Air Force goes to Baylor having won its last 5 games against power conference teams

Air Force (1-1) at Baylor (1-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Baylor by 14 1/2.

Series record: Baylor leads 3-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Air Force has won the last five games it has played against power conference teams, the most recent being 30-15 over Baylor in the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl when it was 13 degrees and breezy at kickoff in Fort Worth, Texas. Both teams are coming off losses, with the Falcons falling 17-7 at home against San Jose State and Baylor losing 23-12 at 12th-ranked Utah in a game that didn’t count in the Big 12 standings. The Bears fell behind 23-0 after a lost fumble set the Utes up at the 3 and a 77-yard TD return of a blocked field goal.

KEY MATCHUP

Baylor defense against the Air Force offense, though the Falcons’ vaunted rushing game hasn’t really gotten on track with 10 new starters on offense this season. They were were the national rushing leaders three seasons in a row, from 2020-22, and second last year with 281.5 yards per game. At 154.5 yards a game this season, they are eighth in the Mountain West Conference and 72nd nationally. Air Force rushed for 276 yards in that bowl game against Baylor.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Air Force: Junior nose guard Payton Zdorik has a sack in both games this season, and a tackle for loss in five consecutive games.

Baylor: Keaton Thomas, a former defensive back now playing linebacker, is Baylor’s leading tackler with 19, and also has an interception. He had 12 tackles against Utah.

FACTS & FIGURES

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham are the only active FBS coaches with more wins at the same school than Troy Calhoun’s 131 in his 19 seasons at Air Force. The only coaches at their schools longer are Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (26th season), and Gundy and Whittingham, both in their 20th season. ... Baylor punter Palmer Williams leads the nation with a 57.9-yard average after all six punts at Utah went more than 50 yards. That included kicks of 79 and 76 yards. ... Air Force’s previous trips to Waco were in 1961 and 1977, which was the teams’ last regular-season meeting.

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