Saturday, October 11
Las Vegas, NV
1:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
UNLV
Game 6: Air Force (1-4, 0-3 MW) vs. UNLV (5-0, 1-0 MW)
10/7/2025 4:48:00 PM | Football
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1:30 a.m. MT, Allegiant Stadium (61,500), Las Vegas, NV
Air Force (1-4, 0-3 MW) vs. UNLV (5-0, 1-0 MW)
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1:30 a.m. MT, Allegiant Stadium (61,500), Las Vegas, NV
FALCONS
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Website: GoAirForceFalcons.com
Conference: Mountain West
REBELS
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Website: UNLVRebels.com
Conference: Mountain West
THE SERIES
• Air Force and UNLV meet for the 26th time overall and 25th as conference foes.
• Air Force leads the overall series, 18-7, and has an 18-6 mark in conference games.
• The Falcons are 9-3 at home and 9-4 at UNLV.
• UNLV defeated Air Force, 31-27, in 2023 in Falcon Stadium in the last meeting to snap a five-game losing streak in the series.
• Air Force defeated UNLV, 42-7, in 2022 in the last meeting in Las Vegas.
• The teams first played in 1981 in Las Vegas. UNLV won the game, 24-21.
LAST MEETING
(Nov. 18, 2023) UNLV defeated Air Force, 31-27, in Falcon Stadium. The Rebels scored on their opening drive with a Jayden Maiava to Ricky White 78-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead. Air Force recovered from a slow start offensively and tied the score with a 55-yard touchdown run by John Lee Eldridge III. Jensen Jones, making his first career start at quarterback, scored on a one-yard run to make it 14-7 early in the second quarter. Matthew Dapore added a 27-yard field goal and Jones added a second one-yard scoring run to push the lead to 24-7. UNLV added a TD run from Vincent Davis and Dapore closed the half with a 42-yard field goal to make it 27-14 Air Force at the half. UNLV cut the lead to 27-21 with a Donavyn Lester touchdown run. The Rebels took the lead for good, 28-27, on a Maiava to Kaleo Ballungay touchdown pass. Jose Pizano added a 39-yard field goal to make up the final margin. Air Force's last chance ended with a turnover on downs after a first-and-goal at the UNLV 10. UNLV had 465 total yards, including 351 passing. Maiava hit 15-29 passes for 339 yards and two scores. Air Force finished with 404 total yards, including 344 rushing. Dylan Carson led the way for Air Force with 104 yards. Jones finished with 88 yards rushing and two scores.
LAST TIME AT UNLV
(Oct. 15, 2022) Air Force defeated UNLV, 42-7, in Las Vegas to win its fifth straight in the series. The Falcons started quickly, opening the scoring on a 60-yard touchdown run by John Lee Eldridge III following a UNLV fumble. The Rebels fumbled again, and Brad Roberts cashed it in with the first of his four touchdowns to push the Falcons to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Falcons stretched it out to 28-7 at halftime. Roberts scored his fourth touchdown of the game on the opening drive of the third quarter after carrying 11 straight times for 75 yards on the drive. He accounted for every play on the scoring drive. Emmanuel Michel added a touchdown later in the quarter to make up the final margin. Air Force finished with 420 total yards, including 406 rushing, and held the ball for 43:10. Roberts led the way with 144 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 29 carries. Eldridge III added 116 yards and a score. The defense was dominant, holding UNLV to just 179 total yards and forcing four turnovers. Johnathan Youngblood led the way with six tackles. TD Blackmon added three tackles, a sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery (on the same play) and a pass breakup.
LOOKING AT UNLV
• UNLV is 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Mountain West. The Rebels opened conference play with a 31-17 win at Wyoming last week.
• UNLV is 5-0 for the first time in 51 years.
• UNLV leads the Mountain West in third down defense (.224), fourth downs (.833) blocked punts (2), defensive touchdowns (2), fumbles recovered (4), interceptions (9) and turnover margin (1.60).
• UNLV's Aamaris Brown leads the NCAA in interceptions with a 1.0 per game. He leads the MW and is second nationally in passes defended with 1.75 per game.
• UNLV's Jai'Den Thomas leads the conference in rushing yards with 489 and rushing average with 97.8 per game. He is fourth in the MW in scoring with a 7.2 norm.
• UNLV is averaging 411.4 yards per game. They average 195.6 rushing and 215.8 passing. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has hit 89-128 passes for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns. He is second on the team in rushing with 261 yards and a TD on 57 carries. Marsel McDuffie leads the team in tackles with 33. He also has two INTs and three pass breakups. Jaheem Joseph has 4.5 tackles for loss for 12 yards.
AN AIR FORCE WIN WOULD...
• Air Force would improved to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain West.
• Air Force would snap a four-game losing streak and pick up its first road win of the year.
• Air Force would improve to 19-7 overall and 19-6 in conference games vs. UNLV. The Falcons would improve to 10-4 at UNLV, including a 2-0 mark at Allegiant Stadium.
LAST WEEK
Navy defeated Air Force, 34-31, to win the first game of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series. The Midshipmen had 517 total yards, including 339 passing. The game featured 977 total yards, as the Falcons managed 460 total yards, including 249 passing and 211 rushing.
Navy was led by Blake Horvath, who posted 130 yards rushing and a touchdown while hitting 20-26 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Heidenreich had eight catches for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Air Force was led by Liam Szarka, who hit 11-19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a career-best 152 yards and two touchdowns. He is the first player in program history to have three straight games of 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing. Tight end Bruin Fleischmann added six catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, all career highs. His 166 yards are the 11th most in program history and most-ever by a tight end.
LAST WEEK'S POST-GAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Air Force extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 90 with 211 yards on the ground.
• Air Force had 460 total yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play. The Falcons have been over 400 yards in every game this season and the 7.1 yards per play is tied for second-most this season.
• Air Force had more passing yards than rushing yards for the third straight game, passing for 249 yards and rushing for 211.
• Game captains for Air Force were Costen Cooley, Cade Harris, Daniel Grobe and Payton Zdroik.
Individual Notes
• Sophomore QB Liam Szarka became the first player in Mountain West history to post three straight games with 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game. He rushed for a career-best 152 yards and two touchdowns and hit 11-19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded his third-straight 100-yard rushing performance, the first by an Air Force quarterback since Beau Morgan in 1996. His 364 total yards marks his third performance in the top 10 in program history, with this total ranking eighth.
• Senior TE Bruin Fleischmann recorded career highs of six catches for 166 yards and matched his career best with a touchdown reception. His 166 yards receiving are the 12th most in program history and most-ever by a tight end. He has a catch in all five games this season and a TD reception in three straight games.
• Sophomore DB Roger Jones, Jr., recorded a career-best 13 tackles, matching the most by a Falcon this season.
• Junior ILB Blake Fletcher recorded his fourth game this season with 11 tackles, matching his career high.
• Sophomore DB Mikhail Seiken recorded a career-best nine tackles. He also had a fumble recovery, his second turnover this season (FF).
Senior DL Payton Zdroik recorded three tackles, a TFL and forced fumble. He has had a TFL in consecutive games.
• Junior OLB Isaac Hubert recorded a TFL, marking his fourth game this season with at least one.
STREAKS
• Air Force extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 90 with 211 yards vs. Navy. Boise State is second with a 43-game run.
• Air Force has had more passing yards than rushing yards in three straight games. The streak follows: Boise State (269 passing, 242 rushing), Hawaii (278 passing, 216 rushing) and Navy (249 passing, 211 rushing).
• Air Force has had 400-plus yards of total offense in each game this season and five straight overall dating back to last season.
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1:30 a.m. MT, Allegiant Stadium (61,500), Las Vegas, NV
FALCONS
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Website: GoAirForceFalcons.com
Conference: Mountain West
REBELS
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Website: UNLVRebels.com
Conference: Mountain West
THE SERIES
• Air Force and UNLV meet for the 26th time overall and 25th as conference foes.
• Air Force leads the overall series, 18-7, and has an 18-6 mark in conference games.
• The Falcons are 9-3 at home and 9-4 at UNLV.
• UNLV defeated Air Force, 31-27, in 2023 in Falcon Stadium in the last meeting to snap a five-game losing streak in the series.
• Air Force defeated UNLV, 42-7, in 2022 in the last meeting in Las Vegas.
• The teams first played in 1981 in Las Vegas. UNLV won the game, 24-21.
LAST MEETING
(Nov. 18, 2023) UNLV defeated Air Force, 31-27, in Falcon Stadium. The Rebels scored on their opening drive with a Jayden Maiava to Ricky White 78-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead. Air Force recovered from a slow start offensively and tied the score with a 55-yard touchdown run by John Lee Eldridge III. Jensen Jones, making his first career start at quarterback, scored on a one-yard run to make it 14-7 early in the second quarter. Matthew Dapore added a 27-yard field goal and Jones added a second one-yard scoring run to push the lead to 24-7. UNLV added a TD run from Vincent Davis and Dapore closed the half with a 42-yard field goal to make it 27-14 Air Force at the half. UNLV cut the lead to 27-21 with a Donavyn Lester touchdown run. The Rebels took the lead for good, 28-27, on a Maiava to Kaleo Ballungay touchdown pass. Jose Pizano added a 39-yard field goal to make up the final margin. Air Force's last chance ended with a turnover on downs after a first-and-goal at the UNLV 10. UNLV had 465 total yards, including 351 passing. Maiava hit 15-29 passes for 339 yards and two scores. Air Force finished with 404 total yards, including 344 rushing. Dylan Carson led the way for Air Force with 104 yards. Jones finished with 88 yards rushing and two scores.
LAST TIME AT UNLV
(Oct. 15, 2022) Air Force defeated UNLV, 42-7, in Las Vegas to win its fifth straight in the series. The Falcons started quickly, opening the scoring on a 60-yard touchdown run by John Lee Eldridge III following a UNLV fumble. The Rebels fumbled again, and Brad Roberts cashed it in with the first of his four touchdowns to push the Falcons to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Falcons stretched it out to 28-7 at halftime. Roberts scored his fourth touchdown of the game on the opening drive of the third quarter after carrying 11 straight times for 75 yards on the drive. He accounted for every play on the scoring drive. Emmanuel Michel added a touchdown later in the quarter to make up the final margin. Air Force finished with 420 total yards, including 406 rushing, and held the ball for 43:10. Roberts led the way with 144 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 29 carries. Eldridge III added 116 yards and a score. The defense was dominant, holding UNLV to just 179 total yards and forcing four turnovers. Johnathan Youngblood led the way with six tackles. TD Blackmon added three tackles, a sack, 2.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery (on the same play) and a pass breakup.
LOOKING AT UNLV
• UNLV is 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Mountain West. The Rebels opened conference play with a 31-17 win at Wyoming last week.
• UNLV is 5-0 for the first time in 51 years.
• UNLV leads the Mountain West in third down defense (.224), fourth downs (.833) blocked punts (2), defensive touchdowns (2), fumbles recovered (4), interceptions (9) and turnover margin (1.60).
• UNLV's Aamaris Brown leads the NCAA in interceptions with a 1.0 per game. He leads the MW and is second nationally in passes defended with 1.75 per game.
• UNLV's Jai'Den Thomas leads the conference in rushing yards with 489 and rushing average with 97.8 per game. He is fourth in the MW in scoring with a 7.2 norm.
• UNLV is averaging 411.4 yards per game. They average 195.6 rushing and 215.8 passing. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has hit 89-128 passes for 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns. He is second on the team in rushing with 261 yards and a TD on 57 carries. Marsel McDuffie leads the team in tackles with 33. He also has two INTs and three pass breakups. Jaheem Joseph has 4.5 tackles for loss for 12 yards.
AN AIR FORCE WIN WOULD...
• Air Force would improved to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain West.
• Air Force would snap a four-game losing streak and pick up its first road win of the year.
• Air Force would improve to 19-7 overall and 19-6 in conference games vs. UNLV. The Falcons would improve to 10-4 at UNLV, including a 2-0 mark at Allegiant Stadium.
LAST WEEK
Navy defeated Air Force, 34-31, to win the first game of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series. The Midshipmen had 517 total yards, including 339 passing. The game featured 977 total yards, as the Falcons managed 460 total yards, including 249 passing and 211 rushing.
Navy was led by Blake Horvath, who posted 130 yards rushing and a touchdown while hitting 20-26 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Heidenreich had eight catches for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Air Force was led by Liam Szarka, who hit 11-19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a career-best 152 yards and two touchdowns. He is the first player in program history to have three straight games of 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing. Tight end Bruin Fleischmann added six catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, all career highs. His 166 yards are the 11th most in program history and most-ever by a tight end.
LAST WEEK'S POST-GAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Air Force extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 90 with 211 yards on the ground.
• Air Force had 460 total yards and averaged 7.1 yards per play. The Falcons have been over 400 yards in every game this season and the 7.1 yards per play is tied for second-most this season.
• Air Force had more passing yards than rushing yards for the third straight game, passing for 249 yards and rushing for 211.
• Game captains for Air Force were Costen Cooley, Cade Harris, Daniel Grobe and Payton Zdroik.
Individual Notes
• Sophomore QB Liam Szarka became the first player in Mountain West history to post three straight games with 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game. He rushed for a career-best 152 yards and two touchdowns and hit 11-19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded his third-straight 100-yard rushing performance, the first by an Air Force quarterback since Beau Morgan in 1996. His 364 total yards marks his third performance in the top 10 in program history, with this total ranking eighth.
• Senior TE Bruin Fleischmann recorded career highs of six catches for 166 yards and matched his career best with a touchdown reception. His 166 yards receiving are the 12th most in program history and most-ever by a tight end. He has a catch in all five games this season and a TD reception in three straight games.
• Sophomore DB Roger Jones, Jr., recorded a career-best 13 tackles, matching the most by a Falcon this season.
• Junior ILB Blake Fletcher recorded his fourth game this season with 11 tackles, matching his career high.
• Sophomore DB Mikhail Seiken recorded a career-best nine tackles. He also had a fumble recovery, his second turnover this season (FF).
Senior DL Payton Zdroik recorded three tackles, a TFL and forced fumble. He has had a TFL in consecutive games.
• Junior OLB Isaac Hubert recorded a TFL, marking his fourth game this season with at least one.
STREAKS
• Air Force extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 90 with 211 yards vs. Navy. Boise State is second with a 43-game run.
• Air Force has had more passing yards than rushing yards in three straight games. The streak follows: Boise State (269 passing, 242 rushing), Hawaii (278 passing, 216 rushing) and Navy (249 passing, 211 rushing).
• Air Force has had 400-plus yards of total offense in each game this season and five straight overall dating back to last season.
Players Mentioned
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DE
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DL
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