THE GAME
• Air Force takes on James Madison in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Saturday, Dec. 23, at 1:30 p.m. MT at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Air Force is playing in its seventh Armed Forces Bowl (2007, 08, 09, 12, 15, 22, 23), the most appearances in any bowl in school history. The seven appearances are the most by any team in the bowl’s history.
• Air Force is playing in its 30th bowl game overall. The Falcons are 15-13-1 all-time.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Television: ABC
• Radio: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver,
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)
National: Brian Estridge (play-by-play), Landry Burdine (analyst), Chris Mycoskie (sideline)
• Live Stats: airforce.statbroadcast.com

GENERAL INFORMATION
Category………………………  Air Force …………………………………………… Opponent
2023 Record…………………. 8-4 (5-3 MW/T4th)……………………………… 11-1 (7-1 Sun Belt/1st ED)
Current Streak………………. L 4……………………………………………………. W 1
Rankings (AP/Coaches)…… — / –………………………………………………..24th / 25th
Last Game…………………….  L 27-19 at Boise State…………………………W 56-14 at Coastal Carolina

Head Coach………………….. Troy Calhoun………………………………………Damian Wroblewski (Acting)
Alma Mater (Yr)………….. Air Force (1989)………………………………… Lafayette College (1999)
School Record…………….129-82 (17th season)…………………………. 0-0 (5th season)
Career Record……………..Same……………………………………………….. 0-0 (25th season

Location………………………. Colorado Springs, CO……………………………. Harrisonburg, VA
Website……………………….  GoAirForceFalcons.com…………………………  JMUSports.com
Conference………………….. Mountain West……………………………………     Sun Belt

AIR FORCE BOWL HISTORY
• Air Force is playing in its 30th bowl game. The Falcons are 15-13-1 all-time.
• The Falcons have earned a bowl bid 13 times in Head Coach Troy Calhoun‘s 17 seasons. Air Force is 7-5 in bowls under Calhoun.
• Air Force has won four straight bowl games, dating back to the 2016 Cheez-It Bowl.

AIR FORCE PLAYING IN SEVENTH ARMED FORCES BOWL
• Air Force is playing in its seventh Armed Forces Bowl (2007, 08, 09, 12, 15, 22, 23), the most appearances in any bowl in school history. The seven appearances is the most by any team in the bowl’s history.
• The Falcons are 2-4 all-time in the Armed Forces Bowl.
• This season marks the second time the Falcons have played in consecutive Armed Forces Bowls, as the program played in the game from 2007-09.
• Air Force snapped a two-game losing streak in the bowl with last season’s 30-15 win over Baylor. Air Force defeated Houston, 47-20, in 2009 to record its only other victory in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Air Force’s all-time Armed Forces Bowl results 
Year       Opponent           Result
2007      California             L 36-42
2008      Houston               L 28-34
2009      Houston              W 47-20
2012      Rice                     L 14-33
2015      California             L 36-55
2022      Baylor                  W 30-15

Air Force All-Time Bests in Armed Forces Bowl
Rushing
Carries: 37, Brad Roberts vs. Baylor, 2022
Yards: 173, Jared Tew vs. Houston, 2009
TDs: 2, 3 Times, Most Recent: Brad Roberts vs. Baylor, 2022

Passing
Comps: 10, Tim Jefferson vs. Houston, 2009
Atts: 14, Tim Jefferson vs. Houston, 2008, 2009; Karson Roberts vs. California, 2015
Yards: 161, Tim Jefferson vs. Houston, 2009
TDs: 2, Karson Roberts vs. California, 2015

Receiving
Catches: 5, Jalen Robinette vs. California, 2015
Yards: 89, Kevin Fogler vs. Houston, 2009
TDs: 1, Multiple Times, Most Recent: Caleb Rillos vs. Baylor, 2022

Tackles
UT: 12, Chris Thomas vs. Houston, 2008
Total: 16, Chris Thomas vs. Houston, 2008

BOWL FACTS
• Air Force has won four straight and five of its last six bowl games.
• This is Air Force’s 10th bowl overall and third straight in the state of Texas.
• Air Force is 2-4 in bowl games at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
• BRINGING THE BLUE: Air Force has averaged 41,165 in attendance in six previous Armed Forces Bowl games.

Armed Forces Bowl Attendance with Air Force
Year          Attendance
2007 ……….. 40,905
2008 ……….. 41,127
2009 ……….. 41,414
2012 ……….. 40,754
2015 ……….. 38,915
2022………… 43,875
Totals…… 246,990
Average… 41,165

THE SERIES
• Air Force and James Madison are meeting for the first time.

AIR FORCE VS. SUN BELT CONFERENCE
• Air Force is 4-0 vs. teams from the Sun Belt (at the time of the game).
• Air Force is 1-0 vs. the Sun Belt in bowl games.
• Air Force’s last meeting vs. a Sun Belt team came vs. South Alabama in the 2016 Arizona Bowl, resulting in a 45-21 win.

ABOUT JAMES MADISON
• James Madison is a first-year FBS program. Athletics sponsors 18 intercollegiate sports. The Dukes compete in the Sun Belt in football. JMU won the East Division of the Sun Belt with a 7-1 record, but were not eligible to participate in the conference championship game. JMU’s only loss came to App State, 26-23, in overtime Nov. 18. The Dukes won at Virginia of the ACC, 36-35, Sept. 9.
• JMU averages 35.2 points per game, while allowing 18.5. The Dukes average 430.3 total yards per game, including 287.1 passing. Quarterback Jordan McCloud has hit 261-379 passes for 3,400 yards with 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Elijah Sarratt leads the team in receiving with 74 catches for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns. Reggie Brown has added 51 catches for 1,010 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns. Aiden Fisher leads the defense with 91 total tackles. Jalen Green has 21.0 tackles for loss for 132 yards, while Jamree Kromah has 19.5 for 92 yards and Mikail Kamara 18.5 for 81 yards. Green leads the way with 15.5 sacks for 120 yards.

AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
• Air Force is 3-1 this season and 12-2 over the last three seasons vs. non-conferences foes.
• Air Force is 51-28 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun.
• The Falcons are 31-4 at home, 11-17 on the road and 9-7 in neutral site games.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
• James Madison is ranked 24th in the AP poll and 25th in the coaches poll heading into bowl season. The Dukes are the first ranked team Air Force has played since playing at #25 Boise State, Nov. 18, 2017, resulting in a 44-19 BSU win.
• Air Force’s last win over a ranked team came Nov. 25, 2016, vs. #19 Boise State, 27-20, in Falcon Stadium. Air Force has lost three straight vs. ranked teams since.
• JMU is the first ranked team Air Force has faced in a bowl game since playing No. 19 Virginia Tech, Dec. 31, 2002 in the San Francisco Bowl. Va Tech won the game, 20-13. Air Force is 0-2-1 against ranked teams in bowl games, as the team tied #9 TCU, 0-0, in the 1959 Cotton Bowl and lost to #4 Tennessee, 34-13, in the 1971 Sugar Bowl.
• Air Force is 18-75-4 all-time vs. ranked teams.
• Air Force was ranked 17th in both polls earlier this season, marking the third straight week ranked, the longest streak since being ranked four straight weeks in 2002.
• The regular season ranking is the first since Oct. 3, 2010, when Air Force was ranked 25th in the AP poll. The ranking in both polls in the regular season is the first since Oct. 10, 2010, when the Falcons were 23rd in each poll.
• Air Force was ranked 25th in the initial College Football Playoff poll, marking the first appearance in the poll in program history.

LAST YEAR’S ARMED FORCES BOWL
(DEC. 22. 2022) Air Force defeated Baylor, 30-15, in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas. Air Force jumped to a 9-0 lead behind a touchdown from Brad Roberts and a 37-yard field goal from Matthew Dapore. Baylor closed the to 9-7 at the half with the first of two touchdown passes from Blake Sharpen. Air Force quarterback Haaziq Daniels rushed for a touchdown and hit Caleb Rillos with a touchdown pass in the third quarter to push the Falcons lead to 23-7. Roberts added his second touchdown to push the lead to 30-7 early in the fourth. Sharpen thew his second touchdown pass and a two-point conversion made up the final margin. Air Force finished with 379 total yards, including 276 rushing. Roberts led the way with 116 yards and two scores on a career-best 37 carries. Daniels added 81 yards rushing and hit 4-7 passes for 103 yards and a score. Air Force held a 40:03-19:57 mark in time of possession and was 8-16 on third down. The defense was outstanding, holding Baylor to just 11 first downs, 230 total yards and an 0-11 mark on third downs. Jayden Goodwin led the way with nine tackles while Payton Zdroik added four tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

AIR FORCE 39-12 LAST FOUR SEASONS
• Air Force is 39-12 the last four full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Air Force is 8-4 this season and finished 10-3 in 2022 and 2021 and 11-2 in 2019.
• The Falcons are 23-9 in conference play during the same stretch. Air Force was 5-3 this season and finished tied for fourth. The team was 5-3 and finished second in the Mountain Division last season. Air Force shared the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 mark in 2021 and finished second with a 7-1 mark in 2019.

LAST TIME OUT
Boise State defeated Air Force, 27-19, in Boise to clinch a tie for first place in the Mountain West. The Broncos opened the scoring on a 38-yard field goal Jonah Dalmas. Taylen Green added a 12-yard touchdown run to put the Broncos in front, 10-0, midway through the second quarter. Matthew Dapore opened Air Force’s scoring with a season-long 50-yard field goal. Green struck again on the next drive, hitting Ashton Jeanty on a 75-yard scoring toss to extend the lead to 17-3. The Falcons answered with a 45-yard field goal from Dapore to cut the lead to 17-6 at the half. Sophomore quarterback John Busha came on in relief of injured starter Ben Brittain at quarterback and scored the first touchdown of his career to cut the lead to 17-12 with 12:45 to play in the third quarter. Jeanty struck again with a 50-yard touchdown run to make it 24-12 with 10:51 left in the third. Dylan Carson added a two-yard touchdown run late in the third to cut the lead to 24-19. Dalmas added a field goal with 4:31 remaining to make up the final margin. Air Force’s last hopes ended on an interception in the final minutes. Air Force finished with 337 total yards, including 206 rushing. Carson led the way with a career-best 132 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Busha hit 8-17 passes for 131 yards. Boise State finished with 409 total yards. Jeanty finished with 107 yards rushing and 118 receiving to lead the Broncos.

LAST GAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Air Force scored on its opening drive of the season half. The one-yard touchdown run by John Busha snapped a three-game streak of punts. The Falcons have scored touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half in eight games.
• Air Force recorded two interceptions in a game for the third time this season.
• Air Force won the time of possession battle for the eighth time this season.
• Air Force game captains were seniors Thor Paglialong (OC) and Trey Taylor (DB).

Individual Notes
• Senior QB Ben Brittain made the first start of his career. He finished with six carrier for 24 yards before leaving due to injury.
• Sophomore QB John Busha came on in relief and finished with career highs in every passing category. He finished with 131 yards passing, completing 8-of-17.
• Senior DB Jalen Mergerson recorded the first interception of his career. The INT came in the redzone, and he returned it 15 yards.
• Senior DB Jayden Goodwin recorded his first interception this season. The INT is the third of his career.
• Sophomore FB Dylan Carson started for the first time in his career. He responded with a career-high 132 yards rushing and a touchdown on 12 carries, surpassing his previous high of 104 yards vs. UNLV. Carson also recorded a career long run of 68 yards. His previous long was 35 yards vs. Hawaii. Carson’s back-to-back 100-yard games is a career-first. His 68-yard run is the longest by a Falcon this season, surpassing the 65-yard run by John Lee Eldridge III vs. Robert Morris.
• Junior PK Matthew Dapore kicked a season-long 50-yard field to open the scoring for Air Force. The field goal is his longest since hitting a 51-yarder last season vs. Utah State. Dapore has four field goals of 50-plus in his career. Dapore matched his career high with two field goals, the fifth time he has done it this season and 13th time in his career. Dapore scored seven points to move into the top 10 in career scoring at Air Force, ranking eighth with 212 points. He is fourth all-time among kickers.
• Junior WR Brandon Engel had career highs of four catches for 57 yards. His four receptions are the most in a game by a Falcon this season. Engel has caught a pass in four of the last five games. His previous high for catches was two against Army and the previous high for yards was 39 vs. Hawaii.
• Senior DB Trey Taylor recorded four tackles to go over the 200-tackle more for his career. Taylor has 202 career tackles.
• Senior DL Caden Blum recorded the first solo sack of his career. He entered the game with 0.5 sacks in his career.
• Senior WR Wyatt Wilson recorded a career-long 47-yard reception. His previous long was 27 yards vs. Army earlier this season.
• Senior LB Jonathan Youngblood had a game-high 11 tackles. It was his second career game with double-digit tackles.