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After two games on the road, the Air Force Falcons are heading back home. Air Force and the UNLV Rebels will face off in a Mountain West battle at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday at Falcon Stadium. The Falcons should still be riding high after a win, while UNLV will be looking to right the ship.
It may have taken triple overtime to finish the job, but Air Force ultimately got the result they were hoping for last Friday with a 41-39 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack. The team accrued 17 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory. WR DeAndre Hughes had a dynamite game for Air Force; he rushed for two TDs and 279 yards on 23 carries. Hughes' longest run was for 52 yards in the second quarter. Hughes' sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
Air Force's defense was a presence as well, as it embarrassed Nevada's offensive line to sack QB Carson Strong seven times for a total loss of 46 yards. The heavy lifting was done by DT Jordan Jackson and DL Christopher Herrera, who each racked up two sacks.
Meanwhile, the Rebels came up short against the San Diego State Aztecs last week, falling 28-20. UNLV's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of WR Steve Jenkins, who caught five passes for 176 yards, and QB Justin Rogers, who passed for two TDs and 305 yards on 21 attempts.
Air Force is the favorite in this one, with an expected 17.5-point margin of victory. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a two-game streak of ATS wins.
Air Force is now 8-3 while UNLV sits at 2-9. A pair of stats to keep an eye on: The Falcons are 243rd worst in the nation in passing yards per game, with only 90 on average. The Rebels have experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the 192nd most passing yards allowed per game in the nation, having given up 259.4 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
