Football Becomes Bowl Eligible with 30-14 Win vs. AFA

Nov. 22, 2014

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30SDSU Logo

1234F
Air Force (8-3, 4-3 MW)0140014
San Diego State (6-5, 4-3 MW)10310730
NAU Logo14
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STATISTICAL LEADERS
PassingC-AttYdsTDInt
Pearson, AFA10-2217111
Kaehler, SDSU17-3032611
RushingCarYdsTDLong
Pearson, AFA1459110
Pumphrey, SDSU27131116
ReceivingRecYdsTDLong
Robinette, AFA674174
Ruffin, SDSU7126035
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SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State limited Air Force to just 140 rushing yards and forced four turnovers in a 30-14 win over Air Force Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium. The win made the Aztecs (6-5, 4-3 MW) bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season.

Donnel Pumphrey ran for 131 yards and a touchdown, while Ezell Ruffin caught seven balls for a season-high 126 yards. Quinn Kaehler, meanwhile, recorded his second 300-yard passing game of the season and third of his career with 326 yards and a touchdown.

For the game, SDSU outgained the Falcons (8-3, 4-3 MW), 502-329, and dominated the time of possession by almost 12 minutes (35:57-24:03).

AFA, which came into the game ranked seventh in the country in rushing yards per game (288.40), managed only 140 against a stout San Diego State defense, which had three fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown by Calvin Munson. The 140 yards on the ground by Air Force were its 12th fewest in a game since 1996 and the sixth fewest in a league game since 1996.

The Aztecs also held the Falcons to 329 total yards, more than 100 below their season average of 437.6 coming into the game.

SDSU got out strong out of the gate for the second straight week, taking a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter. San Diego State got its points when Kaehler found Adam Roberts from 14 yards out on its opening possession, and two field goals by Donny Hageman (20 and 36 yards).

The Falcons responded early in the second quarter as Kale Pearson found Garret Griffin with a quick strike. On the play, Griffin outjumped an Aztec defender and ran unmolested 74 yards into the end zone.

AFA mounted one last charge in the half, using an 8-play, 42-yard drive over 2:16, ending with D.J. Johnson 1-yard touchdown run. It would be Air Force's first and only lead of the game.

After forcing a punt, SDSU put together a 9-play, 75-yard drive over 3:23, culminating with Hageman's third field goal of the game, this time from 21 yards away, putting the home team up, 16-14.

San Diego State forced another Falcon punt and put the game out of reach as Pumphrey's 12-yard scoring run capped an 11-play, 84-yard drive and put the Aztecs up, 23-14, with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter.

SDSU held AFA in check over its next three drives - downs, punt, downs - before Air Force tried one last time to make it a one-possession game. The Falcons got to midfield, mostly through the year, but Munson jumped in front of a Pearson pass and returned it 56 yards for his first career touchdown for the final points of the game.

AFA mounted one last desperate attempt, getting all the way to the San Diego State 44 before Josh Gavert forced a Nate Romine fumble and Damontae Kazee recovered it, setting up victory formation for the Aztecs.

SDSU won its seventh straight game at home for the first time since a seven-game streak from Sept. 7, 1996-Sept. 5, 1997.

Additionally, San Diego State won its eighth straight game against a service academy team (Air Force, Army and Navy), the longest streak in the nation, and fifth consecutive vs. the Falcons, extending its record-long winning streak in the series.

The Aztecs also improved to 2-1 on the season against the Mountain Division of the Mountain West (and 5-1 over the two-year history of the two divisions), while the rest of the West Division finished just 3-12 (.200) vs. the Mountain Division.

Pumphrey recorded his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season (in 11 games) to tie Marshall Faulk (1991 and 1992) for third in SDSU's single-season history and move into a tie for seventh on the all-time list with 11 career 100-yard games.

Ruffin, who missed five contests earlier in the year with a broken collarbone, picked up his first 100-yard receiving game of the year and sixth of his career.

San Diego State, which has won 10 of its last 13 games in November and 12 of 16 in the month, was led defensively by Munson, who has 10 tackles (nine solo), a forced fumble, an interception and a tackle for loss.

Brandon Porter had his first career forced fumble and fumble recovery, while Gavert and J.J. Whittaker had two tackles apiece.

QUICK STATS
STATS COMPARISON

AFA

SDSU

First Downs1623
Total Yards329502
Passing Yards189326
Rushing Yards140176
Number of Plays6875
Penalties-Yards3-205-39
3rd Down Conversions7 of 166 of 16
4th Down Conversions1 of 31 of 1
Kick Return Yards12063
Punt Return Yards60
Punts-Yards5-42.04-33.0
Turnovers41
Time of Possession24:0335:57