SAN DIEGO (Daily Aztec) - San Diego State football won its fifth straight game on Friday night, defeating Air Force 21-17 while overcoming a 67-minute lightning delay at SDCCU stadium. Lightning in the area prompted a 30-minute delay with 5:50 left in the third quarter. The game was delayed multiple times after lightning reappeared within an eight-mile radius, each time resetting the 30-minute delay due to NCAA rules. The troubling weather was reminiscent of SDSU’s matchup against Air Force (2-4, 0-3 MW) last season in Colorado, which saw an 88-minute lightning delay. SDSU head coach Rocky Long said it was odd for a weather delay to occur in back-to-back years against the Falcons. “What a coincidence that is, not only the lightning delay, but it’s the same teams that played,” Long said. The end result remained the same, a win for the Aztecs (5-1, 2-0 MW). Down 17-14 with 9:18 left to play in the game, junior quarterback Ryan Agnew led SDSU on a game-winning touchdown drive that started from its own six-yard line. Click here to read the full story on The Daily Aztec<doc-sep>Lightning may not strike twice in the same place, but no one ever said it couldn’t interrupt the same teams two years in a row. San Diego State’s football game at Air Force last year began amid a huge downpour and high winds before being interrupted by lightning that caused a 98-minute delay. But that was Colorado Springs, Colo., where extreme weather is, if not normal, at least not out of the ordinary. SDSU and Air Force renewed acquaintances Friday night in “sunny” San Diego. Once again, the Mountain West game was played in rain and interrupted by lightning before the Aztecs posted a 21-17 win. Advertisement “What a coincidence that is,” said SDSU head coach Rocky Long, adding, “There’s someone else in charge of that beside anybody around here.” It was the fifth straight victory of the season for SDSU (5-1, 2-0 MW), which defeated Air Force (2-4, 0-3) for the eighth straight time. The Aztecs, aiming for their ninth straight bowl appearance, now can become bowl eligible with their next win. They host winless San Jose State next week. Once again, victory was in doubt for SDSU until the game’s final minutes. Asked about his team’s ability to grind out wins and how motivating that is for him and his team, Long said, “Well, it drives me crazy.” The lightning delay didn’t help matters. “It seemed like both teams were sick and tired of sitting in the locker room and wanted to go home,” Long said. “But I thought both teams played extremely hard. … That’s the kind of game you ought to get when you play an academy team.” Weather you like it or not. Rain was in Saturday’s forecast. Then it was supposed to arrive late Friday night. Then a cloud burst over SDCCU Stadium late in the first quarter, and a brief heavy rain sent many in the crowd scurrying for cover. Things calmed down thereafter. Advertisement Or so everyone thought. Officials halted the game and pulled the teams from the field when lightning struck near the stadium with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter and the Aztecs leading 14-9. A pouring rain soon followed and there were intermittent showers the remainder of the evening. NCAA rules require a 30-minute delay whenever lightning strikes within eight miles of a venue. The clock is reset whenever another strike occurs. The clock was down to 10 minutes when another bolt came overhead. And another. And another. At one point, Air Force players returned to the field and were about to warm up when they were pulled back again and the clock reset at 30 minutes. The Aztecs and Falcons finally did return to the field, warmed up for a few minutes and resumed the game about 9:30 p.m. after a 67-minute delay. Perhaps 500 people remained in the stands from an announced crowd of 25,326. Advertisement Last year’s lightning delay helped SDSU tremendously. The Aztecs were running in place in windy conditions on a flooded field when lightning struck. They returned to calm conditions and found their footing, with running back Rashaad Penny rushing for three touchdowns in a 28-24 win. SDSU did not respond similarly this time around. The Aztecs had first-and-10 at the Air Force 42-yard line when the game resumed, went three-and-out and didn’t do much thereafter. They did manage a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Agnew to tight end Parker Houston that provided a 21-17 lead. Crucial to the scoring drive was a 32-yard scramble by Agnew and a 32-yard pass from Agnew to wide receiver Kobe Smith — both converting third-down situations. Advertisement “We were held in check for a lot of times and eventually we had to persevere and make a play,” said Agnew, who completed 9 of 25 passes for 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The late touchdown came after Air Force went ahead 17-14 lead with 9:25 remaining when running back Ronald Cleveland scored on a 4-yard run and the Falcons passed for a two-point conversion. The Falcons got the ball back for one more chance with less than four minutes left, but SDSU senior safety Parker Baldwin picked off a second-down pass to secure the victory. “It was a huge play in the game,” Baldwin said. “It sealed the deal for us. I was just glad I bounced back from a play previously where I could have had an interception. I just kept playing hard. … Luckily, I got another chance and made up for that.” Advertisement To that point, the game’s biggest play had come just before halftime. With eight seconds remaining in the second quarter, Air Force punter Charlie Scott dropped a poor snap, picked up the ball and saw SDSU’s Kaelin Himphill bearing down on him. Himphill blocked the punt, teammate Trenton Thompson gathered up the loose ball and ran 19 yards with it, carrying a Falcons player with him the final yard into the end zone. The play provided the Aztecs with a 14-9 halftime lead. “Obviously, you get a touchdown right before the half, especially on special teams, that’s a big momentum changer,” said SDSU linebacker Kyahva Tezino, who had a game-high 15 tackles for the Aztecs. “Now they have to start worrying about all phases of the game, even special teams, so that was real big.” Advertisement It was somewhat remarkable considering SDSU seemed bent on self destruction much of the first half. That, in itself, was in contrast to the way the game began for the Aztecs. SDSU scored three plays and 71 seconds into the game, needing only a 6-yard run by Chase Jasmin, a 55-yard pass from Ryan Agnew to Fred Trevillion and a 4-yard run by Jasmin to make it 7-0. It seemed too easy. And it was. SDSU stumbled and bumbled through most of the remainder of the half. Advertisement All of the sudden the offense could barely make a first down (getting just one in four more first-quarter possessions). The most embarrassing moment came with seven seconds remaining in the first quarter.<doc-sep>Air Force at San Diego State Betting Odds, Pick Odds: San Diego State -10.5 Over/Under: 44 Time: 9 p.m. ET, Friday TV: CBSSN Both of these teams come off big wins for their respective programs, as Air Force defeated fellow service academy Navy last week, while San Diego State pulled off a huge road upset over Boise State. You could make an argument that both teams might come out a little flat after two big wins. Air Force has certainly done this in the past, going just 2-15 ATS (11.8%) in its last 17 games after facing either Army or Navy. However, Air Force could come out energized to stop a team that has beaten the Falcons seven straight times. I ultimately think the spread looks spot on and have instead focused in on the over/under. >> All odds as of 9 a.m. ET on Friday. Download The Action Network App to get real-time odds and track your bets. Key Matchup: San Diego State Rush Defense vs. Air Force If you didn’t see what the Aztec defense did to Boise on the road last week, go check out the box score and focus on the yards-per-play summary. SDSU held Boise to just 229 yards on 80 plays for a staggering 2.86 yards per play. It was an absolutely dominant effort en route to a 19-13 win. The San Diego State rush defense was even more impressive in that victory, holding Boise State running back Alex Mattison to just 66 yards on 25 carries. That wasn’t anything new for an Aztec defense that has shut down rushing offenses all season long. In fact, San Diego State ranks second in the nation at a minuscule 1.96 yards per carry. And it’s not like the Aztecs haven’t faced a tough schedule, as they have played Arizona State, Stanford and Boise State so far. Per S&P+, SDSU ranks in the top 10 nationally in defending both rushing efficiency (third) and explosiveness (eighth). That strength will come in handy against this Air Force option attack. Not surprisingly, the Falcons run the ball at a top-5 clip nationally on both Standard Downs and Passing Downs, per Football Study Hall. Do not expect the Air Force offense to do much of anything tonight against head coach Rocky Long’s bunch that has seen the option frequently both in and out of conference in recent years. Bet to Watch for San Diego State-Air Force I mentioned the great matchup for San Diego State’s elite rush defense against an Air Force team that runs as much as anybody in the country. Well, the same applies on the other side of the ball. Air Force comes off a game where it completely shut down Navy’s usually vaunted rushing attack. The Falcons held the Midshipmen to just 129 yards on 41 carries (3.1 average), which also wasn’t too surprising based on what they’ve done all season. Air Force has held opponents to just 3.3 yards per rush this season, which is tied for 24th nationally — and the Falcons rank fourth in defending Rushing Efficiency. And just like Air Force, San Diego State is a run-first offense, ranking sixth in the country in run rate on Standard Downs, per S&P+. The Aztecs also play very slowly, as they sit outside the top-100 in Adjusted Pace. The Air Force passing defense is horrifying, but San Diego State doesn’t have the offense to exploit that deficiency — especially with all of the Aztecs’ injuries. Already down their starting quarterback (Christian Chapman) and running back (Juwan Washington), they have also ruled out leading receiver Ethan Dedeaux and starting fullback Isaac Lessard for tonight. It’s also worth mentioning that backup running back Chase Jasmin is dealing with a hamstring issue, although he will suit up. If you’re curious, these two teams did combine for 52 points last season, but 29 came in the fourth quarter. In summary, we have two teams that run at a top-10 rate on Standard Downs and have defenses that excel at shutting down opposing rushing attacks. Points should be at a premium in San Diego without complete flukes. Expect the clock to be moving quickly throughout as both of these offenses try to grind out drives. If you like punting, tune into CBS Sports Network tonight at 9 p.m. ET. The Play: Under 44<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>
SAN DIEGO — Whether it’s in Colorado or San Diego, the San Diego State Aztecs are getting used to lightning delays when they play Air Force. The result has been the same, too: an Aztecs win. Ryan Agnew threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Parker Houston with 6:10 to go and San Diego State beat Air Force 21-17 Friday night in a game delayed 1 hour, 7 minutes by lightning. A year ago, there was an 88-minute lightning delay at Air Force, and the Aztecs held on for a 28-24 win. “What a coincidence,” SDSU coach Rocky Long said. “It completely breaks up the whole rhythm of the game. And I thought it was a great game anyway, and it was going along just fine, so I think it kind of ruins the game, basically.” But it finished the right way for SDSU. Agnew moved the Aztecs (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West) 94 yards in eight plays after the Falcons had gone ahead 17-14 on Ronald Cleveland’s 4-yard run, his second score of the night. The Aztecs, coming off a big 19-13 victory at Boise State, won their fifth straight game since losing their opener at Stanford. They also beat Air Force (2-4, 0-3) for the eighth straight time. The Aztecs were about to start a drive with 5:50 left in the third quarter when lighting was detected within eight miles of SDCCU Stadium, leading to a 30-minute delay. There were more lightning strikes during those 30 minutes. Air Force players returned to the field briefly before heading back to the locker room, and another 30-minute delay began. It rained off and on from early in the game. “It’s kind of dead in the locker room so we played some music and danced around a little bit,” said Parker Baldwin, who sealed the win with an interception with 3:10 left. “We came out a little slow after the break but we got it going after a while.” The Falcons took advantage of great field position to go ahead in the fourth quarter, pinning SDSU deep and forcing a punt that gave them the ball at the SDSU 40. Seven plays into the drive, Cleveland took a toss and scored. But Agnew, a junior filling in for injured senior Christian Chapman, led the winning drive in front of maybe 500 fans left from an announced crowd of 25,326. He twice converted on third down, first on a 32-yard scramble and then on a 32-yard pass to Kobe Smith. “That kid made two really fine plays on third down,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. Houston was wide open up the middle and broke one tackle to score. “I didn’t think we were ever going to call that play,” Houston said. “But when we did, the O-line executed it, the receivers executed it, the backfield, Ags executed it perfectly and we ended up scoring.” Said Agnew: “What he’s not mentioning is he made a guy miss. That was probably the greatest part about it. It was a great play call by the coaches for them to trust Parker in that situation because it’s not an easy one to execute.” Chase Jasmin ran for one touchdown for SDSU, and Trenton Thompson returned a blocked punt 19 yards for a score. Air Force quarterback Donald Hammond was knocked out of the game with an injury late in the first half when he was tackled for a loss by Kyahva Tezino. Hammond was replaced by Isaiah Sanders. San Diego State scored just three plays into the game on Jasmin’s 4-yard run, which was set up by Agnew’s 55-yard pass to Fred Trevillion. SDSU struggled most of the rest of the half, though. Agnew was sacked by Jordan Jackson for a safety late in the first quarter and then was intercepted in the end zone to set up an 80-yard Air Force drive capped by Cleveland’s 12-yard run for a 9-7 lead late in the second quarter. Even normally reliable John Baron II was wide right on a 44-yard field goal attempt for the Aztecs. But SDSU took a 14-9 lead with eight seconds before halftime when Kaelin Himphill blocked Charlie Scott’s punt and Thompson scooped up the ball and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown, giving a nice second effort to get into the end zone. THE TAKEAWAY Air Force: The Falcons dropped to 0-3 on the road this season, including 0-2 in the conference.