Air Force rushed for a season-high 452 yards and beat San Jose State 24-3 on Saturday at Falcon Stadium, the Falcons reported, as three players each ran for more than 100 yards.
The Falcons improved to 8-2 and 4-2 in the Mountain West. San Jose State fell to 5-6 and 3-4. The Mercury News said Air Force had 301 yards in the first half, all on the ground, and held the Spartans to 61 total yards before halftime in a 17-0 game.
Sophomore quarterback Evan Medders ran for 146 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, including an 81-yard keeper that Air Force said was his longest rush and tied for the fourth-longest run in program history. Senior quarterback Kemper Hodges had 117 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 26 carries. Senior fullback Owen Allen added 103 yards on 12 carries, including a career-long 54-yard run.
After a scoreless first quarter in which Air Force said it held San Jose State to three yards of offense and two three-and-outs, Carter Cremascoli opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal. Hodges then scored from four yards, set up by a 39-yard Medders run, and Medders' 81-yard touchdown made it 17-0 at the half. Air Force said it was the fourth time this season it had held an opponent scoreless for a half.
The Spartans' best stretch came to open the third quarter. Quarterback Luke Weaver hit Jabari Bates for 39 yards, Trajan Sinatra kicked a 33-yard field goal, and the deficit was 17-3. A later field-goal try — 36 yards in the Air Force recap, 37 in the Mercury News and SJSU accounts — missed. Hodges' second rushing touchdown, from seven yards after Allen's 54-yard run, made it 24-3.
The Mercury News reported that San Jose State changed quarterbacks even though true freshman Daniel Rolovich was making his fourth start; there was no immediate word on why he was replaced after going 2 of 4 for 11 yards. Weaver, who entered with 3:24 left in the second quarter, finished 11 of 24 for 138 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Linebacker Naseri Danielson had a career-high 13 tackles, Carson Clark had 57 yards on six catches, and Ethan Powell and Dylan Lee each had nine tackles, with Lee recording the Spartans' only sack, SJSU said. San Jose State finished with 224 total yards. Air Force held the ball for 39:31.
The Spartans host UNLV next Saturday at 4 p.m. at CEFCU Stadium on CBS Sports Network, still looking for a sixth win after a night in Colorado when they could not stop the run.