Air Force bullies Baylor with the run, earns a win in Armed Forces Bowl 30-15

Air Force 30, Baylor 15

Air Force controlled this game from start to finish as they took a 30-15 win over Baylor in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Falcons took over the game by simply running the football down Baylor’s throat. All Air Force did was run the ball, and Baylor could not stop it. Air Force displayed why it is a tough adjustment for major college football programs to play military service teams. Air Force ran the ball 66 times and threw the ball just seven. These teams generally play physical, and the Falcons did just that. Air Force had the ball for over 40 minutes of the game and ran for 276 yards on the ground. Their leading rusher, Brad Roberts, carried the ball 37 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns. This is the fourth time in the last five games where he has carried the ball more than 30 times. However, the player of the game for Air Force was quarterback Haaziq Daniels who did it with both his arm and his legs despite the limited opportunities in the air. Daniels finished four-of-seven for 103 yards and a touchdown through the air. Tight end Caleb Rillos was the receiver on the Daniels touchdown. Daniels ran for 81 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries as the team’s second-largest contributor on the ground. This was just a beat-down on the ground for Air Force, and Baylor simply could not hold up.

Baylor got punched in the mouth. No other way to put it. Not only did Air Force run the ball up and down on them, but they also shut down the Baylor offense. Baylor was 0-11 on third down in the game and put up 230 yards of total offense. The Bears held the ball for less than 20 minutes and ran the ball for just 42 yards. Craig Williams was Baylor’s leading rusher with 25 yards on seven carries. However, the run game was not all that struggled. Quarterback Blake Shapen completed less than half of his throws (11-of-23) for only 188 yards on the day. Shapen threw two touchdowns, including one to wide receiver Gavin Holmes in garbage time. Baylor’s line struggled all night to contain Air Force’s pass rush. The Falcons sacked Shapen just twice, but he felt serious pressure for most of the game and often could not find a comfortable pocket. When playing teams that run the ball this much, it is tough to keep up with the pace and physicality of the game, and Baylor proved that to be true in the game tonight.