Run-Heavy Falcons Big Favorites Over Utah State

Written By Ian St. Clair on 09/15/2021 - Last Updated on September 17, 2021
Utah State Air Force football betting odds

If you’re looking for flash and high-flying offense, the Air Force football team is not for you.

That is a little ironic given it is the Air Force Academy, but still.

From Fisher DeBerry to Troy Calhoun, you know to expect the Falcons to run an offense you would likely see in the 1940s. That means very little passing and a lot of rushing. Typically in a wishbone-esque offense where you have two running backs and a run-first quarterback.

To give you an idea of how run-heavy the Air Force offense is, in 2021, in its 23-3 win over Navy, quarterback Haaziq Daniels completed three passes on just 10 attempts.

The Falcons are old school, and it works.

Air Force is 2-0 on the season and will look to remain unblemished when it takes on Utah State at 5:30 p.m. MT on Saturday at Falcons Stadium. The Aggies are also 2-0, which is why it is this week’s PlayColorado College Football Game of the Week.

Utah State vs Air Force odds

 

The college football betting odds have the Falcons as a big -point favorite. You would think that since both teams are 2-0, and given whom the Aggies have beaten, the line would be closer.

Utah State has defeated Washington State and perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.

The fact the spread is that large says a lot about Air Force.

The other betting market to keep an eye on is the over/under. That number is currently at .

As noted earlier, the Falcons may not pass that much but their offense can still rack up the points. Since 2016, Air Force has scored 30 or more points 33 times. Take that for what it’s worth if you think about betting the over/under on Saturday.

While Colorado does allow fans to bet on the in-state teams, unlike Illinois and Virginia, the state does not allow college football prop bets.

How the Falcons get the win

This will sound simple, like Air Force’s offense, but it’s true. Do what the Falcons have done the first two games of the season. Run the ball and keep the Utah State offense on the sideline.

If the Falcons can run the ball consistently and effectively, they need to finish drives with touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, limit the big plays and force turnovers.

The best way to do that is to make the Aggies one-dimensional on offense. Of course, building a lead will help in that regard, but take away running back Calvin Tyler Jr. and the rushing attack.

That helps set up the defense to contain, pressure and make plays on the Logan Bonner-led passing attack.

When you watch and bet on the Air Force football team, you know not to expect anything flashy.

But it’s effective. It’s old school, and could help the Falcons start the season 3-0.

For a team that Colorado online sportsbooks pegged at 6.5 wins coming into the season, as DeBerry would say, “We’ll take it, dadgummit.”

Photo by AP / Jason E. Miczek
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Ian St. Clair

Ian is an award-winning sports journalist and a University of Northern Colorado graduate. He’s a Colorado native and has over a decade of experience covering college and professional athletics. He broke into the gambling industry right as Colorado launched legal sports betting in 2020. Ian now manages the sites for some of the biggest gambling markets in North America and is an analyst for PlayColorado.

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