Air Force's Fogler catching on quickly

Early in Air Force’s Aug. 22 preseason practice at Falcon Stadium, receiver Kevin Fogler dropped a beautifully thrown deep pass from Tim Jefferson.

“C’mon Kevin,” shouted Air Force coach Troy Calhoun. “We need someone we can count on. Make a play!”

The quiet and unassuming Fogler doesn’t say much. But he clearly listened.

Since then, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., has been consistent and reliable — rarely dropping a ball in practice and hardly ever in games. Talking about Fogler this week, Calhoun used the word “dependability.”

“You can just tell there’s a confidence (in quarterbacks) whenever you throw the ball in the direction of Kevin Fogler,” Calhoun said. “… And (his height and reach) gives you a little bit of margin for error.”

In addition to being dependable, Fogler has been a big-play threat, making the most of the limited chances a receiver has on a run-dominated team. All but three of his team-high 17 catches have gone for first downs or touchdowns. And six times on either fourth downs or third-and-long situations, Fogler has come up with catches that have given the Falcons first downs to prolong drives.

“He’ll go get the ball wherever it is,” Jefferson said. “If it’s in the general vicinity, then it’s most likely going to be a catch.”

Fogler’s 17 catches, 397 receiving yards and five touchdown catches all are team highs, and his 23.4 yards-per-catch average is the best in the Mountain West Conference among players with 37.2 or more receiving yards per game.

A catch-by-catch look at Fogler’s season:
Game                        Catch                     Result
Nicholls State             57 yards                 Touchdown
Minnesota                  37 yards                 Touchdown
Minnesota                  19 yards                 First down
New Mexico                14 yards                 First down
New Mexico                28 yards                 Touchdown
Navy                         15 yards                 First down
Navy                         4 yards
Navy                         11 yards                 First down*
TCU                          16 yards                 Touchdown
TCU                          14 yards                 First down^
TCU                           8 yards
Utah                          4 yards                  First down *
Colorado State            34 yards                 First down ^
Colorado State            7 yards
Army                         33 yards                 First down ^
Army                         73 yards                 Touchdown
Army                         23 yards                 First down *
* – Converted a fourth down
^ – Converted a third-and-long