Falcons hold off Utes late

SALT LAKE CITY -- Air Force linebacker Drew Fowler was surprised when Utah didn't just try a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line.

The Utes went with a handoff instead and Fowler was right there to stop Darryl Poston on fourth-and-goal with 1:05 remaining to seal Air Force's 20-12 win Saturday -- the Falcons' first in the series since 2002.

"The boys up front did a great job of getting the pile created. That pretty much allowed me to tackle him," said Fowler, who had six solo tackles and assisted on eight others.

No play was bigger than the one Fowler made at the end, with Utah a touchdown and 2-point conversion away from tying it.

Air Force had just stopped Utah on third down from the 1 on a trick play that fooled nobody. The Falcons sniffed out the direct snap to Eddie Wide.

With one more chance, Fowler expected 6-foot-7 quarterback Tommy Grady to try to get the ball across. But Grady handed the ball to Poston, who tried to leap over a huge pile of linemen and was met in the air by Fowler.

Air Force (2-0, 1-0 Mountain West) had lost to Utah (0-2, 0-1) by three points or less three times in the last four years.

• Washington State 45, San Diego State 17 -- At Seattle, Alex Brink completed a school-record 38 passes for 469 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Cougars (1-1) to a rout of the Aztecs (0-1).

Brink was 38-for-47, bettering the 37 completed passes Drew Bledsoe had against Montana in 1992. Brink's 469 yards is the third-highest total in school history.

• Wyoming 32, Utah State 18 -- At Laramie, Wyo., Wynel Seldon rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the Cowboys' defense held the Aggies to 0-for-13 on third-down attempts.

The victory marks the best start for Wyoming (2-0) under fifth-year coach Joe Glenn. Utah State (0-2) lost its eighth straight road game.

• New Mexico 44, New Mexico State 34 -- At Albuquerque, N.M., Rodney Ferguson had 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns and Donovan Porterie threw for two more scores, lifting the Lobos (1-1) over the Aggies (1-1).

Porterie completed 18 of 25 attempts -- including 14 of his last 15 -- for 342 yards passingas the Lobos beat their instate rival for the fifth straight year.