Brad Roberts rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns, John Eldridge III ran for 88 yards and a score, and the host Air Force Falcons beat the Colorado Buffaloes 41-10 on Saturday in Colorado Springs, Col.
Haaziq Daniels also had a touchdown run for the Falcons (2-0), who rushed for 435 yards against just eight passing yards.
Deion Smith ran for 59 yards and a touchdown but quarterback J.T. Shrout was 5-for-21 passing with 51 yards and an interception for the Buffaloes (0-2).
Shrout fumbled on the second snap of the game and it was recovered by Air Force’s Christopher Herrera at the Colorado 14. Roberts then ran it in to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
The Buffaloes went three-and-out on their next drive and Air Force got the ball at its 34-yard line. The Falcons moved to the Colorado 37, and Matthew Dapore kicked a career-long 54-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
After a Buffaloes punt, Air Force drove to the Colorado 30 before settling for anther Dapore field goal, this one from 47 yards, to increase the lead to 13-0.
Camby Goff intercepted Shrout on the next Buffaloes possession, setting up the Falcons at the Colorado 35. Four plays later Roberts scored on a 20-yard run to make it 20-0 early in the second quarter.
The Buffaloes responded quickly, going 71 yards in four plays, capped by Smith’s 25-yard TD run.
Air Force threatened again but Colorado forced a goal-line fumble to thwart the drive. Later in the quarter Colorado forced an Air Force fumble at the Falcons 23. The Buffaloes settled for a 41-yard field goal by Cole Becker to make it 20-10 at halftime.
Colorado had a first-and-goal at the 2 early in the third quarter but Alex Fontenot fumbled as he tried to punch it in and Air Force recovered.
The Buffaloes forced a punt but failed to convert on a fourth-and-2 at the Falcons 32, and nine plays later Daniels scored on a one-yard keeper.
Roberts had a 46-yard TD run with 11:12 left and Eldridge scored on an 11-yard run with 3:03 remaining to complete the scoring.
–Field Level Media