Air Force football head coach Troy Calhoun, sophomore quarterback Liam Szarka, and senior defensive lineman Payton Zdroik met with the media to preview their upcoming game against San Jose State.
The two teams will face each other for the ninth time as conference opponents. Air Force holds a 5-3 advantage in the series, with a 3-1 record at home and a 2-2 record in games played in San Jose. In their last four meetings, each team has won once on the road.
Last season, San Jose State beat Air Force 17-7 at Falcon Stadium during the Mountain West opener for both teams. The Spartans scored first when Emmett Brown connected with Nick Nash on an 18-yard touchdown pass. Air Force responded later in the first quarter after Jerome Gaillard Jr. made an interception and Cade Harris ran for a six-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. San Jose State regained the lead with another touchdown pass from Brown—a 58-yard completion to Jackson Canaan—making it 14-7. The remainder of the game was dominated by defense, with only a 34-yard field goal from Kyler Halvorsen added to extend San Jose State’s lead. By the end of the game, San Jose State had gained 312 total yards; Brown completed 17 of his 32 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Air Force totaled 197 yards on offense, with Harris rushing for 50 yards and one score on eight carries.
In contrast, Air Force secured a decisive win over San Jose State in their previous meeting in San Jose in 2023, winning by a score of 45-20. The Spartans initially took the lead through a Chevan Cordeiro touchdown run but missed the extra point to make it 6-0. Reagan Tubbs kicked a field goal on his first career attempt to cut into that lead before Emmanuel Michel scored three touchdowns throughout the contest—including one just before halftime that narrowed SJSU’s advantage to three points at intermission. After halftime, Air Force controlled possession and outscored San Jose State significantly; John Lee Eldridge III gave Air Force its first lead early in the second half while Michel added another touchdown soon after. In total, Air Force racked up 428 yards—400 of which came on rushing plays—with Michel running for 148 yards on 33 carries and Eldridge III adding another 102 yards on ten attempts. Defensively, they limited SJSU to just eight total yards in the third quarter and only eighty after halftime; Trey Taylor led defensively with eight tackles (including one tackle for loss) and an interception.
Coach Calhoun said: “We know how competitive these games have been recently and our focus is always preparation.”
Senior defensive lineman Payton Zdroik commented: “San Jose State is always physical up front so we need discipline on every play.”
Sophomore quarterback Liam Szarka added: “We’ve watched film all week—we’re looking forward to executing our plan.”
