Sept. 10, 2005
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Jacobe Kendrick had 128 yards and four touchdowns Saturday to lift Air Force to a 41-29 victory over San Diego State, its second straight come-from-behind win.
After falling behind the Aztecs 10-0 early, the Falcons (2-0, 1-0 Mountain West Conference) responded with three straight second-quarter touchdowns. Shaun Carney had 231 yards passing and accounted for two Air Force touchdowns.
The Falcons, who led the league in rushing last season, piled up 272 yards rushing and 503 yards of total offense in the win.
The Aztecs (0-2, 0-1) turned a failed fake punt and a fumble by Air Force to take an early 10-0 lead.
Air Force, which erased a 17-6 deficit against Washington a week ago, came back again, though.
The Falcons manufactured an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Kendrick with 13:34 remaining in the first half. Scott Eberle missed the extra point and the score remained 10-6, but the Falcons' offense began clicking.
San Diego State fumbled on back-to-back possessions at midfield, giving Air Force prime scoring opportunities. The Falcons capitalized, taking the lead for good on an 11-yard touchdown run by Carney with 9:26 remaining and following that with a 5-yard touchdown run from Kendrick to make it 20-10.
The Aztecs cut Air Force's lead to 20-13 at the half on a 29-yard field goal by Palmer. The second half went back and forth, with the Falcons scoring on their first possession on a 38-yard pass from Carney to senior tight end Robert McMenomy to take a 27-13 lead.
San Diego State responded with 10 unanswered points on 47-yard field goal by Garrett Palmer and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kevin O'Connell to Robert Ortiz to cut the lead to 27-22 with 9:59 remaining in the game. It was as close as the Aztecs would get, as Air Force sealed the victory with 4:50 remaining with an 11-play, 81-yard drive that ended with Kendrick's 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Kendrick would add another 1-yard touchdown, his fourth of the game, a little over a minute later, and San Diego State finished off the scoring with 1:22 remaining on a three-yard touchdown run by Lynell Hamilton.