Air Force visits UNLV on Saturday in the first meeting since the teams emerged as the flagship programs for the Mountain West as it braces to move forward after five member teams depart following this season.

Air Force (1-4, 0-3 Mountain West) at UNLV (5-0, 1-0)

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. MT Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

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: Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Robert Turbin (analyst), Tiffany Blackmon (sideline)

Radio: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, Varsity App, SIRIUS 385

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.

The breaks in a close game

UNLV is unbeaten, but by a thin margin. The Rebels scored two touchdowns on a blocked punt in a 14-point win at Wyoming last week and scored the final 13 points of the game to squeak past Miami (Ohio) in a 41-38 victory in their previous game. Two of the other wins came by one touchdown. Air Force is on the opposite end, seeing games that were close in the second half slip away in four consecutive weeks. Will these fortunes change on Saturday?

Third down

Air Force’s defensive struggles have included issues on third down, as the opponents’ 55% conversion rate puts the Falcons 132^nd nationally in that category. UNLV has been strong in that category offensively, converting 49.2% of the time (23^rd nationally and behind only Air Force’s 53.3% in the Mountain West). If the Falcons are going to improve on defense, they have to start getting off the field more frequently with stops on third down.

Air Force’s wide receiver depth

Tre Roberson (knee) is out for the game and, in all likelihood, the season. Now Air Force has included Quin Smith on the availability report as questionable. Sophomore Jonah Dawson, a former three-star recruit, filled in last week at Navy by making a spectacular 53-yard touchdown reception the first time he was targeted in college. Given how much the Falcons have utilized tight end Bruin Fleischmann this season and with slot receiver Cade Harris an ever-present threat, this might not prove to be a concern. But in a season that Air Force has utilized the passing game so effectively they need all potential weapons at their disposal.

BY THE NUMBERS

-0.4

Air Force’s turnover margin this season, 91^st nationally. Conversely, UNLV is at 1.6, second-best in the country. The Rebels have intercepted nine passes this year, trailing only Louisiana Tech’s 11.

11

Consecutive runs by fullback Brad Roberts on the opening drive of the second half during Air Force’s 42-7 win at UNLV in 2022, the last time the team visited Las Vegas. Roberts, who led the nation in rushing that year, has long-since graduated and UNLV, which went on to hire coaches Barry Odom and Dan Mullen, has since transformed its program. Still, it’s a reminder of the way the Falcons like to exert their dominance in the run game and will certainly try to do again if they find success up the middle.

35

Days between home games for UNLV, which last played at home when it defeated UCLA 30-23 on Sept. 6. The Rebels, who played two games in August, have been idle in two of the past three weeks.

38

Average number of points scored by the winning team in the 25 meetings between Air Force and UNLV. The Falcons lead the series 18-7.

134

Average rushing yards for Air Force quarterback Liam Szarka over the past three games. He has four rushing touchdowns in that span and has a run for at least 61 yards in the past two games.

245.3

Average passing yards for Szarka during that stretch. He has thrown for six touchdowns in those three games. He has a completion for at least 68 yards in each of the three contests.