Brodie Hicks views football games like tests, so when he’s killing time in a hotel before 8:15 p.m. kickoffs he likes to spread out his notes and cram as much information into his head as possible.

This is just one thing Air Force players do when they play in the late time slot, as they did four times last year and will at least twice more this season.

The days begin with the players “sleeping in,” which generally means getting up around 8 or 9 a.m. – far later than the usual 6 a.m.alarm. Receiver Tyler Williams says the extra sleep leaves him refreshed, but others like safety Weston Steelhammer say it’s moot because they can’t sleep well on nights before games anyway.

Food is a constant on game days, with players given a large breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks of sandwiches and fruit bowls made available between meals.

But still, there is time to kill. Some players watch other college football games through the day. They mix in naps. They join Hicks in studying for the game. Pretty much anything that keeps them from draining their energy is allowed.

The team also gets together for walkthroughs, which presents some unique experiences as the coaches seek places out of public view. They’ve ended up at parks, middle schools and even a parking garage in San Diego, where the offense had to interrupt its walkthrough to let a car pass through the middle of the team.

“They’re definitely been pretty random,” Steelhammer said. “We spend more time trying to find them than we do actual time spent there. That’s just the way coach rolls.”