The San Diego State Aztecs and Air Force Falcons are both riding high after picking up huge victories in Week 6. San Diego State ran its winning streak to four and improved to 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play by beating Boise State 19-13 on the road. The win cemented SDSU’s place in the conference title race despite a wave of injuries to several key players early this season. Meanwhile, Air Force snapped a three-game losing streak with a dominant performance in a 35-7 rivalry win over Navy. The Falcons are now 2-3 overall and 0-2 in league play due to earlier losses against Utah State and Nevada. Nevertheless, with the momentum that comes with a major victory and with a new quarterback at the helm who led them to it, Air Force could make life difficult for the Aztecs Friday night in San Diego. Air Force at San Diego State Kickoff: Friday, Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. ET TV:CBS Sports Network Spread: San Diego State -10 Three Things to Watch 1. The quarterbacks Air Force and San Diego State each began the season with an experienced senior quarterback atop the depth chart. Highly productive runner Arion Worthman started the season for the Falcons, and steady pocket passer Christian Chapman for the Aztecs. However, neither will start Friday. Worthman has lost his job under center and has reportedly fallen to third in the QB pecking order, clearing Donald Hammond III to make his second consecutive start. Hammond has run for 96 yards and five touchdowns, including a 60-yard, three-TD performance in the win over Navy. He is 12-for-25 passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and he threw for 142 yards last week. Isaiah Sanders, the team’s leading passer with 289 yards, is expected to be the top backup, and though Worthman has experience and athleticism, head coach Troy Calhoun has not shown any indication he will use the senior at another position. The situation is different for the Aztecs as Chapman suffered a sprained knee against Sacramento State. Junior Ryan Agnew has started the three games since. Agnew has completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 577 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions in four games this season. 2. Stopping the run Both Air Force and San Diego State lean heavily on the running game. The option-oriented Falcons rank second in the Mountain West and No. 15 nationally in rushing offense (254.8 yards per game), while the pro-style Aztecs rank fifth in the league and 55th in the country (189.4). Therefore, both defenses will be tasked with stopping the run first and foremost. And fortunately, both defenses have excelled at doing so this season. The Aztecs have allowed just 61.8 rushing yards per game and an incredible 1.96 yards per carry this season, both of which lead the conference and rank second nationally. Only one opponent (Eastern Michigan, which gained 119 rushing yards and averaged 3.05 yards per carry) has gained more than 53 yards on the ground or averaged more than 1.8 yards per attempt against San Diego State this season. While Air Force hasn’t been quite as dominant, the Falcons rank second in the league in rushing defense (104.6), which sits 13th on the national leaderboard. Opponents have gained 3.31 yards per carry against the Air Force defense, which ranks 24th in the country. 3. San Diego State RB Chase Jasmin The Falcons will not have to face San Diego State’s leading rusher, Juwan Washington, who leads the conference with an average of 128.3 rushing yards per game. Washington missed the Boise State game and is out indefinitely with a broken collarbone. However, the Aztecs always seem to have another running back at the ready, and the next man up is Jasmin. Jasmin had just eight carries combined over the first two games of the season, but he now ranks second on the team with 311 rushing yards. The sophomore has averaged 4.51 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns. Jasmin carried the load against Boise State in his first start, gaining 78 tough yards on 26 carries. He set a career high with 112 rushing yards against Arizona State and followed that with 94 yards, including a 40-yarder, against Eastern Michigan. With Jasmin now the primary ball carrier, true freshman Jordan Byrd is the change-of-pace back. Byrd, a track star, has gained 87 yards on just four carries this year, including an explosive 72-yarder against the Broncos that sealed the victory. Final Analysis Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for either team Friday given the importance of the matchup, but because both teams picked up huge wins last week, there is a slight danger of either squad succumbing to the hangover effect. If one team comes out flat and the other capitalizes with an early score or two, it could make all the difference. Both teams play methodically on offense, so it will be difficult for the other to dig itself out of an early hole. That said, San Diego State has the best chance to avoid a letdown. The Aztecs have some key injuries, but Agnew and Jasmin have filled in admirably at key positions, and the team hasn’t missed a beat since the two took over at their respective positions. San Diego State also has the edge on defense with its dominant performance against the run, as well as the home-field advantage, which is important because Air Force has yet to win away from home this year. Prediction: San Diego State 31, Air Force 17 — Written by Nicholas Ian Allen, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @NicholasIAllen.<doc-sep>San Diego State quarterback Ryan Agnew and tight end Parker Houston shared an inside joke late Friday night after SDSU’s soggy victory at SDCCU Stadium. Agnew was kind enough to share it with outsiders. Something about his roommate busting a move to make it to the end zone. It was a 29-yard touchdown pass from Agnew to Houston — one roommate throwing to another — with just over six minutes remaining in the game that provided the winning points. It was a play — and a move — that had the pair grinning. Advertisement “I didn’t think we were ever going to call that play,” Houston said. “But when we did, O-line executed it, receivers, backfield executed it, (Agnew) executed it perfectly, and we ended up scoring.” With Air Force keying on the run most of the time, it was one occasion where Houston did not stay back to block and found himself wide open on the left side a few yards from the line of scrimmage. “We like to run a lot of those plays in practice,” Houston said. “Screens and specials” is what SDSU offensive coordinator Jeff Horton calls them. “It’s hard to find the right situations for plays like that (in a game),” Houston said. “Coach Horton being the great OC he is, he knows exactly when to call those. And when he calls those, we are all hyped up and we have to execute to the fullest.” For Houston, there were a couple Falcons players to get past before he reached the end zone. “What he’s not mentioning is he made a guy miss,” Agnew said. “That was probably the greatest part about it.” Agnew shared that information with a big smile on his face. Why the smile? Advertisement “Because I’m unagile,” Houston said. “That’s why he’s smiling.” Horton said Houston showed some “swivel hips.” Who knew? The quarterback could needle the tight end because Agnew showed a few moves of his own on the drive leading up to the score. He scrambled for 32 yards to convert on third-and-9 on one play and used his legs to keep a third-and-5 play alive before connecting with true freshman wide receiver Kobe Smith for another 32 yards. Advertisement Then Agnew found his roommate to cap off the drive, and the win. San Diego State quarterback Ryan Agnew and tight end Parker Houston talk about the game-winning touchdown against Air Force. (Kirk Kenney / U-T) Jasmin shaken up SDSU running back Chase Jasmin, who carried 18 times for 70 yards and one touchdown, was shaken up in the fourth quarter and appeared wobbly on the sidelines. Redshirt freshman Kaegun Williams was in the backfield for SDSU’s final drive of the game. “I think he got dinged a little bit in the head,” Long said after the game. “I haven’t heard what the results of that is.” Advertisement Cheatum ejected SDSU defensive end Myles Cheatum, who started in place of the injured Chibu Onyuekwu, was flagged for roughing the passer in the third quarter and ejected for targeting. Since the infraction occurred in the second half, Cheatum will be suspended for the first half of next week’s game against San Jose State. Air Force QB injured The Falcons lost starting quarterback Donald Hammond III midway through the first quarter when he suffered a left leg injury while carrying the ball on a 1-yard loss. Hammond left the field on the back of a cart. The extent of his injury was not immediately known. The blame game SDSU was called for nine penalties totaling 114 yards. Air Force was flagged five times for 56 yards, all on blocking penalties. The Colorado Springs Gazette’s Brent Briggeman asked Air Force coach Troy Calhoun about the penalties after the game, saying: “With five blocking penalties, what can you do about that?” Advertisement Calhoun produced a piece of paper from his pocket that had all the names of the officials on it. Included with their names was their hometowns. “Who called them?” Calhoun responded as he placed his finger under the name of the one official from San Diego. This and that • This was Long’s 99th game as SDSU’s head coach. He now is 69-30. His .697 winning percentage is tied with former coach Claude Gilbert, who was 61-26-2 from 1973-80, for second place in school history. Don Coryell is first with an .840 winning percentage from an 104-19-2 record. • SDSU won its 11th straight Friday home game, improving to 14-3 in the Division I era on Fridays. Advertisement • The Aztecs’ eight straight wins against Air Force have moved them to 19-17 in the overall series between the teams. • Linebacker Kyahva Tezino, who had a game-high 15 tackles, now has led the Aztecs in tackles eight of the past 11 games. Advertisement Aztecs × On Now Video: Aztecs make history with upset over No. 6 Nevada On Now Aztecs prepare for Fresno State On Now Aztecs beat New Mexico, 97-77 On Now Dutcher, Aztecs prepare for Air Force On Now Aztecs beat Wyoming, 84-54 On Now Aztecs prepare for conference game against Boise On Now Aztecs beat Texas Southern, 103-64 On Now Rocky Long: "This team has overachieved" On Now SDSU West bests SoccerCity as voters embrace a new vision for Mission Valley stadium site On Now Aztecs win season opener, 76-60 kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com / on Twitter: @sdutkirKDKenney<doc-sep>Could we be getting a sneak peek at a potential Mountain West Championship Game matchup when Boise State hosts San Diego State on Saturday? It's still early and other teams like Fresno State and Utah State will likely factor into the title race. Still, it isn't implausible to assume that the Broncos and the Aztecs could end up facing one another twice this season. Boise State (3-1, 1-0 MW) opened conference play by dominating Wyoming 34-14, bouncing back from a loss to Oklahoma State a week earlier. San Diego State (3-1, 0-0) has run off three straight wins since falling to Stanford in the season opener. The biggest highlight in that stretch came in the form of a 28-21 victory over then-No. 23 Arizona State. The Broncos lead the all-time series 3-2. The Aztecs haven't beaten Boise State since snagging back-to-back wins in 2012 and '13. San Diego State at Boise State Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 6 at 3:30 p.m. ET TV: ESPNU Spread: Boise State -14 Three Things to Watch 1. Defense vs. defense If you're looking for a high-octane score fest, you might leave feeling disappointed. Boise State and San Diego State enter the game as two of the top defensive teams in the Mountain West. The Broncos rank second in the league in total defense (322.3 yards per game) and scoring defense (21.3 points per game). Twice this season, Boise State has held opponents under 300 total yards. The Broncos allowed Wyoming to gain 295 yards and limited Connecticut to 193 yards. San Diego ranks third in both categories, behind the Broncos, allowing 337 yards and 21.5 points per contest. The Aztecs boast an elite rush defense that keeps opposing offenses from getting on track. San Diego State has defended 122 rushing plays this season and has not allowed a run longer than 16 yards. They rank second nationally in allowing 64.5 yards per game on the ground and 2.1 yards per carry. 2. How will injuries impact San Diego State's offense? The injury bug bit San Diego State hard in September. Several key players on offense have been sidelined by injuries suffered in recent games. Christian Chapman has been out since suffering an MCL sprain against Sacramento State. Zachary Thomas tore an ACL a week later against Arizona State. Juwan Washington broke a collarbone against Eastern Michigan. Weathering these injuries will hinge on well their replacements can keep the offense moving. Chase Jasmin will earn the start in the backfield on Saturday in place of Washington. Jasmin has run for 233 yards in four games and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Ryan Agnew has already been filling in for Chapman at quarterback with favorable results. In two starts, Agnew has thrown for 305 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while completing 52.2 percent of his passes. Their ability to get it done on offense will go a long way to determining if San Diego State can win for the 15th time in the team's last 18 road games. 3. Terrific trio pacing Boise State Boise State can point to depth at receiver as a big factor for strong play on offense through four games. The Broncos are one of only five schools – along with Hawaii, Texas Tech, Washington State, and West Virginia – to have three different receivers rank among the top 100 FBS players in receiving yardage per game. Sean Modster is leading the way with 96.3 yards per game, good for 19th nationally. A.J. Richardson ranks 54th with 78.3 yards per contest. John Hightower checks in at 97th in the FBS with 64.3 yards per game. The trio have combined for 955 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over Boise State's first four games. It has helped Brett Rypien get off to a strong start during his senior season. Rypien has thrown for 1,389 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 70.1 percent of his passes so far. He ranks second in the Mountain West in completion percentage and third in total passing yards. Final Analysis Once again, Boise State looks like the team to beat in the MWC's Mountain Division, with only Utah State posing a serious threat to the Broncos. San Diego State has a good enough defense to make life hard for the Broncos' offense. Injuries have taken their toll on the Aztecs' offense though and it may be tough for them to do enough to keep up with Boise State for four quarters. Prediction: Boise State 31, San Diego State 20 — Written by John Coon, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Coon has more than a decade of experience covering sports for different publications and outlets, including The Associated Press, Salt Lake Tribune, ESPN, Deseret News, MaxPreps, Yahoo! Sports and many others. Follow him on Twitter @johncoonsports.<doc-sep>Air Force dominated its series with San Diego State — winning 18 of the first 27 meetings over three decades — before Rocky Long arrived on the SDSU campus. The Aztecs now have won seven straight games in a series the Falcons lead 19-16. Long’s 11 victories over Air Force (including his years at New Mexico) are more than any other active coach in the country. Air Force has had some success with its triple option offense during the skid, but turnovers have done in the Falcons on at least a couple occasions. Here’s a glance at SDSU’s seven-game winning streak against Air Force: Advertisement 2017: SDSU 28, at Air Force 24 AF rushing: 60 carries, 220 yards (3.7 ypc), 3 TDs AF passing: 2-for-6, 33 yards, 1 INT Notable: The Aztecs looked completely disoriented in a game that began in a downpour and flooded the field. A 98-minute lightning delay in the second quarter was a blessing in disguise. The extreme weather subsided during the delay, the field drained and the Aztecs were a different team when they returned. Rashaad Penny rushed for 128 yards and three TDs, including a 53-yarder with 5:39 remaining to win it. 2015: at SDSU 27, Air Force 24 AF rushing: 46 carries, 305 yards (6.6 ypc), 3 TDs AF passing: 5-for-11, 35 yards Notable: SDSU freshman quarterback Christian Chapman passed for 203 yards in his first college start, Penny gave the Aztecs their first lead on a 28-yard touchdown run (his only carry of the game) in the fourth quarter and Donny Hageman kicked a 46-yard field goal with 5:10 remaining to deliver the 2015 Mountain West championship. 2014: at SDSU 30, Air Force 14 AF rushing: 41 carries, 140 yards (3.4 ypc), 1 TD/3 FUM AF passing: 12-for-27, 189 yards, 1 TD/1 INT Advertisement Notable: SDSU’s defense had its best game against the triple option, forcing the Falcons to go to the air in an effort to get back in a game they actually led 14-13 at halftime. SDSU linebacker Calvin Munson’s 56-yard interception return for a TD sealed the win with 2:44 remaining. 2013: SDSU 27, at Air Force 20 AF rushing: 49 carries, 169 yards (3.4 ypc), 1 TD/1 FUM AF passing: 6-for-12, 150 yards, 1 TD Notable: The Aztecs used a 21-point fourth quarter to rally for the Thursday night win. Air Force was trying to end a five-game losing streak with a freshman backup quarterback subbing for its injured starter. Advertisement 2012: at SDSU 28, Air Force 9 AF rushing: 68 carries, 320 yards (4.7 ypc), 1 TD/2 FUM AF passing: 9-for-19, 73 yards, 2 INTs Notable: Turnovers told the story, helping the Aztecs to the most lopsided win in the streak. They scored touchdowns after two Air Force fumbles (one returned 52 yards for a TD by Everett Beed) and an interception. The other score came after stopping the Falcons on fourth down. SDSU running back Adam Muema rushed for two TDs. 2011: SDSU 41, at Air Force 27 AF rushing: 47 carries, 195 yards (4.2 ypc), 1 TD/1 FUM Advertisement AF passing: 22-for-37, 224 yards, 2 TDs/2 INTs Notable: Air Force had a legitimate throwing QB in four-year starter Tim Jefferson, which accounts for all of the passes in this contest (as well as the 2010 game) since it was still a seven-point game heading into the fourth quarter. 2010: at SDSU 27, No. 23 Air Force 25 AF rushing: 62 carries, 312 yards (5.0 ypc), 2 TDs AF passing: 13-for-30, 175 yards, 1 TD/1 INT Advertisement Notable: Running back Ronnie Hillman’s 203 yards on the ground and quarterback Ryan Lindley’s 247 yards through the air made the difference for the Aztecs, who recorded their first victory over a ranked team in 14 years (ending a 0-25 streak against ranked opponents). Advertisement Aztecs × On Now Video: Aztecs make history with upset over No. 6 Nevada On Now Aztecs prepare for Fresno State On Now Aztecs beat New Mexico, 97-77 On Now Dutcher, Aztecs prepare for Air Force On Now Aztecs beat Wyoming, 84-54 On Now Aztecs prepare for conference game against Boise On Now Aztecs beat Texas Southern, 103-64 On Now Rocky Long: "This team has overachieved" On Now SDSU West bests SoccerCity as voters embrace a new vision for Mission Valley stadium site On Now Aztecs win season opener, 76-60 kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com / on Twitter: @sdutkirKDKenney<doc-sep>
Three thoughts from San Diego State’s 19-13 win Saturday afternoon at Boise State: 1. Did the SDSU defense turn the corner? SDSU’s defense played not only its best game of the season but one of its best games of any season, limiting Boise State to its fewest yards (229) at home in 20 years while holding the Broncos 30 points below their scoring average. Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien took a beating mentally — a pair of first-quarter interceptions by defensive backs Darren Hall and Tariq Thompson had to give him some second thoughts — and physically — four sacks and several other hits had to hurt. Rypien was fortunate he wasn’t injured on a blindside sack by Hall. Sacks by Kyahva Tezino and Damon Moore were no less punishing. SDSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett credited a couple of early blitzes for disrupting Rypien. “A couple other times zone coverage made him hold the football a little bit and gave the rush a chance to get home,” Arnett said. “I just think that over the course of the game, it kind of had a cumulative effect. Anytime you can hit the quarterback, even if the ball’s getting out, those things add up over the course of the game. … Because you’ve gotten good pressure early on, that internal clock gets sped up. The ball’s coming out before some of those long-developing routes can find the open windows in the zone.” Perhaps most impressive in the effort was how SDSU’s linemen and linebackers picked up the defensive backs, and how the DBs returned the favor. So was this the game SDSU’s defense turned the corner? “That, to me, is looking way too much into it,” Arnett said. “No conference game is any more important than any other one. You could go out this weekend (Friday night against Air Force) and get your brains bashed in and, obviously, you’re not feeling too good about this one.” 2. Special teams not so special For all the great work done by SDSU’s defense against the Broncos, it was nearly undone by a muffed punt in the first quarter that gift-wrapped the Broncos’ first touchdown, which gave Boise State a 7-3 lead. SDSU’s special teams have provided one of the team’s biggest sparks the past three years. This season, special teams haven’t been so special. “I have a lot of concern for the special teams,” SDSU head coach Rocky Long said after the game. “We’ve got so many young players. We had 19 redshirt freshmen or (true) freshmen on this trip. About half of them played and most of them are playing on special teams. “The guy that dropped the punt (Ethan Dedeaux) is a redshirt freshman. The guy that came in for him to catch punts (Kobe Smith) was a true freshman. “We’ve got so many freshmen on the team that they do some unusual things at times, and it’s not always what they’re coached to do.” The Aztecs were spoiled with the presence of Rashaad Penny — who tied an NCAA career record with seven kickoff returns for touchdowns — on kickoffs for four years. Juwan Washington added two more kick return TDs, and he was expected to provide a smooth transition in the return game. But a fractured clavicle has sidelined Washington for half the season. Chase Jasmin and Jordan Byrd have some potential returning kickoffs. Smith has potential as well returning punts, although he didn’t look too sure of himself at Boise State. Getting where the Aztecs want to go will be more of a challenge until they get something out of the return game. 3. Should Aztecs be added to major bowl discussion? Mere moments after the Aztecs walked off the blue field with their fourth victory in five games this season, Long was asked if SDSU belongs in the discussion for the New Year’s Six bowl berth that goes to a Group of Five conference champion. “You’re way too early on that question,” he said. “We’re a long way from any discussion about any of that kind of stuff.” Long’s mind, instead, was already on Air Force and the unique challenges the Falcons present. “We’ve got to play a triple option team in a short week,” he said. “It’s hard enough to play a triple option team. In a short week it’s unbelievably hard to play a triple option team.” Since Long isn’t prepared to discuss the Group of Five situation, we’ll do it for him.