Falcons sporting new offensive look with new coach

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said "it's going to be strange not seeing Fisher DeBerry on the sideline" Saturday when Air Force visits Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The longtime coach of the Falcons has retired, handing over the reins to former player Troy Calhoun. He returned to the academy after coaching stints with Ohio, Wake Forest, the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans.

At the Mountain West Conference preseason meetings, the 41-year-old Calhoun served notice that the winds of change were blowing at Air Force.

The Falcons, he said, would not be a team that walked around on eggshells. They would be a group that played like their hair was on fire. Calhoun vowed to coach that way as well.

In last week's season opener, Air Force showed a lot of energy in overpowering South Carolina State. The Falcons racked up 455 yards of total offense in the 34-3 victory. They ran for 279 yards and passed for 176.

The pace, however, wasn't quick enough for Calhoun.

"We need to play faster. We have to play faster and more aggressively," Calhoun told the Denver Post. "There were parts in the game where we did, but not throughout. This Saturday we won't have a choice."

The Falcons do, despite reports to the contrary, still have options, as in an option attack — though they did mix things up a bit in Calhoun's debut by completing 11 passes and lining up in more conventional sets.

"The option is still there, but it's not as prevalent as it once was by any means," said Whittingham, who pointed out that the Utes have just one game (South Carolina State) to study Air Force's revamped offense.

"You've got one game to go on, and it was a game in which they pretty much had their way with the opponent," Whittingham said.

"So we're sure there are some things that weren't shown on tape that are looming that we've got to be ready for."

It's a best-guess scenario, he added, before noting the Falcons' scheme includes a West Coast flavor, the option and a spread element.

"Looking at them on film, obviously, they have some changes," Utah safety Steve Tate said. "But it's still the same Air Force team you've seen in the past. They're still 80 percent run."

And that's not all.

"We're expecting the same mentality out of them as far as what they do best, and that's toughness," Tate continued. "They never give up. That's something we've got to match."