Air Force Falcons football

College football team representing the United States Air Force Academy

The Air Force Falcons football program represents the United States Air Force Academy in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I A) level. Air Force has been a member of the Mountain West Conference since its founding in 1999. The Falcons play their home games at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Troy Calhoun has been the team's head coach since 2007. The three major service academies—Air Force, Army and Navy—compete for the Commander in Chief's Trophy which is awarded to the academy that defeats the others in football that year (or retained by the previous year's winner in the event of a three way tie).

The Falcons are not only recognized by the lightning bolt on the side of their helmets, but their traditional option attack. Air Force is one of the premier rushing teams in the nation. Since Fisher DeBerry took over as Falcons head coach in 1984, they have ranked among the nation's top 10 in rushing 19 times in 21 years. The Air Force football team has enjoyed success not only on the field but also in the classroom. In 49 years of Air Force football, there have been 39 Academic All Americans.

1985 was the most successful season in Air Force football history. Under 5th year coach Fisher DeBerry, the Falcons came within one win of playing for the national championship. They recorded 10 straight wins to start the season, climbed the polls to No. 2 in the nation, but lost to BYU 28–21 in the penultimate game of the regular season. Air Force rebounded with a bowl game win over Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished with a 12–1 record as the No. 5 ranked team in the nation.

In over 60 years of play in college football, the Falcons have had seven head coaches. 1955 Robert V. Whitlow 4–4 50.0 1956–1957 Buck Shaw 9–8–2 47.4 1958–1977 Ben Martin 96–103–9 46.2 1978 Bill Parcells 3–8 27.3 1979–1983 Ken Hatfield 26–32–1 44.1 1984–2006 Fisher DeBerry 169–107–1 61.0 2007–present Troy Calhoun 129–82 61.1

Home games are played in Falcon Stadium, which sits below the main campus at an elevation of 6621 feet (2018 m) above sea level. Falcon Stadium is the 2nd highest stadium in the FBS division, with only Wyoming's stadium at a higher elevation. Pre game activities include flyovers by USAF aircraft, including the F 15 and B 2. Opened in 1962, its highest attendance was 56,409 in 2002, when the Falcons hosted Notre Dame.

Beau Morgan: He became the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in a season twice. He broke the NCAA single season rushing record for a quarterback, along with being only the second player in NCAA history to run and pass for 3,000 yards in a career.

Academic All–Americans at Air Force. 1958Brock StromOT1959Rich MayoQB1960Rich MayoQBDon BaucomHB1967Ken ZagzebskiMGCarl JanssenOE1969Ernie JenningsWR1970Ernie JenningsWRBob ParkerQBPhil BaumanLB1971Darryl HaasLB/PBob HomburgDEJohn GriffithDT1972Gene OgilvieDEBob HomburgDEMark PrillMG1973Joe DebesOT1976Steve HoogWR1977Mack McCollumROV1978Steve HoogWRTom FoertschLBTim FydaDE1981Mike FranceLBKevin EwingROV1982Jeff KubiakP1983Jeff KubiakP1987Chad HenningsDTScott SalmonDBJames HeckerDB1988Scott SalmonDBDavid HlatkyOLJames HeckerDB1989Chris HowardHB1990Chris HowardHBJ. T. TokishLB1992Grant JohnsonLB1996Dustin TynerWRRashad PentonDB1997Rashad PentonDB1998Rashad PentonDB2003Ryan CarterDE2004Ryan CarterDE2018Garrett KauppilaDB

Air Force has a traditional rivalry against the other two FBS service academies, Army and Navy; the three play for the right to hold the Commander in Chief's Trophy. Air Force has won the trophy 21 times, more than either Army or Navy. Commander in Chief's Trophy Winners (AF Army Navy): 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989–1992, 1994, 1995, 1997–2002, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2022.

Air Force has played more games against Colorado State and Wyoming than any other school, having played each school 60 times since 1957, the Falcons' first season. Since 1980, the Falcons and Colorado State Rams have competed for the Ram–Falcon Trophy. Air Force holds a 27–15 advantage over Colorado State in games that the trophy has been contested in.

In 2019 Air Force renewed a rivalry with Colorado, winning at Folsom Field on Sept. 14 by a score of 30–23. The teams had not played since Oct. 5, 1974, a game that Colorado won by a score of 28–27. Air Force won the first meeting between the teams in 1958. The 1963 game between the two college football teams was postponed due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The 1973 game, the last one played in Boulder before the 2019 clash, was marred by a riot. Fans threw eggs and beer at Air Force personnel and cadets.

Below are Air Force's records against its top ten most played opponents since 1957. Colorado State 60 38 21 1 63.3 Nov 19, 2022 (W 24–12) Wyoming 60 30 27 3 50.0 Sep 16, 2022 (L 14–17) Army 57 38 18 1 66.7 Nov 5, 2022 (W 13–7) Navy 55 33 22 0 60.0 Oct 1, 2022 (W 13–10) New Mexico 40 26 14 0 65.0 Nov 12, 2022 (W 35–3) San Diego State 38 20 18 0 52.6 Nov 26, 2022 (W 13–3) BYU 30 7 23 0 23.3 Sep 11, 2010 (W 35–14) Notre Dame 30 6 24 0 20.0 Oct 26, 2013 (L 10–45) Utah 27 14 13 0 51.9 Oct 30, 2010 (L 23–28) UNLV 24 18 6 0 75.0 Oct 15, 2022 (W 42–17)