UConn’s trip to Air Force turned into a long afternoon against the Falcons’ option machine, and the Huskies came away with a 35-26 loss that dropped them to 4-4.
Air Force piled up 366 rushing yards and controlled the game with Kemper Hodges doing the heavy damage. The quarterback ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns, powering a second-half surge after the Falcons jumped ahead 14-0.
The Huskies had their moments, but they spent too much of the day watching Air Force chew up the clock. Two touchdown drives took more than 20 minutes off the board, and the Falcons kept extending possessions by going 5-for-6 on fourth down while building 23 first downs.
UConn finally settled in after the early hole and answered in the second quarter with a touchdown drive of its own. Kalieb Osborne helped spark that push with deep completions on sustained possessions, giving the Huskies some life after the rough start.
But Air Force kept finding answers. In the third quarter, the Falcons extended a drive with a fake punt before punching in another touchdown to restore a 14-point cushion.
UConn still had a chance to make it interesting. A 55-yard touchdown pass to TE Alex Godavitarne and a 46-yard run by Kenji Christian pulled the Huskies back into striking distance.
After the long scoring strike, a missed extra point forced UConn to chase the two-point conversion following Christian’s run, and Osborne was sacked on the attempt. That left the score at 28-26.
From there, Air Force slammed the door with an 11:37 touchdown march. The drive featured three third-down conversions and two fourth-down conversions, capped by Hodges’ one-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead to nine.
UConn’s final push never got off the ground. Under heavy pressure, four straight passes fell incomplete, and that was enough to end it. Air Force moved to bowl eligibility with its sixth win of the season.
In Other News...
UConn Fans Just Got An Early Look At This Seasons Biggest Nights
UConn fans already have a clearer picture of what the 2026-27 home schedule will feel like, because the mens basketball program has released its promotional slate for the season. The lineup is built around the kind of nights that have become part of the campus atmosphere in Storrs, with t-shirt giveaways, community days, Coaches vs. Cancer and Mental Health Awareness night all among the planned themes.
There is also a long list of dates that should stand out on the calendar once the games arrive, with each home matchup carrying its own promotional angle. The schedule is designed to give every visit a little extra weight, and a few of the biggest nights already have the sort of buzz that usually gets fans circling the date before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]
UConns Ceiling Now Rests On A Hyped Backcourt Duo
UConns backcourt enters the season with a spotlight that usually comes later, not before opening night. Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins were both recognized on the Naismith Trophy watch list and the NABC Player of the Year Award watch list, a sign that the Huskies hopes are tied to two guards who already arrive with national attention and a clear expectation to carry a big load.
Demary, the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, picked up multiple Preseason All-America honors after averaging 10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season. Mullins, a Preseason First Team All-Big East selection, averaged 12.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and is already part of the programs recent March memory, which only adds to the pressure and intrigue around how high this team can climb if the duo meets the billing. [Read more 🡒]
UConns Frontcourt Reset Now Rides On Two Crucial Transfer Bets
UConns frontcourt makeover has taken shape around two transfer additions who arrive with different backgrounds but similar jobs to do. Najai Hines comes over from Seton Hall, while Oskar Giltay joins from Stanford, and both were brought in as the Huskies work to replenish a group thinned by departures to the NBA and other programs. Dan Hurley has pointed to each players athleticism and defensive value as reasons they fit what UConn needs right now, especially in a rotation that has to be rebuilt without much margin for error.
Elmir Dzafic is also in the mix, though he is viewed more as a developmental piece than an immediate answer. The bigger question for UConn is how quickly the new arrivals can help stabilize the interior and give Hurley enough dependable options up front to keep the programs standard intact. With so much of the roster churn centered in the paint, the Huskies are banking on these transfer bets to do more than just fill space. [Read more 🡒]