COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)--When Air Force starting quarterback Liam Szarka was ruled out for the remainder of the season two weeks ago, there were plenty of questions about how the Falcons would respond.
After all, Szarka was the leading rusher in the conference.
Instead, sophomore quarterback Evan Medders has helped keep Air Force soaring.
The Falcons have rallied around their new signal-caller, winning two straight conference games and moving to the top of the Mountain West standings. In the process, Medders has shown the poise and toughness needed to thrive in Air Force's triple-option attack.
Head coach Troy Calhoun has been especially impressed with what the young quarterback has brought to the position.
"Maturity, the humility, the focus, the consistency, those are all kind of one-word terms," Calhoun said.
Those traits have translated directly onto the field. Over the last two games, Medders has rushed for 266 yards and five touchdowns while guiding the Falcons to a pair of important conference victories.
Medders credits the support of his teammates for helping him settle into the role.
"I truly believe I have the most supportive team possible," Medders said. "When we go through so many struggles already at the Air Force Academy, we're kind of made to be like this."
From the outside, it may have seemed difficult to replace the spark that Szarka provided under center. But Medders has quickly proven he can operate the Falcons' offense at a high level.
And while taking over the starting job wasn't something he expected, he's embraced the opportunity.
"Not exactly something I pictured, because I always wanted Liam Szarka to stay healthy and be able to do his job," Medders said. "But the Lord keeps providing, and He provided me an opportunity, and I wanted to make sure to capitalize on it."
Medders has displayed both power and command running the offense, fitting the mold of the physical, run-first quarterbacks that have long been a staple of Calhoun's system.
As Calhoun jokingly summarized:
"We want big butts and big legs because they break tackles and they're good football players."
If Air Force continues to break tackles and stack wins, the Falcons could put themselves in position for a strong finish to the season, including bowl eligibility, a Mountain West championship and a chance to reclaim the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
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