Air Force football head coach Troy Calhoun, senior wide receiver Tre Roberson, and senior defensive lineman Jackson Adams spoke with the media ahead of their upcoming game against Bucknell. This will be the first time Air Force faces Bucknell on the field.
Bucknell ended last season with a 6-6 record and placed third in the Patriot League, finishing conference play at 4-2. The Bison led their league in scoring, averaging 28.8 points per game, which ranked them 41st among Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams. They also topped the Patriot League in passing offense, passing efficiency, total offense, and first downs. Dave Cecchini is entering his seventh season as Bucknell’s head coach and holds a 19-41 record at the school.
Air Force has never lost to an FCS opponent, holding a 28-0 all-time record in such games—all played at Falcon Stadium. Under Coach Calhoun’s leadership, Air Force is 18-0 against FCS teams. The Falcons opened their 2024 season with a 21-6 win over Merrimack.
In season openers overall, Air Force holds a record of 48 wins, 19 losses, and two ties; at home they are 42-8. The team has won its last 18 season openers and 19 of its last 21—only losing to Tennessee in 2006 and California in 2004 during that span. Their current streak of winning season openers is the third-longest active run nationally behind Ohio State and Alabama.
During their victory over Merrimack to start this season, Cade Harris scored two touchdowns before halftime for Air Force. Aidan Calvert added another touchdown run in the third quarter. Merrimack managed to score only on the final play of the game. The Falcons gained a total of 237 yards—166 rushing—with fullback Owen Allen leading on the ground with 63 yards from 16 carries in his debut game. Quarterback John Busha contributed both through rushing and by completing six passes for seventy-one yards. On defense, Grant Uyl recorded six tackles along with a forced fumble and recovery; David Santiago also had six tackles plus one tackle for loss.
Coach Troy Calhoun commented: “We’re excited about this opportunity to compete against Bucknell for the first time.”
Senior wide receiver Tre Roberson said: “We know Bucknell is coming off a strong year offensively so we need to be ready.”
Senior defensive lineman Jackson Adams added: “Our focus is on executing our assignments every snap.”
