Air Force rushes past Colorado State
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Cole Fagan rushed for 260 yards, the third-most in Air Force history, and linebacker Kyle Floyd thwarted a late drive with an interception to help the Falcons hold off Colorado State 27-19 on Thursday.
Fagan, a fullback, gouged the Colorado State defense with run after run up the middle, including an early 3-yard score. The school record is 275 yards by Chad Hall in 2007.
Kadin Remsberg sealed the win with a late score as the Falcons (5-7, 3-5 Mountain West) won their third straight over the Rams (3-9, 2-6).
Colorado State receiver Preston Williams turned in a big afternoon with 12 catches for 248 yards and three scores. His third TD brought the Rams to within 20-19 with 9:53 remaining, but Wyatt Bryan’s gametying extra point was blocked by defensive lineman Ben Harris. Bryan also missed an extra point earlier in the game.
The Falcons went on a time-consuming 11-play drive that culminated in Remsberg’s score, giving Air Force a 27-19 lead.
Colorado State was on the move when Floyd stepped in front of a K.J. CartaSamuels pass.
Collin Hill started the game and threw two TD passes. He also had a costly interception in the third quarter that led to him being replaced by Carta-Samuels.
Colorado State’s defense came up with a goal-line stand in the third quarter. Hill and the offense took over at the 1 and had a promising drive going until Air Force safety Jeremy Fejedelem picked off a pass. The Falcons turned it into a 39-yard field goal that extended their lead to 20-13.
The Rams haven’t won at Falcon Stadium since 2002.
The Falcons still have a slim chance at making a bowl should not enough teams reach the six-win mark. They are among the leaders in the Academic Progress Rate, which puts them at the top of the list. Air Force has been to a bowl game nine times under coach Troy Calhoun, who took over 2007.
Colorado State played on Thanksgiving for the first time since 1978. The Rams are 15-25-2 all-time on the holiday.
For Air Force, playing on turkey day is rare, with this game marking just the third occasion. The team is now 1-2.
AURORA UPDATE: The Air Force falcon named Aurora was present at the game Thursday. She’s expected to make a full recovery from injuries she suffered at West Point during a prank before the annual football game between the service academies earlier this month.