Colorado State (3-3, 1-0 in MW) at Air Force (1-5, 0-3 in MW)
When/where: 6 p.m. Saturday/Falcon Stadium
TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network/Rams Radio Network
BetMGM Line: CSU -7, O/U 46.5
Weather: 52 degrees, with intermittent rain showers
Three storylines
CSU’s hex-breaker: After beating San Jose State in Fort Collins last week, the Rams believe they’re ready to snap a seven-game losing streak to Air Force. In fact, AFA has won 15 of the last 17 games in the series. CSU has not won a game in Colorado Springs since 2002 when Bradlee Van Pelt quarterbacked the Rams to a 31-12 victory. That’s a futility streak of nine games at the Academy. With the Rams heading to the Pac-12 in 2026, this could be their final shot to win at Falcon Stadium for quite a while. Plus, these Falcons are not your father’s Falcons. Air Force hasn’t had a losing record since 2018 but has stumbled to an ugly 1-5 start.
Defense rests: The Falcons are coming off their best offensive performance of the season last Saturday in Albuquerque. They churned out a season-high 474 yards of total offense, including 325 yards rushing. Yet they still lost, 52-37, to New Mexico because their defense was blitzed. The Falcons forced a three-and-out on the Lobos’ opening possession, but the Lobos scored on their next seven possession and returned a punt for a touchdown. New Mexico scored 17 points in the third quarter to salt the game, fueled by Ian Sanders’ 31-yard touchdown run to give the Lobos a 45-17 lead.
Next man up: CSU star wide receiver Tory Horton was at practice this week, but only on the sidelines. His season and stellar college career ended last week vs. San Jose State when he suffered a knee injury. Horton’s 3,615 career receiving yards fell just 35 shy of breaking the conference record, held by CSU’s Rashard Higgins. Even though the Rams are running more and throwing less, they’ll need some young receivers to step up for QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Armani Winfield (15 receptions for 179 yards) could become his primary target. Winfield caught six passes for 108 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown, against San Jose State. Jamari Person (17 for 160) and Caleb Goodie (nine for 108) could also emerge.
Predictions
Patrick Saunders, sportswriter: CSU 38, Air Force 24
Was the Rams’ victory over San Jose State a turning point? Could be. They needed several players to come through and they did. Expect a big game from quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who discovered that rolling out of the pocket can yield yards rushing and throwing. The confidence will continue growing if CSU can finally capture a game in Colorado Springs. On the other hand, Air Force has not played Air Force football. It’s pretty shocking to see the Falcons at 1-5. After all, coach Troy Calhoun’s team has won 40 games over the past four full seasons.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: CSU 23, Air Force 21
Could the Runnin’ Rams vs. the Falcons’ triple option mean a two-and-a-half-hour tilt? The Zoomies actually bleed! And miss blocks! And muff tackles! Holy cow, Troy Calhoun really is mortal after all. History told us Air Force could return four starters and keep trucking. History lied. New Mexico has no defense to speak of, so a 20-point fourth quarter last weekend by the Academy, led by the QB combo of Quentin Hayes and Josh Johnson, might be fool’s gold. Or it could be the sign of a bad, rebuilding team turning the corner just at the exact wrong time for Rammies fans.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: CSU 27, Air Force 20
This is Jay Norvell’s third crack at taking down Air Force, and easily his best. Troy Calhoun’s Falcons, coming off a stunning 52-37 loss at New Mexico, haven’t been this vulnerable in years. Even with Tory Horton lost to season-ending surgery, the Rams have the more explosive offense and significantly more experience. CSU has unearthed a deadly run game with a deep stable of running backs, and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi has strung together a pair of productive games. If Norvell doesn’t get the Falcons now, he may never.
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