Air Force will begin its Mountain West Conference schedule by traveling to Logan, Utah, to face Utah State on Saturday, September 13 at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. The game marks the 13th meeting between the two teams and the 12th as conference opponents. Air Force leads the series 7-5 overall and holds a 6-5 advantage in conference games.
The Falcons are coming off a season where they finished with a record of 5-7 overall and 3-4 in Mountain West play, tying for fifth place. Utah State ended last season at 4-8, also with a 3-4 conference record.
In their most recent matchup on September 15, 2023, Air Force defeated Utah State 39-21 at Falcon Stadium to open Mountain West play. That victory snapped a five-game losing streak in conference openers for Air Force. Emmanuel Michel led the Falcons with three touchdowns and over one hundred rushing yards, while Alec Mock contributed significantly on defense with eleven tackles and two sacks.
The last time these teams met in Logan was October 8, 2022, when Utah State won 34-27. Brad Roberts led Air Force’s ground attack with over one hundred rushing yards and a touchdown.
Air Force has struggled recently in conference openers, losing seven of its last eight such games. The team is currently tied at two wins each against Utah State in Mountain West opening matchups played in Logan.
Head coach Troy Calhoun has guided Air Force to a record of seven wins and eleven losses in conference openers since taking over the program. Historically, Air Force is even on the road (6-6) when starting its Mountain West schedule away from home.
Utah State enters this week’s contest under new head coach Bronco Mendenhall. Mendenhall previously coached New Mexico during the prior season and has held head coaching positions at Virginia and BYU.
Quarterback Bryson Barnes leads Utah State’s offense so far this year with more than four hundred passing yards and three touchdowns through two games. Running back Miles Davis tops their rushing statistics while defenders Noah Avinger and John Miller lead in tackles.
Air Force carries a five-game winning streak dating back to last season—the fourth longest active streak among NCAA teams—and extended its run of consecutive games with at least one hundred rushing yards to eighty-six after gaining two hundred sixty-seven yards against Bucknell earlier this year. The Falcons have also held four straight opponents to twenty-one points or fewer dating back to last season.
Senior wide receiver Cade Harris (South Weber) and sophomore offensive lineman Johnny Brambila (Murray) represent Utah natives on the current Air Force roster.
After an idle week before this matchup, Air Force looks to improve upon an all-time post-bye record of eight wins and ten losses under Coach Calhoun. Against Utah State following an open week, the Falcons have split results: falling once but earning victory during another visit to Logan.
