B-Dawg's Air Force Falcons: Flying high A.F.

[BDawg35]

Re: B-Dawg's Air Force Falcons: Flying high A.F.

Notre Dame beats Gators to win natty

It didn't look good for Notre Dame when Florida jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first 5 minutes, 48 seconds of the national championship game on Jan. 2, 2026.

But the Fighting Irish were loving life a lot more after scoring the next 31 points in a 36-21 victory over the Gators.

A 73-yard punt return for a touchdown by 97 OVR senior Matt Ward tied the game, 14-14, with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

After Florida cut a 31-14 deficit to 31-21 after three quarters, Notre Dame got a field goal and safety in the fourth.

David Morton, an 83 OVR sophomore middle linebacker, had six tackles for losses for Notre Dame to double his total for the season. James White was 13-for-18 for 207 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. Ward ran 14 times for 99 yards and caught three passes for 43 yards.

Florida's hopes were hindered by an injury to Heisman runner-up Adam Marshall, who started the game 6-for-9 for 81 yards and a touchdown. Backup Alex Mosley, who is 96 OVR, was 6-for-17 for 97 yards and two picks.

2025 BOWL RESULTS
New Mexico Bowl: Hawaii 31, Colorado 0
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: San Jose State 49, Ball State 3
Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego State 41, Cincinnati 22
Beef O’Brady’s Bowl: Memphis 42, North Texas 21
New Orleans Bowl: Florida Atlantic 31, Louisiana-Monroe 21
Las Vegas Bowl: Stanford 33, Nevada 28
Hawaii Bowl: Middle Tennessee State 27, UNLV 21
Little Caesars Bowl: Ohio State 24, Northern Illinois 17 (OT)
Military Bowl: Army 24, Central Michigan 13
Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma 38, Arizona State 28
Belk Bowl: Texas-San Antonio 38, Wake Forest 12
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: Toledo 28, Tennessee 21
Russell Athletic Bowl: South Florida 37, Syracuse 34 (OT)
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Nebraska 30, Central Florida 7
Armed Forces Bowl: Colorado State 27, Old Dominion 24
Fight Hunger Bowl: Northwestern 24, California 10
Alamo Bowl: Washington 25, Oklahoma State 21
B-Dubz Bowl: Baylor 56, Minnesota 21
Music City Bowl: Alabama 26, Virginia 24
Sun Bowl: Florida State 27, Arizona 21
Liberty Bowl: Southern Miss 45, Vanderbilt 21
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Auburn 42, Clemson 35
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Iowa 38, Eastern Michigan 0
Gator Bowl: Penn State 52, Mississippi 20
Capital One Bowl: South Carolina 30, Maryland 14
Outback Bowl: Texas A&M 41, Michigan State 30
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin 28, Oregon 24
Fiesta Bowl: Georgia 42, Kansas 13
Sugar Bowl: AIR FORCE 27, Virginia Tech 7
Orange Bowl: The U 38, Navy 17
Cotton Bowl: Texas 38, Kentucky 28
BBVA Compass Bowl: East Carolina 34, Michigan 14
Go Daddy Bowl: Bowling Green 35, Troy 9
BCS Championship: Notre Dame 36, Florida 21


Final 2025 coaches' poll

1. Notre Dame (61), 13-0
2. AIR FORCE, 13-1
3. Wisconsin, 13-1
4. Florida, 13-1
5. The U, 11-3
6. Georgia, 10-3
7. Texas A&M, 9-4
8. Nebraska, 10-3
9. Virginia Tech, 11-2
10. Clemson, 12-2
11. San Diego State, 12-2
12. Iowa, 10-3
13. Texas, 10-3
14. Southern Miss, 13-1
15. South Carolina, 9-4
16. Kansas, 10-3
17. Northwestern, 9-4
18. Michigan State, 9-4
19. Oklahoma, 9-4
20. Auburn, 10-4
21. Washington, 9-4
22. Alabama, 8-5
23. Bowling Green, 12-2
24. Ohio State, 9-4
25. Nevada, 9-4


Final 2025 Associated Press rankings

1. Notre Dame (65), 13-0
2. AIR FORCE, 13-1
3. Wisconsin, 13-1
4. The U, 11-3
5. Florida, 13-1
6. Nebraska, 10-3
7. Texas A&M, 9-4
8. Georgia, 10-3
9. Virginia Tech, 11-2
10. San Diego State, 12-2
11. Clemson, 12-2
12. Iowa, 10-3
13. Texas, 10-3
14. Southern Miss, 13-1
15. Northwestern, 9-4
16. South Carolina, 9-4
17. Auburn, 10-4
18. Kansas, 10-3
19. Oklahoma, 9-4
20. Michigan State, 9-4
21. Washington, 9-4
22. Bowling Green, 12-2
23. Alabama, 8-5
24. Ohio State, 9-4
25. South Florida, 9-4

[BDawg35]

FINAL 2025 AIR FORCE STATS

2025 AIR FORCE RESULTS
Results	High passing	High rushing	High receiving
8/30: Eastern Michigan (W 55-27)	368, Rice	148, Mann	173, White
9/6: Texas (L 34-31)	284, Rice	97, Mann	166, White
9/22: Fresno State (W 42-14)	150, Rice	106, Mann	59, White
10/4: Navy (W 34-0)	282, Rice	101, Mann	170, White
10/11: New Mexico (W 45-3)	304, Rice	73, Mann	207, White
10/18: Utah State (W 41-20)	355, Rice	175, Mann	110, White
10/25: Boy-Z State (W 42-28)	367, Rice	79, Mann	154, White/119, Sampson
11/1: Army (W 42-21)	257, Rice	120, Mann	112, White
11/8: San Jose State (W 49-47)	242, Rice	186, Mann	147, White
11/15: Colorado State (W 56-31)	282, Rice	132, Rice/101, Mann	83, White
11/22: Wyoming (W 38-33)	196, Moyer	176, Mann	209, White
11/29: Hawaii (W 38-19)	255, Rice	180, Mann	150, White
12/13: San Diego State (W 40-30)	257, Rice	204, Mann	101, White
1/1: Virginia Tech (W 27-7)	351, Rice	39, Mann	194, White

[BDawg35]

DEARLY DEPARTED FOLLOWING 2025



JARED MANN, HB, 96 OVR
Career stats: 704 carries, 3,769 yards, 54 TD; 93 catches, 685 yards, 1 TD

RYAN SAMPSON, WR, 93 OVR
Career stats: 132 catches, 1,897 yards, 10 TD

KEVIN MOYER, QB, 90 OVR
Career stats: 19-for-32, 275 yards, 2 TD, 0 int.; 7 carries, minus-2 yards, 0 TD

JASON PRATT, DE, 89 OVR
Career stats: 91 tackles, 46 TFL, 24.5 sacks, 2 FF

JOSH WATSON, OT, 87 OVR
Career stats: 30 pancakes, 20 sacks

MICHAEL FREEMAN, HB, 85 OVR
Career stats: 42 carries, 130 yards, 3 TD; 5 catches, 36 yards, 0 TD

DANIEL ANDREWS, OLB, 84 OVR
Career stats: 160 tackles, 36 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 interception, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD

PHIL RIGGS, CB, 84 OVR
Career stats: 91 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 20 deflections, 1 FF, 1 FR

PAUL KENNEY, DT, 82 OVR
Career stats: 35 tackles, 20 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 FF

JASON McGILL, MLB, 81 OVR
Career stats: 59 tackles, 19 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 deflection

MARK FINE, OG, 81 OVR
Career stats: 10 pancakes, 5 sacks

CLARENCE JOHNSON, DE, 80 OVR
Career stats: 19 tackles, 12 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 FR

ALEX HEMPHILL, DE, 80 OVR
Career stats: 4 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks

BRENT AVERY, MLB, 79 OVR
Career stats: 28 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 deflection, 1 FF, 1 FR

MATT PAYNE, OLB, 78 OVR
Career stats: 42 tackles, 16 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 deflection

AUSTIN PARKS, OG, 76 OVR
Career stats: 13 pancakes, 1 sack

MATT HUMPHREY, FS, 76 OVR
Career stats: 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 interception

JASON PRINCE, MLB, 72 OVR
Career stats: No stats

NATE ALLEN, TE, 63 OVR
Career stats: 4 catches, 41 yards, 1 TD; 37 pancakes, 0 sacks

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2026 RECRUITING



Nation's No. 2 recruit picks Air Force

Air Force has landed its first top-10 recruit in five-star athlete Terrence Sharpe of Swanton, Vt.

Sharpe might not be considered five stars after he lost three points from his original 80 OVR rating following scouting. Still, he projects into a promising quarterback of the future.

Sharpe could have made a nice possession receiver with 81 SPD and 82 CTH ratings, but you don't recruit the No. 2 player in the country to become a possession receiver. With 84 THP and 83 THA, he will be a quarterback for the Falcons.

"We have a strong group of quarterbacks currently on the roster, so Terrence will redshirt next year and get a chance to compete for the job in 2028," Air Force coach B-Dawg said. "With Brandon Blount a lock to be 99 OVR as a fifth-year senior in 2027, Terrence may get some time as a receiver before moving full-time into quarterback. It will help him learn about the passing game from the other end."

Sharpe headlines an Air Force recruiting class that is ranked 21st in the country. The Falcons also landed four four-star recruits.


IN-SEASON COMMITS

TRAVIS KENDRICK, OT-4, 6-3, 336, Freeport, Ill., 3 stars
GEORGE WALKER, ATH-83, 6-4, 242, Hilliard, Ohio, 3 stars
DUSTIN HICKS, MLB-55, 5-11, 244, Fort Meade, Fla., 3 stars
JOE CLEMONS, OG-57, 6-4, 307, Evans, Ga., 3 stars
PAT MILLER, C-6, 6-5, 298, Theodore, Ala., 4 stars
DREW MYRICK, FB-5, 6-1, 235, Bayonet Point, Fla., 3 stars
BEN HARRIS, OLB-37, 6-4, 226, Prichard, Ala., 3 stars
ERIK CARTER, DT-6, 6-5, 260, Fullerton, Calif., 4 stars
MIKE TAYLOR, DT-17, 6-2, 286, Fullerton, Pa., 4 stars
ANTHONY LOGAN, FS-7, 6-2, 208, Scottsdale, Ariz., 4 stars
Needs going into offseason: 2 MLB, 1 OLB


OFFSEASON COMMITS

TERRENCE SHARPE, ATH-2, 6-4, 204, Swanton, Vt., 5 stars
BRYAN MACKLIN, OLB-48, 6-2, 213, Highland, Utah, 3 stars
JUSTIN BROWN, HB-94, 6-1, 198, Esperance, Wash., 3 stars
PHIL VAN, OLB-121, 6-4, 228, Rupert, Idaho, 3 stars
RIAN CALDWELL, ATH-77, 6-0, 173, Bartlesville, Okla., 3 stars


THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY

Travis Goins, QB-1, 80 OVR, Texas Christian
Alex Jackson, MLB-19, 73 OVR, Utah State
Sean Jones, WR-57, 70 OVR, Georgia
Brandon King, WR-20, 70 OVR, Oregon State
Jonathan Jones, OLB-58, 68 OVR, Georgia
Tony Rosario, MLB-27, 65 OVR, Wyoming
Calvin Berry, OLB-120, 64 OVR, Tennessee


TOP 2026 RECRUITING CLASSES

1. Notre Dame
2. Penn State
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Florida State
6. Michigan
7. Nebraska
8. Lousiana State
9. Wisconsin
10. Texas A&M
11. South Carolina
12. Georgia
13. Florida
14. Ohio State
15. Auburn
16. Michigan State
17. Washington
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas
20. Clemson
21. AIR FORCE
22. Pittsburgh
23. Minnesota
24. Texas Christian
25. Kentucky
35. Army
37. San Diego State
42. Navy
45. San Jose State
57. Colorado State
61. Hawaii
68. Nevada
71. Boy-Z State
72. Utah State
108. Wyoming
111. UNLV
117. New Mexico
126. Fresno State


TOP 10 RECRUITS

1. MARCUS GIVENS, ATH-1, 6-5, 203, Hamilton, Ontario – OHIO STATE
2. TERRENCE SHARPE, ATH-2, 6-4, 204, Swanton, Vt. – AIR FORCE
3. WILLIE WILLIAMS, WR-1, 6-2, 184, Amite City, La. – TEXAS A&M
4. RYAN WILSON, ATH-3, 5-11, 201, Rio Grande City, Texas – Utah State
5. JAMES MURRAY, ATH-4, 5-11, 219, Franklin, Ind. – NOTRE DAME
6. CHAD BELL, ATH-5, 6-4, 294, Ossining, N.Y. – MICHIGAN
7. STEPHEN SMITH, ATH-6, 6-1, 230, Lynbrook, N.Y. – WISCONSIN
8. DAVID CUNNINGHAM, ATH-7, 6-0, 225, Safety Harbor, Fla. – FLORIDA STATE
9. NICK HARRIS, ATH-8, 6-2, 193, Westminster, Md. – USC
10. RYAN EDWARDS, MLB-1, 6-2, 240, Leesburg, Fla. – FLORIDA STATE

[BDawg35]

2026 POSITION CHANGES/PROGRESSION



Terrence Sharpe from 77 OVR ATH to 77 OVR QB
Rian Caldwell from 69 OVR ATH to 69 OVR WR
George Walker from 65 OVR ATH to 66 OVR DE
Bryan Macklin from 73 OVR OLB to 71 OVR MLB
Simon Shelton from 73 OVR FS to 67 OVR CB
Frank Sharp from 74 OVR SS to 72 OVR MLB


+7
Joe Sparks, OG, rFr., 69 OVR

+6
Matt Jackson, P, Jr., 87 OVR
Marion Benjamin, HB, Sr., 87 OVR (95 SPD, +1)
Phillip Nicholas, C, Sr., 87 OVR
Jarod Pearson, HB, Soph., 86 OVR
Ryan Buckley, DT, Soph., 86 OVR
Scott McKenzie, CB, rJr., 85 OVR
Cornelius Booker, OG, Jr., 75 OVR
Simon Shelton, CB, Soph., 73 OVR
Greg Wagner, CB, Soph., 72 OVR
Reggie Gallagher, C, Jr., 71 OVR

+5
Ashton Hogan, DT, Jr., 90 OVR
Eric Peterson, WR, Jr., 89 OVR
Alan Richards, CB, rSr., 86 OVR
Jesse Sanders, CB, Soph., 85 OVR
Kevin Leonard, SS, Sr., 85 OVR
Ben Charles, WR, Sr., 82 OVR
Larry Cruz, DT, rJr., 82 OVR
Ben Huff, TE, Soph., 82 OVR
Brian Hubbard, DT, rSoph., 82 OVR
Jeff Gallagher, OT, Sr., 81 OVR
Ryan Mueller, TE, Jr., 79 OVR
Rashad Moore, DE, rFr., 78 OVR
Jonathan Bailey, OG, Jr., 78 OVR
David Joseph, WR, rSoph., 77 OVR
Brandon Samuel, DE, rFr., 75 OVR
Cory Goode, WR, rSoph., 75 OVR
Matt Keyes, OT, Sr., 74 OVR
Jim Lumpkin, FS, rFr., 73 OVR
Anthony Kelly, FB, Jr., 73 OVR
Joe Talley, OG, rSr., 71 OVR
Jermaine White, HB, rFr., 69 OVR
Elgin Simpson, FB, Soph., 68 OVR

+4
Kyle Stegall, K, Sr., 98 OVR
Brian Brown, WR, Sr., 96 OVR
DeAndre McCollum, SS, Sr., 95 OVR
Nick Lindsey, FS, rSr., 87 OVR
Brandon Mitchell, OT, Jr., 84 OVR
Lamar Hunter, WR, Jr., 83 OVR
Grant Hayden, OLB, rSr., 83 OVR
William Davis, CB, rSr., 83 OVR
Brandon Hester, QB, rFr., 82 OVR
Danny Rush, SS, rJr., 81 OVR
Fred DeLuca, OLB, Jr., 79 OVR
Victor Dukes, DE, rSr., 78 OVR
Frank Sharp, MLB, rSr., 76 OVR
Willie Andrews, DE, rJr., 74 OVR
Matt Young, DE, rFr., 66 OVR

+3
J.B. White, WR, Sr., 89 OVR

+1
Brandon Blount, QB, rJr., 99 OVR

+0
Chad Rice, QB, Sr., 99 OVR

Speed ratings
95, Marion Benjamin, HB
95, David Joseph, WR
94, Cory Goode, WR
93, Jesse Sanders, CB
93, Grant Hayden, OLB
92, Simon Shelton, CB

[RolePlayer]

Re: B-Dawg's Air Force Falcons: Flying high A.F.

Woah, Joe Sparks really shot up out of nowhere. He might not be a starter this year but if he keeps developing at that pace he could become a real nice player upfront.

It's also pretty crazy seeing Air Force get the number two recruit, quite the squad being built out in Colorado.

[BDawg35]

Re: B-Dawg's Air Force Falcons: Flying high A.F.

Woah, Joe Sparks really shot up out of nowhere. He might not be a starter this year but if he keeps developing at that pace he could become a real nice player upfront.

It's also pretty crazy seeing Air Force get the number two recruit, quite the squad being built out in Colorado.

It seems like the guys who progress the most started out really low, so they still have a lot of growing to do to make the lineup. The good thing is he's a redshirt freshman, so he could be a starter by his junior year. While I'm having good luck recruiting certain positions, offensive line and linebacker still seem to be places where I'm settling for guys rated in the high 60s. I would really like to know what it's like to run a power-running offense behind a line that has guys rated in the mid- to high-90s. Most of my big runs come using stretch plays where the key block is made on the edge by the fullback on a defensive back. I don't get a lot of yardage running between the tackles.

[BDawg35]

BREAKING NEWS!!!


Air Force coach B-Dawg has won three Mountain West Conference championships in the last four seasons.

MOVING ON UP!
Falcons leaving Mountain West
to join big boys in Pac-12

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — It's time for Air Force to put on its big-boy pants.

The Falcons are pulling up stakes and moving to the Pac-12 Conference after establishing themselves as a power in the Mountain West Conference.

Air Force will play in the South Division with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA and USC. To make room for the Falcons, Utah will take Air Force's spot in the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference.

"When I think of the Pac-12, I don't think of Utah," Air Force coach B-Dawg said. "It won't lessen my Pac-12 experience not playing Utah. I'm going to miss playing Boy-Z State every year, but I'm looking forward to building a rivalry with Colorado. Being in the same division with USC and UCLA will be cool, because those are the two programs I associate the most with the Pac-12."

B-Dawg's stated goal when he took the job at Air Force was to ultimately move the Falcons to a Power 5 conference when the time was right. Air Force has gone 42-10 in the Mountain West over the past six years, winning three of the last four championships and appearing in four consecutive title games. Air Force has won the Sugar Bowl two of the last three years, beating Michigan and Virginia Tech.

"We have nothing left to prove in the Mountain West," B-Dawg said. "You can get bored in a hurry if you continue to dominate a weaker conference. We're looking forward to some great challenges in the Pac-12. I can't wait to play USC."

B-Dawg had the option of going to the Big XII, but the appeal of playing in the Rose Bowl was a huge factor in his decision to head to the Pac-12. Growing up as a Michigan fan, the Rose Bowl meant everything to B-Dawg.

Air Force will retain Army and Navy as rivalry games, leaving the Falcons with only one nonleague game to schedule each season. Air Force is 16-0 against its fellow service academies during B-Dawg's tenure. The Falcons will open the 2026 season at The U.

"It was very important that we don't big-time Army and Navy and drop them from our schedule just because we've become a top-10 program," B-Dawg said. "There is something sacred about those rivalries."

Air Force has played Pac-12 teams twice during B-Dawg's eight seasons at the helm, winning both games. The Falcons beat Colorado, 45-27, in the 2019 season opener and beat California, 27-13, in the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl.

The Falcons will feature some talent in 2026 that can play at any level. Leading Air Force this coming season will be 99 OVR senior quarterback Chad Rice, 96 OVR receiver Brian Brown, 95 OVR senior strong safety DeAndre McCollum and reigning Biletnikoff Award winner J.B. White, an 89 OVR senior receiver.

"We will be able to compete," B-Dawg said. "Whether we will be in the hunt for the championship remains to be seen. I'm hoping that the prestige of playing in the Pac-12 is a boost for our recruiting so that we can be as dominant in this league as we were in the Mountain West."

[BDawg35]

2026 PRESEASON PREVIEW




CHAD RICE

QUARTERBACKS
Nearly every football coach in the country worries about what could happen to his team if his starting quarterback gets injured. Air Force coach B-Dawg isn't one of them. What other coach has a 99 OVR backup quarterback? How insane is that? Chad Rice, a 99 OVR senior, is back for his fourth year as the Falcons' starting quarterback. He will be chasing some records while also trying to win games. His backup is 99 OVR redshirt junior Brandon Blount, who has seen limited action in his time with Air Force. Blount will have to wait one more season to get one year as the starting quarterback. Rice has 91 SPD, 93 THP and 91 THA. If he gets into interception trouble, Blount's 98 THA will look nice coming off the bench. Blount also has 82 SPD and 92 THP. All four quarterbacks on the roster could be QB1's during their tensure, with 82 OVR redshirt freshman Brandon Hester (82 SPD, 87 THP, 89 THA) and 77 OVR true freshman Terrence Sharp (81 SPD, 84 THP, 83 THA) further down the depth chart. Sharp will redshirt this season.



MARION BENJAMIN

RUNNING BACKS
Senior Marion Benjamin was the Heisman Trophy runner-up two years ago, but had to take a back seat last year when Heisman winner Jared Mann returned after missing almost all of 2024 with an injury. Benjamin, who is 87 OVR with 95 SPD and 86 BTK, is a home run threat if he gets around the edge or has a mismatch in the passing game. Sophomore Jarod Pearson is going to be the power back in short-yardage formations. Pearson is 86 OVR with 86 SPD and 86 BTK. While Justin Brown is fourth on the depth chart at 66 OVR, his 94 SPD might get put to use occasionally. True freshman Drew Myrick will start at fullback over incumbent Anthony Kelly. Myrick has a nice combination of speed (85) and blocking ability (73 RBK, 71 PBK).



J.B. WHITE

WIDE RECEIVERS
Senior J.B. White has only the third-highest OVR in the receiving corps, but he could possibly go down as one of B-Dawg's all-time greatest receivers. He is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner after catching 127 passes for 2,035 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 127 catches are the most ever by a B-Dawg receiver, while the yardage and touchdown totals rank second. White has 84 SPD and 99 CTH, making him the ideal slot receiver. Nobody among the top five receivers has SPD in the 90s, but 96 OVR Brian Brown has 99 CTH, 89 OVR Eric Peterson has 93 CTH and White has 99 CTH. Brown and Peterson play on the outside, which gives them fewer opportunities in B-Dawg's offense. Brown had 44 catches for 490 yards and seven touchdowns last year, while Peterson had 33 catches for 308 yards and five scores. Ben Charles, who is 82 OVR, could operate well in the slot in four- and five-wide sets with an 88 CTH rating.



BEN HUFF

TIGHT ENDS
As slow as Air Force is in its receiving corps, tight end Ben Huff could fit right in with that group. Instead, he gives the Falcons potential mismatches and reliable mitts coming off the line. Huff is 82 OVR with 85 SPD, 92 CTH, 72 PBK and 74 RBK. He caught 33 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns last year, which is above-average production for one of B-Dawg's tight ends. Ryan Mueller, who started two years ago, is 79 OVR with 80 SPD, 72 CTH, 71 PBK and 77 RBK.



PHILLIP NICHOLAS

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Air Force's offensive lines are getting a little better, but still remain a weakness of the team. Senior center Phillip Nicholas is the top player on the line at 87 OVR with 86 PBK and 84 RBK. The Falcons will run primarily to the left side behind 84 OVR tackle Brandon Mitchell and 78 OVR guard Jonathan Bailey. Jeff Gallagher (81 OVR) will play right tackle next to 75 OVR guard Cornelius Booker. The best blocking rating on the team is Mitchell's 91 PBK. Nicholas and Gallagher are tied for first in RBK at 84.



ASHTON HOGAN

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
B-Dawg will have to be mindful to run as many four-man fronts as possible with 90 OVR Ashton Hogan and 86 OVR Ryan Buckley holding it down at defensive tackle. Air Force's base set is the 4-2-5, but B-Dawg often runs a 1-5-5 Prowl defense that uses only one D-tackle. Hogan has a 96 block-shedding rating that could be fun to watch in action if it actually matters in the game. Air Force will be using two new starters on the ends in 78 OVR redshirt freshman Rashad Moore on the left side and 78 OVR fifth-year senior Victor Dukes on the right. Moore, who has 80 SPD and 87 ACC, will be expected to get the bulk of the sacks from a position that traditionally racks them up in B-Dawg's defenses.



GRANT HAYDEN

LINEBACKERS
Senior outside linebacker Grant Hayden is a modest 83 OVR, but he could be fun to watch coming off the edge with 93 SPD and 93 ACC ratings. Hayden had 57 tackles last year, including 16 for losses and six sacks. Those numbers could skyrocket this season unless the better competition in the Pac-12 negates his progression. Middle linebacker Frank Sharp is a converted strong safety who is only 6-foot-1, 182 pounds. Will size actually matter? We shall see. Fred DeLuca, who had only three tackles last year, finds himself starting at the other outside linebacker spot with 79 OVR and 84 TAK ratings.



DeANDRE McCOLLUM

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Enjoy the final year in the career of strong safety DeAndre McCollum — you're watching one of B-Dawg's all-time greats in action. McCollum set a single-season record for tackles by a B-Dawg player last year with 123, including 25 for losses. He does much of his damage close to the line of scrimmage in the 4-2-5 defense. McCollum is 95 OVR with 83 SPD, 98 ACC, 99 AWR, 84 TAK, 82 man coverage, 98 zone coverage and 97 hit power. He leads a secondary that is solid across the board, with 86 OVR Alan Richards and 85 OVR Scott McKenzie at the corners and 87 OVR free safety Nick Lindsey at free safety.



KYLE STEGALL

SPECIAL TEAMS
Air Force has the perfect kicker in senior Kyle Stegall, who is 98 OVR with 99 KPW and 99 KAC. Why he isn't 99 OVR is beyond anyone's guess. Does a kicker need any other attributes besides KPW and KAC? AWR is useless with a user-controlled team. Stegall was 12-for-16 on field goals last year with a long of 48 yards. A player the Falcons hope doesn't get to play much is 87 OVR punter Matt Jackson, who has 91 KPW and 84 KAC. Jackson punted only 37 times in 14 games last season with a putrid 37.5-yard average. His low average can be attributed to B-Dawg's shoddy stick work trying to angle punts out of bounds as deep down the field as possible and the fact Air Force is often punting from near midfield.

2026 AIR FORCE FOOTBALL ROSTER
#	OFFENSE	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	OVR
3	Chad Rice	QB	6-1	196	Sr.	99
9	Brandon Blount	QB	5-11	197	rJr.	99
12	Brandon Hester	QB	5-11	217	rFr.	82
15	Terrence Sharpe	QB	6-4	204	Fr.	77 (RS)
39	Marion Benjamin	HB	5-10	206	Sr.	87
21	Jarod Pearson	HB	5-10	201	So.	86
31	Jermaine White	HB	6-2	206	rFr.	69
24	Justin Brown	HB	6-1	198	Fr.	66
44	Drew Myrick	FB	6-1	235	Fr.	75
26	Anthony Kelly	FB	5-11	264	Jr.	73
28	Elgin Simpson	FB	6-1	249	So.	68
85	Brian Brown	WR	6-1	202	Sr.	96
83	Eric Peterson	WR	6-3	198	Jr.	89
86	J.B. White	WR	6-0	204	Sr.	89
82	Lamar Hunter	WR	5-11	198	Jr.	83
81	Ben Charles	WR	6-1	214	Sr.	82
87	David Joseph	WR	6-4	200	rSo.	77
88	Cory Goode	WR	5-11	193	rSo.	75
80	Rian Caldwell	WR	6-0	173	Fr.	69 (RS)
84	Ben Huff	TE	6-5	240	So.	82
89	Ryan Mueller	TE	6-4	265	Jr.	79
72	Brandon Mitchell	LT	6-4	323	Jr.	84
75	Travis Kendrick	LT	6-3	336	Fr.	69
66	Jonathan Bailey	LG	6-0	305	Jr.	78
61	Joe Talley	LG	6-6	301	rSr.	71
76	Joe Clemons	LG	6-4	307	Fr.	68 (RS)
67	Phillip Nicholas	C	6-2	301	Sr.	87
69	Pat Miller	C	6-5	298	Fr.	76
78	Reggie Gallagher	C	6-2	304	Jr.	71
71	Cornelius Booker	RG	6-2	325	Jr.	75
79	Joe Sparks	RG	6-5	274	rFr.	69
70	Jeff Gallagher	RG	6-5	340	Sr.	81
74	Matt Keyes	RG	6-3	307	Sr.	74
#	DEFENSE	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	OVR
60	Rashad Moore	LE	6-2	259	rFr.	78
99	Brandon Samuel	LE	6-4	258	rFr.	75
92	George Walker	LE	6-4	242	Fr.	66 (RS)
91	Victor Dukes	RE	6-4	271	rSr.	78
90	Willie Andrews	RE	6-2	302	rJr.	74
97	Matt Young	RE	6-1	231	rFr.	66
96	Ashton Hogan	DT	6-5	256	Jr.	90
62	Ryan Buckley	DT	6-1	290	So.	86
93	Brian Hubbard	DT	6-2	262	rSo.	82
95	Larry Cruz	DT	6-0	328	rJr.	82
94	Erik Carter	DT	6-5	260	Fr.	79 (RS)
98	Mike Taylor	DT	6-2	286	Fr.	72 (RS)
59	Grant Hayden	LOLB	6-4	232	rSr.	83
50	Ben Harris	LOLB	6-4	226	Fr.	66
53	Fred DeLuca	ROLB	6-4	230	Jr.	79
55	Phil Van	ROLB	6-4	228	Fr.	64
22	Frank Sharp	MLB	6-1	182	rSr.	76
58	Bryan Macklin	MLB	6-2	213	Fr.	71
56	Dustin Hicks	MLB	5-11	244	Fr.	60
30	Alan Richards	CB	6-0	176	rSr.	86
46	Scott McKenzie	CB	6-0	197	rJr.	85
20	Jesse Sanders	CB	5-10	181	So.	85
37	William Davis	CB	6-1	179	rSr.	83
45	Simon Shelton	CB	6-3	203	So.	73
27	Greg Wagner	CB	6-1	175	So.	72
38	Nick Lindsey	FS	6-0	217	rSr.	87
23	Anthony Logan	FS	6-2	208	Fr.	77
49	Jim Lumpkin	FS	6-2	204	rFr.	73
7	DeAndre McCollum	SS	6-3	190	Sr.	95
48	Kevin Leonard	SS	5-11	201	Sr.	85
25	Danny Rush	rJr.	6-6	213	rJr.	81
#	SPECIAL TEAMS	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	OVR
13	Kyle Stegall	K	5-10	178	Sr.	98
19	Matt Jackson	P	5-10	215	Jr.	87

2026 AIR FORCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Note: Air Force is 91 OVR, 97 offense, 88 defense; B+ OVR, A+ offense, B+ defense, A special teams

AUG. 29 — at MIAMI
Ratings: 95 OVR, 97 offense, 95 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 3

SEPT. 12 — at STANFORD
Ratings: 86 OVR, 84 offense, 88 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 26

SEPT. 19 — OREGON STATE
Ratings: 79 OVR, 77 offense, 83 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 82

SEPT. 26 — USC
Ratings: 93 OVR, 93 offense, 93 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 32

OCT. 3 — at NAVY
Ratings: 84 OVR, 84 offense, 85 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 48

OCT. 8 — at OREGON
Ratings: 90 OVR, 90 offense, 90 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 27

OCT. 17 — at UCLA
Ratings: 83 OVR, 81 offense, 87 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 61

OCT. 24 — COLORADO
Ratings: 88 OVR, 90 offense, 87 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 57

OCT. 31 — ARMY
Ratings: 83 OVR, 81 offense, 87 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 63

NOV. 7 — ARIZONA
Ratings: 86 OVR, 88 offense, 85 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 47

NOV. 21 — at ARIZONA STATE
Ratings: 84 OVR, 84 offense, 87 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 64

NOV. 28 — CALIFORNIA
Ratings: 83 OVR, 83 offense, 84 defense
Preseason ranking: No. 72




FIRST TEAM
WR, J.B. White, Sr., 89 OVR
OLB, Grant Hayden, rSr., 83 OVR
SS, DeAndre McCollum, Sr., 95 OVR
RET, Marion Benjamin, Sr., 87 OVR (HB)

SECOND TEAM
DT, Ashton Hogan, Jr., 90 OVR
SS, Kevin Leonard, Sr., 85 OVR


2026 PRESEASON ALL-PAC 12

FIRST TEAM
QB, Chad Rice, Sr., 99 OVR
WR, J.B. White, Sr., 89 OVR
DT, Ashton Hogan, Jr., 90 OVR
OLB, Grant Hayden, rSr., 83 OVR
CB, Alan Richards, rSr., 86 OVR
CB, Jesse Sanders, Soph., 85 OVR
SS, DeAndre McCollum, Sr., 95 OVR
RET, Marion Benjamin, Sr., 87 OVR (HB)

SECOND TEAM
WR, Brian Brown, Sr., 96 OVR
TE, Ben Huff, Soph., 82 OVR
OT, Brandon Mitchell, Jr., 84 OVR
DT, Ryan Buckley, Soph., 86 OVR
FS, Nick Lindsey, rSr., 87 OVR
SS, Kevin Leonard, Sr., 85 OVR
K, Kyle Stegall, Sr., 98 OVR




1. CHAD McINTIRE, Michigan State, HB, rSr.
2025 stats: 182 carries, 1,313 yards, 19 TD; 32 catches, 478 yards, 5 TD
Ratings: 94 OVR, 95 SPD, 99 BTK, 76 CAR

2. ERIK WEEKS, Wisconsin, QB, rSr.
2025 stats: 246-for-378, 3,238 yards, 42 TD, 9 int.; 178 carries, 782 yards, 5 TD
Ratings: 90 OVR, 85 SPD, 83 THP, 86 THA

3. CHAD RICE, Air Force, QB, Sr.
2025 stats: 320-for-458, 3,836 yards, 33 TD, 15 int.; 112 carries, 600 yards, 7 TD
Ratings: 99 OVR, 91 SPD, 93 THP, 91 THA

4. RYAN JENNINGS, Mississippi, QB, rJr.
2025 stats: 181-for-367, 2,251 yards, 24 TD, 6 int.; 191 carries, 905 yards, 14 TD
Ratings: 82 OVR, 83 SPD, 79 THP, 84 THA

5. DANNY BANKS, San Diego State, rSr.
2025 stats: 231-for-392, 3,262 yards, 34 TD, 7 int.; 153 carries, 529 yards, 7 TD
Ratings: 95 OVR, 71 SPD, 90 THP, 97 THA




2026
1. Notre Dame
2. Florida
3. The U
4. Wisconsin
5. Nebraska
6. AIR FORCE
7. Georgia
8. Virginia Tech
9. Clemson
10. Texas A&M
11. Texas
12. Auburn
13. Alabama
14. Iowa
15. South Carolina
16. Penn State
17. Ohio State
18. San Diego State
19. Oklahoma
20. Michigan State
21. Northwestern
22. Boston College
23. Kentucky
24. Washington
25. Southern Miss
26. Stanford
27. Oregon
28. Florida State
29. Maryland
30. Baylor
31. Mississippi
32. USC
33. Minnesota
34. Vanderbilt
35. Mississippi State
36. Middle Tennessee State
37. South Florida
38. Nevada
39. Georgia Tech
40. North Carolina
41. Hawaii
42. Troy
43. LSU
44. West Virginia
45. Kansas
46. San Jose State
47. Arizona
48. Navy
49. Michigan
50. Central Florida
51. Syracuse
52. Texas Christian
53. Tennessee
54. Cincinnati
55. Bowling Green
56. Memphis
57. Colorado
58. Duke
59. Oklahoma State
60. Virginia
61. UCLA
62. Toledo
63. Army
64. Arizona State
65. Northern Illinois
66. Colorado State
67. Missouri
68. Old Dominion
69. Rice
70. East Carolina
71. Louisville
72. California
73. Ohio
74. South Alabama
75. UNLV
76. Arkansas
77. Pittsburgh
78. North Texas
79. Texas Tech
80. Boy-Z State
81. Fresno State
82. Oregon State
83. Tulsa
84. Houston
85. Indiana
86. Texas-San Antonio
87. Rutgers
88. Florida Atlantic
89. Wake Forest
90. Washington State
91. North Carolina State
92. Central Michigan
93. Illinois
94. Brigham Young
95. Utah
96. Marshall
97. Tulane
98. Georgia State
99. Louisiana-Monroe
100. Western Kentucky
101. Ball State
102. Florida International
103. Idaho
104. Miami (Ohio)
105. Purdue
106. Eastern Michigan
107. Kent State
108. Southern Methodist
109. New Mexico State
110. Connecticut
111. Kansas State
112. Texas-El Paso
113. Temple
114. Louisiana
115. Buffalo
116. Massachusetts
117. Iowa State
118. New Mexico
119. Arkansas State
120. Alabama-Birmingham
121. Wyoming
122. Texas State
123. Utah State
124. Western Michigan
125. Louisiana Tech
126. Akron

[BDawg35]

2026 SEASON, GAME 1


The U's Todd Nealy catches the game-winning 5-yard touchdown pass with 49 seconds left.

Last-minute heartbreak
After holding The U without a touchdown
Air Force loses on pass with :49 left

MIAMI — One would think that holding a team to only one touchdown in this era of college football, particularly in a video game, would be a guarantee of victory.

That would be true probably 99% of the time, but Air Force was the victim of the outlier in a 15-14 loss to The U in a battle of top-six teams to open the 2026 season.

The third-ranked Hurricanes were kept out of the end zone until there were only 49 seconds remaining in the game. Todd Healy caught a 5-yard pass from Don Harrell on the right side of the end zone to give the U its first lead of the game.

"We deserved a better fate than this," Air Force coach B-Dawg said. "I couldn't ask much more from our defense. To hold a 97-rated offense to one touchdown is a heck of an effort."

The sixth-ranked Falcons' defense was considered the weak link heading into this battle. The U was rated 97 on offense and 95 on defense, while Air Force was rated 97 on offense and 88 on defense.

But the Falcons' defense balled out by sacking Harrell nine times. Strong safety DeAndre McCollum had 13 tackles, while outside linebacker Grant Hayden had four tackles for losses and two sacks among his nine stops. Defensive tackle Ryan Buckley and defensive end Rashad Moore each ad two sacks.

Kevin Leonard had an interception, but developed butter fingers at the worst possible time. Twice, Leonard had a chance to end The U's game-winning drive with an interception. Twice, he dropped what should have been a sure pick, including one which looked destined to go for six.

"You live by the interception slider and die by the interception slider," B-Dawg said. "I lowered them from 50 to 20 after there were so many interceptions in the first game of this dynasty. Both of those would have been picks with the slider at 50. On the other hand, we would have thrown a ton more interceptions ourselves if the sliders weren't as forgiving for the quarterbacks."

After getting away with two bad passes, Harrell hit Justin Owens with a 58-yard strike on third-and-10 with 1:00 remaining, giving The U the ball at the Falcons' 9-yard line to set up the winning score.

The Falcons have had a lethal two-minute offense during B-Dawg's nine years at Air Force, so they were feeling confident they could at least get in position for a winning field goal when they got the ball back at their own 20 with 47 seconds to go.

However, they gave up their only sack of the game to 97 OVR defensive end Adam Thomas on the first play and 99 OVR senior quarterback Chad Rice was picked off by cornerback Terry Hinds on a deep post on the next play.

Air Force was shut out in the second half after taking a 14-6 lead into halftime.

"We have some veterans back on offense, but it's a new season," B-Dawg said. "We definitely need to work out the kinks. Coming to The U isn't the best way to ease your way into the season, but we have only one nonleague game that we can schedule now that we're in the Pac-12. I want to get a good opponent in that one game."

It's the third straight year that Air Force has lost a nail-biter to a national power on the road in an early-season nonleague game. They lost 35-31 at Michigan in the second game of 2024 and 34-31 at Texas in the second game of 2025.

"I like going to some of the iconic venues in college football," B-Dawg said. "I get tired of looking at our crib every game or playing teams that don't make me nervous. We will continue to challenge ourselves against elite teams on the road as long as I'm doing the schedules."


The U's Justin Owens hauls in a 58-yard pass on third-and-10 to set up the
game-winning touchdown.

AIR FORCE FALCONS at MIAMI HURRICANES
Aug. 29, 2026	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#6 Air Force Falcons (0-1)	7	7	0	0	14
#3 Miami (FL) Hurricanes (1-0)	0	6	3	6	15

Team Stats Comparison
	AFA	MIA
Total Offense	306	349
Rushing Yards	34-145	36-40
Passing Yards	161	309
First Downs	19	16
Punt Return Yards	41	13
Kick Return Yards	66	0
Total Yards	413	362
Turnovers	3	2
3rd Down Conversion	4-12	6-18
4th Down Conversion	0-2	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-1
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-2-0	3-1-2
Penalties	0-0	2-20
Possession Time	19:03	16:57

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		AFA	MIA
1:40	(AFA) J. Pearson 2 run (K. Stegall kick)	7	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		AFA	MIA
3:10	(MIA) H. Miller 43 field goal	7	3
1:52	(MIA) H. Miller 20 field goal	7	6
:13	(AFA) J. White 5 pass from C. Rice (K. Stegall kick)	14	6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		AFA	MIA
1:41	(MIA) H. Miller 40 field goal	14	9
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		AFA	MIA
:49	(MIA) T. Nealy 5 pass from D. Harrell (pass failed)	14	15

AIR FORCE FALCONS PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Chad Rice 21/37 161 1 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Chad Rice 11 64 5.8 0 Jared Pearson 15 53 3.5 1 Marion Benjamin 4 18 4.5 0 Drew Myrick 2 9 4.5 0 Elgin Simpson 2 1 0.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J.B. White 9 88 9.7 1 Jarod Pearson 3 20 6.7 0 Ben Huff 3 13 4.3 0 Ben Charles 2 17 8.5 0 Brian Brown 2 17 8.5 0 Eric Peterson 1 4 4.0 0 Marion Benjamin 1 2 2.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Phillip Nicholas 1 0 Ben Huff 1 0 Brandon Mitchell 1 0 Jeff Gallagher 0 1 DEFENSE TACK TFL SACK INT DeAndre McCollum 13 2 0 0 Grant Hayden 9 4 2 0 Alan Richards 6 0 0 0 Fred DeLuca 6 0 0 0 Jesse Sanders 4 0 0 0 Ryan Buckley 4 2 2 0 Victor Dukes 3 1 1 0 Kevin Leonard 3 0 0 1 Ashton Hogan 3 1 1 0 Nick Lindsey 2 1 0 0 Rashad Moore 2 2 2 0 Brandon Mitchell 2 0 0 0 Larry Cruz 1 0 0 0 Frank Sharp 1 0 0 0 Brandon Samuel 1 1 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Kyle Stegall 0/0 2/2 2 0 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Matt Jackson 6 213 35.5 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG David Joseph 2 47 23.5 24 Ryan Mueller 1 19 19.0 19 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Marion Benjamin 2 21 10.5 13 David Joseph 2 20 10.0 11

MIAMI HURRICANES PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Don Harrell 24/35 309 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Adrian McKenzie 22 74 3.3 0 Jeremy Espinoza 2 7 3.5 0 Don Harrell 12 -41 -3.4 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Adrian McKenzie 6 38 6.3 0 Justin Owens 4 91 22.8 0 Jon Norton 4 75 18.8 0 Todd Nealy 4 55 13.8 1 Andrew Roberts 4 33 8.3 0 Jason Burns 1 10 10.0 0 Jeremy Espinoza 1 7 7.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Todd Nealy 5 0 Phillip Anthony 3 0 Andrew Roberts 3 0 Terrance Scott 1 2 Ivan Houston 0 2 DEFENSE TACK TFL SACK INT Nick Lewis 7 0 0 0 Vincent Gunn 7 2 0 0 Travis Montgomery 7 0 0 1 Adam Thomas 5 1 1 0 Eric Hammond 5 0 0 0 Brian Scott 5 0 0 0 Michael Hall 4 2 0 0 Josh Mendoza 4 0 0 0 Kevin Hubbard 3 0 0 0 Danny Gray 3 0 0 0 Derrick Davis 3 0 0 0 Tom Estes 2 0 0 0 Terry Hinds 2 0 0 1 Wm. Cunningham 1 0 0 0 Mike Barnett 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Howard Miller 3/5 0/0 9 44 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 A.J. Mack 4 176 44.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Team 0 0 0.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Justin Owens 1 12 12.0 12 Vincent Gunn 1 1 1.0 1

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2027 RECRUITING UPDATE



Recruits sour on Falcons after
anemic passing in 2026 opener

Air Force has been one of the most high-flying passing offenses in the nation during B-Dawg's nine years at the helm, but one off day at the wrong time may cost the Falcons two prized recruits.

After Air Force threw for only 161 yards in a 15-14 season-opening loss at The U, 80 OVR prospects E.J. Jackson and Alex Webster invoked dealbreakers.

Jackson is the No. 6 wide receiver in the nation, while Webster is the No. 13 athlete.

The 161 yards by the Air Force passing game in the first game of the year ranks the Falcons 91st in the nation at this very, very early juncture.

"Give me a break!" B-Dawg said. "We typically throw for 250, 300 yards on the regular. One bad game against one of the top defenses in the country is going to devalue our playing style all of a sudden just because it was in the first game?"

B-Dawg plans to fire up the passing game to help unlock those dealbreakers when the Falcons travel to Stanford for their first game as members of the Pac-12 Conference.

"I don't care what the score is or whose feelings we hurt," B-Dawg said. "We are going to fill the air with footballs when we go to Palo Alto. Getcho popcorn ready!"

[BDawg35]

2026 SEASON, GAME 2


Brandon Blount replaced injured starter Chad Rice and went 18-for-29 for 272 yards and a touchdown at Stanford.

BLOUNT FORCE
With Rice injured, backup quarterback
leads Air Force to win at Stanford

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Brandon Blount is qualified to start for any other college football team in the nation.

A 99 OVR rating carries some street cred, after all.

But the redshirt junior for Air Force happens to play on the same team with another 99 OVR signal caller, senior Chad Rice.

It's been the understanding that Rice would be the starter from the day he arrived on campus, no matter what, as B-Dawg attempted to set some passing records with his shiny new toy.

But it's Blount's team now, at least for the next three weeks, after Rice went down with a hip pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter at 23rd-ranked Stanford on Sept. 12, 2026.

Blount entered a game that was tied 7-7 and the 11th-ranked Falcons didn't miss a beat, beating the Cardinal 45-38 in their first game as members of the Pac-12 Conference.

Blount was 18-for-29 for 272 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. His one touchdown pass was a 4-yarder to Ben Charles in the second quarter.

"I'm not surprised Brandon played well," B-Dawg said. "He's 99 OVR. He should play well."

Rice was 5-for-8 for 74 yards when he was injured completing a pass to J.B. White.

The Falcons built a 31-10 halftime lead, but Stanford made things interesting in the second half. A 15-yard run by Jamil Flowers got the Cardinal within 38-31 with 8:55 left in the game. Air Force countered with a 5-yard touchdown run by Marion Benjamin to cap an eight-play, 71-yard drive.

Stanford got within seven points again on a 27-yard pass from Calvin Hall to Quinn Lindsey with 56 seconds left in the game. A key for the Cardinal was having all three of their timeouts remaining in case the onside kick didn't work, which it didn't.

On third-and-12 from the Stanford 38, B-Dawg called for a pass, which Blount completed to J.B. White for a 15-yard gain with 42 seconds remaining. Kirk Herbstreit said it was a risky move that he wouldn't have tried, but that's why B-Dawg has a bunch of natties to his credit and Herby is up in the booth.

"If I have a 99 OVR quarterback throwing to the reigning Biletnikoff winner, it doesn't feel like much of a risk at all," B-Dawg said.

True freshman middle linebacker Bryan Macklin impressed the coaching staff by getting four tackles for losses and a sack. The rest of the team had only three tackles for losses


Marion Benjamin runs for a 5-yard touchdown.

AIR FORCE FALCONS at STANFORD CARDINAL
Sept. 12, 2026	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#10 Air Force Falcons (1-1)	7	24	7	7	45
#23 Stanford Cardinal (1-1)	7	3	14	14	38

Team Stats Comparison
	AFA	STAN
Total Offense	498	414
Rushing Yards	37-152	32-206
Passing Yards	346	208
First Downs	29	19
Punt Return Yards	34	0
Kick Return Yards	137	0
Total Yards	669	414
Turnovers	0	0
3rd Down Conversion	9-12	6-12
4th Down Conversion	1-2	2-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	6-6-0	5-4-1
Penalties	0-0	0-0
Possession Time	23:18	21:39

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		AFA	STAN
6:07	(AFA) J. Pearson 3 run (K. Stegall kick)	7	0
3:32	(STAN) C. Hall 6 run (D. Graham kick)	7	7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		AFA	STAN
8:58	(AFA) J. Pearson 4 run (K. Stegall kick)	14	7
6:49	(AFA) K. Stegall 48 field goal	17	7
4:10	(AFA) B. Charles 4 pass from B. Blount (K. Stegall kick)	24	7
1:54	(STAN) D. Graham 26 field goal	24	10
:18	(AFA) J. Pearson 2 run (K. Stegall kick)	31	10
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		AFA	STAN
5:45	(STAN) C. Bain 7 pass from C. Hall (D. Graham kick)	31	17
2:28	(STAN) C. Bain 4 pass from C. Hall (D. Graham kick)	31	24
1:22	(AFA) J. Pearson 2 run (K. Stegall kick)	38	24
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		AFA	STAN
8:55	(STAN) J. Flowers 15 run (D. Graham kick)	38	31
6:33	(AFA) M. Benjamin 5 run (K. Stegall kick)	45	31
:56	(STAN) Q. Lindsey 27 pass from C. Hall (D. Graham kick)	45	38

AIR FORCE FALCONS PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Brandon Blount 18/29 272 1 0 Chad Rice 5/8 74 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Marion Benjamin 12 50 4.1 1 Chad Rice 3 36 12.0 0 Jarod Pearson 12 35 2.9 4 Drew Myrick 5 24 4.8 0 Brandon Blount 5 7 1.4 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD J.B. White 9 161 17.8 0 Eric Peterson 6 85 14.1 0 Ben Charles 5 49 9.8 1 Ben Huff 1 21 21.0 0 Brian Brown 1 16 16.0 0 Marion Benjamin 1 14 14.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Travis Kendrick 2 0 Brandon Mitchell 1 0 Ryan Mueller 1 0 Phillip Nicholas 0 1 DEFENSE TACK TFL SACK INT Nick Lindsey 9 0 0 0 Fred DeLuca 7 0 0 0 DeAndre McCollum 7 0 0 0 Grant Hayden 6 0 0 0 Jesse Sanders 4 0 0 0 Bryan Macklin 4 4 1 0 Ashton Hogan 3 1 0 0 Alan Richards 3 1 0 0 Scott McKenzie 2 0 0 0 Victor Dukes 2 0 0 0 William Davis 1 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Kyle Stegall 1/1 6/6 9 48 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Matt Jackson 1 34 34.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Marion Benjamin 4 130 32.5 54 Brian Brown 1 7 7.0 7 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Marion Benjamin 2 34 17.0 20

STANFORD CARDINAL PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Calvin Hall 21/32 208 3 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Jamil Flowers 22 116 5.2 1 Chris Bain 5 56 11.2 0 Calvin Hall 5 34 6.8 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Jamil Flowers 6 30 5.0 0 Gerald Thomas 4 54 13.5 0 Sean Mackey 4 41 10.3 0 Chris Bain 3 21 7.0 2 Jon Davis 2 21 10.5 0 Quinn Lindsey 1 27 27.0 1 Brent Henry 1 14 14.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Ronnie Merriman 4 0 Christian Moss 2 0 Brent Henry 1 0 Gerald Thomas 1 0 Marques Brant 0 1 DEFENSE TACK TFL SACK INT A.J. Butler 10 0 0 0 John Moore 7 0 0 0 Ben Coleman 7 0 0 0 Ty Franklin 5 0 0 0 Boyd Macklin 4 0 0 0 Lester Parker 4 1 0 0 Ryan Spence 4 1 0 0 James Nolen 4 1 0 0 David Huff 3 2 1 0 Jacob Andrews 3 0 0 0 Charles Ford 2 0 0 0 Brett Stevens 1 0 0 0 A.J. Woodard 1 0 0 0 Tony Williams 1 0 0 0 Kevin Jordan 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Damon Graham 1/1 5/5 8 26 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Mark Houston 3 148 49.3 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Team 0 0 0.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG LONG Team 0 0 0.0 0

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2027 RECRUITING UPDATE



Recruits back on board with Falcons
after their aerial attack at Stanford

It took only one game for two elite recruits to sour on Air Force.

And it took only one game for them to put the Falcons back in their good graces.

The dealbreakers are gone for 80 OVR E.J. Jackson and Alex Webster following Air Force's passing perfomrnace in a 45-38 victory at Stanford.

Using two quarterbacks because of an injury to starter Chad Rice, the Falcons threw for 346 yards and a touchdown.

Jackson, the No. 6 wide receiver in the country, and Webster, the No. 13 athlete, both put up dealbreakers after Air Force was held to 161 yards in a 15-14 loss at the U in the season opener.

Air Force vaulted from 91st in the country in passing yardage per game to 20th at 253.5.

"We took care of that little mess," Air Force coach B-Dawg said. "I don't anticipate a lack of a passing game being a problem with recruits the rest of the year."

[bh446066]

Re: B-Dawg's Air Force Falcons: Flying high A.F.

Man, I just spent over an hour playing catchup on last 2+ seasons. That was exhausting! So many emotional games in 2024, feeling you got snubbed in 2025, but that conference move was a good one, and it was time. Really really glad to see this one still going strong. Should be regular again for a while after that silly hiatus I had to take.

[BDawg35]

Re: B-Dawg's Air Force Falcons: Flying high A.F.

Man, I just spent over an hour playing catchup on last 2+ seasons. That was exhausting! So many emotional games in 2024, feeling you got snubbed in 2025, but that conference move was a good one, and it was time. Really really glad to see this one still going strong. Should be regular again for a while after that silly hiatus I had to take.

SIGNS OF LIFE!!!!

Thanks for taking the time to go back and read my little obsession. It's been so quiet around here that I've wondered if it's worth the time and effort. Then again, there's zero way I could ever play a dynasty and not post it. So, kind of a Catch-22 there.

I had started this dynasty by playing a couple seasons before posting, so I've been forever behind where I am in real time. I'm getting closer. I just completed the season that I'm posting now after being a full two seasons behind most of the time. I've been really busy at work with high school football about to start (I'm a sports writer), so there hasn't been time to play, but I can squeeze in game reports here and there.