Air Force brings three-game winning streak into season finale against Aztecs – elcajon newson Elcajon News only

San Diego State concludes the 2024 season against Air Force.

It also may be the conclusion to a series that dates back 44 years across two conferences.

SDSU’s 2025 Mountain West schedule does not include Air Force and the Aztecs are scheduled to move to the Pac-12 the following season.

Air Force leads the overall series 21-18. The Falcons dominated early, winning eight of nine meetings in the 1980s. The Aztecs have dominated of late, winning nine straight meetings since 2010 before losing 49-10 last year on the road and 13-3 in 2022 at home.

SDSU (3-8, 2-4 MW) is a 3 1/2-point underdog against Air Force (4-7, 2-4) for Saturday’s game. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1) at Snapdragon Stadium.

About the Falcons

Air Force has been among the winningest programs in the nation under longtime coach Troy Calhoun, who is 134-89 (.601) during his 17-plus seasons guiding the team.

The Falcons have made 13 bowl appearances over those 17 seasons, posting five double-digit winning seasons and three nine-win years.

This is Air Force’s first losing season since a pair of back-to-back 5-7 seasons in 2017-18.

Air Force lost seven straight games after beating Merrimack in its season opener. The Falcons turned things around late, winning the past three games against Fresno State (36-28), Oregon State (28-0) and Nevada (22-19).

That last victory was Air Force being Air Force. The Falcons rushed 67 times for 318 yards while passing three times for zero yards.

“Obviously, Air Force is playing some really good ball right now,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. “They’ve done a great job creating their identity … controlling the games and forcing teams to really maximize their offensive possessions as they have controlled the flow of the games.

“It’s a tremendous testament to them to win a football game without a single yard passing. They find a way, and they have found a way this year, and (Calhoun) has done a nice job getting these guys riding high.”

The offense

Though Air Force still runs the triple option, this is not the team that put up 49 points against the Aztecs last season. In fact, Air Force hasn’t scored more than 37 points in any game this year.

Personnel changes presented challenges that required several games before the Falcons found their footing.

Sophomore Quentin Hayes replaced junior John Busha at quarterback in midseason and has presided over the team’s resurgence, going 3-2 as the starter.

Hayes has more yards rushing (428) than passing (379). The only surprise in that is that the spread isn’t more between what he has done on the ground and through the air.

Hayes leads the Falcons with six rushing touchdowns. He has also passed for two TDs with two interceptions.

Junior fullback Dylan Carson (475 yards, 3 TDs), sophomore fullback Owen Allen (308 yards, 2 TDs) and wide receiver Cade Harris (272 yards, 4 TDs) are the team’s top rushers besides Hayes.

Harris, who had a 54-yard TD catch against the Aztecs last year, is the team’s leading receiver with 22 catches for 292 yards and one touchdown.

Air Force uses the pass sparingly, with an element of surprise. That is evident in that while the Falcons have only 60 receptions as a team, they have eight players with catches of 20 yards or more.

The defense

The Falcons’ defense is allowing a respectable 23.6 points a game, ranking 57th in the nation. The problem has been that the offense is producing only 17.8 points a game (125th).

The defense’s most impressive performance came two weeks ago in a 28-0 win over Oregon State.

“They do a great job working the football,” Lewis said. “Over this year, they have forced 11 fumbles and recovered eight of them. … They’ve done an exceptional job in the times where they are out on the field, generating those turnovers and getting the ball back to their offense.

“They’re very disciplined. They’re gap sound. They love physicality. They’ve got some guys that really love to hit, and they love playing together; like that really pops off the tape.”

Senior defensive back Camby Goff and senior linebacker Osaro Aihie share the team lead with 57 tackles apiece. Senior defensive back Jamari Bellamy is right behind them with 55 tackles. Sophomore linebacker David Santiago has 3 1/2 of the team’s 15 sacks.

Did you know?

Air Force was a win away from playing for the national championship in 1985, a year after BYU won the crown.

It was the Cougars who prevented Air Force from a title shot. The Falcons won 10 straight games and rose to No. 2 in the nation before losing to BYU 28-21 in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry guided the Falcons to a victory over Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Air Force finished 12-1 and ranked No. 5 in the country.

Originally Published: November 26, 2024 at 5:35 PM PST