AIR FORCE FALCONS (1-1, 0-1 Mountain West) Location: Air Force Academy, Colorado. Conference/Affiliation: Mountain West Head coach: Troy Calhoun (Air Force, 1989) Squad | Statistics | Match notes	AIR FORCE (1:1, 0:1 MWC) vs. BAYLOR (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) 14 September • 18:30 Waco, Texas • McLane Stadium (45,140) LIVE STATS: Stat transfer REGARD: FS1 Talent: Alex Faust (PBP), Robert Smith (Analyst) HEAR: Baylor Sports Media Network about ESPN 1660 AM / 92.3 FM in Central Texas and worldwide at centexsportsfan.com Talent: John Morris (PBP), JJ Joe (Analyst), Ricky Thompson (Sildeline) SIRIUSXM: SiriusXM 137 or 200 or via the SXM app Baylor Social Media:
	BAYLOR BEARS (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head coach: Dave Aranda (Cal. Lutheran, 1999) Squad | Statistics | Match notes (PDF)

WACO, Texas — The Baylor football team will face Air Force on Saturday at McLane Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on FS1 and broadcast live on the Baylor Sports Media Network.

Fans will be encouraged to wear black clothing to the stadium as part of a campaign called “Mission Black Ops,” and the Bears will wear their new charcoal gray jerseys to the game. The game will also serve as Baylor’s annual Salute to Service competition, featuring a pregame flyover by two F-16s, each piloted by alumni from the respective school. Additionally, Baylor will welcome back the 1974 Southwest Conference Champions, a historic group forever known in BU history as the “Miracle on the Brazos” team.

Baylor (1-1) faces Air Force (1-1, 1-1 Mountain West) in the first meeting since the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. It is the first meeting in the series since the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl, which was played in Fort Worth in a kickoff temperature of 13 degrees and in which the Falcons took the win.

Baylor suffered a 23-12 loss at No. 11 Utah on Saturday. The Utes used a field goal block for a touchdown and a fumble recovery at the three-yard line to secure the win. All of that happened in the first half. The Bears scored the game’s final 12 points but couldn’t hold on against the Utes’ strong defense.

Palmer Williams had the best game by a punter in program history, kicking the ball six times at Utah – all over 50 yards – for a 62.7-yard average, including long runs of 79 and 76 yards. He leads the nation with a 57.9-yard average.

Tracking the falcons

• After replacing a slew of key players from a nine-win season in 2023, Air Force enters 2024 1-1, with wins over Merrimack in the season finale and a 17-7 home loss to San Jose State last week.
• The Falcons, known for their furious running attack that is difficult to defend, average 154.5 yards per game running, 62.5 yards passing and 217 yards per game on offense in 2024. On defense, AF averages 11.5 points per game, 264.5 yards per game, 182.5 passing and 82 running.
• Owen Allen has rushed 20 times for 75 yards, while Cade Haris has three touchdowns on 13 carries and 61 yards. QB John Busha has thrown for 125 yards on 13 of 34 passes. Quin Smith has caught a ball four times for 48 yards. On defense, Grant Uyl has 13 tackles, including two for a loss. Payton Zdroik has two sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
• The Falcons are led by head coach Troy Calhoun, who has led Air Force since 2007 after spending one year as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator. He served as OC at Wake Forest and Ohio State and also worked with QBs at Ohio State. He is the first Air Force Academy graduate to serve as a head coach and has led Air Force to five 10-plus win seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2021 and 2022, an 11-2 mark in 2019 and 10-3 records in 2016 and 2014. Air Force has appeared in 13 bowls under Calhoun.
• Calhoun is assisted by Charlie Jackson, assistant head coach and DB coach; Tim Horton, special teams coordinator; Brian Knorr, defensive coordinator; and Mike Thiessen, offensive coordinator.
• Nathan Pine is in his seventh year as AD at Air Force after previously serving as AD at Holy Cross from 2013-18. Pine is active on the NCAA Baseball Committee and previously served on the NCAA Rifle Committee and in two roles in FCS football. He prepped as an assistant AD at Maryland and also spent four years at the U.S. Military Academy and five years at Oregon State, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.
• Pine will be assisted by Executive Director of Athletics Jen Block, a San Antonio native who served as an AD in the Air Force from April 2018 to February 2019 and as Interim Executive Director of Athletics from January 2019 until her retirement as an active-duty colonel in April 2019.

LAST MEETING

• Air Force won the last meeting 30-15, played in the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. The game started in 13 degrees and a wind chill of minus 1, making it the coldest college football bowl game in the sport’s history.
• Air Force had a strong game with QB Haaziq Daniels throwing for 103 yards, rushing for 81 yards and scoring two touchdowns to lead the Falcons to a 10-3 season. AF scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter after building a 9-0 lead with two first-quarter drives. BU QB Blake Shaping was 11 of 23 for 188 yards and two scores and Baylor held the total offense to 230 yards.

SERIES HISTORY

• Baylor will face Air Force for the fourth time in its history and the first time since the 2022 Armed Force Bowl, where the AF won 30-15.
• This is the first meeting in Waco since a 38-7 win in Waco in 1977. The teams have played two games in Waco and once in Colorado Springs, with the Bears winning all three games by a combined score of 79-17.
• The series began in 1961 with a 31-7 victory over Air Force in Waco.

BAYLOR FALLS TO UTAH NO. 11/11

• The Bears lost for the first time this year, 23-12, at No. 11 Utah on Sept. 7 in Salt Lake City.
• Baylor fell behind 23-0 in the first half when Utah used a blocked field goal for a touchdown and a fumble recovery at the three-yard line to take an early, almost unassailable lead. The Bears, however, battled back thanks to the strength of the Dave Aranda Defense, outscored Utah 12-0 the rest of the game and barely held the Utes offense in check.
• Baylor could not maintain its offensive success against Utah’s strong defense, but saw Dawson Pendergrass ran nine times for 69 yards and Josh Cameron scored the first touchdown pass of his career with a 47-yard pass in the third quarter.
• On defense, Baylor’s elite inside linebacker group of Keaton Thomas And Matt Jones Each of them had double-digit tackles, with Thomas setting a career high with 12.

BAYLOR HONORS 1974 SWC CHAMPIONS

• Baylor football will honor the team that won the 1974 Southwest Conference Championship during halftime of its game against Air Force on Sept. 14 at McLane Stadium.
• The Bears welcome members of the 1974 Miracle on the Brazos team to face the Falcons at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on FS1 and presented by Premier ER + Urgent Care. The game doubles as Baylor Family Weekend and Salute to Service contest.
• “Honoring this legendary group will be a wonderful opportunity for the Baylor family,” said Mack Rhoades IV, Baylor’s vice president of intercollegiate athletics. “The 50th anniversary of this historic team is an opportunity for us to celebrate the tremendous impact they have had on our university and community. I look forward to connecting with these Baylor greats and hearing their many personal stories about a team that has undeniably shaped the Baylor fan base for generations to come.”
• The Bears went 8-4 and 6-1 in league, winning the conference title, later advancing to the Cotton Bowl and finishing the season ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press poll. Led by coach Grant Teaff in his third season, the Bears overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit to win with a thrilling 34-24 comeback victory over Texas.
• In 1974, Baylor beat No. 12 Oklahoma State, Florida State, No. 14 Arkansas, TCU, No. 12 Texas, No. 20 Texas Tech, SMU and Rice. Teaff was named AFCA Coach of the Year for a performance that helped the Bears go from a winless SWC game in 1973 to league champions in 1974. Six players from the team were named All-Southwest Conference, including All-Americans Aubrey Schulz (offensive line) and Derrel Luce (linebacker).

BEST PUNTING GAME IN SCHOOL HISTORY

• In the loss to Utah (No. 11/11) on September 7, Baylor’s sophomore Palmer Williams recorded the best game in program history for a punter.
• A native of Advance, North Carolina, Williams punted six times, with each punt going over 50 yards, including two inside the 20-yard line and one that bounced off the goal-line post. He re-set his career high four times, including punts of 57, 60, 76 and 79 yards. His average of 62.7 yards per punt marked a new single-game record in Baylor history.
• Williams became the first Bear to punt over 70 yards since Drew Galitz on Sept. 16, 2017, and Williams now leads the nation with a 57.9-yard punt average for the season, more than seven yards better than the next-ranked punter.

BAYLOR WILL WEAR NEW UNIFORMS AGAINST THE AIR FORCE

• Baylor will wear its new charcoal gray uniform against Air Force, and fans are encouraged to wear black at McLane Stadium.
• The all-new charcoal uniform variation features unique elements, including nods to special uniform combinations from the past. The front of the jersey features “BAYLOR” on the chest and the numbers in gold. The sleeves of the jersey feature a bear claw print, a nod to the 2013-14 Big 12 Championship teams. The pants feature a subtle stripe, a change from the sharp green/white/gold stripes of the base uniform pants. The front bumper of the helmet also features a bear head on the charcoal uniform. Green, gold and white make up Baylor’s base uniform, and the alternate combination is intended as a complementary option.