USAFA, CO (Sports Network) - Mikel Hunter registered a pair of touchdowns as the Air Force Falcons surprised the BYU Cougars, 35-14, in Mountain West Conference action at Falcon Stadium.
Hunter finished the day with 53 yards rushing on just two carries for the Falcons (2-0, 1-0 MWC) as they snapped a six-game slide in the series with the Cougars (1-1, 0-1). Asher Clark accounted for a game-high 121 yards rushing for an Air Force team that logged 409 yards on 65 attempts. Quarterback Tim Jefferson converted 5-of-13 passing for 68 yards and a score, to go along with one interception and a sack.
The Cougars were paced by Riley Nelson who converted 8-of-19 passing for 73 yards and also gained 95 yards and scored once on the ground in the losing effort.
Getting the Cougars off on the right foot early in the first quarter was JJ DiLuigi who hit the end zone on a one-yard run, capping a 12-play, 74-yard drive and giving the visitors a 7-0 lead.
Countering for the Falcons, Jefferson combined with Hunter on a 37-yard TD pass play to lock the score at 7-7 barely a minute later.
Nelson put the Cougars back on top with a four-yard TD run with 2:29 to play in the first frame, but that would be the end of the offense for BYU.
In the second quarter a five-yard TD run by Jefferson and a 33-yard scramble by Hunter put the Falcons ahead by a score of 21-14 at the break.
Jon Warzeka contributed with a 46-yard TD run in the third and Nathan Walker accounted for a five-yard scoring burst in the fourth to cap off a 28-point scoring spree for the Falcons as they cruised to the 21-point victory.
BYU finished the outing with 309 yards of total offense, but the squad ran 19 fewer offensive plays than the Falcons.