FALCONS OFFENSE
WR—23 Dane Kinamon 6-0 205 Sr.
WR—13 Jared Roznos 6-0 190 Jr.
T—59 Adam Karas 6-4 285 Sr.
G—69 Wesley Ndago 6-2 300 Sr.
C—68 Thor Paglialong 6-4 300 Sr.
G—75 Ethan Jackman 6-4 310 Sr.
T—51 Kaleb Holcomb 6-4 270 Sr.
TE—84 Caleb Rillos 6-5 255 Sr.
QB—9 Zac Larrier 6-0 195 Sr.
FB—4 Emmanuel Michel 5-10 215 Sr.
TB—24 John Lee Eldridge III 5-9 200 Sr.
The two-part legend began in 2018 when a teammate called an O-lineman, “Diesel.” Soon after, the O-linemen — now collectively known as “Diesel — found hats with a diesel-pump design at a gas station. The mother of a lineman ordered 25 hats as an initiation to the blue-collar unit. “It’s a mentality we’ve taken on,” center Thor Paglialong explained at media day. “Diesel engines are consistent and strong. We believe our offensive line is consistent and can move people.” The staple of the Falcons’ version of the triple option is the fullback dive. “We believe if we can establish that, we can do anything,” Paglialong said. Paglialong and a guard usually work in tandem to open a middle gap. Left guard Wesley Ndago has perfected the trap block of powering across the formation to jam a defensive tackle. Quarterback Zac Larrier can feed fullback Emmanuel Michel (733 rushing yards and nine TDs), pitch to a tailback or jet-sweeping receiver, or keep it. Larrier has clocked 10.68 seconds over 100 meters and 21.02 over 200 meters. Even with a brace on his left knee, Larrier gets to the edge quickly, where he will pass or keep running. The Falcons lead the nation with an average of 284.2 rushing yards per contest. They average 5.2 yards per first-down rush. They have scored on 51% of their 83 full drives. When the opponents cram the box with an extra linebacker or safety, Larrier can throw a play-action pass. Dane Kinamon’s 94-yard scoring play — 70 yards came after the catch — was the longest in the program’s history. Tight end Caleb Rillos, who sets up as a third tackle, has entered the transfer portal but will stick with Air Force the rest of the season.
FALCONS DEFENSE
DE—13 PJ Ramsey 6-3 260 Sr.
NG—96 Payton Zdroik 6-0 275 Jr.
DT—48 Jayden Thiergood 6-3 250 Sr.
OLB—8 Bo Richter 6-2 250 Sr.
ILB—44 Johnathan Youngblood 5-11 225 Sr.
ILB—40 Alec Mock 6-3 240 Sr.
Spur—16 Jayden Goodwin 6-1 195 Sr.
CB—22 Jerome Gaillard Jr. 6-4 200 Jr.
SS—10 Jalen Mergerson 5-11 210 Sr.
FS—7 Trey Taylor 6-0 210 Sr.
CB—3 Jamari Bellamy 6-2 185 Jr.
The other side of the Falcons’ ball-hogging offense is a defense that limits opponents to an average of 26 minutes, 13 seconds per game. Of the 88 full drives on defense, only 26.1% resulted in a touchdown or field goal. They forced Navy to punt 10 times in 13 full drives. Utah State held possession for 21:20. The key to the 4-2-5 scheme is an 11-to-the-ball approach. “We practice tackling every week,” said linebacker Alec Mock, who leads with 68 tackles, including 40 solo stops. “We can’t get bored with the basics of playing defense. A big staple is not having missed tackles … and being able to tackle in open space.” The Falcons average 5.9 missed tackles per game. In the third quarter of the opener, LB/S hybrid Camby Goff suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. Jayden Goodwin has replaced Goff at the “spur,” aligning near a tackle or covering the slot receiver. Relying on stunts and 3-tech tackle Jayden Thiergood’s swim and heavy-handed power moves, Air Force has amassed 21 sacks while limiting opponents to 2.7 yards per carry, including 1.81 after the intermission. Mock can hit the gap or defend the flats. Free safety Trey Taylor has the range for single-high coverages. Safety Jalen Mergerson has mastered the run blitz of sprinting diagonally from the right side to the left edge.
FALCONS SPECIALISTS
PK—43 Matthew Dapore 6-0 190 Jr.
P—97 Luke Freer 6-4 220 So.
LS—49 Kurt Chesney 6-0 195 So.
H—95 Carson Bay 5-11 160 So.
KR/PR—23 Dane Kinamon 6-0 205 Sr.
Matthew Dapore cares about academics (4.1 cumulative GPA in high school) and others (participated in drive seeking a cure for childhood cancer). But he admittedly does not give much thought to tense situations. “I try not to think,” he told the Colorado Springs Gazette of his approach to pressure kicks. “I don’t even look at, unless it’s a super-long field goal, the length. I just kind of go out there, do my thing.” He has connected on five of six attempts of at least 40 yards this season. He made three FGs from 50-plus yards in 2022.
RAINBOW WARRIORS OFFENSE
WO—7 Steven McBride 6-1 165 Sr.
SB—23 Koali Nishigaya 5-7 165 Jr.
LT—54 Josh Atkins 6-4 290 So.
LG—66 Sergio Muasau 6-0 310 Jr.
C—61 Eliki Tanuvasa 6-2 300 Sr.
RG—51 Maurice Ta‘ala 6-1 315 Jr.
RT—72 Luke Felix-Fualalo 6-8 310 Sr.
SB—86 Pofele Ashlock 6-2 175 Fr.
WO—88 Alex Perry 6- 195 Fr.
QB—13 Brayden Schager 6-3 225 Jr.
RB—30 Landon Sims 6-2 205 So.
With Tylan Hines on track to redshirt because of an ankle issue, the Warriors’ running-back rotation was thin during a mid-season segment. But the Warriors made adjustments that boosted the offense last week. They slowed the pace by huddling and calling plays that were encrypted on wrist bands. They also went with run/pass-option plays that already were on the playlist. And quarterback Brayden Schager was given the green light to take off — and not just to the perimeters. At 225 pounds with a lower body that is the base of 450-pound back squats, Schager is comfortable scrambling up the middle. Against Nevada, Schager averaged 6.1 yards per non-sack scrambles and keepers. Five of his runs produced first downs. The run-and-shoot is constructed with half-roll options for a quarterback. With Schager posing a threat to run, defenses can no longer automatically hide a defender in the passing tree. Last week, Landon Sims evoked memories of his father Travis Sims’ up-the-gut runs as an early 1990s Warrior. The younger Sims is taller, a better blocker and more agile. But to contract defenses, Sims will run dives. “I’m going to try to get that 4-plus yards every carry,” Sims said. Against Nevada, Sims averaged 5.9 yards, and did not have any negative-yard carries. Starting offensive tackles Josh Atkins and Luke Felix-Fualalo are finally feeling comfortable as first-year starters. Atkins, who transferred from Houston this year, missed the 2022 season while recovering from a labrum injury. He also had to adjust to moving from right tackle to the blind side. Felix-Fualalo, who grew up Australia, entered the transfer portal in 2021 after three seasons with Utah.
RAINBOW WARRIORS DEFENSE
DE—96 Andrew Choi 6-1 250 Sr.
NT—58 Kuao Peihopa 6-3 290 So.
3T—90 John Tuitupou 6-4 290 Sr.
Edge—6 Jonah Kahahawai-Welch 6-1 240 Sr.
MLB—17 Isaiah Tufaga 6-1 220 Sr.
WLB—3 Jalen Smith 6-0 220 So.
NB—28 Elijah Palmer 5-8 175 Fr.
CB—23 Virdel Edwards II 6-2 210 Sr.
S—1 Peter Manuma 6-0 190 So.
S—7 Meki Pei 5-11 185 Jr.
CB—4 Cam Stone 5-10 185 Sr.
It was 20 years when AFA averaged 280 pounds per first-team O-lineman. Now the Falcons’ average starting blocker is 293. That makes for a more powerful challenge for UH’s defensive front. UH’s co-defensive coordinator Eti Ena told his players: “You’ve got to be like that piece of ice in the blender that refuses to get ground down. You keep popping up, popping up, popping up. If you get down, you get back up and chase the ball.” To launch the dive, Air Force’s base play, the interior linemen — often in tandem — fire out with beneath-the-shoulder-pad blocks. “They’re going to pound the ball straight up the middle with all those dives,” UH 3-tech John Tuitupou said. UH is counting on the rotation of Kuao Peihopa, Sauce Williams and Foi Sila to hold the point while the linebackers fill the gaps or sprint to the perimeters. “It’s a complete mosh pit in (the trenches),” Ena said. Mike linebacker Isaiah Tufaga recalled a similar approach. “When I think about this game, I think back to when I was a little kid playing against Waianae in Little League,” Tufaga said. “They would run the Wing-T. We knew coming into that week it was going to be physical. … (Now the Falcons) are the top-ranked rushing team in the nation, We’ve got to bring everything we’ve got.” In recent weeks, the Warriors D-line was strengthen with 3-tech Ezra Evaimalo’s return from an injury and D-end Elijah Robinson’s promotion.
RAINBOW WARRIORS SPECIALISTS
PK/P—2 Matthew Shipley 6-1 190 Sr.
KO/H—69 Ben Falck 6-6 225 Sr.
LS—44 Solomon Landrum 5-11 210 Sr.
KR/PR—23 Koali Nishigaya 5-7 165 Jr.
After UH committed four muffs this season, Koali Nishigaya now will be given the chance as a punt returner. “He’s sure-handed,” special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield said. “He’s a little guy who has no fear. Since I’ve been here, any time we’ve asked Koali to do something — even if he hasn’t done it before — I know I can count on him.” When Cam Stone suffered a concussion on the opening kickoff against San Jose State, Nishigaya fair caught the next four kickoffs. He has zero drops in 38 targets this year.
