January 3, 2009 7:10 PM

Air Force seeking more size and speed

FORT WORTH, Texas - Troy Calhoun has done a remarkable job restoring Air Force's winning tradition with 17 wins the past two seasons and back-to-back appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl.

However, Calhoun admits his next biggest challenge might be the hardest. That's getting more speed and size in the Air Force lineup.

Air Force has always been able find athletes with character and heart but those big, bulky, fast athletes with quick feet usually choose to play elsewhere.

"We have to find a way in the open field where we're better, where we're just much quicker, much faster," Calhoun said. "We have to become a more athletic and bigger football team. And that's at every spot across the board.

"We have to get to be a faster team if we're going to compete in the Mountain West Conference and in bowl games."

Calhoun believes it is possible to recruit speed and muscle to the Academy and he also thinks that there are ways to enchance to speed and size of the players that are already enrolled.

Air Force had one of its youngest classes in school history last season but still managed an 8-5 record. There were only eight seniors who started on offense and defense in the six-point Dec. 31 Armed Forces Bowl loss to Houston.

Air Force's two-deep depth chart was sprinkled with freshman and sophomore and there were just 17 juniors so next year's season class with be small.

"Maybe one more year of that where you still have some freshmen that are in the two deep," Calhoun said. "And then I think it's got to subside.".

Posted by Jim Benton at 7:10 PM | Comments (3)