3:40 pm
September 10

Colorado @ Air Force

Who will WIN this matchup?

Colorado Buffaloes (0-1)

@ Air Force Falcons (1-0)

 

Current odds:

Colorado Buffaloes: (+631)

Air Force Falcons: (-1111)

 

• The spread for this game is Air Force by 18 points.

• The two institutions are separated by less than 90 miles but the Colorado Buffaloes will drive to the Colorado Springs area to visit the Air Force Academy for the first time in nearly half a century Saturday. The teams met regularly before ending the in-state series following the game in 1974 and didn’t play again until the Falcons traveled to Boulder in 2019. Air Force won that one in a 30-23 overtime thriller.

• Both teams played on opening weekend with very different outcomes. Air Force (1-0) handled Northern Iowa, 48-17, while the Buffaloes (0-1) lost to TCU at home 38-13 on Sept. 2.

• In the loss to TCU, the Buffs trailed just 7-6 at halftime and were still within reach at 17-6 after three quarters before they collapsed under three fourth-quarter Horned Frog touchdowns.

• It was an ominous start for head coach Karl Dorrell and his staff, which is trying to get the Buffaloes back to their glory days. While he didn’t announce a starting quarterback during the week, multiple outlets reported Saturday that Tennessee transfer J.T. Shrout will start against Air Force. Returnee Brendon Lewis started against the Horned Frogs but threw for just 78 yards before Shrout came on in the second half in his Colorado debut. Shrout passed for 157 yards and produced Colorado’s lone TD drive of the game, but Dorrell has not publicly committed to a starter.

• The Falcons are used to playing Power Five opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. They are 5-9 in those games and have won their last three, including a win over Louisville in the First Responder Bowl last December.

• Against Northern Iowa, the Falcons had 582 yards rushing and threw only six passes (completing three for 109 yards and a touchdown). Brad Roberts gained 114 yards and Haaziq Daniels 107 as 16 different players carried the ball for Air Force, which led 31-3 after three quarters.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Air Force Falcons
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