Previewing Air Force Falcons Against Utah State Aggies

Sep 15, 2023, 4:04 PM | Updated: 4:27 pm

Digital Producer

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State heads to Colorado Springs intending to end the Air Force two-game winning streak as Mountain West play commences.

USU will face the Air Force Falcons in Colorado Springs, CO on Friday, September 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT).

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 🌌🤘

𝗩𝗦 Air Force
📻 https://t.co/salTko6ZP6
📺 @CBSSportsNet #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/4uKnl3DsrT

— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 15, 2023

Last season, the Aggies scratched out a 34-27 win in Logan, their second in a row over Air Force. In his first start in front of the Hurd, Cooper Legas completed 18-of-23 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns through the air, adding 76 yards on the ground. Brian Cobbs was the main beneficiary of Legas’ efficiency, catching eight passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. Terrell Vaughn also caught a touchdown pass. Calvin Tyler Jr. led the Aggies on the ground, scoring once on his way to 115 rushing yards in 19 carries.

The last meeting in Colorado Springs saw USU eke out a 49-45 win in 2021.

This will be the 12th meeting between the two programs and the 11th as Mountain West opponents. The Falcons hold a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series.

Aggie Depth Report

DT Hale Motu’apuaka and TE Broc Lane each returned against Idaho State
Both players were on limited snap counts. Anderson joked that they had to take both guys’ helmets and pads away to keep them off the field in the second half.
Anderson confirmed that sophomore linebacker Max Alford will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered against Iowa
In the weekly press conference, Anderson said the kicker William Testa and running back Robert Briggs are a little sore. Their availability against Air Force will be determined later in the week.

Falcons Worth Watching

Troy Calhoun leads Air Force in his 17th season with the academy, the fifth longest tenure in the country. Calhoun leads all active MW coaches with 72 wins and his 123 career victories lead all non-Power five head coaches.

Dig Deep ⏳#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/hKMGTAvC2K

— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 15, 2023

Offense

QB Zac Larrier

A two-time 200-meter conference champ at Monterey Trail HS in Ohio, Larrier had played in 11 career games before taking over as the Falcons starting QB in 2023.

Larrier enters this game averaging 82 rushing yards per contest, good for third in the MW. His 164 yards and two touchdowns on the ground lead Air Force this season. The Falcons have attempted just six passes in two games, completing three.

Air Force passing touchdown! Zac Larrier with a beaut to Jared Roznos for 84 yards and 6 points! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/k2BoawoMry

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 2, 2023

“The guy is probably the fastest guy on the field,” Blake Anderson cautioned. “Give him an inch and he’s gonna be gone.”

RB Owen Burk

Burk enters this game as the Falcons second-leading rusher with 112 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. He gained 72 yards on 18 carries last weekend against Sam Houston.

A senior from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Burk’s previous career-high of 36 yards rushing came last season against UNLV.

Defense

A traditionally strong unit, the Falcons have yet to be tested in games against Sam Houston and Robert Morris. Air Force has allowed just ten points this season while limiting opponents to less than 40 yards rushing and 80 yards passing per game this year.

“They’re built well and they’re coached well,” Blake Anderson said about the Falcons defense. “They’re going to be the best defense we’ve seen all year.”

S Trey Taylor

Taylor led Air Force with 69 tackles last season, adding two inceptions and four pass breakups along the way. Nominated for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, and the Chuck Bednarik Award, Taylor was also a preseason all-MW selection.

LB Bo Richter

A senior linebacker out of Naperville, IL, Richter played all over the field for Air Force last season. In 13 games including five starts, Richter played snaps at defensive end and both linebacker positions. He finished the year with 26 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss.

Against Sam Houston, Richter had four tackles and a career-high four sacks. His previous career high in TFLs came last season in the loss to Utah State.

LB Alec Mock

The senior linebacker started 11 games last season, finishing third on the team with 65 tackles. Mock collected a season-high 11 tackles against Sam Houston; it was his third career double-digit tackle game.

Alec Mock had 11 tackles, including six solo stops and a tackle for loss 😤

He led an @AF_Football defense that allowed just 80 yards of total offense, the fourth-lowest total by an Air Force opponent in program history ⚡️#AtThePEAK | #MWFB | #FlyFightWin pic.twitter.com/1J5XYRPTfD

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) September 11, 2023

He was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Bearkats.

Utah State Aggies (1-1) vs. Air Force Falcons (2-0)

Friday, September 15 – Falcon Stadium, Colorado Springs, CO

RADIO: Aggie Sports Network

• Scott Garrard & Kevin White

• KSL Sports Zone

T.V. – CBS Sports Network

• Alex Del Barrio, Robert Turbin, & Emily Proud

• Xfinity (Utah): Ch. 269/753HD

• DISH: Ch. 158

• DirecTV: Ch. 221

Following The Aggies With KSL Sports Zone

Utah State opens its Mountain West schedule against the Air Force Falcons on Friday, September 15. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT). USU defeated Air Force 34-27 last year at Maverik Stadium. The Falcons hold a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series.

Utah State football games are found on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard and former Aggie quarterback Kevin White (1988-89) on the call.

KSL Sports coverage of Utah State University Athletics can be found here.