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With the college football season less than two full months away, it’s time to start diving into our team previews. As a long-time die-hard Air Force Falcons fan since September 2021, I was fortunate enough to offer my thoughts on the entire Mountain West Conference.
As the MWC sets to kick off another season, the Utah State Aggies prepare to defend their crown. You may remember last season that the Aggies used a high-flying passing attack led by now-departed wide receiver Deven Thompkins — who was second in the nation in receiving yards with a receiving line of 104-1722-10.
With Thompkins now trying to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster this offseason, and a few other key players departed, there are questions as to whether or not the Aggies can repeat as MWC conference champions. Their PointsBet odds currently sit +900 — the fifth-best conference championship odds of any MWC team.
With another exciting season set to get underway, let’s take a look at this year’s teams and see how this season could shape up.
2021 Team Results and Rankings
Air Force (+500)
Points Per Game: 31.0 (4th)
Points Allowed Per Game: 19.8 (2nd)
Total Yards: 5,509 (4th)
Total Yards Allowed: 3,857 (1st)
Passing Yards: 1,242 (12th)
Rushing Yards: 4,267 (1st)
After a 10-3 finish last season that was capped by a First Responder Bowl win over Louisville, the Falcons enter 2022 with high expectations. Head coach Troy Calhoun (111-75) enters his 16th year with the team as he looks to once again establish the run more than any other program in the nation.
The Falcons return eight starters on the offensive side of the ball — most notably quarterback Haaziq Daniels and running back Brad Roberts (299-1366-13). Daniels, as you may expect, won’t offer much as a passer, but was second on the team in rushing behind Roberts with a line of 155-808-11. Daniels threw for 1,184 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions, as the Falcons. Surprisingly, the Falcons ranked second in the nation in air yards per attempt (13.0) — often opting for the home run shots downfield whenever they did choose to take to the air.