Game 2: Air Force at Sam Houston
9/4/2023 9:22:00 AM | Football
Saturday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m. MT, NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)
Air Force at Sam Houston
Saturday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m. MT, NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)
THE GAME
• Air Force plays its first road game of 2023 when the team travels to Houston, Texas, to take on Sam Houston on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. MT at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. This is the first meeting between the schools.
• NRG Stadium is one of two NFL stadiums Air Force will play in this season. The Falcons play Army at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 4. Air Force is 10-3 the last two seasons in road and neutral site games. The Falcons have won four straight away from home. Air Force is 49-27 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 31-4 at home, 9-17 on the road and 9-6 in neutral site games.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Television: CBS Sports Network
Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Robert Turbin (analyst)
• Radio: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver, SIRIUS XM 380, SXM 970
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)
• Live Stats: Stats.statsbroadcast.com
THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between the schools.
ROAD TRIP
Air Force is 10-3 the last two seasons in road and neutral site games. The Falcons have won four straight away from home dating back to a 34-27 loss at Utah State. Air Force's last non-conference road loss came vs. Army in the Commander's Classic, 21-14, in overtime in Arlington, TX.
TEXAS TIES
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun will be returning to NRG Stadium for the first time since serving as offensive coordinator for Houston Texans in 2006.
• This is the third straight year Air Force has played in Texas, as the Falcons played Army in the Commander's Classic in Arlington in 2021-22. The Falcons played Baylor in the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth and Louisville in the 2021 First Responder Bowl in Dallas.
• Air Force is playing its first game in Houston since defeating Rice, 41-14, Sept. 6, 1997.
• Air Force has 16 players from the state of Texas on its roster.
2023 SCHEDULE FEATURES GAMES IN ALL FIVE TIME ZONES
The Air Force schedule features five games in Falcon Stadium, including Robert Morris, Utah State, San Diego State, Wyoming and UNLV, along with a home game vs. Army at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. The Falcons' road schedule features games in all five time zones.
Zone.......... Opponent
Hawaii........ at Hawaii (11/11)
Pacific........ at San Jose State (9/22)
Mountain... at Colorado State (10/28); at Boise State (11/24)
Central....... at San Houston (9/9)
Eastern...... at Navy (10/21)
AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
• Air Force is 49-27 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun.
• The Falcons are 31-4 at home, 9-17 on the road and 9-6 in neutral site games.
• Air Force was 5-0 last season and is 9-1 over the last two seasons.
• The Falcons have won seven straight.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Air Force is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches preseason poll. The Falcons received six points and rank 49th overall. This week's poll didn't come out until after press time.
Air Force closed last season among others receiving votes in both polls. The Falcons ranked 28th with 50 points in the USA Coaches poll and appeared in the poll receiving votes 10 times during the season. Air Force ranked 28th with 40 points in the final Associated Press poll. The Falcons received votes in the AP poll four times during the season, the first three weeks of the season and in the final.
CURRENT STREAKS
• Air Force has won six straight games dating back to last season.
• Air Force has won four straight games away from home dating back to last season.
• Air Force has held six straight opponents under 300 total yards of offense.
• The Falcons have won 16 straight games when forcing two or more turnovers in a game.
• Air Force has won seven straight games vs. non-conference opponents.
• Air Force has held eight straight opponents to 21 points or less
• Air Force has scored in 61 straight games dating back to 2017, the sixth longest active streak in the Mountain West.
AIR FORCE 32-8 LAST THREE-PLUS SEASONS
• Air Force is 32-8 the last three-plus full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Air Force is 1-0 this season and finished 10-3 in 2022 and 2021 and 11-2 in 2019.
• Air Force, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Utah and Oregon are the only teams to win 10-plus games the last three full seasons (2019, 2021, 2022).
• The Falcons are 18-6 in conference play during the same stretch. Air Force was 5-3 and finished second in the Mountain Division last season. Air Force shared the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 mark in 2021 and finished second with a 7-1 mark in 2019.
LAST WEEK
Air Force defeated Robert Morris, 42-7, to open the 2023 season. The Falcons used first-quarter touchdown runs by Cade Harris and Zac Larrier to build a 14-0 lead. Larrier hit Jared Roznos on an 84-yard touchdown and Owen Burk added a 27-yard touchdown run to give the Falcons a 28-0 halftime lead. Larrier added a second touchdown run in the third quarter to extend the lead to 35-0 and back quarterback Jensen Jones added a seven-yard TD run to make it 42-0 in the fourth before Robert Morris got on the board with a late touchdown pass. The Falcons had 469 total yards, including 374 rushing. Larrier led the way with a career-high 99 yards rushing, while hitting 2-3 passes for a career-best 95 yards. The defense held RMU to just 156 total yards. PJ Ramsey led the way with five tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Johnathan Youngblood had a team-best seven tackles and Trey Taylor added six.
LAST WEEK'S GAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Air Force improved to 1-0 this season. The Falcons have won six straight games dating back to last season. The streak is the longest by the Falcons since an eight-game streak to close the 2019 season.
• Air Force improved to 47-19-2 in season openers, including a 41-8 mark in season openers at home. The Falcons have won 17 straight and 18 of the last 20. Air Force has won 26 straight openers against unranked teams dating back to 1994.
• Air Force's 17-game winning streak in season openers is the third-best active streak in the nation, trailing only Ohio State (24) and Alabama (22).
• Air Force has now won seven game games vs. non-conference opponents. The Falcons are 10-1 over the last three seasons.
• Air Force improved to 32-8 the last three-plus full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
• Air Force improved to a Mountain West-best 21-4 in season openers in 25 years as a conference member.
• Air Force improved to 27-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision, with all 27 wins coming at home.
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun improved to 122-78 overall in his 17th season. The coach improved to 17-0 against FCS teams and 73-24 in Falcon Stadium. Calhoun improved to 49-27 against non-conference teams.
• Air Force uses game captains. The captains for the RMU games were Thor Paglialong, Bo Richter, Trey Taylor and Camby Goff.
• Air Force held Robert Morris to 156 total yards. The Falcons have now held six straight opponents under 300 total yards
• The Falcon defense forced 25 straight unsuccessful third downs over the last three games. The streak ended in the second quarter against Robert Morris: SDSU (0-10), Baylor (0-11) and Robert Morris (0-4).
• Air Force has now held eight straight opponents to 21 points or less. The Falcons have held 23 of the last 27 opponents under 21 points the last three seasons
Individual Notes
• Ten Falcons make their first career starts today: 62 James Tomasi, NG; 3 Jamari Bellamy, CB; 22 Jerome Gaillard, CB; 55 Kupono Blake, DT; 13 P.J. Ramsey, DE; TE James Bryant, TE; 9 Zac Larrier, QB; 26 Owen Burk, FB; 21 Cade Harris, WR; 13 Jared Roznos, WR.
• WR Cade Harris scored his first career rushing touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
• QB Zac Larrier rushed for new career highs with 99 yards and two touchdowns. His 26-yard touchdown run is his first since UNLV in 2021. Larrier had career highs in passing as well, with two completions and 95 yards. He threw his first touchdown pass, an 84-yard strike to Jared Roznos. The 84-yard touchdown ties as the fifth longest pass play in school history and the longest since Haaziq Daniels hit Brandon Lewis for a school-record 92-yard touchdown vs. CSU in 2021.
• Junior WR Jared Roznos had a career high two catches for 95 yards, including his first-career receptions which was an 84-yard TD.
• DE P.J. Ramsey had a career high 2.5 tackles for loss. His previous high was 1.0, three times. He also recorded his third career sack. Ramsey also had a career high five tackles vs. Robert Morris. His previous high was three vs. Nevada in 2022.
• DB Jerome Gaillard, Jr., had a career high five tackles vs. RMU
• NG James Tomasi recorded his first career sack vs. the Colonials
• FB Owen Burk scored his first career touchdown on a career-long run of 27 yards. His 37 rushing yards are also a career high.
• FB Dylan Carson rushed for a career high 50 yards
Saturday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m. MT, NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)
THE GAME
• Air Force plays its first road game of 2023 when the team travels to Houston, Texas, to take on Sam Houston on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. MT at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. This is the first meeting between the schools.
• NRG Stadium is one of two NFL stadiums Air Force will play in this season. The Falcons play Army at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 4. Air Force is 10-3 the last two seasons in road and neutral site games. The Falcons have won four straight away from home. Air Force is 49-27 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 31-4 at home, 9-17 on the road and 9-6 in neutral site games.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Television: CBS Sports Network
Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Robert Turbin (analyst)
• Radio: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver, SIRIUS XM 380, SXM 970
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)
• Live Stats: Stats.statsbroadcast.com
THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between the schools.
ROAD TRIP
Air Force is 10-3 the last two seasons in road and neutral site games. The Falcons have won four straight away from home dating back to a 34-27 loss at Utah State. Air Force's last non-conference road loss came vs. Army in the Commander's Classic, 21-14, in overtime in Arlington, TX.
TEXAS TIES
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun will be returning to NRG Stadium for the first time since serving as offensive coordinator for Houston Texans in 2006.
• This is the third straight year Air Force has played in Texas, as the Falcons played Army in the Commander's Classic in Arlington in 2021-22. The Falcons played Baylor in the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth and Louisville in the 2021 First Responder Bowl in Dallas.
• Air Force is playing its first game in Houston since defeating Rice, 41-14, Sept. 6, 1997.
• Air Force has 16 players from the state of Texas on its roster.
2023 SCHEDULE FEATURES GAMES IN ALL FIVE TIME ZONES
The Air Force schedule features five games in Falcon Stadium, including Robert Morris, Utah State, San Diego State, Wyoming and UNLV, along with a home game vs. Army at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. The Falcons' road schedule features games in all five time zones.
Zone.......... Opponent
Hawaii........ at Hawaii (11/11)
Pacific........ at San Jose State (9/22)
Mountain... at Colorado State (10/28); at Boise State (11/24)
Central....... at San Houston (9/9)
Eastern...... at Navy (10/21)
AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
• Air Force is 49-27 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun.
• The Falcons are 31-4 at home, 9-17 on the road and 9-6 in neutral site games.
• Air Force was 5-0 last season and is 9-1 over the last two seasons.
• The Falcons have won seven straight.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Air Force is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches preseason poll. The Falcons received six points and rank 49th overall. This week's poll didn't come out until after press time.
Air Force closed last season among others receiving votes in both polls. The Falcons ranked 28th with 50 points in the USA Coaches poll and appeared in the poll receiving votes 10 times during the season. Air Force ranked 28th with 40 points in the final Associated Press poll. The Falcons received votes in the AP poll four times during the season, the first three weeks of the season and in the final.
CURRENT STREAKS
• Air Force has won six straight games dating back to last season.
• Air Force has won four straight games away from home dating back to last season.
• Air Force has held six straight opponents under 300 total yards of offense.
• The Falcons have won 16 straight games when forcing two or more turnovers in a game.
• Air Force has won seven straight games vs. non-conference opponents.
• Air Force has held eight straight opponents to 21 points or less
• Air Force has scored in 61 straight games dating back to 2017, the sixth longest active streak in the Mountain West.
AIR FORCE 32-8 LAST THREE-PLUS SEASONS
• Air Force is 32-8 the last three-plus full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Air Force is 1-0 this season and finished 10-3 in 2022 and 2021 and 11-2 in 2019.
• Air Force, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Utah and Oregon are the only teams to win 10-plus games the last three full seasons (2019, 2021, 2022).
• The Falcons are 18-6 in conference play during the same stretch. Air Force was 5-3 and finished second in the Mountain Division last season. Air Force shared the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 mark in 2021 and finished second with a 7-1 mark in 2019.
LAST WEEK
Air Force defeated Robert Morris, 42-7, to open the 2023 season. The Falcons used first-quarter touchdown runs by Cade Harris and Zac Larrier to build a 14-0 lead. Larrier hit Jared Roznos on an 84-yard touchdown and Owen Burk added a 27-yard touchdown run to give the Falcons a 28-0 halftime lead. Larrier added a second touchdown run in the third quarter to extend the lead to 35-0 and back quarterback Jensen Jones added a seven-yard TD run to make it 42-0 in the fourth before Robert Morris got on the board with a late touchdown pass. The Falcons had 469 total yards, including 374 rushing. Larrier led the way with a career-high 99 yards rushing, while hitting 2-3 passes for a career-best 95 yards. The defense held RMU to just 156 total yards. PJ Ramsey led the way with five tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Johnathan Youngblood had a team-best seven tackles and Trey Taylor added six.
LAST WEEK'S GAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Air Force improved to 1-0 this season. The Falcons have won six straight games dating back to last season. The streak is the longest by the Falcons since an eight-game streak to close the 2019 season.
• Air Force improved to 47-19-2 in season openers, including a 41-8 mark in season openers at home. The Falcons have won 17 straight and 18 of the last 20. Air Force has won 26 straight openers against unranked teams dating back to 1994.
• Air Force's 17-game winning streak in season openers is the third-best active streak in the nation, trailing only Ohio State (24) and Alabama (22).
• Air Force has now won seven game games vs. non-conference opponents. The Falcons are 10-1 over the last three seasons.
• Air Force improved to 32-8 the last three-plus full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
• Air Force improved to a Mountain West-best 21-4 in season openers in 25 years as a conference member.
• Air Force improved to 27-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision, with all 27 wins coming at home.
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun improved to 122-78 overall in his 17th season. The coach improved to 17-0 against FCS teams and 73-24 in Falcon Stadium. Calhoun improved to 49-27 against non-conference teams.
• Air Force uses game captains. The captains for the RMU games were Thor Paglialong, Bo Richter, Trey Taylor and Camby Goff.
• Air Force held Robert Morris to 156 total yards. The Falcons have now held six straight opponents under 300 total yards
• The Falcon defense forced 25 straight unsuccessful third downs over the last three games. The streak ended in the second quarter against Robert Morris: SDSU (0-10), Baylor (0-11) and Robert Morris (0-4).
• Air Force has now held eight straight opponents to 21 points or less. The Falcons have held 23 of the last 27 opponents under 21 points the last three seasons
Individual Notes
• Ten Falcons make their first career starts today: 62 James Tomasi, NG; 3 Jamari Bellamy, CB; 22 Jerome Gaillard, CB; 55 Kupono Blake, DT; 13 P.J. Ramsey, DE; TE James Bryant, TE; 9 Zac Larrier, QB; 26 Owen Burk, FB; 21 Cade Harris, WR; 13 Jared Roznos, WR.
• WR Cade Harris scored his first career rushing touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
• QB Zac Larrier rushed for new career highs with 99 yards and two touchdowns. His 26-yard touchdown run is his first since UNLV in 2021. Larrier had career highs in passing as well, with two completions and 95 yards. He threw his first touchdown pass, an 84-yard strike to Jared Roznos. The 84-yard touchdown ties as the fifth longest pass play in school history and the longest since Haaziq Daniels hit Brandon Lewis for a school-record 92-yard touchdown vs. CSU in 2021.
• Junior WR Jared Roznos had a career high two catches for 95 yards, including his first-career receptions which was an 84-yard TD.
• DE P.J. Ramsey had a career high 2.5 tackles for loss. His previous high was 1.0, three times. He also recorded his third career sack. Ramsey also had a career high five tackles vs. Robert Morris. His previous high was three vs. Nevada in 2022.
• DB Jerome Gaillard, Jr., had a career high five tackles vs. RMU
• NG James Tomasi recorded his first career sack vs. the Colonials
• FB Owen Burk scored his first career touchdown on a career-long run of 27 yards. His 37 rushing yards are also a career high.
• FB Dylan Carson rushed for a career high 50 yards
Players Mentioned
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