Oct. 3, 1999
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Reserve quarterback Mike Thiessen ran for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns to lead Air Force to a 23-22 victory over San Diego State on Saturday night.
Thiessen, who replaced injured starter Cale Bonds in the second quarter, ran 3 yards for the game-winning touchdown to culminate a 15-play, 75-yard drive with 4:09 left to play.
Air Force (3-1, 1-1 Mountain West Conference) got off to a slow start but rallied behind Thiessen, a junior who had only nine career carries coming into the game.
Thiessen ran the ball 31 times in the Falcons' wishbone offense and also scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter. Thiessen completed 4-of-10 passes for 51 yards.
San Diego State (2-2, 0-1 MWC) increased its lead to 22-17 on Nate Tandberg's 45-yard field goal with 10:08 to play in the game.
But Thiessen led the Falcons on a march that ended with his touchdown. Air Force converted on four third-down plays to keep the drive alive, including three of 10 yards of longer.
Thiessen came on after Bond left in the second quarter with an ankle sprain.
San Diego State went ahead 19-14 on Jack Hawley's 42-yard touchdown pass to Lonny Mitchell on a perfectly executed out-and-up pass with four minutes left in the third quarter.
Hawley completed 14-of-25 passes for 202 yards with two interceptions. Hawley also threw a 3-yard TD pass to Gray McNeill that gave the Aztecs a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.
Tandberg also kicked field goals of 26 and 35 yards.
Air Force, held to just 32 yards rushing in the first quarter, finished with 309 yards, two better than its 307 per game average.