Game 12: Air Force (3-8, 2-5 MW) vs. Colorado State (2-9, 1-6 MW)

Game 12: Air Force (3-8, 2-5 MW) vs. Colorado State (2-9, 1-6 MW)
Friday, Nov. 28, 1 p.m. MT, Canvas Stadium (36,500), Fort Collins, CO (USAFA)

THE GAME
• Air Force is playing its only non-Saturday game of the season.
• Air Force and Colorado State compete each year for the Ram-Falcon Trophy. The 2025 season marks the 45th year of the trophy competition with Air Force holding a 28-17 lead.
• Air Force leads the overall series vs. Colorado State, 39-22-1, including a 28-16 mark in conference games. The Falcons are 22-12-1 at home and 17-10 at Colorado State.
• Air Force extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 96 with 110 yards vs. New Mexico. No other team in the country has a streak half as long.
• Air Force has held four of the last five opponents to 21 points or less. The Falcons held Wyoming to 21, Army 20, San Jose State 16 and New Mexico 20. The Falcons also did it in the season opener vs. Bucknell (13).

THE SERIES
• Air Force leads the overall series, 39-22-1, including a 28-16 mark in conference games.
• The Falcons are 22-12-1 at home and 17-10 at Colorado State.
• Air Force and Colorado State did not play in 2020 due to COVID, snapping a streak of 42 consecutive years of games dating back to 1978.
• Air Force defeated Colorado State, 30-13, in 2023 in the last game in Fort Collins.
• Air Force has won four straight in Fort Collins dating back to 2017.
• Colorado State defeated Air Force, 21-13, last season in Falcon Stadium to snap a seven-game losing streak in the series.
• The teams first played in 1957 in Colorado Springs, resulting in a 20-7 Colorado State win.

LAST MEETING IN FORT COLLINS
(Oct. 28, 2023) Air Force defeated Colorado State, 30-13, to record its seventh straight win in the series. Dane Kinamon and Zac Larrier connected on a nine-yard touchdown pass to give Air Force a 7-0 lead. The Rams answered with a Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to Justus Ross-Simmons 61-yard TD pass to tie the game at 7-7. Colorado State took the lead on a 40-yard field goal. Bo Richter then responded with the defensive play of the game, recording a strip sack and fumble recovery that set up a John Lee Eldridge III 10-yard scoring run to put the Falcons in front 13-10. CSU added another field goal to tie the game at halftime. Larrier added a touchdown run and Matthew Depore a field goal to put the Falcons up 23-13 at the end of the third quarter. Emmanuel Michel iced it for the Falcons with a five-yard touchdown run with 8:51 remaining. Air Force had 293 total yards, including 261 rushing. Michel led the way with 130 yards and a score on 20 carries. The defense was led by Jalen Mergerson, who had a career-high 13 tackles. Trey Taylor added 10. The Falcons held Colorado State scoreless in the second half and to 339 total yards, including 42 rushing.

LAST SEASON
(Oct. 19, 2024) Colorado State defeated Air Force, 21-13, in Falcon Stadium to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Falcons overall and a nine-game streak in Colorado Springs. Vince Brown II opened the scoring for the Rams, catching a 23-yard scoring strike from Kobe Johnson to give the Rams a 7-0 lead. Jalen Dupree added a one-yard run to make it 14-0 at the half. The Rams pushed the lead to 21-0 on a Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to Caleb Goodie 85-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. Air Force got on the board with a John Busha to Tylor Latham 33-yard touchdown pass. Busha added a one-yard run with 5:50 left to cut the lead to 21-13. Air Force forced a punt and took possession but a last-second pass from Busha was batted down in the end zone to end the game. Colorado State had 406 total yards, including 205 rushing and 201 passing. Fowler-Nicolosi hit 11-21 passes for 178 yards. Avery Morrow led the rushing attack with 132 yards on 20 carries. Dylan Carson led Air Force with 60 yards on 12 carries. Busha hit 10-25 passes for a career-high 175 yards. The Falcons finished with 348 total yards, including 173 rushing.

THE RAM-FALCON TROPHY
Air Force and Colorado State compete each year for the Ram-Falcon Trophy. The 2025 season marks the 45th year of the trophy competition with Air Force holding a 28-17 lead. The trophy's origin is tracked back to Shelly Godkin, a former ROTC commander at Colorado State. He watched the teams play in 1978 and sought to translate his impressions into a trophy symbolic of an annual game. The first Ram-Falcon trophy game was in 1980.

LAST WEEK
New Mexico defeated Air Force, 20-3, in Falcon Stadium. The Lobos snapped a 10-game losing streak at Falcon Stadium, winning for the first time since 2000. Jack Layne capped the opening drive of the game with a 12-yard touchdown run to put the Lobos in front, 7-0. Damon Bankston added a two-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Luke Drzewiecki kicked a 27-yard field goal to give New Mexico a 17-0 halftime lead. Air Force got on the board with a Regan Tubbs 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Drzewiecki added a 23-yard field goal in the final minutes to close the scoring. New Mexico had 277 total yards, including 172 rushing. The Lobos held Air Force to season lows of 161 total yards and 110 rushing yards.

LAST WEEK'S GAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Air Force extended the nation's longest active streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to 96 with 110 rushing yards vs. New Mexico. No other team in the country has a streak half as long.
• Air Force had three sacks on defense, its most since three sacks against Utah State.
• Air Force game captains were Cade Harris (WR), Coston Cooley (OC), Bruin Fleischmann (TE) and Payton Zdroik (DL).

Individual Notes
• Junior QB Kempher Hodges made the first start of his career. He gained 50 yards rushing on 20 carries. His 20 carries are a new career high, besting his 10 carries vs. UConn last week.
• Junior QB Josh Johnson led the Falcons in passing with 46 yards passing on 3-of-6 passing. Johnson also rushed for 13 yards.
• Junior LB Brody Bujnoch recorded a career-best 10 tackles. His previous high was four vs. Hawaii earlier this season. Bujnoch also had a career high 1.5 tackles for loss. His previous was 1.0 vs. Hawaii earlier this season.
• Junior LB Blake Fletcher recorded 11 tackles to lead the team for the seventh time this season, the most of any Falcon. His 11 tackles match is career high and gave him 103 for the season.
• Senior DB Levi Brown recorded a career-best seven tackles. His previous best was five earlier this season vs. Utah State.
• Sophomore WR Jonah Dawson led the Falcons with two catches for 28 yards. It was his third multiple reception game of the season.
• Senior WR Cade Harris had two catches for 23 yards. Harris also ran back a kickoff for 18 yards and rushed for 12 yards for a team-leading 53 all-purpose yards.
• Senior DL Peyton Zdroik had four tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss. He now has a TFL in six of last eight games.
• Senior PK Reagan Tubbs kicked a 27-yard field goal to improve to 7-of-9 on the season on field goal attempts.

Game 12: Air Force (3-8, 2-5 MW) vs. Colorado State (2-9, 1-6 MW)

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Players Mentioned

Levi Brown

Brody Bujnoch

John Busha

Dylan Carson

Jonah Dawson

John Lee Eldridge III

Bruin Fleischmann

Blake Fletcher

Cade Harris

Josh Johnson

Dane Kinamon

Zac Larrier

Tylor Latham

Jalen Mergerson

Emmanuel Michel

Bo Richter

Trey Taylor

Reagan Tubbs

Payton Zdroik

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