Courtesy of Air Force

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Air Force Football, taking on Oregon State on Saturday afternoon, blanked the Beavers, 28-0, at Falcon Stadium in the Falcons’ 2024-25 home finale, handing their Pac 12 opponent its first shutout loss since the 2015-16 season.

Air Force, up against the nation leader in time of possession (35:06), controlled the pace of the game throughout the afternoon, holding the ball for 42 minutes to Oregon State’s 18. The Beavers, held to just 175 total yards for the game, managed just six plays in Air Force territory total, until the final OSU possession.

Sophomore quarterback Quentin Hayes logged 194 total yards for the game, going five-for-five passing and 110 yards. On the ground, Hayes punched in a pair of redzone scores on 17 carries for 84 rushing yards. Six Air Force runners earned rushes; Junior fullback Dylan Carson led the ground attack with 97 yards on 26 attempts. Five Falcon receivers logged receptions on Saturday, totaling six for 139 yards; Junior receiver Cade Harris led the way with two catches for 68.

The Falcon defense, pitching its first shutout since the 2020 season, logged five sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven passes broken up and an interception.

Air Force opened the game on an 11-play, 75-yard drive to score. A fourth-and-four, 36-yard pass deep to Harris put the Falcons in the redzone, setting up Hayes to earn the rushing score and a 7-0 Air Force lead at the 8:21 mark.

After an Oregon State three-and-out on the Beavers’ opening drive and an unsuccessful Air Force field goal attempt from the Beavers’ 38 (the Falcons’ only attempt of the day), OSU quarterback Gabarri Johnson threw an interception into the hands of senior safety Camby Goff, to give Air Force back the ball on the Falcons’ 34 yard-line.

On the resulting possession, the Falcons went up 14-0 after Hayes went two-for two from the air for 57 yards and added his first career reception from Brandon Engel (first career pass) for 29. Hayes, finding Harris on a 29-yard slant route resulted in another Falcon redzone attempt, rushed in by Hayes to push an Air Force two-possession lead.

On Air Force’s first drive of the second half, the Falcons compiled their longest drive of the game, going 15 plays and 74 yards while chewing up 8:40 of game time, before Hayes gave up a fumble, recovered by OSU, Skylar Thomas on the Beaver 12-yard line.

A seven-yard, one-handed catch for Bruin Fleichmann along the right sideline and an OSU offsides penalty set up Air Force for the 21-0 score heading into the final quarter. On his 25th run of the day, Carson hauled in the Falcons’ third rushing score from the OSU one-yard line.

Air Force’s final possession went 11 plays, 53 yards, capped by an Owen Allen (sophomore, fullback) two-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career.

Up Next:
Air Force Football (3-7, 1-4 MW) is in Reno on Nov. 23, facing Nevada in Mackay Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT.