Air Force Falcons Continue Climb Out of Power Rankings Cellar After Victory

The Air Force Falcons have won two games in a row and that has an impact on how they're seen across college football.

Nov 2, 2024; West Point, New York, USA; Air Force Falcons offensive lineman Michael McAninch (71) celebrates a field goal against the Army Black Knights during the first half at Michie Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

For the second time in as many weeks, the Air Force Falcons hung a "W" on the board with their 28-0 shutout of the Oregon State Beavers.

It was the best showing the Falcons have put on the field this year, and only the second time in 10 tries that they have held an opponent to 10 or fewer points. It's the first time that they held an opponent scoreless in 2024.

While bowl eligibility is out of the question with a 3-7 overall record, the season is still somewhat salvageable should they continue to win.

They have begun that reclamation project with their two most recent victories, the beginning of a winning streak, and it has seen their stock in the eyes of the nation rise.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic released the latest iteration of his weekly college football power rankings Monday morning, and Air Force climbed from 126th in last week's, to 123rd this week.

They do still have a long way to go to climb into the top 100, but they can continue toward that this week with their contest against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday.

The Wolf Pack enter the week with a 3-8 overall record. They currently hold a four-game losing streak that has seen them be outscored 124-76, though they have scored 21 points in three of the four contests.

The two teams set for battle Saturday share four common opponents this year ahead of this week in the San Jose State Spartans, the Beavers, the Fresno State Bulldogs, and the Colorado State Rams. The Falcons played to a 2-2 record against those teams, with wins over the Bulldogs and Oregon State, while Nevada played to a 1-3 record against those opponents with their lone win coming in a 42-37 shootout with the Beavers.

Air Force will need to prepare for the dual threat fifth-year junior quarterback Brendon Lewis, who has passed for 1,730 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions on 162 of 240 passing while adding 692 yards rushing with eight touchdowns on 128 attempts.

It is a tough matchup that the Falcons are facing on Saturday, but with the way they have played over their last two contest, a loss is not set in stone. The program will just need to buckle down and lock Lewis up from the start of the game to give themselves their best opportunity at extending their win streak.