The Navy shows no understanding of the Air Force’s inexperience problems, citing the use of COVID-era setbacks Luftwaffe sports

The Navy shows no understanding of the Air Force’s inexperience problems, citing the use of COVID-era setbacks Luftwaffe sports

Air Force has lost three straight, while Navy is undefeated and receiving top 25 votes.

Much of the difference can be attributed to roster experience. The Navy had four returning offensive players, the Air Force had none. The Midshipmen had seven starters on defense, the Falcons had three.

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It’s no coincidence that the teams are so far apart in that regard this season, and Air Force won’t get any sympathy from its military academy rival for being in that spot as it prepares for the matchup on Saturday at 10 a.m. to prepare to open the competition for the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

“Without getting into it too much,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said, “I think after the coronavirus crisis, setbacks, things like that, things we haven’t done here, maybe some of the older guys in this program have a lot played more snaps than some of the younger guys who didn’t quite develop the way they otherwise would have if there weren’t 15 fifth graders or something like that. I’m not being disrespectful in that sense, but these are facts. You know, we didn’t do that.”

When asked for comment, Air Force Trainer Troy Calhoun said, “I don’t have a reaction to that,” noting that among the freedoms the military branch champions is freedom of speech.

Here’s the backstory. In August 2020, the Mountain West announced it was canceling the season due to the pandemic. At the same time, the Air Force Academy informed cadets that they were allowed to leave for the semester due to the stress caused by the coronavirus.

About three dozen soccer players decided on a so-called turnback because they assumed at the time that no soccer would be played. They went home for the duration of the semester.

Then the Mountain West changed course and decided to play a shortened season.

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As a result, Air Force played a 2020 season that included just six games with a reduced roster. As a result, over the next three years, the Falcons had players whose playing time was delayed by a year. This continued through the 2023 season, when Air Force had about 40 seniors, including about six key players who first came to the academy in 2019.

Game analysis and insight from The Gazette’s sports staff, including columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.

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The Navy has emphasized the Air Force’s reversal situation in recent years. Last year’s game notes referenced “fifth-year senior” five times when referring to Falcons players. No other opponent has made this difference, and Air Force rosters show no difference between players who have made a turnback and those who have not.

One difference between turnbacks and redshirts is that redshirts remain with the team and practice during a season in which they are not playing. There are no setbacks in the team.

Turnbacks are available to all service academies.

Air Force’s wave of COVID turnback players has come to an end, leaving behind a roster that entered the season with the least experience in the country. And that showed in a slow start and a three-game losing streak.

“We created some problems by not doing it,” Newberry said, continuing his assessment of the Air Force’s situation to The Gazette. “But these things are starting to pay off for us. A lot of people who probably weren’t ready to play played and gained valuable playing time. The seniors on our team right now have played a lot of snaps and played a lot of snaps together, probably earlier than they probably should have. But they did it and hopefully we’re reaping some of the rewards from that now.”

The Midshipmen did not take advantage of COVID-related setbacks, as Newberry, who was defensive coordinator at the time, noted.

Air Force has won four straight games in the series with Navy, including a 40-7 victory in 2020 when the Falcons were without the turnback players.

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This week, Navy has a 9.5 point advantage. The Midshipmen average 46 points per game while Air Force only scores 12.5 points per contest.

When Air Force coach Troy Calhoun was asked last week if there were any regrets about the roster management – particularly the lack of playing time among non-seniors – that led to such a steep decline in experience for the 2024 season, Air Force said- Coach Troy Calhoun said this was not the case.

“Whatever we think gives us the best chance this week, that’s what we’re going to do,” Calhoun said. “I always will. Now the practice is different. Investing in practice time, especially at the beginning of the week on Mondays and Tuesdays for our 2s and 3s. I mean, we invest heavily in the younger guys on Mondays and Tuesdays. That’s what we’ve done since I’ve been here and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”