10/13/2026 3:00:00 PM | Football
Air Force football head coach Troy Calhoun, along with junior offensive lineman Jon Ashworth and sophomore safety Alexander Perez talked with the media Tuesday to discuss the UNLV game.
Air Force and UNLV lead the Mountain West with three-game winning streaks. The two are meeting for the 27th time overall and 26th as conference foes. Air Force leads the overall series, 18-8, and has an 18-7 mark in conference games. The Falcons are 9-3 at home and 9-5 at UNLV. UNLV has won two straight, following a streak of five straight by Air Force from 2014-22.
Air Force lost a shoot-out at UNLV, 51-48, last season. UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea scored on a 19-yard run with 36 seconds left to win it for the Rebels. Colandrea hit 20-32 passes for 361 yards and a score while rushing for 62 yards and two more touchdowns. He led an offense that scored on seven straight possessions and had 597 total yards. Daejon Reynolds had four catches for 139 yards and a score. Air Force recorded season highs with 603 total yards and 428 rushing yards. The Falcons added 175 passing yards, 32 first downs and held the ball for 36:51. Quarterback Liam Szarka scored on a nine-yard run with 1:13 left to put the Falcons in front 48-44. Following UNLV's score, the Falcons had a chance to force overtime but a 40-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Szarka finished with 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns and hit 10-17 passes for 175 yards and a score. Junior FB Owen Allen rushed for a career-high 192 yards on 17 carries, scoring a career-best two touchdowns. Blake Fletcher recorded 10 tackles to lead the Falcons.
UNLV defeated Air Force, 31-27, in 2023 in the last meeting at 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.
The Mountain West announced this season the launch of MW+, its new direct-to-consumer digital subscription platform, powered by leading streaming technology and services company, Kiswe. MW+ will offer an annual subscription for $79.99 and a monthly subscription for $10.99. To subscribe click here.
To purchase or renew Air Force football season tickets, please visit www.aftickets.com or call 719-472-1895.
For information on premium seating, including the East Club presented by L3Harris at the Kucera Legacy Center and the Blue & Silver Club, please click HERE or call the Falcon Athletic Fund at 719-333-4545 to purchase.
Air Force and UNLV lead the Mountain West with three-game winning streaks. The two are meeting for the 27th time overall and 26th as conference foes. Air Force leads the overall series, 18-8, and has an 18-7 mark in conference games. The Falcons are 9-3 at home and 9-5 at UNLV. UNLV has won two straight, following a streak of five straight by Air Force from 2014-22.
Air Force lost a shoot-out at UNLV, 51-48, last season. UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea scored on a 19-yard run with 36 seconds left to win it for the Rebels. Colandrea hit 20-32 passes for 361 yards and a score while rushing for 62 yards and two more touchdowns. He led an offense that scored on seven straight possessions and had 597 total yards. Daejon Reynolds had four catches for 139 yards and a score. Air Force recorded season highs with 603 total yards and 428 rushing yards. The Falcons added 175 passing yards, 32 first downs and held the ball for 36:51. Quarterback Liam Szarka scored on a nine-yard run with 1:13 left to put the Falcons in front 48-44. Following UNLV's score, the Falcons had a chance to force overtime but a 40-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Szarka finished with 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns and hit 10-17 passes for 175 yards and a score. Junior FB Owen Allen rushed for a career-high 192 yards on 17 carries, scoring a career-best two touchdowns. Blake Fletcher recorded 10 tackles to lead the Falcons.
UNLV defeated Air Force, 31-27, in 2023 in the last meeting at 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.
The Mountain West announced this season the launch of MW+, its new direct-to-consumer digital subscription platform, powered by leading streaming technology and services company, Kiswe. MW+ will offer an annual subscription for $79.99 and a monthly subscription for $10.99. To subscribe click here.
To purchase or renew Air Force football season tickets, please visit www.aftickets.com or call 719-472-1895.
For information on premium seating, including the East Club presented by L3Harris at the Kucera Legacy Center and the Blue & Silver Club, please click HERE or call the Falcon Athletic Fund at 719-333-4545 to purchase.
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