Game 1: Air Force vs. Duquesne

Game 1: Air Force vs. Duquesne
Saturday, Sept. 5, 11 a.m. MT, Falcon Stadium (Colorado Springs, CO)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Television/Stream: MW+
Josh Howe (play-by-play), Ryan Kaufman (analyst)
• Radio: KVOR AM 740, Colorado Springs; SIRIUS 267 (APP 976)
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)

FREEDOM 250 UNIFORM THIS WEEK
The helmet has the traditional AF in front in red, white and blue with 13 stars on the A symbolizing the 13 original free and independent states. The lightning bolt has 13 stars and is red, white and blue. The back has America in red, white and blue. The jersey features the official Department of War (DoW) Freedom 250 patch. The jersey sleeve and pant leg each have 13 stars, once again representing the 13 original independent states. The uniform is blue, with red and white accents symbolizing the colors of our nation. The back name plates feature the Academy's core values - integrity, service, and excellence.

THE SERIES
Air Force and Duquesne are playing for the first time.

AIR FORCE VS. FCS TEAMS
Air Force is 29-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision with all 29 meetings coming in Falcon Stadium. Head Coach Troy Calhoun is 19-0, including a 49-13 win over Bucknell to open the 2025 season.

LOOKING AT DUQUESNE
Duquesne finished 7-5 overall last season and placed second in the Northeast Conference (NEC) with a 5-2 mark. The Dukes are coached by Jerry Schmitt, who is in his 22nd season. He is 135-91 at the school and 163-112 overall in his 27th season as a head coach.
Duquesne led the conference in scoring offense (28.3), rushing offense (188.4), rushing defense (133.5), passing efficiency (138.70) and time of possession (32:30) last season. The team was in the top three in 10 other categores (see page 9). Ness Davis returns at running back after leading the team last season with 927 yards and two touchdowns on 144 carries. He averaged 6.4 yard per carry. He ranked second in the conference and 35th nationally in the FCS last season in rushing. Defensive back Dallas Harper is the top returning tackler, recording 36 total tackles in 2025.

• Duquesne has had three straight winning seasons, averaging 7.3 wins per season.
• The Dukes were 8-3 in 2024, including a 5-1 mark in conference play.
• Duquesne has played football since 1891, with an overall record of 467-339-19 in 97 season.
• They have played at the FCS level since 1993 with a record of 224-120-0 in 32 previous seasons.
• The Dukes have won six NEC titles, the last coming in 2023. They have made the FCS playoffs three times, the last coming in 2023.

SEASON OPENERS
• Air Force is 49-19-2 in season openers, including a 43-8 mark at home. The Falcons have won 19 straight and 20 of the last 22 with the only losses coming at No. 11 Tennessee in 2006 and vs. No. 13 California in 2004.
• Air Force has won 20 of the last 21 season openers at home.
• Air Force has a 19-game winning streak in season openers which is the third-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only Ohio State (25) and Alabama (24).

AN AIR FORCE WIN WOULD.....
• Air Force would improve 30-0 all-time vs. teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.
• Air Force would improve to 50-19-2 all time in season openers, including a 44-8 mark at home.
• Air Force would win its 20th straight and 21st of the last 23 season openers.
• Air Force would improve the nation's third-longest home opener win streak to 20, trailing only Ohio State (25) and Alabama (24).
• Air Force would improve to 82-32 all-time in Falcon Stadium under Head Coach Troy Calhoun.
• Air Force improve to 56-34 all-time vs. non-conference opponents under Head Coach Troy Calhoun, including a 35-6 mark at home.

AIR FORCE AT HOME UNDER TROY CALHOUN
• Air Force is 81-32 in Falcon Stadium under head coach Troy Calhoun.
• Air Force had a school-record 15-game winning streak from 2014 to Oct. 22, 2016.
• The Falcons have finished undefeated at home six times overall in school history, four coming under Calhoun.

Year       Rec.       Notes
2025      2-4         Just the second losing season in the last 19 years
2024      3-3         17th time in 18 seasons at .500 or better
2023      4-1         Air Force was 10-2 in 2022-23
2022      6-1         Matched program record for wins with six, fifth time with six under Calhoun
2021      4-2         Air Force .500 or better for 14th time under Calhoun
2020      2-1         Loss came to No. 25 Boise State
2019      6-0         Sixth undefeated season in program history, fourth under Calhoun
2018      4-2         Air Force posts four or more wins for ninth time in 12 seasons
2017      3-3         20 wins over four years is best four-year run in school history
2016      5-1         Air Force went 17-1 in home games from 2014-16
2015      6-0         Fifth 6-0 mark in AF history, third under Calhoun
2014      6-0         Fourth 6-0 mark in AF history, second under Calhoun
2013      2-5         First losing record in Calhoun era
2012      5-1         Second-best mark in school history
2011      4-3         Air Force goes 14-5 from 2009-11
2010      5-1         Combined with 2009, 10 wins in two seasons is third-best in AF history
2009      5-1         Second-best mark in school history
2008      3-3         Two losses at the hands of nationally ranked teams
2007      6-0         Just the third undefeated home record in school history
Total      81-32

AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
• Air Force was 1-3 last season vs. non-conference foes.
• The Falcons are 16-8 over the last five seasons vs. non-conferences foes.
• Air Force is 55-34 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 34-6 at home, 11-21 on the road and 10-7 in neutral site games.
• Air Force had a nine-game winning streak that stretched over three seasons from 2021-23.

LAST SEASON'S OPENER
Air Force opened the 2025 season with a 49-13 win over Bucknell in Falcon Stadium. The Falcons jumped to a 28-7 halftime lead behind a pair of touchdown passes from Josh Johnson and rushing touchdowns by Cade Harris and Dylan Carson. The second half opened with Korey Johnson returning a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown and another Harris touchdown run to make it 42-7. Following a field goal from Bucknell, there was a delay due to lightening. Following the delay, the Falcons scored on a 17-play, 75-yard drive that took 14:25 and was capped by a one-yard run by Maguire Martin. Bucknell added a field goal to make up the final margin. Air Force finished with 426 total yards, including 267 rushing and 159 passing. Johnson hit 4-7 passes for 112 yards and two scores. Harris led the Falcons in rushing with 66 yards and two scores and in receiving with three catches for 83 yards and a score. The defense held Bucknell to 266 total yards. Blake Fletcher had a team-high 11 tackles. Isaac Hubert added two sacks.

FALCONS SECOND IN MW; 37TH NATIONALLY IN RETURNING PRODUCTION
Air Force ranks second in the Mountain West and 37th nationally in overall returning production entering the 2026 season, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly. The Falcons have 59 percent of their production returning, trailing only New Mexico (63 percent) in the conference. Connelly's formula for offense is 39.6 percent of returning offensive line snaps, 35 percent of returning receivers, 22.3 percent of returning quarterbacks and 3.1 percent of returning running backs. Defensively, it's 65.9 percent of returning snaps, 19.2 percent of returning tackles and 14.9 percent of returning TFL.

2026 SCHEDULE NOTES
• Air Force will be playing three opponents for the first time, including Duquesne, North Dakota State and NIU.
• The Falcons have a 174-113-4 overall record vs. 2026 opponents. The team holds the series lead against every opponent except UConn (0-1).
• Following a bye in week three, the Falcons will play 10 straight games to close the season.

NEW LOOK MOUNTAIN WEST
The Mountain West has nine football members, including Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois (NIU), San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming. North Dakota State and NIU join for football only while UTEP joins as a full member in all sports.

TRANSFER PORTAL SUCCESS
Air Force and Texas Tech are the only two schools nationally to not lose anyone that played in a game last year to the transfer portal. Arizona and defending national champion Indiana lost one each. New Mexico (4) and Hawaii (5) were next best in the Mountain West.

CALHOUN CELEBRATES 20 YEARS
Make it back-to-back decades for head coach Troy Calhoun leading the Falcons, as he enters his 20th year. His 20-year tenure ties as the second longest in program history. Ben Martin led the program for 20 years from 1958-77. Fisher DeBerry has the longest tenure, leading the program for 23 years from 1984-2006 before Calhoun took over. Air Force has had just six coaches as an intercollegiate program since 1956. Calhoun is the second-longest tenured coach in FBS football, trailing only Kirt Ferentz of Iowa, who enters his 28th season in 2026.

ONLY IOWA HAS LONGER STREAK
Air Force has had just two head coaches the last 43 years, as Troy Calhoun enters his 20th season leading the program in 2026. He replaced the legendary Fisher DeBerry, who led the program for 23 years from 1984 to 2006.
Iowa is the only other program in the nation with just two coaches during that span. The Hawkeyes have had just two head coaches in the last 48 years. Hayden Fry led the program for 20 years from 1979 to 1998 before current head coach Kirk Ferentz took over in 1999 and enters his 28th season in 2026.

THE DIESEL STORY
• The Air Force offensive line is nicknamed the Diesel. The background dates to 2018 when center Christopher Mitchell happened to be walking through the locker room and bumped into tight end Lesley Dalger, who referred to Mitchell as a diesel. The lineman took it and ran with it. The group developed a motto of "It starts with us" meaning that if the offensive line doesn't have a solid game it will be difficult to win. The group takes that mentality to practice every day. They have a blue-collar, bring-your-lunch-pail-to-work mentality. The linemen have hats with a diesel pump and a drop of fuel on the front. Legend has it that they found the hats at a truck stop. The mother of a former Falcon, Wolfgang Rehbock, helped secure 20-25 hats to get it started. Offensive linemen have to earn the hat, but they also give them out to other position players that they feel take on their mentality. There is an official ceremony when a player earns the hat, which is voted on by seniors on the offensive line. The ceremony is shrouded in secrecy, as the members do not discuss it.

Air Force Diesel Results
Year       Stats      MW       NCAA
2018      283.5     1st          5th
2019      298.5     1st          2nd
2020      305.7*   1st          1st
2021      327.7*   1st          1st
2022      326.7*   1st          1st
2023      281.5     1st          2nd
2024      224.0     4th         10th
2025      261.4     1st          3rd
* - Only team in the nation with 300-plus

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dylan Carson

Blake Fletcher

Cade Harris

Isaac Hubert

Josh Johnson

Korey Johnson

Maguire Martin

Footer