Despite Cal having one less win than Air Force, this game is heavily lopsided in favor of Cal. Cal’s offense is the most high-powered squad the Air Force defense will have faced all season.
By: Derrik Klassen
Sonny Dykes’ offense is designed to either create yards after the catch or throw vertically, and Air Force’s defense does not have the athletes to stop either of those attacks. Jared Goff is one of the better quarterbacks in the nation and has a slew of talented pass catchers at his side to dismantle the Air Force defense.
To be fair, Air Force’s offense has been able to put up a fair amount of points of their own this season. They are averaging just under 34 points a game and Cal’s defense is one of the weakest groups they will have faced this year. That said, Cal’s offense is going to be scoring too often for Air Force to lean on their rushing attack like they desire, leaving them to throw the ball and ultimately throw the game away. By the time this one is over, both teams will have likely matched or exceeded four touchdowns each, but Cal will come away with a comfortable victory.
Air Force
Alex Hansen, DL, #87
Hansen is one of the few seniors on the Air Force defense. As the veteran of the group should, Hansen holds down the defensive line, leading the team in sacks (7.5), tackles for loss (15.5) and even punt/kick blocks (2). His top-heavy frame makes him a bit of a roulette player as a one-gapper. In other words, Hansen can use his weight to fight through linemen immediately and get into the backfield, but his tall, top-heavy frame can also lead to him getting beat low and washed out of plays. He will not be consistently found around the ball, but expect a big play or two in the run game.
Garrett Brown, WR, #7
Any collegiate team would benefit by having a jack-of-all-trades type of skill player, and Brown is that player for Air Force. Brown touched the ball a total of 55 times from scrimmage this year with those touches being split nearly 50/50 between rushing carries and receptions. Brown has enough north/south speed to threaten defenses as a home run threat, though most of his production has come from him simply executing his assignments as designed and taking the yards given to him by the defense. On top of his offensive responsibilities, Brown has also been a quality punt returning, even returning one of them for a touchdown. Brown is nothing special, but he provides a healthy constant of production for the Falcons.
Other Prospects
Jalen Robinette, WR, #9
Jacobi Owens, RB, #28
Roland Ladipo, DB, #25
California
Jared Goff, QB, #16 (JR)
To many, Goff is the best draft eligible quarterback in the country. Cal’s offense is based mostly on screen throws and deep shots, both of which Goff does a good job of executing. Goff knows how to leave the ball up for his receivers to make a play on it. Whether it be Bryce Treggs running down a deep throw in space or Kenny Lawler slowing up to get vertical and snatch the ball out of the air, Goff knows his receivers and how to play to their strengths. Granted, Goff’s velocity can die out when he is throwing toward the sideline, but with as unathletic Air Force’s defense is, Goff should have no problem putting up a handful of touchdowns.
Bryce Treggs, WR, #1
When Goff wants to go vertical in hopes of an explosive play, Treggs is his man. Treggs has enough speed and explosion to get himself open on vertical routes. He is Cal’s biggest threat to take the top off of the defense on any play, not to mention he has a bit of wiggle when running after the catch on screen throws and such. If anyone is going to be a threat to make an explosive play on Cal’s offense, it is Treggs. Treggs is not the best receiver on the team, but he is the perfect speed compliment to a bigger, stronger receiver like Lawler. Considering Lawler will likely draw a fair amount of attention, Treggs may be free to have a field day on the Air Force defense.
Stephen Andersen, TE, #89
As the nature of the tight end position is growing more and more to be a large receiver than a balanced block-and-catch threat, Andersen is an intriguing player. He is best suited in a “jumbo receiver” role like, say, Jared Cook Jr.. Athletically-speaking, Andersen is good-not-great. He has enough agility and mobility to work over some linebackers, but athletic defenses have been able to keep him at bay, for the most part. When watching Andersen, it will be key to keep an eye on how well he catches the ball, as he has been up and down in that area all year. One play he may drop a fairly simple pass, only to make a leaping reception on the next drive. With as many weapons as Cal has, it is tough to estimate how many targets Andersen will see, but it is more than likely that he sees a fair amount of targets regardless as Cal will throw early and often.
Kenny Lawler, WR, #4 (JR)
Lawler is Goff’s best friend on the field. Every quarterback benefits from having a receiver who goes and gets the ball in any situation. The strength, flexibility and aggression that Lawler plays with at the catch point makes him a menace for opposing defensive backs. Once he’s in the air, Lawler’s massive hands aid him in getting a clean grasp of the ball to haul it in. The coverage on Lawler’s route may be perfect, but he always has a chance of coming down with the ball. Lawler is the type of receiver who is always “open”, even when he is covered. Due to Goff’s comfort with Lawler, expect Lawler to get a lot of targets early on to establish their offensive power.
Other Prospects
Darius White, DB, #6
Kyle Kragen, DL, #13
Daniel Lasco, RB, #2
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