Air Force football lost its Mountain West Conference opener to Utah State, 49-30, on Saturday night at Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah. The defeat drops the Falcons to a 1-1 overall record and 0-1 in conference play.
Utah State’s offense accumulated 469 total yards, taking advantage of three Air Force turnovers that resulted in 14 points for the Aggies. Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes was responsible for five touchdowns—three rushing and two passing—and threw for 287 yards. Wide receiver Braden Pegan recorded seven receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons managed 445 yards of offense, including 266 rushing and 179 passing. Reserve quarterback Liam Szarka scored three rushing touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Cade Harris contributed a combined 135 yards—72 on the ground and 62 receiving. Quarterback Josh Johnson added 112 passing yards.
Utah State opened the scoring following an Air Force turnover with a seven-yard touchdown run by Barnes. Air Force answered with a drive ending in a 31-yard field goal by Jacob Medina.
Barnes connected with Pegan for a 54-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to extend Utah State’s lead to 14-3. Air Force responded with a one-yard touchdown run from Szarka after a 75-yard drive, narrowing the score to 14-10.
The Aggies outscored Air Force in the third quarter, pulling ahead with a 21-6 advantage to make it 35-16. Falcon fullback Owen Allen scored on a one-yard run after a long drive that lasted seven minutes.
Szarka’s second touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion by Harris brought Air Force within eleven points at 35-24. However, Utah State responded with additional scores—a touchdown run by Barnes and another by Javen James—to extend their lead to 49-24.
On defense, junior linebacker Blake Fletcher led Air Force with eleven tackles, while sophomore Roger Jones Jr. had a career-high eight tackles.
Air Force will next face Boise State at home on Saturday, September 20, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.
