The Falcons will find it hard to match last year’s 9-4 record in coach Troy Calhoun’s first year, and they can ill afford a slip-up against a lower tier team riding an 18-game losing streak.
Key Matchup
Thunderbirds first-year coach Ed Lamb has made special teams a top priority and special teams play has been a staple of Air Force for years.
Players to watch
Southern Utah: QB Cody Stone threw for 1,262 yards and 7 TDs in six games last year. Nick Miller caught 35 passes for 433 yards and set school records with 41 kickoff returns for 914 yards.
Air Force: QBs Shea Smith and Eric Herbort hardly played as Shaun Carney took virtually every snap the past four years.
Facts & Figures
Air Force is 12-0 in games played against team of the Football Championship Subdivision. … The Falcons finished 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West in 2007 and lost 42-36 to California in the Armed Forces Bowl. … Southern Utah was 0-11 and 0-4 in the Great West Football Conference last year. …. Air Force is 31-19-8 in season openers and 26-8 in season openers at home. … The Thunderbirds are 24-21-0 in season openers and are 12-13-0 when opening on the road.
