Air Force football: Falcons top San Diego State 35-10

SAN DIEGO - San Diego • With a nod to the past and big-time contributions from some players who are expected to have bright futures, Air Force defeated San Diego State 35-10 on Saturday night in front of an announced crowd of 43,630 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Early on, the Falcons relied heavily on the triple-option - the attack made famous under former coach Fisher DeBerry - and even dusted off the double-wing formation DeBerry employed. And they moved the ball almost exclusively on the ground, piling up 401 rushing yards on 77 attempts.

But operating the old-school attack for most of the game was freshman quarterback Tim Jefferson, who looked poised in his first start. Jefferson rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and completed 3 of 5 passes for 34 yards. Asher Clark, another freshman making his first start, carried the ball 15 times for 109 yards and a touchdown.

With the victory, Air Force ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 4-2 and 2-1 in the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State fell to 1-5 and 0-2.

Air Force trailed at halftime 10-7, but after the break played one of its more impressive and complete halves of the season.

After forcing a San Diego State punt on the first possession of the third quarter, Air Force drove 74 yards in 11 plays to regain the lead. Clark carried the ball five times for 32 yards on the drive and capped it with a 9-yard touchdown run.

Air Force's defense then began to dominate. It forced a three-and-out, and when the Falcons' Kyle Halderman fumbled the ball deep in Aztecs territory, it forced another three-and-out.

The Falcons drove 54 yards in 11 rushing plays and went up 21-10 when senior fullback Todd Newell plunged into the end zone from a yard out.

After trading punts, junior inside linebacker Justin Moore made a back-breaking play, picking off a pass from San Diego State's Drew Westling and returning it 26 yards for a score. Junior Chris Thomas picked off Westling on the Aztecs' ensuing possession, and Air Force scored again when senior quarterback Shea Smith hit junior receiver Josh Cousins for a 32-yard touchdown that gave the Falcons a 35-10 advantage.

Smith, who started the first five games, was sent into the game in relief of Jefferson, who was helped off the field following a helmet-to-helmet collision early in the fourth quarter. Jefferson was held out of the game as a precaution, team officials said.

Air Force set the tone for what would be a physical, ground-based attack on its first possession, driving 78 yards on 16 running plays for a score. Nine of the 16 plays were simple fullback dives that accounted for 44 yards, and Jefferson added 27 yards on five carries and capped the drive by diving into the end zone from the 1-yard line. It marked the first time this season the Falcons scored on their first drive, and it appeared as if they'd cruise to a victory.

But the Aztecs' defense stiffened and altered momentum. San Diego State tied the score early in the second quarter when Westling capped a 73-yard drive by plunging into the end zone form a yard out. Lane Yoshida later added a 45-yard field goal to give them a 10-7 lead.