Air Force will be missing its starting fullback Jared Tew who broke his right fibula in the first quarter of the Falcons' loss against San Diego State. On most teams the fullback is mainly a blocker and gets a few token carries, but in the Air Force triple option attack the fullback is important. The fullback dive is a key element in the Falcon option offense and can set up other plays by faking the dive to set up an option to the outside.
Tew is second on the team in rushing with 540 yards and three scores and he will be sorely missed. The backup to Tew is Nathan Walker, who is a senior with plenty of experienced and has four touchdowns of his own this year, but the issue comes after Walker where there is little depth. The current back is senior Ryan Southworth, but he has only four carries on the year and behind him is freshman Brent Michaels.
The injury to Tew could play a key factor in Air Force's game against TCU on Saturday, especially if they have to bring in another fullback besides Walker for an extended period of time.