Air Force Falcons Join List of Two Win Teams, Climb Out of Cellar

The Air Force Falcons are no longer one of the few teams with one or fewer wins on the year.

Nov 2, 2024; West Point, New York, USA; The Air Force Falcons stand for their alma mater after a 20-3 loss against the Army Black Knights at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

For the first time since August 31st, the Air Force Falcons added another tally to their win column with their 36-28 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs.

It marked only the second time this year that the Falcons have scored more than 20 points in a single game, and their second-most scoring output with their first being 37 points in a losing effort to the New Mexico Lobos.

The win Saturday moves Air Force out of the group of (now) five teams with one or fewer wins this year, a list that includes the Florida State Seminoles and the Purdue Boilermakers and has seen a slight rise in their stock.

In the latest rendition of the college football power rankings from Chris Vannini for The Athletic, the Falcons have risen to 126th place, a five-spot improvement from last week's rank of 131st.

The win Saturday was in doubt at the half, as the Bulldogs went to the locker room with a 21-17 lead, but Air Force would come out of the locker room strong in the second half, outscoring the opposition 19-7.

It was a tale of two rushing attacks, with the Falcons moving the ball on the ground with ease while Fresno State was not able to get anything going in that facet.

Air Force's defense allowed a total of 284 yards, with 289 coming through the air, and -5 coming on the ground.

The Falcons put up 344 rushing yards, leading to a very lopsided time of possession battle, having the ball for 45:08 while the Bulldogs only had it for 14:52.

Running back Dylan Carson (120 yards and one touchdown on 33 attempts) and quarterback Quentin Hayes (91 yards and two touchdowns on 25 attempts) were the two leaders of Air Force's rushing attack, both gaining 90 or more yards, while wide receiver Cade Harris (47 yards on four attempts) and running back Owen Allen (45 yards on 10 attempts) gave the team two more guys that rushed for 40 or more yards.

The Falcons now rank fourth in the Mountain West Conference with 202.7 yards per game, behind only the Lobos (237.8), the UNLV Rebels (248.7), and the Boise State Broncos (268.6).

It has been a season to forget for Air Force, though it does not get much harder down the stretch as their three remaining opponents hold a combined 3-19 record on the year.