So far, so good for Air Force football. Now comes the hard, and far more telling, part.

The Falcons shutout Duquesne 34-0 in Saturday’s opener, continuing an annual tradition. All 20 of coach Troy Calhoun’s Air Force teams, which always open at home against an FCS opponent on Parents Weekend, have started 1-0.

The last two teams have then immediately seen the season go sideways.

The 2024 Falcons lost seven in a row following the opener, while the 2025 squad dropped its next five. Both teams finished below .500 and did not play in a bowl game.

Conversely, the four full seasons before that saw Air Force win their second game and go on to average 10 victories and win four bowl games.

“We did what we were supposed to do,” sophomore safety Max Mustell said after Saturday’s victory. “We expected to come out here and play like that. Now, obviously, we’ll have a much bigger, better opponent.

“It’ll be a good game, definitely a tone setter for the rest of the season.”

North Dakota State (2-0) will visit at 8 p.m. Saturday in a matchup that provides as much intrigue and unknown as any for the Falcons in recent memory. The game could very well establish a front-runner in the new-look Mountain West, which the Bison joined this season as they jumped to FBS after setting the standard at the FCS level for much of the past two decades.

And while the openers aren’t always particularly informative for the Falcons, the past few have pointed to problems that were quickly accentuated.

In 2024 Air Force broke in a new offensive line and quarterback and struggled to move the ball, averaging 3.43 yards per play in a 21-6 victory over Merrimack.

Those issues were magnified as the team averaged 12.7 points over the seven losses that followed.

Last year the Falcons cruised to a 49-13 victory but saw Bucknell complete 16-of-24 passes for 169 yards in the process.

The next five opponents averaged 349.2 yards through the air.

Both of those Falcons teams faced extreme inexperience in those areas, so those struggles did not come as a surprise. This year’s team faces no such glaring deficiencies, and the opener reflected it.

Duquesne, which carried a reputation as a running team, gained just 54 yards on 21 carries and completed 9-of-22 passes for 53 yards as Air Force grabbed two interceptions.

If there was one area lacking, it was an Air Force pass rush. The Falcons were credited with four quarterback hurries but just one sack.

A simplified defensive game plan was likely a variable in this area.

“Got to be a little sharper that way,” Calhoun said of the pass rush from a position group that is the most inexperienced on the team. “I thought our get-off was really, really good. You know, once the ball was snapped, the aggressiveness and the pursuit. And we’ll get better that way.”

Offensively, the Falcons showed little in the passing game, but that’s to be expected when averaging 6.1 yards on 71 rushing attempts. There was no need to open the playbook and quarterback Liam Szarka has a proven track record as a passer. However, the same cannot be said for a receiving corps that is almost entirely new and could now potentially be without starting slot receiver Matt Long after an injury Saturday.

This is hardly an area of concern, but it’s worth noting as the schedule immediately turns to teams that will be able to exploit weaknesses in a way the opener rarely can.

There was also the issue of two consecutive 3-and-out drives late in the first half, which came after two drives had stalled and ended in field goals.

The Falcons also committed eight penalties – more than they accrued in any game last season. Two of those occurred late in the game from reserve players, but four came in the first half against the offense.

“We’re going to play some tough teams, and being efficient and not having penalties is what is going to get us a win,” Szarka said. “We’re going to work on that in practice and then we’re going to work on just expanding everything. We’re going to be a tough team to beat if we can limit those penalties.”

When it comes to strengths, Air Force showed plenty.

The defense played with an expected level of aggression and toughness under the return of coordinator Steve Russ, with inside linebacker Blake Fletcher leading the way with seven tackles delivered forcefully.

“There’s still some kinks we’ve got to work through, still some small stuff that won’t slide next week,” Fletcher said. “But we’re going to fix that in practice. We’re going to focus, and we’re going to clean that stuff up. But, ultimately, I’m really happy with how our defense played, communicated and executed.”

The 431 rushing yards were the most since a 48-20 victory over Nevada on Sept. 23, 2022.

It was a strong start. But that’s the norm. The stress test will come Saturday.

“We’ve got to get a lot better,” Calhoun said. “I mean, that’s certainly the aim for who we face here on the horizon.”