FB: Air Force Handles South Dakota, 37-20

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Mikel Hunter scored on an 80-yard reverse on the game's first snap and added a 55-yard TD reception Saturday to help Air Force cruise past South Dakota 37-20.

The Falcons (1-0) were intent on not letting the Coyotes (0-1), 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.

Hunter struck almost as quickly the second time he got into the end zone, taking a short pass over the middle from Tim Jefferson on third-and-2 and racing into the end zone for a 55-yard score that made it 37-7.

The Falcons rushed for 391 yards and four TDs and improved to 16-0 against schools from the Championship Subdivision.

Air Force, which hosts TCU next week in an early showdown between two teams expected to contend for the Mountain West Conference title, ran the ball on 18 of 19 snaps in its final two possessions of the first half. Jefferson capped the drives with TD runs of 2 and 3 yards.

Jefferson gained 69 yards on 15 carries and added 96 yards on 4 of 9 passing with one TD, but he was picked off twice.

The Falcons committed a third turnover when Tyler Starr forced and recovered a fumble by Wes Cobb in the fourth quarter at his own 39. That led to Dante Warren's 35-yard touchdown throw to Jeremy Blount that made it 37-20.

Starr punched the ball out of Asher Clark's arms on Air Force's next drive, but Clark scooped it up at his 25. Clark led the Falcons with 97 yards on 13 carries.

Warren was 15 of 26 for 184 yards. He threw two TD passes but was picked off three times and sacked six times.

His 5-yard fade toss to Dustin Nowotny into the right corner pulled the Coyotes to 14-7 in the first half, but Anthony LaCoste returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to midfield. Two personal fouls on the Coyotes, one during the runback and one after the whistle, put the Falcons at the South Dakota 19.

That led to Parker Herrington's first career field goal, from 45 yards out.

In the third quarter, Anthony Wright picked off Warren's pass at the Air Force 2, halting a drive that had chewed up nearly nine minutes and covered 73 yards in 14 plays.

After pulling off one of the biggest upsets by a Championship Subdivision team last year, the Coyotes weren't fazed facing an FBS team.

What got to them was Air Force's ground game.

Last year, the Coyotes didn't handle opponents who ran the option, allowing more than 700 yards rushing and 11 TDs against Cal Poly and North Dakota State combined.

The Falcons averaged 306.5 yards rushing last season, second-most in the nation, and on Saturday they ran on 61 of their 70 plays, none bigger than Hunter's 80-yard scamper that set the tone shortly after Falcon Stadium was rattled by the roar of a flyover.