MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Falcons win, but are let down - North County Times
Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson wasn't at all pleased with how the Falcons' victory over South Dakota ended in sloppiness or about how TCU's game ended in defeat.
The 14th-ranked Horned Frogs visit Falcon Stadium next Saturday in a showdown of two teams expected to contend for the Mountain West Conference title.
Jefferson would have preferred TCU's BCS-best streak of 25 consecutive regular season wins hadn't ended in a 50-48 loss at Baylor on Friday night.
"I was pulling for TCU," Jefferson said. "I was pulling for them because if they would have won that game, they wouldn't be angry right now. They're upset, you can believe that."
And so are the Falcons.
They beat South Dakota 37-20 Saturday but fumbled four times, committed three turnovers and couldn't put away the Coyotes after going ahead by 30 points on their first drive after halftime.
"I have a feeling a lot of guys were probably looking ahead," Jefferson said.
To the angry Horned Frogs.
Jefferson, who tied the school records for wins by a quarterback with 22, said the Falcons "were awful" after the 55-yard TD catch by Mikel Hunter, who began the game with an 80-yard reverse for the longest touchdown by Air Force in 13 seasons.
That first play was scripted, so Hunter had a lot of time to ponder the possibilities.
"I expected something big," Hunter said. "I've been thinking about it all week, actually."
Hunter said the Falcons were intent on not letting the Coyotes, of the Great West Conference, stick around long enough to imagine another upset of a top-tier school like last year, when South Dakota upset Minnesota 41-38 in Minneapolis.
Hunter put the Falcons on top just 16 seconds into the game when he took the handoff from fellow wide receiver Jonathan Warzeka, raced around the left side and then scooted down the Air Force sideline to the end zone.
"Our kids were so amped up and so excited to run," Coyotes coach Ed Meierkort said. "You guys would have scored on that reverse. That's what Air Force does: they use your own anxiety against you. We talked all day about how we had to run to the football, and they ran a reverse into the wind and there's your first seven points."
WYOMING 35, WEBER ST. 32
At Laramie, Wyo.: Brett Smith threw a touchdown pass to Robert Herron with 22 seconds left to lift the Cowboys over the Wildcats in the season opener for both teams. Smith threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns on 27-for-41 passing. After Weber State took a 32-28 lead late in the fourth quarter, Smith recovered and led a 13-play, 73-yard drive that was capped by his 9-yard touchdown pass.
COLORADO ST. 14, NEW MEXICO 10
At Albuquerque, N.M.: Defensive lineman Nordly Capi forced and recovered a fumble in the closing seconds Saturday to preserve the Rams' victory over the Lobos. With New Mexico at the Rams' 15 with 23 seconds left, Capi stripped quarterback Tarean Austin, then fell on the ball to thwart the Lobos' last chance. Chris Nwoke's 2-yard touchdown run with 7:17 remaining in the fourth quarter put the Rams up in the season and Mountain West opener for both teams.
04 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF99olV9X_WqtZnCfMpb-jIAXgO5g&url=http://www.nctimes.com/sports/college/aztecs/article_39721383-7145-5725-9059-b016fe9db7c2.html
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