Football Vs San Jose State
Historically, an Air Force receiver gaining separation running a deep pattern hopes the Falcons’ quarterback can get him the ball. After all, triple-option quarterbacks play the position for their legs and instincts, not their arm.
This year is different.
Arm strength is the least of wide receiver Ben Waters’ concerns with D.J. Hammond at quarterback.
“No, he can flick it off his back foot 80 yards,” Waters said. “It’s more of a concern, ‘Can I catch up to it?’ I have to keep my head down and running.”
Actually, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder from Highland Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian with multiple all-state high school track honors overstated his concern. He has been running under Hammond’s throws with big results.
Waters has touchdown catches of 81 and 53 yards. He has set career highs in a game for catches (four) and yards (147) against Navy.
The 81-yard TD helped beat Colorado – the Falcons’ first win over a Power 5 school since beating Georgia Tech in 2010 – and is the longest since 2005 and fourth longest in school history.
The 53-yarder at Fresno State last week tied the game 7-7 in an eventual 43-24 win over the Mountain West Conference defending champion.
This week he runs his patterns in paradise as Air Force (4-2, 2-1 Mountain Division) plays Hawaii (4-2, 2-1 West Division) at 11 p.m. ET Saturday in Aloha Stadium.
In all, he has nine catches for 292 yards for a per-catch average of 32.4 yards that significantly tops national leader Quez Watkins of Southern Mississippi’s 26.4. But Waters lacks enough receptions to qualify for the NCAA.com ranking to be labeled the national leader.
Waters, though, isn’t alone in Air Force flexing a deep-ball threat. Senior Geraud Sanders has 17 for 363 yards to rank 15th in the nation. He has a long of 64 and three touchdowns.
As a team, Air Force leads the nation at 22.6 per catch (34-of-65 767 yards). The offense is second in the nation running the ball at 296.5 yards per game and the pass efficiency rating of 167.6 leads the Mountain West and is 13th in the country.
“D.J.’s arm is unbelievable and we’ve had great protection,” said Waters, referring to the Falcons allowing only three sacks in six games. “I’ve been able to get a little separation and the play-calls have been planned at the right time. It’s fun to have this kind of success.”
For him, that’s especially considering that Waters switched from backup defensive back the past two seasons to the starting lineup on the other side of the ball.
He was recruited as a wide receiver out of high school, where his quarterback his senior year was Dylan McCaffrey, a highly recruited prospect that is now junior backup at Michigan (he was a freshman in 2017, a year before coach Jim Harbaugh took starter Shea Patterson as a transfer from Mississippi with immediate eligibility).
Waters led Valor Christian in receptions (59) and yards (1,033) and touchdowns (16).
At Air Force, he didn’t play as a freshman in 2016 while practicing as a wide receiver. As a defensive back he played a backup role in four games in 2017 and all 12 in 2018 with 10 tackles. Waters didn’t resist the move to defense. Academy athletes typically are inclined to sacrifice themselves for the team more than civilian schools where a player might see a move hurting his NFL chances (no matter how small they were to begin with).
“It was something I was willing to do — whatever we needed to do win games,” he said. “They felt something needed to be done on defense and they moved me.”
His long Air Force journey back to offense began with a short trip, about 60 miles, from home to an Air Force camp on campus in Colorado Springs. He hadn’t been considering playing for a service academy, although he was well aware of Air Force’s long history of success since Fisher DeBerry h ad brought the triple option to the Falcons as an assistant in 1980 and throughout 22 seasons as head coach (1984-2006).
“Definitely one of the things I came here for was the (Division I) Football,” he said, “but they whip you into shape real quick. You realize you’re here for school, to serve your country and that football is on the side. But they’ve done a great job letting us play as much football as we can. It’s a great opportunity for your future. It’s been awesome here.”
Especially since his last season included a move back to offense he didn’t ask for but was ready to embrace.
“I was expecting myself to show out and perform when the moment came; that’s why I got recruited,” he said. “I was excited. As a receiver is where I feel most natural. I’ve had help from my teammates and D.J. has been a great teammate throwing the ball.”
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Air Force and Hawaii play for the Kuter Trophy named after the first PACAF (Pacific Air Forces) commander. The Pearl Harbor Naval Station was merged with Hickam.
The Falcons are wearing special uniforms that honoring the C-17, a large military transport aircraft.
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I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055
Tom Shanahan, Author: Raye of Light http://tinyurl.com/knsqtqu
— Book on Michigan State’s leading role in the integration of college football. It explains Duffy Daugherty’s untold pioneering role and debunks myths that steered recognition away from him to Bear Bryant.
http://shanahan.report/a/the-case-for-duffy-and-medal-of-freedom
Don’t believe the myths at Duffy Daugherty’s expense about Bear Bryant’s motivation to play the 1970 USC-Alabama game or myths about the Charlie Thornhill-for-Joe Namath trade. Bear Bryant knew nothing about black talent in the South while he dragged his feet on segregation.
http://www.shanahan.report/a/forty-four-underground-railroad-legacy-facts
http://shanahan.report/a/myths-that-grew-out-of-1970-alabama-game-with-usc
http://shanahan.report/a/mystery-solved-in-thornhill-and-namath-myth
David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize winner and biographer; “History writes people out of the story. It’s our job to write them back in.”
https://www.augustpublications.com/
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