Jim Grobe served as the linebackers coach at Air Force during the Fisher DeBerry heyday nearly 30 years ago.
Grobe – now a member of the College Football Playoff committee – was a head coach for 20 seasons between stints at Ohio, Wake Forest and Baylor. An 11-year stretch with the Falcons from 1984-95 launched that career. Grobe does not have to recuse himself when the CFP discussions about Air Force – one of the eight remaining 8-0 teams in the FBS heading into Week 10 – comes up. But he doesn't have to hide his appreciation for a stretch that "went by in a flash" either.
"It's like Camelot," Grobe told Sporting News. "It's as good as it gets. Sometimes you're outsized by other teams. Some of the teams you play have better speed, but the nice thing you do at the Air Force Academy is you can really coach the players."
Quarterback Troy Calhoun was one of those players who arrived in 1985. That Air Force team ascended to No. 4 in the AP Poll that year before a late-season loss to BYU. The Falcons finished 12-1 and beat Texas 24-16 in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Calhoun would serve as an assistant for Grobe at Ohio and Wake Forest before taking the job at Air Force in 2007.
Grobe said even at that age, one attribute set Calhoun apart.
"Troy was brilliant in the classroom," Grobe said. "He was one of the smartest players we ever had, but in addition to that he had that football IQ. You can tell that in his coaching style. The guy is a brilliant football coach."
Air Force, owners of the nation's fourth-longest win streak at 13 , opened at No. 25 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. The Falcons are finding multiple ways to win with Calhoun, especially in the last three weeks.
Backup quarterback Jensen Jones stepped in for injured quarterback Zac Larrier for the game-winning drive in a 34-27 victory against Wyoming on Oct. 15. Larrier returned the following week and threw a 94-yard touchdown pass in a 17-6 win against Navy. The Falcons played through a snowstorm to beat in-state rival Colorado State 30-13 last week.
That sets up a chance to keep the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for another year if Air Force beats Army on Saturday (3:30 ET, CBSSN).
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Calhoun has the Falcons ready when the Black Knights visit Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. It is simply the latest in a series of challenges the Falcons will take on.
"One of the first things you learn on Day 1 when you come to school at the Air Force Academy is flexibility is the key to air power," Calhoun told SN. "You're forever adapting. You're forever changing, forever evolving while sticking true to some principles that you do have."
To label Air Force the best story in college football this season would be short-changing what Calhoun has been able to accomplish through 17 seasons as head coach with the Falcons.
Since 2019, Air Force is 42-11. That is the sixth best record among FBS teams behind Georgia (57-5), Ohio State (50-6), Alabama (55-7), Michigan (44-11) and Notre Dame (42-11).
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Why is that incredible? The Falcons cannot take advantage of NIL because they are employees of the federal government. The Falcons cannot use the transfer portal either. Those are new challenges for Academy football teams.
"I kind of realized about five years in here, that there might be some years where you do everything right – at least you feel like you're on a good path in a lot of different ways – and you might go 5-7," Calhoun said. "We've had a year where we won two games. We've had a year where we won three games. We're very realistic about each game that we play and where it could go either direction. Because of that, it keeps you focused on the task at hand."
Air Force still stands out by running the vintage option offense at the highest level.
This season, the Falcons lead the FBS in rushing offense with 300.4 yards per game and time of possession at 34:51. Those numbers are typical with Academy football teams. What's been a separator is defensive coordinator Brian Knorr – also a member of that 1985 team – crafted a defense that ranks third in total yards (237.9) and fourth in scoring defense (13.4).
Calhoun keeps pushing this program, one small step at a time.
"We're not going to wow you with the number of stars we had back in high school," Calhoun said. "We are honestly a work in progress. We really are. We've been able to change and develop, and we're certainly going to have to do that in November and the rest of the season. Our players realize that."
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The defining play for the Falcons came on the first play of the second quarter against Navy. Offensive coordinator Mike Theissen had a hunch that a wheel route might work – only Air Force had to run it to the other side of the field. Quarterback Zac Larrier found Dane Kinamon, who sprinted for a 93-yard touchdown in the longest play in Air Force history.
Imagine that. Air Force airing it out.
"We usually run that to the other side of the field, but we just liked what we saw with Navy going into the boundary," Larrier said. "It drew up exactly how Coach thought it would. It was a little hard to see over the line, but Dane and I have been playing for the last four years. There is a lot of trust there."
Larrier earned that trust from teammates while waiting his turn to play quarterback. Last season, Calhoun moved Larrier to tailback for an opportunity for more some playing time. Larrier suffered a knee injury against Wyoming, but he was the first to greet Jones after the Falcons scored the go-ahead touchdown.
When asked about Larrier, Calhoun is quick to ask a question in return.
"How unselfish has he been for our program?"
Larrier (533 yards, 9 TDs) is part of a backfield that includes Emmanuel Michel (696 yards, 9 TDs), John Lee Eldridge III (408 yards, 5 TDs) and Owen Burk (338 yards, 3 TDs). Larrier also is 28 of 40 passing for 651 yards, 6 TDs and no interceptions. What is it like being the quarterback at Air Force? Listen to Larrier's view of the job description.
"I feel like in business, the middleman is always looked at as a negative thing," Larrier said. "In football, I think the quarterback is the middleman between the offensive coordinator and the rest of the guys. I think it's the best middleman you can be. I take pride in it. We don't slide. We're not running out of bounds. We're going to find some contact. I love playing option football."
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The Falcons are in the hunt for a Mountain West Conference championship, and the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, which is given to the winner of the Air Force-Army-Navy series.
Calhoun has been a part of five Air Force teams that won that trophy as a coach and two more as a player. Yet those experiences blend into an unexpected answer when Calhoun is asked how to balance those values in a college football landscape that continues to evolve. What is the priority at Air Force?
"Today is your priority," Calhoun said. "Our players – and probably that is a little bit of an inherent part of the Air Force Academy – somedays while you are here you are just trying to grind your way through this day. It keeps you grounded. That's not all bad. You realize how growth and improvement happens in really small steps."
That attitude is reflected in the leadership from players. Larrier insists Saturday that the source of motivation is all woven together. The Mountain West Conference, Commander-In-Chief's Trophy – and perhaps a trip to the New Year's Day Six in 2023 – are byproducts of "your due diligence to go get a victory." Calhoun neither watched Tuesday's rankings show nor discussed it with players or coaches. Larrier also had no idea where the Falcons would be in the AP Poll or CFP rankings.
"We're just so intrinsically motivated," Larrier said. "We don't have anything else to play for other than our own pride and love for the game and love for each other. There is no NIL. Our school only has 4,000 people. They go to the games, but they're not so revved up telling you how good you are. We're more focused on playing our game. I didn't realize we were No. 17 (in the AP Poll). I thought we were No. 22. Rankings, at the end of the day, are temporary."
Yet the impact and opportunity this Air Force team could have on this season and beyond is interesting. Liberty (8-0) is the other unbeaten team in the Group of 5, and the implementation of the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024 will create more opportunities for teams like this. Grobe cannot wait for those discussions in future seasons.
"There are teams all over the country that have got to be excited about the possibility of getting in the 12," he said. "Having four teams has been fantastic for college football. I think it's created a lot of interest; the fans are into it. But now by opening that door and going to 12 teams, you've actually given a window to a lot of teams."
In that sense, Air Force is a year early but always prepared. That has not changed in 30 years.
"I loved it so much at the Academy," Grobe said. "You're coaching the best kids in the country. You don't have to push them into the fight. Sometimes you have to grab their jersey and pull them back, because they are always full speed."
