The Air Force Falcons are the college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team is a mid-major program that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Mountain West Conference.
| COACH:Troy Calhoun | |
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| Troy Calhoun is the head football coach for the United States Air Force Academy, replacing Air Force legend Fisher DeBerry. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the NFL's Houston Texans and a Quarterback for Air Force.Calhoun is a 1989 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. After graduation, he served on the Air Force coaching staff under Fisher DeBerry as a Graduate Assistant for the 1989-90 seasons. He served as the Falcon’s recruiting coordinator and the junior varsity offensive coordinator in 1993-94. In 1995, he moved to Ohio University where he served as the quarterbacks coach for two seasons, and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1997. During his first season at Ohio, his offense had measurable success, particularly in games against Eastern Michigan where the school totaled 612 yards, second most in school history, as well as a win against Maryland, which was Ohio's first victory over a school from the ACC. The following week, Ohio fell three points short of defeating Kansas State. In his final year at Ohio, the offense set a school record with 418.1 yards per game and rushed for a school best 3,553. The Bobcats also ended the season with wins over two bowl teams, Minnesota and Marshall. Calhoun became offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of Wake Forest University in 2001. During Calhoun's second season, the Deamon Deacons led the ACC in total offense with 408.1 yards per game, with a league best 990 plays and only 16 turnovers. Calhoun began his NFL career with the Denver Broncos as a defensive assistant in 2003, and later moved to offense and special teams. When Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak was hired as the Texans' head coach, Kubiak brought Calhoun along and made Calhoun his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Calhoun finished out the 2006 season with the Texans before taking over at Air Force. | 
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Given the physical restrictions that military service puts on cadets, Air Force football has traditionally been based more on speed, willpower and technical execution than on pure size and strength. The Falcons have traditionally run a triple option offense, and have routinely competed favorably against bigger and stronger national opponents. While the wishbone is almost always assumed synonymous with the triple option, Air Force only deployed the formation occasionally under Coaches DeBerry and Hatfield. One mainstay from both of these coaches was the option, and the consistent repetition to near perfection, as witnessed by the wins and the rushing statistics in the past 25 years, regularly placing Air Force in the top ten rushing teams in the nation. |
Falcon Stadium
Falcon home games are played in Falcon Stadium, which sits in at the base of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains at an altitude of 6,621 feet above sea level. Pre-game activities include flyovers by Air Force aircraft, including the F-15 and B-2. The highest attendance at a home game was 56,409 spectators in 2002, when the Falcons battled the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame. | 
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History
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The Falcons are not only recognized by the lightning bolt on the side of their helmets, but their traditional option attack. Air Force is one of the premier rushing teams in the nation. Since Fisher DeBerry took over as Falcons head coach in 1984, they have ranked among the nation’s top 10 in rushing 19 times in 21 years. The Air Force football team has enjoyed success not only on the field but also in the classroom. In 49 years of Air Force football, there have been 39 Academic All-Americans. |
The 1985 Season
1985 was the most successful season in Air Force football history. Under 2nd year coach Fisher DeBerry, the Fightin’ Falcons came within one win of playing for the national championship. They recorded 10 straight wins, climbed the polls to #2 in the nation, but lost to BYU by 7 points in the penultimate game of the season. Air Force rebounded with a bowl game win over Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished with a 12-1 record as the #5 ranked team in the nation.
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