Dec 5, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs place kicker Donny Hageman (59) kicks the go ahead field goal in a 27-24 win over the Air Force Falcons in the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Senior placekicker Donny Hageman drilled a 46-yard field goal with 5:10 remaining to give San Diego State a 27-24 victory over Air Force on Saturday night in the Mountain West Championship Game at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
It was the 20th conference title in school history and second in the Mountain West era for the Aztecs (10-3), who also extended their win streak to nine in a row. With BYU already accepting a bid to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Aztecs are now expected to represent the Mountain West in the Hawaii Bowl against Cincinnati on Dec. 24.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Christian Chapman, making his first college start in place of starter Maxwell Smith who suffered a torn left ACL in the regular season finale against Nevada, completed 9-of-14 passes for 203 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Donnel Pumphrey. Pumphrey finished with 90 yards on 16 carries, snapping his streak of 100-yard rushing games at eight.
Junior running back Jacobi Owens rushed for a game-high 156 yards on 17 carries and sophomore running back Timothy McVey scored three touchdowns for Air Force (8-5), which lost for the sixth straight time to the Aztecs.
The game was tied, 17-17, entering the fourth quarter when sophomore running back Rashaad Penny, named the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Year earlier in the week, broke loose for a 24-yard run to put San Diego State ahead, 24-17.
But Air Force, which finished with 305 yards rushing, came right back a few minutes to score a touchdown when McVey took a pitch on 4th-and-goal at the 2 and swept around right end to tie it, 24-24, with 11:49?remaining, his eighth touchdown in two games.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Aztecs put together a game-winning drive highlighted by a 48-yard completion by Chapman to wide-open sophomore wide receiver Mikah Holder to the Air Force 25. Three plays later Hageman kicked the game-winner, and Air Force couldn’t get close enough to attempt a game-tying field goal on its final two possessions.
