WEEK 12 GAME SCHEDULE
Oregon State Beavers at Air Force Falcons
CBSSN 1:30 p.m. MT
Oregon State Against Air Force
• Oregon State and Air Force are meeting for the first time. • The Beavers last traveled to the state of Colorado in 2023, defeating Colorado, 26- 19, at Folsom Field in Boulder.
Oregon State Beavers Notes
Game Notes
• Oregon State makes its first trip in the month of November Saturday when the Beavers visit Air Force in Colorado Springs. Kickoff at Falcon Stadium is slated for 12:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. in Colorado). • The game will air live on the CBS Sports Network. Jordan Kent (play-byplay), Logan Ryan (analyst) and Tina Cervasio (sideline) will call the action. • The game will air live on the Beaver Sports Radio Network. For a list of affiliates, turn to page two of these notes. • Every game this season can be heard live on the Varsity Network, a free application available via computer browsers, smartphones and tablets. After downloading the application, search for Oregon State. • The teams are meeting for the first time ever.
Oregon State By The Numbers
6 – Scoring drives by the Beavers that have ended with less than a minute left in the first half of games this season.
14 – Rushing scores for Anthony Hankerson this season, tying him with Jacquizz Rodgers for seventh at OSU.
16 – OSU conversions on fourth, in 28 attempts. The Beavers rank sixth nationally for total conversions. The team’s 28 total attempts rank fifth.
35:06 – Oregon State’s average time of possession, which leads the nation.
53 – Career starts for Joshua Gray, who was recently invited to the East-West Shrine Game. The 53 starts are an OSU career record.
62 – Catches for Trent Walker this season. He needs eight for the 15th 70-yard reception season ever by a Beaver.
151 – Yards receiving on 11 catches by Walker against SJSU, both career highs.
219 – First downs by the Beavers, compared to 179 by opponents. OSU has 116 by rush.
870 – Total rush yards by Hankerson, just under 97 per game.
Talk About The Ground Game
• Oregon State heads into Saturday’s matchup 15th in the nation averaging 212.8 rush yards per game. The Beavers average 44 carries per game, ninth-most nationally. • OSU has scored 25 rushing touchdowns, which are tied for 13th.
Time Of Possession
• Oregon State held the ball for 39:45 against San Jose State, claiming time of possession battle for the eighth time in nine games this season. • Oregon State leads in time of possession nationally, with its 35:06 just ahead of Army’s 34:52. Air Force, this week’s opponent, ranks eighth nationally at 33:00. • Oregon State’s possession time of 41:07 at San Diego State on Sept. 7 marked the program’s single-game record, bettering 41:04 against Fresno State in 1992. • The Beavers have held the ball for 315:50
Air Force Falcons Notes
THE GAME
• Air Force and Oregon State will be meeting for the first time. • Air Force will recognize this year’s seniors, who will be participating in their final home game this week. The class has posted a 31-17 overall record and 17-12 mark in the Mountain West. The class has gone to three bowl games, winning them all. The group has defeated a pair of Power 4 programs and defeated a ranked team with a 31-21 win over #24/25 James Madison in the 2023 Armed Forces Bowl. The class won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy in 2022 and won the state championship that year with wins over Colorado and Colorado State. • Air Force is 2-3 at home this season and 78-28 in Falcon Stadium under head coach Troy Calhoun.
AIR FORCE AT HOME
• Air Force is 78-28 in Falcon Stadium under head coach Troy Calhoun. • Air Force had a school-record 15-game winning streak from 2014 to Oct. 22, 2016. • Air Force went 20-4 at home from 2014-17, posting the most wins in a four-year span, breaking the record of 19 set from 1982-85 and 1998-2001 when the program went 19-4. • Air Force set a record for the best three-year run from 2014-16 with a 17-1 record, breaking the mark of 15-2 from 1983-85. • The Falcons have finished undefeated at home six times overall in school history, four coming under Calhoun.
AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
• Air Force is 53-31 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. • The Falcons are 32-5 at home, 11-19 on the road and 10-7 in neutral site games. • Air Force is 1-3 this season. • Air Force is 14-5 over the last four seasons vs. non-conferences foes.
AIR FORCE AND OREGON STATE THE ONLY TWO
Air Force is one of just two schools nationally where the head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators are all at their alma maters. Head Coach Troy Calhoun, Offensive Coordinator Mike Thiessen and Defensive Coordinator Brian Knorr are all graduates of the Academy. Oregon State is the only other school, with head coach Trent Bay, Offensive Coordinator Ryan Gunderson and Defensive Coordinator Keith Heyward all being alums.
AIR IS RARE
• Falcon Stadium has the second-highest elevation (6,621 ft) among FBS programs, trailing only Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium, which is at 7,220 ft. • Four of the top five elevations belong to Mountain West schools. The MW also has the largest gap among FBS programs, as Hawaii’s T.C. Ching Complex sets at just 18 ft. San Diego State’s Snapdragon Stadium is just 46 ft, and San Jose State’s CEFCU Stadium is at 82 ft.
#21 Washington State Cougars at New Mexico Lobos
FS1 7:30 p.m. MT
SERIES HISTORY
Washington State has won the previous two meetings with New Mexico, winning 23-13 in a 2003 meeting in Pullman and a 2004 contest 21-17 in Albuquerque. WSU last played in Albuquerque in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl, a 48-45 defeat to Colorado State.
#21 Washington State Cougars Notes
NO. 19 COUGARS HEAD TO NEW MEXICO FOR SATURDAY NIGHT MATCHUP
No. 19 Washington State opens a two-game road stretch with a Saturday night matchup at New Mexico. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (PT) on Fox Sports 1.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State enters the week ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press with a 8-1 record for the first their best start since 2018 and are bowl eligible for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. The Cougars own the nation’s eighth-best scoring offense (39.3) while the defense is No. 20 in the country with 17 takeaways. Quarterback John Mateer is fifth in the country in total offense (329.1), sixth in passing touchdowns (22) and cornerback Ethan O’Connor is No. 22 in the country with three interceptions. Head coach Jake Dickert owns a 23-17 career record and is in his third full season.
COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating back to the 2003 season, ESPN College GameDay has had the WSU flag appear throughout the show. The streak reached 314 last week at Alabama – LSU. The first appearance came in Austin, Texas (10/4/03) and the streak began two weeks later in Madison, Wisc. (10/18/03). Two flags – Ol’ Crimson and Gray – have been flown in the background of the GameDay set. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of Steve Gleason’s “No White Flags.” Appearance No. 217 was its first in Pullman (10/20/18), a 34-20 win over Oregon.
TEAM NOTES
• WSU is 8-1 for the 1st time since 2018, has won 6 straight games at Gesa Field, seeking first 9-1 start since 2018 • WSU is bowl eligible for the third time under Jake Dickert and for the eighth time in last nine full seasons • WSU owns 3 fourth-quarter comeback wins this season (San Jose State, at Fresno State, at San Diego State) • WSU owns 8 100-yard rushing games this season, most since 2005 (11), owns 2 300-yard games (TTU, USU) • WSU’s 2024 roster features 49 newcomers including 15 transfers with 13 from four-year schools • Jake Dickert and Bill Doba (2003-07) are the only WSU HC with 2 Apple Cup wins in 1st 4 seasons since 1960’s
MATEER PUTTING UP BIG DUAL THREAT NUMBERS
• In 1st career start, threw for 352 yards and 5 TD, rushed for 55 yards including 40-yard TD run • Mateer’s 6 total TD vs. Portland State were most by a Cougar QB in 1st start in program history • Mateer’s 5 TD passes vs. Portland State matched the WSU record for TD passes in a first start – Luke Falk, 2014 at Oregon State; Anthony Gordon, 2019, New Mexico State • Mateer’s 197 rushing yards against Texas Tech week 2 was a WSU record for QB rushing yards – 1st 100-yard game by a Cougar QB since 1987 (105, Timm Rosenbach vs. Oregon) – 8th 100-yard rushing game by a Cougar quarterback in program history • Mateer had 2 rush TD and 1 pass TD in Apple Cup win, rushed for 62 yards, 245 pass yards • In the win over San Jose State, set career-highs with 26 completions and 390 pass yards – 1st Cougar QB in program history with 300 pass yards and 100 rushing yards in a game – 2nd 100-yard rushing game of the season (197, Texas Tech – 111, San Jose State) – Mateer’s 501 yards of total offense are the 3rd-most by any player in the FBS this season • Mateer went 22-of-27 for 295 yards and 3 TD in the win over Hawai’i, the 85.0 completion percentage was 4th-best in WSU single-game history • Mateer completed 18-of-24 passes 179 yards and 4 TD, rushed for 1 TD in win over Utah State • Mateer has 4 games of 5 TD responsible for this season – Portland State (6), San Jose State (5), at San Diego State (5), Utah State (5) • Mateer had a rush TD and pass TD in 7 of the 9 games this season • Mateer’s 630 rush yards are the most by a Cougar QB in single-season history (482, Ty Paine, 1971) • Mateer’s 11 rush TD are tied for most rush TD by a Cougar QB in WSU single-season history (Samoa Samoa, 1980) • Mateer is the ONLY quarterback in the country with 20+ pass TD and 10+ rush TD (22 pass, 11 rush) – Mateer is 2nd Cougar QB with 20 pass TD – 10 rush TD, Timm Rosenbach (1988, 24 pass, 10 rush) • Mateer is responsible for 202 points this season, 2nd-most nationally (222, Cam Ward – Miami) • Mateer’s 22 TD passes are 6th-most nationally • Mateer’s 14.1 yards per completion are No. 11 nationally • Mateer’s 329.1 yards of total offense-per-game are 5th-most nationally • Mateer’s 11 rush TD are 6th-most by a QB nationally • Mateer’s 29 rushes of 10+yards are 5th-most by a QB nationally, 4th-most 20+yard runs (8) by a QB • Mateer’s 45 missed tackles forced are the most by a QB nationally • Mateer owns the 3rd-best PFF rushing grade (85.0) by a QB nationally • Mateer has been named to watch lists for: Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, Maxwell Award.
New Mexico Lobos Notes
The Opening List
It’s safe to say that we are all witnessing a special season by true sophomore quarterback Devon Dampier. Also I’m legally obligated by my bosses at this point to remind you that your last chance to witness him at home this year is on Saturday night at 7:30 pm as UNM hosts Washington State. Dampier, who now has an actual shot at becoming a 3,00-yard pass and a 1,000 yard rusher in the same season has now done something no Lobo quarterback has ever done. While the Lobo men’s basketball team pulled off the rare triple double-double (with three players recording double-doubles, Dampier has now recorded four double-triples on the season. Also I made “double-triple” up, but it should catch on. Dampier on Saturday rushed for 127 yards and threw for 175 yards, the third time in four games that Dampier has thrown and rushed for triple digits in the same game. Not only is it the first time that a Lobo has ever done that in the same season … it’s the first time a Lobo has ever done it period. The previous mark for UNM for a career was three times, as both Kole McKamey and Lamar Jordan did it three times. As far is a single season goes … well it had never happened more than twice, let alone four times. Dampier is certainly laying claim to first team All-Mountain West honors at quarterback with his efforts, and the list of Lobo quarterbacks that have thrown at least 100 yards and thrown for at least 100 yards in game (and all of Dampier’s games of such) are the subject of a triple-digit, arms and legs edition of the Opening List:
You Better Score Early…
Remember about a month ago when the questions to Bronco Mendenhall were about allowing three 20+ point fourth quarters? That’s not a question any more. Against New Mexico State, the Lobos allowed 23 points in the fourth quarter, 21 to Montana State in the fourth and 20 to Air Force in the fourth. But, in the last three games, the Lobos defense is allowing an average of 3.3 points in the second half. After allowing none to Colorado State, the defense allowed just seven to Wyoming (there was a pick-six against UNM which doesn’t go against the defense) and against San Diego State, the only second half points were a field goal. The Lobos have now had three games this season in which the defense has allowed 345 yards or fewer (see?). UNM allowed 345 to Fresno State and 334 to Colorado State.
Red Zone Offense is Great, but What About the Other 80 Yards (The Silver Zone????)
New Mexico’s red zone offense has been very good all season long, scoring 36 times in 40 trips (and one of those non-scoring trips was against San Diego State when it took a knee). UNM’s scoring is 90% which is 33rd in the nation and fifth in the Mountain West, and UNM’s 27 red zone touchdowns is tied for 20th nationally. But, if the 20-yard line and in is the red zone, emblematic of the scoring zone, what are the other 80 yards? For UNM, that’s the silver zone, and that might be as scary a scoring zone as the red zone, especially when running the ball. UNM has 27 red zone touchdowns, but outside of the red zone, the Lobo rushing attack is LETHAL. According to PFF, UNM has 14 rushing touchdowns 20+ yards this season, and that is the most in the FBS. Amazingly, 13 of the 14 have come in the last six games. Eli Sanders has seven of the touchdown runs (31, 35, 20, 34, 75, 51, 68) and Devon Dampier has five of them (24, 24, 33, 40, 85). Javen Jacobs (51) and Naquari Rogers each have one (29).
