Marching into focus this week for Colorado State football is Air Force. 

The Falcons come in with an unblemished 7-0 record, which has pushed them to No. 19 in the Associated Press top 25. They will be the second ranked team the Rams take on this year. 

The Rams haven’t won a meeting against their Mountain West rival since 2015, losing six straight games.

“They’re a unique team,” head coach Jay Norvell said. “They’re the leading rushing team in the nation, but they’re one of the best defensive teams as well.”

Offense

This game will be the ultimate clash of styles. CSU comes in as the best passing offense in the conference, while Air Force comes in as the best rushing team.

Air Force has allowed just 13 points per game on average, and part of that reason is because the offense stays on the field for so long, so the defense is always well-rested. Staying locked in while they are on the sidelines for extended periods of time will be key for Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and the Rams offense.

“We need to capitalize and be very efficient with communication on the sideline,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “We are going to have more time, so it’s important to capitalize on that as well, rather than just sit there and wait. Talk to my boys and see what they’re saying and kind of get a good idea of what we’re going to have coming out on the next drive.”

There hasn’t been a team this season to throw for more than 200 yards against the Falcons’ defense, with only two teams eclipsing the 100-yard mark.

The Rams, on the other hand, have only failed to meet the 300-yard mark on just two occasions this season. 

“We need to make the most every time we get the ball and capitalize on the opportunities that we have,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “I think we need to get started offensively a little bit early, and we’ve struggled with that in the past couple of weeks.

Watch: The turnover battle 

Air Force has forced eight turnovers this season while Colorado State has been one of the best takeaway teams in the conference, forcing 15. The Rams protecting the ball will be key, but Fowler-Nicolosi — who has thrown a ton of interceptions this season — didn’t have any against UNLV, which is a close loss. 

Defense

The service academy read option. The play you know Air Force is going to run a ton of yet somehow is nearly impossible to stop. 

“It’s a different style of game obviously whenever you play Air Force,” Norvell said. “We’ve got to be physical, and we obviously have to stop the run. You’ve got to get them in some uncomfortable situations.”

While Air Force doesn’t throw often, senior quarterback Zac Larrier has been ultra efficient on his 33 attempts this season, completing 24 of them, including five for touchdowns. 

“He’s a good leader, and he’s an excellent player,” Norvell said. “He’s run that offense (and) protected the ball. He’s obviously athletic, but he can also make quality throws and big plays in the passing game.”

While you do have to be aware of the pass, for the most part you know a run is coming. Last year, that would have been frustrating for cornerback Chigozie Anusiem, but this year, he said he’s ready for that challenge.

“I would say last year, yeah,” Anusiem said. “But I’ve been trying to tackle everybody this year. For me, it’s just a different type of challenge.”

While the Rams rushing defense started off shaky to begin the season, they’ve seen steady progress going back to the second half against Boise State, including last week when they held the Rebels to just 3 yards per attempt on the ground. 

Watch: The CSU middle linebackers

Chase Wilson and Justin Sanchez have been having good years up to this point. They will be crucial in trying to mitigate the Air Force run game. If those two can help put the Falcons in uncomfortable situations, then there’s a chance the Rams can emerge victorious.

“I don’t care if they’re ranked No. 1 in the country,” Anusiem said. “They’re going to have to play us. Let’s line it up on the field and play. It just being a rivalry game — I love the fact that they’re ranked, undefeated and they’re beating everybody because they’re going to have to line it up and do it against us.”

Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.