The No. 17 Air Force Falcons suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling 23-3 to the Army Black Knights in a game that was dominated by Army’s swarming defense. The Falcons had no answer for the Black Knights’ relentless pressure, turning the ball over six times and managing just three points in the loss.
The Falcons had been off to a hot start this season, winning their first four games and climbing to No. 17 in the national rankings. But they came up against a brick wall in the form of Army’s defense, which forced six turnovers and held Air Force to just three points. The Black Knights’ defense was relentless, constantly putting pressure on the Falcons’ offense and forcing them into mistakes.
The Falcons’ offense was unable to get anything going, as they managed just 186 total yards and were held to under 100 yards passing. Quarterback Isaiah Sanders was sacked five times and threw two interceptions, while the running game was held to just 88 yards on the ground. The Falcons’ struggles were compounded by the fact that they had to play without star wide receiver Geraud Sanders, who was out with an injury.
The loss was a tough one for Air Force, as they had been hoping to build on their hot start and make a run at a conference title. But they will have to regroup and refocus if they want to get back on track. They will need to shore up their defense and find a way to get their offense going if they want to have any chance of success this season.
Overall, it was a dominant performance by Army’s defense, as they forced six turnovers and held Air Force to just three points. The Black Knights’ swarming defense was too much for the Falcons to handle, and it resulted in their first loss of the season. It will be interesting to see how Air Force responds in the coming weeks, as they look to bounce back from this tough defeat.