AFA tries to turn deFense into oFFense

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 16, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

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Air Force senior safety Luke Yeager had one thought when a tipped pass fell into his hands during the scrimmage portion of last Saturday's practice.

Take it to the house.

"I was thinking, 'I'm trying to score,'" said Yeager, who indeed returned it for a touchdown. "'Get to the near sideline and just bust it to the end zone.'"

It's a reaction that has been emphasized by Troy Calhoun and Tim DeRuyter since they took over as coach and defensive coordinator, respectively, at the academy.

"After you get the pick, you might expect the coach to be like, 'Good job,'" Yeager said. "But instead it's like, 'OK, now score.' They're yelling at you to 'Score, score, score.'"

DeRuyter installed an aggressive defensive scheme that features blitzes and press coverages. So it thrives on big plays -- spe-

-- cifically turnovers.

"When we first got here, we would try to explain to our guys all the time about there's no more important play in football than taking the ball away," DeRuyter said. "And the one that really puts the dagger in the heart is when you score on a turnover."

Air Force made several dagger-in-the-heart plays in 2007, when it ranked tied for 15th in the country in turnover margin.

Linebacker Drew Fowler took an interception back 26 yards for a score in the first quarter against Colorado State, giving the Falcons a 14-0 lead they would not relinquish. Linebacker John Rabold returned a fumble 19 yards against Notre Dame to stake Air Force to a 10-0 lead in South Bend, Ind.

And -- most notably -- safety Bobby Giannini scooped up a fumble and went 85 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Wyoming. The Cowboys led, 9-7, before Giannini's play completely altered momentum.

"Those are back-breaking plays," Calhoun said.

Air Force practices them daily. The Falcons run "scoop and score" drills when one player will rip a ball loose from a ball carrier, and another will grab it and go.

"There's a technique to it," DeRuyter said. "You see in the NFL all the time, those big linemen, they lean down to get it and they end up kicking the ball. You've got to get to the side of (the ball), bend your knees and scoop it and score. We work that. We teach it and we work it."

In addition, the Falcons teach which players must be blocked after an interception is made. The first is the intended receiver, because he is closest to the play. The second is the quarterback. "Because we can usually outrun the linemen, but that quarterback, somebody's got to be accountable for him," DeRuyter said.

Quintana's crash course

Air Force suddenly is thin at tight end with starter Travis Dekker out until early to mid-October with a fractured ankle and promising sophomore Steve Shaffer likely permanently shelved because of concussions.

So junior Sean Quintana, who is listed as the starting X receiver, has been spending time at tight end in recent practices.

"It's going pretty well," Quintana said. "I'm picking it up faster than I thought I would."

The physical Quintana plays bigger than he is (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), Calhoun said, and that made using him at tight end an intriguing prospect even before the injuries.

"He'll give us a little different speed out of that slot, and he's still tough enough to do what we ask him to do in the running game," tight ends coach Ben Miller said.

Scrimmage today

Air Force will scrimmage in Falcon Stadium this morning from 9:30 to 11:30. It is open to the public. Players will be available to sign autographs from 11:30 to noon.

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