Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry makes it sound like his Falcons are playing Ohio State rather than Weber State Saturday.
"I think Weber State will be the toughest team we have to get ready for this year because we've never played them," DeBerry said of the Falcons' season-opener.But Weber State coach Dave Arslanian probably isn't buying that line.
Weber State, a Division I-AA team and a member of the Big Sky Conference, has played 24 times against Division I-A opponents in the last 29 years (since the school became a four-year institution) and lost 23 of them.
The Wildcats' record against Western Athletic Conference teams is 0-7. Weber State's overall record last year was 5-6 compared with Air Force's 7-5 record, which included a Liberty Bowl victory over Ohio State.
"The last time we came off three wins including a bowl game, we won 10 games the next season (1985)," DeBerry said. "Beating Ohio State was a confidence builder, but I don't think Weber State gives a rip whether we beat Ohio State or not."
The game, said Arslanian "will be a challenge for us, but a good experience for our players. Seeing the wishbone is a new experience for all of us, especially the way Air Force runs it. It's tough teaching an offensive scout team to run the wishbone well enough for your defense to get a good look."
The Wildcats again will be led by quarterback Jamie Martin, who passed for 3,700 yards last season, a statistic that caught DeBerry's eye.
"We couldn't throw for 3,700 yards if nobody was defending us. We couldn't throw for 3,700 yards if we were going against air," DeBerry said.
No fooling. Air Force ranked dead last in passing offense among the 106 major colleges last year, averaging just 35 yards a game and failing to complete a single pass for touchdown.
Martin also had a .598 completion percentage and a 143.2 efficiency rating in leading the NCAA Division I-AA in total offense with a 337.6-yard average.
Bruce Covernton, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive tackle, returns to help keep defenders off Martin's back. Also returning is Martin's favorite receiver, 6-3, 200-pound Trevor Shaw. Shaw caught 65 passes last season.
Rob Perez returns to direct the Air Force wishbone despite Jarvis Baker's excellent showinig in preseason practice and scrimmages.
"Rob is our quarterback," DeBerry said. "I have total confidence in Jarvis, but we won't be doing any shuttling in and out of quarterbacks."
But DeBerry is most excited about the potential for the team's defense this season.
The Falcon defense, said DeBerry, "has the potential to be as good as the 1985 season when we went 12-1."
Key returnees include linebackers Vergil Simpson and Rod Stephan, safety Shanon Yates and cornerback Carlton McDonald.