San Diego State Aztecs @ Air Force Falcons Football Recap

The San Diego State Aztecs were desperately searching for a spark, groping in the dark for any piece of inspiration that could lift them from their pronounced doldrums. A team that performed so well in 2010 had lost its guiding light, former head coach Brady Hoke. When Hoke went to Michigan, the Aztecs absorbed a violent blow, and through the first month of their 2011 season, they simply didn't learn how to adjust.

Thursday night in Colorado Springs, Colorado, they might have finally found their footing. Los Aztecs, in danger of plummeting to the bottom of the Mountain West Conference, instead sent the Air Force Falcons to the cellar of the league, exploding for 41 points in a must-have conquest that could salvage this autumn on the Montezuma Mesa.

Just how big was this win for San Diego State and head coach Rocky Long? The Aztecs had lost two of their three statement games of the year in recent weeks. SDSU faltered at Michigan in an immediate rendezvous with Hoke, the man who made the Aztecs a force last season with his organizational detail and leadership. In that loss to Michigan, San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman fumbled twice, an incredibly rare development for a normally sure-handed ballcarrier who was such a reliable meal-ticket for the Aztecs in 2010. When Hillman kicked the ball around Michigan Stadium and quarterback Ryan Lindley repeatedly air-mailed throws to the boundary, the Aztecs watched their swagger evaporate. This body-snatched brand of ball, bereft of precision or polish, continued throughout the course of a 27-14 loss to TCU on Oct. 8. The Aztecs did not get TCU's best game, but they couldn't take advantage of the Horned Frogs' failures. TCU committed multiple red-zone turnovers, but Hillman returned the favor by coughing up the pill at the TCU 2-yard line. SDSU should have been leading when the fourth quarter came around, but instead, the Aztecs trailed by a 20-14 margin. Things were looking up for San Diego State when Lindley caught fire on a fourth-quarter drive, but just as soon as the Aztecs developed momentum, Lindley threw a horrible pass and was intercepted, effectively snuffing out any hopes of a comeback. San Diego State had to wonder if it would gain a signature win over the rest of the season; suddenly, bowl eligibility became a concern for a team that went 9-4 last year. This contest against Air Force was a non-negotiable requirement; SDSU had to claim it if it wanted to produce a remotely satisfying season.

Mission accomplished.

Hillman, so tormented in previous games, finally broke out of his shell. The star running back darted for 172 yards on 27 carries. More impressively, he put the game away with two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, when the Aztecs stretched a tenuous 27-20 lead to a 41-20 bulge. Hillman scored on runs of 22 and 57 yards to stun Air Force's defense and deflate what remained of a sparse crowd in Colorado Springs. Lindley, who also wobbled against Michigan and TCU, helped Hillman and the rest of the Aztecs by hitting 15 of 21 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. San Diego State committed only one turnover while Air Force committed three. The Aztecs' offense got out of its own way and allowed its skill level to do the talking. Finally, Rocky Long - the team's former defensive coordinator - had something to shout about in his first season as San Diego State's head coach.

Now, perhaps, San Diego State can reclaim both the aura and the methodology of a winning program.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer