Former Air Force Falcons legendary Hall of Fame head coach believes that Air Force has a chance to upset the Boise St. Broncos. Nevermind that Air Force is a 31.5 under dog, DeBerry said that he looks forward to playing teams much better:
"You want to play a team that everybody believes is 40 points better than you. This is what you dream about if you're a competitor. This is an opportunity for greatness."
There is also the opportunity to get embarrassed against the No. 5 team in the country since Air Force has given up 100 points in their past two games and Boise State has won 79 of 81 games at home. DeBerry's optimism comes from the 1996 game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish that saw Air Force upset the No. 8 ranked Irish 20-17 in overtime while entering the game as a 20-point underdog.
DeBerry's most compelling point to why Air Force could win is due to the option offense:
"They don't have enough time to prepare for what we're going to show them," DeBerry said of the Broncos. "Yes, they had all week, but that's not long enough. That's an advantage for Air Force."
Boise State may struggle against the Air Force run-option attack since it is the first time they have ever seen that, however the Air Force rush defense is not what it was during that 1996 season. This is sport so there is always a chance for an upset, but there are not too many people who share the same view as DeBerry.