Utah State and Air Force will have the honor of playing the first game in conference play for the Mountain West. In a week where a lot of the conference is taking an early bye, the Aggies and Falcons will start determining the fate of their league season with this Week 3 matchup. It’ll be a battle of two teams looking for a rebound season, with this being the first meaningful measuring stick for both teams this season.
Here’s all the information you’ll need, basic game info to player availability, quick stats and predictions from Cache Valley Media Group staff.
Game Info:
- Kickoff: 7:55 p.m. (Mountain Time)
- Location: Merlin Olsen Field (Logan, UT)
- TV Broadcast/Stream: FS1
- Radio: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM)
KVNU Aggie Gameday pregame show with Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker: Begins 5:45 p.m. on 102.1 FM, 610 AM
KVNU Aggie Call Postgame: Starts immediately after Coach Bronco Mendenhall’s post-game comments.
- Text (435) 554-1175 or call (435) 753-5868 during the pregame or postgame show to give your thoughts and reactions for the game.
Availability Report
The following is taken from the official availability report released by both teams as required by the Mountain West Conference. An updated report will be on the conference’s website three hours prior to kickoff.
Utah State Availability Report (Week 3)
| Player | Position | Status (Duration) |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Faiivae | TE | Questionable |
| Dylan Sprague | P | Questionable |
| Chase Tuatagaloa | TE | Questionable |
| Trey Andersen | OL | OUT (Full Game) |
| Chika Ebunoha | S | OUT (Full Game) |
| Camden Jury | OL | OUT (Full Game) |
| Cole Keele | DT | OUT (Full Game) |
| Tre Kofe | RB | OUT (Full Game) |
| Ravian Larry | RB | OUT (Full Game) |
| Ike Larsen | S | OUT (Full Game) |
| Breaker Mendenhall | S | OUT (Full Game) |
| Enoka Migao | DE | OUT (Full Game) |
| Jackson Olsen | WR | OUT (Full Game) |
| Jared Pele | OL | OUT (Full Game) |
| Jared Smith | OL | OUT (Full Game) |
| Corey Thompson Jr. | WR | OUT (Full Game) |
| Caysen Whittaker | OL | OUT (Full Game) |
| Sampson Alofipo | LB | OUT (Season) |
| Jonathan Baird | LB | OUT (Season) |
| Blake Barnes | LB | OUT (Season) |
| Demick Starling | WR | OUT (Season) |
| Clyde Tualapapa | RB | OUT (Season) |
Air Force Availability Report (Week 3)
| Player | Position | Status (Duration) |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Averitt | C | Questionable |
| Daniel Grobe | DL | Questionable |
| Kemper Hodges | FB | Questionable |
| Andrew Tillett | DL | Questionable |
| Luke Vonderhaar | OL | Questionable |
| Jonah Bowman | LB | OUT (Full Game) |
| Dallas Daley | LB | OUT (Full Game) |
| Jonah Dawson | WR | OUT (Full Game) |
| Zach Juckel | LB | OUT (Full Game) |
Offense and Defense Rankings
FEI Adjusted Offensive Efficiency
- Utah State: 85th
- Air Force: 84th
FEI Adjusted Defensive Efficiency
- Utah State: 123th
- Air Force: 81st
Stat Leaders
Passing Leaders
- Utah State: Bryson Barnes — 34/58 (58.6%), 409 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
- Air Force: Josh Johnson — 4/9 (57.1%), 112 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing Leaders
- Utah State: Miles Davis — 22 attempts, 138 yards (6.3 yds/att), 1 TD
- Air Force: Cade Harris — 8 attempts, 66 yards (8.3 yds/att), 2 TD
Receiving Leaders
- Utah State: Brady Boyd — 9 receptions, 118 yards (13.1 yds/rec), 0 TD
- Air Force: Cade Harris — 3 receptions, 83 yards (27.7 yds/rec), 1 TD
Defensive Leaders
- Utah State: John Miller — 17 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 3.0 Sacks
- Air Force: Blake Fletcher — 11 tackles
History of Utah State vs Air Force
- All-Time Series: Air Force leads 7-5
- Series During MW era: Air Force leads 6-5
- Most Recent Meeting: Sept. 15, 2023 (Air Force won 39-21)
Quick Facts to Know
- Utah State has started conference play with a game against Air Force for the seventh time in the 13 seasons the Aggies have been in the Mountain West.
- Utah State is 4-2 when playing Air Force as its conference opener.
- Utah State leads the FBS in successful two-point conversions, having converted three this season.
- Air Force is on a five-game winning streak dating back to the end of last season
Game Prediction
Here are the score predictions from Cache Valley Media Group staff, including Eric Frandsen and Jason Walker of the Full Court Press (4-6 p.m. weekdays on 106.9 FM, 1390 AM The FAN), along with Craig Hislop of KVNU, and Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker of the KVNU Aggie Gameday pregame show. Included are the season record and prediction metric score for each individual. The prediction score is on a scale of 0-1.
Eric Frandsen (2-0, .680 prediction score) — Utah State wins 26-23
Jason Walker (2-0, .760 prediction score) — Utah State wins 25-23
Stockton Jewkes (2-0, .530 prediction score) — Utah State wins 31-27
J.D. Walker (1-1, .480 prediction score) — Utah State wins 31-14
