USAFA, Colo. -- Zac Larrier threw two long touchdown passes, Emmanuel Michel added a pair of touchdown runs and Air Force cruised to a 49-10 victory over San Diego State at Falcon Stadium.
The Aztecs (2-4, 0-2 MW) had won nine of the previous 10 meetings with the Falcons (5-0, 3-0 MW) and four straight at Falcon Stadium before falling by its largest margin in the series since 1987.
Neither team scored until Jalen Mayden directed a 17-play, 80-yard drive, capped off with his 21-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Nicholson to give SDSU a 7-0 lead. San Diego State grinded out 9 minutes, 32 seconds of clock time on the drive, successfully converting two fourth-down opportunities.
AFA, however, which only had the ball for 3:49 in the first quarter, answered with three straight touchdown drives.
Cade Harris pulled Air Force even at 7-7 with 10:31 remaining in the first half. AFA used a 34-yard run by Larrier to get into Aztec territory. Later in the drive on a fourth-and-4 situation, Larrier rolled out to his right and found Harris for a 28-yard strike to get to the SDSU 2-yard line. Two plays later Harris punched it in to tie the game.
After a three-and-out, the Falcons marched 53 yards on nine plays with Michel rushing it in from two yards out to give AFA a lead it would never relinquish.
After forcing San Diego State to punt, Air Force got the ball back late in the first half and took it 80 yards on six plays before Michel pounded it in from three yards. The touchdown followed a 26-yard pass from Larrier to a wide-open Jared Roznos.
With just 43 seconds left, the Aztecs got into Falcon territory, thanks mainly to a 22-yard dump off from Mayden to Kenan Christon and a 7-yard pass from Mayden to Brionne Penny on a fourth-and-3 play. Before Jack Browning could attempt a 56-yard field goal to end the first half, Drew Azzopardi was whistled for a false start penalty. Undeterred, Browning knocked it from 61 yards to bring SDSU to within 11 at 21-10 at the half. The 61-yard field goal was a school record, Mountain West record, tied for the longest kick in FBS play this season and tied for the 20th in FBS history.
AFA put the game out of reach by the 7:09 mark of the third quarter. Larrier teamed up with Harris for a 54-yard touchdown and, after forcing a three-and-out, fired a 53-yard scoring strike to Roznos.
On San Diego State's next offensive play, Mayden was picked by Trey Taylor, who returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to put Air Force up, 42-10.
Following another three-and-out for the Aztecs, Jensen Jones completed a 16-play, 82-yard drive that took 10:20 off the clock with a 4-yard touchdown run.
SDSU got into Falcon territory on its ensuing possession but facing a fourth-and-1 on the AFA 28, Jaylon Armstead's rush was stopped by a swarming Air Force defense.
Larrier finished with 189 yards on 6-of-7 passing for the Falcons, and carried eight times for 103 yards.
Mayden completed 13 of 24 passes for 122 yards with one touchdown and one interception for San Diego State. Christon led the Aztecs with 58 rushing yards.
Zyrus Fieseu led the SDSU defense with nine tackles as San Diego State lost its MW road opener for just the second time in the last nine seasons.
The Aztecs fell to 47-19 (.712) in their last 66 regular-season games against the MW.
SDSU now trails the all-time series with AFA, 21-18.