Colorado State rips Air Force

The Falcons fumbled the second half kickoff and the Rams returned it for a score to break open the game.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) -- Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry liked the position his team was in, trailing 21-12 after a late first-half score and set to receive the second-half kickoff.
Then the Falcons got blindsided by an unlikely source.
Bryan Blew camped under Jeff Babcock's kickoff at the goal line and ran it back to near the 30, where he fumbled. Babcock scooped it up and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown as No. 24 Colorado State beat the Falcons 31-12 Thursday night.
Coaches asked Babcock to send his kick through the end zone.
"I'm glad I didn't," Babcock said.
Cecil Sapp ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams (8-2, 4-0 Mountain West) posted their fourth straight victory.
Air Force (6-3, 3-2) lost any chance of getting back into the game by failing on two fourth-down plays in the third quarter, both in Colorado State territory. It was the Falcons' third straight loss after opening the season 6-0.
Foley made key hit
Blew fumbled when hit by David Foley, and Babcock ran it back for a 28-12 lead.
It was the first touchdown by a Colorado State kicker since 1961.
"Scoring a touchdown was the greatest," Babcock said. "The only thing that could have been better would have been kicking a game-winning field goal.
"I reached the end zone and turned, expecting to see the refs whistling the play dead and saying someone was down. I was sure something was going to happen. I didn't think that could come true.
"I was surprised the ball came out. It took the perfect bounce."
Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt said the Rams sideline erupted when Babcock scored -- with laughter.
"I never saw a kicker run and score before," Van Pelt said. "I don't know who teaches them."
But Van Pelt said Babcock's score came at a critical time.
"That was really big," he said. "That was the momentum shift. Who knows what would have happened if they had kept the ball and gone on and scored. It could have been a whole different game."
DeBerry agreed.
"I don't know of a worse way in the world to start the second half," he said.
Babcock tacked on a 27-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.