Air Force's DeRuyter is a vocal leader who is ready for BYU

The voice is clear, decisive, commanding. It’s a voice of encouragement, of reprimand and, best of all, of change.

“There’s never a day off!” Tim DeRuyter bellowed to his Air Force defenders.

The defensive coordinator stood in the middle of the Falcons practice field, surrounded by weary players. Air Force is 3-0, led by the defense’s conversion from horrendous to tremendous.

Yet DeRuyter doesn’t seem impressed. He was pushing, shouting, begging. To him, the transcendent win over TCU is history, and Saturday’s clash with BYU is all that matters.

“Let’s get back to work!” he said. “You’ve got to get to work!”

I heard DeRuyter’s speech while stepping out of my car. Every word was crystal clear, which means he owns one serious set of pipes. He stood 50 yards away.

Before DeRuyter arrived and started his inspired shouting, the Air Force defense was a pitiful group beaten down by defeats. Offensive coordinators and quarterbacks itched for a chance to bombard the Falcons.

Then DeRuyter installed a complicated, risky defense — full of trickery, full of blitzing. He preached optimism, daring to discuss such radical dreams as a Mountain West Conference title, a bowl game and wins over Army and Navy.

He seemed delusional. The Falcons had surrendered an average of 27 points per game the past three seasons, and DeRuyter inherited players who appeared too slow, too small, too weak and too timid.

DeRuyter ignored the faults. He saw defenders with superior intelligence fueled by the humiliations of the past. They were ready to listen to a strong voice.

Drew Fowler was laughing as he departed the practice field. The laughter is new. By the end of last season, a grim pessimism overwhelmed the Falcons.

“He opened my eyes,” Fowler said. “He’s going to let you know when you did something wrong, and that’s what you need. But when you do something right, he’s the first one to congratulate you.”

Last season, the Falcons were frightened of mistakes. They lacked boldness. They sat back and waited to get shredded.

This season, the Falcons are aggressive and full of daring. Opposing quarterbacks never know where the rush is coming from. It’s a shocking change.

“He’s letting us all let loose,” Fowler said. “The old defense was holding us back, but now we understand we’re not going to have big rewards without taking big risks.”

All this fun could vanish. Coach Troy Calhoun refused to rejoice after the TCU win and still gripes about his team’s big collection of mistakes.

He has a point. TCU collected 409 yards, 20 first downs and 14 plays of 10 yards or more, including six in the fourth quarter. The Falcons were courageous and clutch, but also lucky. The Horned Frogs beat them in every category but the final score.

The next two weeks look perilous. BYU ransacked the Falcons in recent seasons, scoring 135 points in the past three meetings. The Cougars will find support from a huge, loud crowd.

Navy has trampled the Falcons four straight times, using a muscular triple-option attack to deceive and overpower Air Force.

These challenges explain DeRuyter’s high-volume exhortations. He was thrilled by the TCU victory and spent minutes hopping and hugging on the field.

“It was a fantastic moment,” he said, “but you have to realize there’s another game to be fought.”

Good point. So kick up the volume, Tim.