Air Force to use third quarterback in Saturday game against UConn

Air Force will turn to a third quarterback for its non-conference matchup against Connecticut on Saturday.

The Falcons lost their second starter to a turf toe injury, forcing the team to look beyond the players who have carried the offense all season. Head coach Troy Calhoun confirmed the injury during a weekly press conference on Tuesday. He stated that Medders will be out for an unspecified period and that there is no fixed timetable for his return.

The turnover began earlier in the season when Liam Szarka, the starter at the opening of the year, suffered a knee injury that ended his campaign. Szarka finished with 291 passing yards and seven touchdowns. He was replaced by Evan Medders, who has accumulated 490 yards and six touchdowns. Both quarterbacks serve as the Falcons' primary rushers in the team's option scheme.

Calhoun did not designate a starter for the upcoming game. He indicated that practice repetitions this week will be split between senior Josh Johnson and freshman Howard Fisher IV. Johnson entered the field for Medders in the third quarter of a 28-14 loss at Wyoming. Fisher completed that game and has played in limited capacity since.

Fisher, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound freshman, is 3-for-7 for 36 passing yards this season. He has also carried the ball 12 times for 53 yards. Reports from the Colorado Springs Gazette suggest Fisher is the likely choice, despite Johnson's recent experience as the immediate replacement. Calhoun described the incoming player as capable and well-prepared to help the team win.

The Falcons are listed as a 1.5-point favorite against UConn in the spread. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central on Saturday and will air on the Mountain West Plus network.

Elsewhere in the conference, Wyoming has won three consecutive games to improve its record to 5-3. The Cowboys sit alone in second place in the Mountain West with a 4-1 conference mark. They have a bye this week before traveling to UNLV on Nov. 7.

New Mexico leads the conference at 4-0 following a 21-16 victory over North Dakota State. Head coach Jason Eck is currently linked to several Power Four vacancies, including those at Baylor, North Carolina State, and Maryland, following midseason firings at those schools.

Hawaii football mourned the death of June Jones this week. The 73-year-old coach, who led the Rainbow Warriors from 1999 to 2007, finished with a 78-41 record. He was the winningest head coach in program history and guided the team to a 9-4 season in 1999, a turnaround that was the largest in NCAA history at that time.

Jones played quarterback at Oregon, Hawaii, and Portland State before beginning his coaching career. He later served as head coach for the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons and as interim head coach for the San Diego Chargers in 1998. His career also included stints at SMU and in the USFL, CFL, and XFL.