Game Day Guide: Boise State vs. Air Force
Everything Bronco Nation needs to know ahead of Saturday's Mountain West bout between the Boise State Broncos and Air Force Falcons.
Boise State football rides into Colorado fresh off its bye week and back-to-back wins, eyeing a revenge victory against Air Force after the Falcons won their first contest on The Blue last year since 2015.
The open week gave the Broncos additional time to prepare for Air Force's extremely productive and difficult-to-defend triple-option offense. Since joining the Mountain West Conference in 2011, Boise State is 14-1 in games following a bye week.
Despite the past success and Boise State's midseason momentum, the Falcons are favored at home for Saturday's conference bout. In the past 11 years, the Broncos have only been underdogs in Mountain West matchups four times.
The underdog title has fared well for the Broncos' blue-collar mentality. In those four games, Boise State covered the spread each time and won three of the battles outright.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. MT Saturday in USAFA, Colo. The Broncos-Falcons battle will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. Scroll down for more information on ways to watch and keep up with the game.
While the Falcons have lost two Mountain West games so far this year, Air Force is not to be taken lightly. The Falcons currently rank No. 1 in the FBS in rushing offense, averaging an eye-opening 359.9 yards per game on the ground.
On the other side of the ball, Boise State is only allowing 101.8 rushing yards per game this season, which ranks 19th in the country. The Broncos have also leaned on their ground game offensively since Taylen Green took the quarterback reigns.
Prior to the 2022 campaign, Boise State and Air Force were picked first and second to win the Mountain Division title respectively. The Broncos earned 14 first-place votes, while the Falcons received 10 first-place votes.
GAME INFORMATION Saturday showdown
Boise State (4-2, 3-0 MWC) vs. Air Force (5-2, 2-2 MWC)
- Saturday, Oct. 22
- Falcon Stadium - USAFA, Colo.
- Capacity: 46,692
- Kickoff: 5 p.m. MT
- Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Weather: High of 72, low of 41 degrees, 8 mph wind
How to watch/listen Radio, Streaming, TV
ON TV
Boise State vs. Air Force will be televised on CBS Sports Network, available on the following channels:
- Sparklight: Channel 139 / 1139 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 221
- Dish Network: Channel 158
- Cox: Channel 234
ON THE RADIO
Fans can listen to the game on the Bronco Radio Network, which can be found online or on the following stations in the Boise area:
- KBOI 670 AM in Boise
- KTIK 93.1 FM in Boise
- KDZY 98.3 FM in McCall
- KSNQ 98.3 FM in Twin Falls
Here is a list of Bronco Radio Network stations outside the Boise area.
STREAMING
Streaming for Boise State vs. Air Force is available through AT&T TV, Fubo TV, Hulu and YouTube TV. The service is also available online to subscribers of participating cable and satellite television providers (including Dish Network and DirecTV).
For more information, click here.
Bronco Roundup KTVB in Colorado
BRONCO ROUNDUP GAME DAY
KTVB's Bronco Roundup Game Day Show will be live on KTVB Channel 7, KTVB.COM, KTVB+ on Roku and Amazon Fire TV and the KTVB mobile app on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. MT. Join Jay Tust for an inside scoop on storylines surrounding the Broncos-Falcons matchup.
The exclusive pre-game show will feature interviews and updates live from Colorado, getting Bronco Nation prepared for kickoff.
GAME TRACKER
Once the game kicks off, make sure to follow the action with KTVB's Game Tracker and live blog, featuring the latest updates from Tust and a live scoreboard.
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
KTVB will live stream the post-game press conference on KTVB.COM, the KTVB YouTube channel, and on the KTVB mobile app.
Interviews with Boise State head coach Andy Avalos and players will be posted online soon after the press conference ends, so Bronco Nation can watch the press conference whenever and wherever they want.
Stay tuned to KTVB.COM after the game for a recap, highlights and comments from Saturday's Mountain West bout.
Odds/predictions Falcons favored
ESPN's Matchup Predictor gives Boise State just a 39.4% chance to win Saturday's game on the road, favoring Air Force by more than 60%. ESPN's spread also lists the Broncos as 3.5-point underdogs, with an over/under of 48.
So far this year, Boise State is 2-3-1 against the spread, while Air Force is 4-3 against oddsmakers.
In Las Vegas, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, and Vegas Insider each give Air Force the three-point advantage over Boise State, a practically even spread given the Falcons play host Saturday. Caesars Sportsbook and WynnBET Sportsbook have a 3.5-point spread in favor of Air Force.
History Broncos-Falcons series
Since joining the Mountain West Conference in 2011, Boise State has squared off 10 times against Air Force, holding a 6-4 advantage. Prior to last season, the Broncos owned a four-game winning streak over the Falcons.
In 2021, Air Force won its first game on The Blue since 2015 and its first win over the Broncos since 2016. A pair of rushing touchdowns from Brad Roberts pushed the Falcons to a 24-17 victory.
The series is split 2-2 in games at Falcon Stadium, although Boise State has emerged victorious in its last two trips to Colorado.
Boise State's record against Air Force:
- Oct. 16, 2021: L - 24-17 (Boise)
- Oct. 31, 2020: W - 49-30 (USAFA)
- Sept. 20, 2019: W - 30-19 (Boise)
- Oct. 27, 2018: W - 48-38 (USAFA)
- Nov. 18, 2017: W - 44-19 (Boise)
- Nov. 25, 2016: L - 27-20 (USAFA)
- Nov. 20, 2015: L - 37-30 (Boise)
- Sept. 27, 2014: L - 28-14 (Colorado Springs)
- Sept. 13, 2013: W - 42-20 (Boise)
- Oct. 22, 2011: W - 37-26 (Boise)
Conference standings Broncos on top
Mountain Division
Boise State: 3-0 … (4-2 overall)
Wyoming: 2-1 … (4-3 overall)
Utah State: 2-1 … (3-4 overall)
Air Force: 2-2 … (5-2 overall)
Colorado State: 1-1 … (1-5 overall)
New Mexico: 0-3 … (2-5 overall)
West Division
San Jose State: 2-1 … (4-2 overall)
UNLV: 2-2 … (4-3 overall)
San Diego State: 1-1 … (3-3 overall)
Fresno State: 1-1 … (2-5 overall)
Hawai'i: 1-1 … (2-5 overall)
Nevada: 0-3 … (2-5 overall)
Air Force offense Triple-option attack
As mentioned earlier in this story, the timing of Boise State's bye week was critical due to Air Force's triple-option offense.
After dropping Mountain West contests to Wyoming (17-14) and Utah State (34-27), it seems the Falcons found their footing in a blowout 42-7 win over UNLV last week in Las Vegas.
Air Force running back Brad Roberts currently ranks fourth in the country with 853 rushing yards, while the entire offense ranks No. 1 in the FBS in rushing offense. The ground attack will create a great challenge for the Boise State defense, who currently ranks No. 1 in the country in passing yards allowed (134.3 YPG).
For Boise State's defensive-minded coaches, like Andy Avalos and Spencer Danielson, this is not the kind of game you prepare for the week prior. The Broncos have had this matchup circled since back in spring practices.
"There are a lot of challenges. There's a reason why they're the number one rush offense in the nation. It's not because of their scheme, it's their mentality, it's how they come off the ball," Avalos said. "The amount of preparation that goes into this, it's not just this week. It's making sure throughout the course of the year that our guys are comfortable and confident, but at the end of the day, it comes down to great discipline."
Boise State offense Ground game
Since the Broncos' offense went through a handful of changes, Boise State's simplification in the run game has led to dominance. The "three-headed monster" of Taylen Green, George Holani and Ashton Jeanty tore through San Diego State and Fresno State on The Blue.
Over the last six quarters, Boise State has scored on 13 of their 18 (72.2%) possessions. Nine of those 13 scores (69.2%) were touchdowns. Boise State has rushed for more yards in the last six quarters (589 yards) than they did over the previous 18 quarters (524 yards) combined.
Boise State is one of just eight teams with multiple 300-yard rushing performances this season. Amongst that group, only the Broncos and Oregon have done it in back-to-back games against a conference opponent.
Falcon defense Impressive numbers
Not only does Air Force's offense boast head-turning numbers, but the Falcons' defense is also having a successful season through seven 2022 contests.
Air Force currently ranks No. 9 in all the land in total defense, allowing just
283.9 yards per game. The Falcons also present a top-50 rushing defense, with an average of 128 yards allowed on the ground this year.
Boise State and Air Force are No. 1 and No. 4 in the FBS respectively in passing yards allowed each week. The Broncos allow 134.3 air yards on average, while the Falcons give up 155.9.
In last week's win over UNLV, Air Force created four Rebel turnovers, which all led to touchdowns. Trey Taylor, Alec Mock, Td Blackmon and Vince Sanford have each recorded 33 or more tackles this season.
Bronco defense Continued dominance
Boise State only allowed 233 yards of total offense against Fresno State at Albertsons Stadium. The Broncos lowered their season average to 236.2 yards allowed per game, which ranks No. 2 in the nation.
In its four 2022 wins, Boise State's opponents have only gained a total of 622 yards, an average of 155.5 per game.
When the schedule came out, playing San Diego State and Fresno State in back-to-back weeks was viewed as the most-difficult stretch of the season for Boise State. Well, the Broncos stormed to a combined 75-33 scoring advantage, and a 893-347 total yards advantage.
Now, Boise State will need its hard-nose tackles, such as DJ Schramm, JL Skinner and Ezekiel Noa, to play fearless in order to slow down the triple-option attack.
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