) Passing: 94th (255.0 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 9 at Tennessee Sept. 23 at Wyoming Sept. 30 New Mexico Oct. 7 Navy Oct. 12 Colorado State Oct. 21 at San Diego State Oct. 28 BYU Nov. 3 at Army Nov. 11 Notre Dame Nov. 18 Utah Nov. 24 at UNLV Dec. 2 at TCU Depth Chart: Offense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 81 Victor Thompson Sr. 7 Mark Root Jr. LT 72 Robert Kraay Sr. 64 Blaine Guenther Jr. LG 61 Tyler Dohallow Sr. 59 Thomas Crump Sr. C 60 Stuart Perlow Sr. 63 Andrew Pipes So. RG 62 Curtis Grantham Sr. 69 Caleb Morris Jr. RT 70 Ryan Zeman Jr. 64 Blaine Guenther Jr. TE 88 Travis Dekker Jr. 86 Chris Evans Jr. QB 5 Shaun Carney Jr. 15 Jim Ollis Jr. FB 8 Jacobe Kendrick Sr. 45 Ryan Williams Jr. HB 18 Justin Handley Sr. 31 Daylan Phillips So. HB 24 Chad Smith Jr. 23 Chad Hall Jr. Depth Chart: Defense 5 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 55 Gilberto Perez Sr. 89 Noah Garguile Jr. DT 96 Grant Thomas Sr. 90 Chris Monson Jr. DT 99 Kevin Quinn Sr. 92 Keith Williams So. DE 97 Josh Clayton Jr. 95 Jake Paulson So. LB 33 Drew Fowler Jr. 42 Joey Keller Sr. LB 9 John Rabold Jr. 26 Jared Baxley Sr. CB 2 Carson Bird Jr. 3 Nathan Smith Jr. CB 6 Chris Sutton Sr. 29 Chris Huckins Sr. FAL 4 Julian Madrid Jr. 32 Hunter Altman So. FAL 10 Adam Zanotti Sr. 20 Matt Chism So. FS 11 Bobby Giannini Jr. 27 Trey Eaton So. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 48 Ryan Harrison So. KR 81 Victor Thompson Sr. P 87 Chris Carp Sr. PR 6 Chris Sutton Sr.

To order your 2006 Athlon Sports annual and receive $1 off plus free shipping courtesy of SI.com, click here.

For the first time since he began working Air Force football miracles in 1984, Fisher DeBerry is beginning to gather critics, and not just for his team's lagging performance in recent years.

Since Air Force last played in a bowl game following the 2002 season, the program has endured numerous off-field controversies, including DeBerry's comments that made national news last season about the need to recruit more minority athletes.

It hasn't helped that 2005 was Air Force's second consecutive losing season - a first under DeBerry - and third straight year without the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Indeed, the Falcons lost both to Army and Navy for only the second time since 1978.

Yet the 68-year old DeBerry has no plans for retirement, insisting he hasn't lost a step. DeBerry felt Air Force's 4-7 record last year could easily have been 7-4 had the Falcons not made some crucial special teams mistakes and had they been a little more careful with the football. Air Force committed 24 turnovers last year, seven more than its opponents, highly uncharacteristic of a program that prides itself on precision.

Despite last year's problems, DeBerry didn't make any major scheme or staff changes. Instead, he mandated early-morning offseason workouts to build discipline in a team that fumbled a staggering 28 times last year, losing 14.

If the Falcons get back to a bowl game with a team that doesn't appear to be much improved on paper, DeBerry will once again be hailed as a genius. But another poor season could have critics howling for him to retire before his legacy comes undone.

OFFENSE

During his first two years as a starter, junior quarterback Shaun Carney has been a better thrower than a runner, adding balance to a triple-option attack that has rarely utilized the passing game under DeBerry. Though 40.9 percent of the Falcons' yards last season came via the pass - an option-era record at the academy - it was in part due to some deficiencies running the ball that often left Air Force behind early in games.

Air Force is looking for Carney to improve as a runner - his 4.2 yards per carry last season was mediocre compared to the typical Falcon quarterback - but the bigger key may be the production from halfbacks Chad Hall, Justin Handley and Chad Smith. Hall last season rushed for 344 yards and Smith just 190, neither possessing the outside speed to make teams commit extra linebackers to defend the option pitch. If they can't get to the edge, talented senior fullback Jacobe Kendrick won't get much room to run inside.

DEFENSE

The Falcons have found that a 4-2-5 alignment helps them defend the run better than the 3-3-5 they employed from 2002-04. But it hasn't helped their pass defense, which was among the worst in the nation in 2005.

Air Force returns starting cornerbacks Chris Sutton and Carson Bird, hoping another year of experience will help the Falcons hold opponents to fewer than the 8.7 yards per pass attempt they averaged last season. The Falcons also feel confident in safety Bobby Giannini, who enters his junior year as one of the MWC's most talented defensive backs. The biggest area of concern is on the defensive line, where the Falcons must replace three starters. Seniors Kevin Quinn and Grant Thomas are slated to start at the defensive tackles, but both are undersized at 6'1", and there isn't much experience behind them.

Air Force is strong at defensive end, however, where senior Gilberto Perez could have an all-conference season, and junior Josh Clayton should have no problem assuming a starting role.

SPECIALISTS

Air Force is looking for more precision out of its kicking game after special teams gaffes cost the Falcons at least two victories last season. Sophomore kicker Ryan Harrison has a big leg and enters 2006 as Air Force's most hyped newcomer after playing last season for the Falcons' junior varsity squad. He'll likely handle kickoffs and could compete with senior Chris Carp for punting duties as well.

Air Force is also re-emphasizing blocked kicks after recording only five blocks combined the past two seasons. They averaged 7.6 the seven years prior.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The Falcons appear to be a long way from challenging for the league title, but DeBerry's teams have often performed best when expectations are lowest.