Expect a game of keep away at Falcon Stadium on Saturday, a slow motion tug-o-war with teams guarding possession the way a possessive noun clings to its apostrophe.
Oregon State leads the nation, possessing the ball for an average time of 35:06 per game. That has historically been Air Force’s primary strength, and something it showed last week when it kept the ball for 45:08 against Fresno State.
“It may be a game where, is it a nine-possession game?” Falcons coach Troy Calhoun said. “You see it frequently in terms of what they do. That’s their intent, and they’re tremendous at it.”
The Beavers (4-5) are fueled by a running game averaging 212.7 yards per game and supplemented by a passing attack putting up 196.8 yards per contest. Anthony Hankerson, a 5-foot-8 junior running back, leads the attack with 870 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
Up front, Oregon State starts three fifth-year-plus seniors among their five starting offensive linemen. As Calhoun described the line, it is a veteran, large group that was recruited to play in the Pac-12.