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Air Force keeps bowl hopes alive at San Jose State, now turns focus to UConn

By November 9, 2025 | updated 1 month ago

Air Force quarterback Liam Szarka (9) runs for a one-yard touchdown against San Jose State during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)

Air Force is playing for more than bowl eligibility. It is playing for more time.

“I think everybody’s goal is to go 4-0 and just keep this team together in an extra game,” junior fullback Owen Allen said following a 26-16 victory at San Jose State, the first of those hoped-for four wins.

Six wins is the magic number for bowl eligibility and Air Force (3-6) can’t afford another loss. The possibility could exist to get in as a filler team at 5-7, but the safer route is to close with three more wins.

“Our mentality is it’s a four-week playoff,” senior receiver Quin Smith said. “We’ve got to win every game, got to win out, and give us a shot at possibly a bowl game. That’s the goal.”

Saturday’s win was a huge step in that direction. Facing the No. 1 passing team in the nation with a defense that has struggled to stop the pass, the Falcons made two interceptions, recovered a fumble, picked up a safety and held a third consecutive opponent to 21 points or fewer.

It wasn’t a perfect showing. The six penalties for 53 yards were uncharacteristic for the team and killed multiple drives. The pass defense was hardly of the shutdown variety, as San Jose State threw for 341 yards. Offensively the team started with two three-and-out possessions and completed 50% of its 10 pass attempts for 41 yards.

But the Falcons made the plays when needed and received massive contributions in every phase.

“It’s a big confidence booster for the whole team, offense, defense, special teams, we all executed,” senior cornerback Levi Brown said.

There would be precedent to a 4-0 finish, as the Falcons did it last year after a 1-7 start.

Next up – a trip to Connecticut – is the most puzzling challenge of this finishing stretch.

Air Force has never played UConn (7-3), an NCAA independent in the midst of a strong season under coach Jim Mora that has included wins over Boston College and Duke. All three of the Huskies losses – at Syracuse, at Delaware and at Rice – have come in overtime.

UConn is averaging 456.7 yards per game – 300.5 passing and 156.2 rushing. Quarterback Joe Fagnana has thrown for 2,840 yards with 25 touchdowns and no interceptions and the team has a 1,000-yard receiver (Skyler Bell – 85 catches for 1,081 yards and 13 touchdowns) and a running back headed toward that milestone (Cam Edwards – 866 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns).

According to the Sagarin Ratings, UConn (No. 71) will be the second-best team Air Force has played this season behind only No. 56 Boise State. Those rankings have UConn lumped closely with Hawaii (75) and UNLV (77) and just a notch ahead of Navy (88) and Army (89), all teams that have defeated Air Force this season, albeit in close games.

Despite their success, the Huskies rank 106th in rushing defense and 120th in opponents’ first downs, which could play into the strengths of an Air Force team striving for a specific goal.

“I think the goal,” Allen said, “is just to keep this group of guys together as long as possible.”

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Brent Briggeman

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