GAME 9: Air Force vs. Army West Point

2022 Commander's Classic
GAME 9: Air Force vs. Army West Point
Saturday, Nov. 5, 9:30 a.m. MT, Globe Life Stadium (Arlington, TX)
TV: CBS
Video Stream: CBSsports.com

LOCKHEED MARTIN COMMANDERS' CLASSIC VS. ARMY
The Lockheed Martin Commanders' Classic between Air Force and Army in 2021 was the first college football game at Globe Life Field. The two-year agreement continues this season with Air Force an usaa

d Army playing November 5, 2022. Army won last year's game, 21-14, in overtime. The Texas Rangers will host and operate the game with marketing assistance from Dallas-based LST Marketing.
Globe Life Field is the home of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers, which played 30 games in the park without fans in the abbreviated 2020 season. The facility then hosted 16 MLB neutral site postseason
games in the National League Division (3) and Championship (7) Series and the World Series (6). Games in the final two playoff rounds were played in front of approximately 11,500 fans per game, the maximum capacity allowed by MLB.
Designed with a retractable roof to be a premier multipurpose sports and entertainment venue, Globe Life Field was the home of more than 60 high school graduations in May and June and most recently hosted
the 10-night Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from December 3-12 with sellout crowds of 14,500 per performance.
The Globe Life Field seating capacity for the Lockheed Martin Commanders' Classic is expected to approximate the 40,518 figure for baseball. The 1.8 million square foot facility includes sports lighting as well as broadcast locations that are specific to football.

Globe Life Field Facts
• Globe Life Field is a baseball park in Arlington, Texas. Since 2020, it is the home ballpark of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
• Globe Life Field was originally scheduled to open on March 23, 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season was delayed for several months. Globe Life Field opened for a high-school graduation on May 29, 2020.
• On July 24, 2020, the Rangers hosted their first regular-season game against the Colorado Rockies. The Rangers played two exhibition games against the Rockies on July 21 and 22 at Globe Life Field.

THE SERIES
• Air Force and Army are meeting for the 57th time overall and fifth time at a neutral site
• Air Force leads the series, 37-18-1
• The Falcons are 22-4 at home, 14-12 at Army and 1-2-1 in neutral site games
• Air Force is 34-16 in Commander-in-Chief's Trophy games vs. Army dating back to 1972
• The Falcons are 21-3 at home, 13-12 at Army and 0-1 in neutral sites in CIC games
• Army defeated Air Force, 21-14, in overtime in last season's Commander's Classic
• The teams first played to a 13-13 tie in Yankee Stadium in New York in 1959

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S TROPHY
The 2022 season marks the 51st year of Commander-in-Chief's trophy competition. The trophy goes annually to the winning academy with the best record in the round-robin competition. The winning team goes to the White House to receive the trophy from the President of the United States.
The Falcons have a series-best 64-37 overall record and 20 titles. Air Force opened CIC play in 2022 with a 13-10 win over Navy Oct. 1. The Falcons could clinch a record 21st trophy title, and first since 2016, with a win over Army Nov. 5 in the Commander's Classic in Arlington, Texas. An Army win would put the Black Knights in position to win the trophy with a victory over Navy in December.
Last season the series ended in a three-way tie. AF beat Navy, Army beat Air Force and Navy beat Army. It was just the fifth tie in the series' history and first since 1993.

Air Force outright CIC title years:
'82, '83, '85, '87, '89, '90, '91, '92, '94, '95, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '10, '11, '14, '16

LAST SEASON
(Nov. 6, 2021) Army defeated Air Force, 21-14, in overtime in the Commanders' Classic at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Following a scoreless first half, Army opened the scoring with a Tyhier Tyler touchdown run. Following an Air Force field goal, the Black Knights extended the lead to 14-3 with a Christian Anderson 79 yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Robinson. Air Force cut the lead to 14-11 with a Haaziq Daniels four yard touchdown pass to Dane Kinamon with 10:23 left. DeAndre Hughes added the two-point conversion. Matthew Dapore forced overtime with a 30 yard field goal with 23 second left. Army scored in overtime when Jordyn Law recovered a fumble in the end zone. The Black Knights held Air Force on its possession to win. Air Force had 401 total yards, including 226 passing. Daniels hit 13-22 passes for 226 yards and a TD. Trey Taylor led the defense with 10 tackles while Vince Sanford added seven, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Army finished with 322 total yards, including 214 passing. Anderson hit 7-12 for 175 yards and a score.

AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
Air Force is 46-27 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 30-4 at home, 9-17 on the road and 7-6 in neutral site games. Air Force is 3-0 this season and 7-1 over the last two seasons.

AIR FORCE 26-8 LAST THREE SEASONS
• Air Force is 26-8 the last three full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Air Force is 5-3 this season, finished 10-3 last season and 11-2 in 2019. The losses have come at Wyoming, at Utah State and vs. Boise State this season, vs. Utah State, San Diego State and Army (N) last season and at Boise State and Navy in 2019.
• The Falcons are 15-6 in conference play, including a 2-3 mark this season. Air Force shared the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 mark last season and finished second with a 7-1 mark in 2019.

AN AIR FORCE WIN WOULD
• Air Force would become bowl eligible for the 13th time in the last 16 seasons
• Air Force would improve to 6-3
• Air Force would win its record 21st Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and first since 2016
• Air Force would improve to a series-best 65-37 in CIC Trophy competition
• Air Force would snap a two-game losing streak to Army
• Air Force would improve to 38-18-1 all-time vs. Army, including a 2-2-1 mark in neutral site games
• Air Force would improve to 35-16 in Commander-in-Chief's Trophy competition vs. Army, including a 1-1 mark in neutral site games
• Air Force would improve to 4-0 this season vs. non-conference opponents. The Falcons would improve to 8-1 vs. non-conference opponents the last two seasons
• Air Force would improve to 47-27 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun (since 2007).

LAST TIME OUT
Boise State defeated Air Force, 19-14, in Falcon Stadium. The Broncos jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter while holding Air Force to -1 total yards. The Broncos extended the lead to 16-0 in the second before Haaziq Daniels got the Falcons on the board with a 15-yard touchdown run to make it 16-7. Boise State added a field goal to take a 19-7 lead at the half. Brad Roberts cut the lead to 19-14 with a three-year touchdown run with 9:15 to play. The Falcons had one last chance on their final drive, but a fourth down pass was batted away by Boise State to preserve the win. The Broncos finished with 342 total yards and were led by Taylen Green, who hit 16-of-24 passes for 227 yards. Air Force finished with 271 total yards and were held to 175 rushing. Roberts led the way with 90 yards on 25 carries. The defense, which held Boise State scoreless and to 122 total yards in the second half, was led by Jayden Goodwin's career-high nine tackles.

AIR FORCE LEADS THE NATION IN RUSHING, AGAIN
• Air Force leads the nation in rushing with a 336.8 average, leading No. 2 Army by just 2.2 yards per game. The Falcons have led the nation since the first week of the season and are one week away from matching the school record for consecutive weeks leading the nation. Air Force led the nation 10 straight week last season.
• Air Force rushed for 582 yards in the season opener vs. Northern Iowa, which is the sixth most in school history and the most since rushing for 595 vs. Tennessee State in 2011.
Air Force won its second straight NCAA rushing title last season. The Falcons averaged 327.7 yards, winning the title by 47.1 yards per game over second place Army, who averaged 280.6.
Air Force led the nation for a school-record 10 consecutive weeks during the season, breaking the record of eight weeks set in 2010. The Falcons out-rushed 12 of 13 opponents and topped the 400-yard mark five times. The Falcons averaged 498 yards their final two regular season games of the season, rushing for a season-high 511 vs. UNLV and 485 vs. Nevada. Air Force rushed for 400-plus in a school-record three straight games, gaining 437 vs. Utah State, 446 vs. FAU and 408 vs. New Mexico.
• Air Force won the national rushing title in 2020 with a 305.7 per-game average. The Falcons won their first title in 2002 with a 307.8 per-game average. Air Force has ranked among the nation's top 10 nine straight years and 34 of the last 35 overall.

2022 NCAA Rushing Leaders
#    Team (Conf.)                      Avg.
1. Air Force (MW)............. 336.8
2. Army (Ind.).................... 334.6
3. Ole Miss (SEC)...............267.4
4. UAB (C-USA)..................247.4
5. Michigan (Big Ten)......... 246.0

OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Air Force leads the Mountain West in scoring (30.9), passing efficiency (168.59), rushing (336.8), total offense (419.1), third-down percentage (48.0), sacks against (.88), yards per completion (23.54) and time of possession (35:44)...the Falcons rank in the top 10 nationally in five of the categories.

Category                            Stat         MW      NCAA
Scoring Offense                30.9           1st      60th
Passing Offense                82.4        12th      130th
Yards Per Comp.               23.54         1st      1st
Passing Efficiency             168.59      1st      7th
Rushing Offense               336.8         1st      1st
Total Offense                    419.1         1st      53rd
First Downs                       168           2nd      70th
Third Down %                   48.0           1st      23rd
Sacks Against                    .88             1st      7th
Time of Possession          35:44         1st      1st

DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Air Force has held seven opponents to 21 points or less this season. The Falcons have held 17 of 21 opponents to 21 points or less over the last two seasons. Air Force is holding its opponents to 18.6 points per game overall the last two seasons.
• Air Force is in the top three in the MW and 50th nationally in seven categories.

Category                            Stat        MW       NCAA
Scoring Defense               16.8        2nd       9th
Passing Defense               164.8      2nd       4th
Rushing Defense              126.4       3rd       42nd
Total Defense                    291.1      2nd       9th
Opp. First Downs             118          3rd       9th
Third Down Def.               34.9         3rd       41st
Red Zone defense            75.0         3rd       18th

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