Air Force hosts Oregon State on Saturday, the result of a schedule agreement with the Mountain West and Oregon State/Washington State this year after the disbanding of the rest of the Pac-12.

HOW TO WATCH

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Falcon Stadium

TV/stream: CBS Sports Network — in Colorado Springs on DirecTV 221, Dish Network 158 and Xfinity/Comcast 170/846 as well as through the CBS Sports streaming devices

Broadcast crew: Jordan Kent (play-by-play), Logan Ryan (analyst), Tina Cervasio (sidelines)

Radio: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver, SIRIUS 383

Air Force broadcast crew: Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)

WHAT I’LL BE WATCHING

The Gazette’s Brent Briggeman identifies areas he’ll be tracking during the game.

Number of possessions

Oregon State leads the nation in time of possession (35:06). Air Force ranks sixth (33:01) and is coming off a game in which it had the ball for more than 45 minutes. If this holds and the teams drain the clock with long drives, this could well come down to an empty possession from either side. Maybe it’s a blocked kick (too soon, Broncos fans?), of which Air Force has one this year.

Air Force’s passing game

The Falcons had shown signs of improvement throughout the season, but finally put together the best showing from the offensive line/running game last week in running for 358 yards. What hasn’t been there this season with any kind of consistency in the passing game. As Quentin Hayes grows more comfortable running the offense, that will be something to track.

Talent disparity

Oregon State has long belonged to the Pac-12, landing Power Five recruits. This year the Pac-12 has dropped to just two teams — Oregon State and Washington State — so the Power Conference label no longer fits. But these are still players who signed on for that level. It will be interesting to see if that shows up in play in the trenches or in talent at the skill spots. Or maybe it doesn’t show up at all.

BY THE NUMBERS

2

Schools in the nation that have their head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators all at their alma maters – Air Force: Troy Calhoun (HC), Mike Thiessen (OC) and Brian Knorr (DC); Oregon State – Trent Bay (HC), Ryan Gunderson (OC) and Keith Heyward (DC).

42

Air Force players who have made the first starts of their careers this season, by far the most nationally. Troy, with 26, ranks second.

53

Career starts for Oregon State left guard Joshua Gray, a program record. Air Force’s projected starting offensive line for Saturday has a combined 33 career starts — a number that would drop to 24 if center Costen Cooley, who left last week’s game with an injury, doesn’t play.

116

Rushing first downs for Oregon State this season, the fifth-most in the nation. The four teams ahead of the Beavers have coupled that with an average of 71 passing first downs, while Oregon State has 82.

257

Career points for Air Force placekicker Matthew Dapore, the most in program history after he passed Luke Strebel last week. Dapore, the reigning Mountain West special teams player of the week, will look to tack on to his record in his final home game.