COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ One week it's not enough light. The next week it's too much.
Lightning struck again and again and again Saturday night at Air Force's at Falcon Stadium. No. 22-ranked San Diego State was able to bottle up enough of it for a 28-24 victory over the Falcons that provided the Aztecs with their first 4-0 start in 36 years.
SDSU, bidding to win as a ranked team for the first time in 40 years, won a game that could only be described as a crazy thriller, scoring the decisive points when running back Rashaad Penny broke free down the left sideline for a 53-yard run with 5:39 to play. The SDSU defense needed to stop Air Force in the final minute _ Trey Lomax coming up with a fourth-down interception _ to put the game away.
Penny, who became the 14th player in school history to go over 2,000 career rushing yards in the game, carried 20 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns.
The Mountain West opener for both teams was interrupted by lightning midway through the second quarter at Falcon Stadium. Attendance was announced at 27,575 during the 1-hour, 28-minute delay. About 75 people were in the stands when play resumed.
What they saw was a much different Aztecs team the second time around. All the SDSU scoring came after the weather delay, which created a very unusual scene for a college football game.
SDSU amassed just 18 yards of offense through the first 1 { quarters and the Aztecs were having difficulty stopping Air Force through in monsoon-like conditions when the lightning struck.
NCAA policy is to remove the teams from the playing field whenever lightning strikes within eight miles of the venue. Play can't resume until 30 minutes after the last strike.
A severe thunderstorm forecast for an hour after kickoff arrived three minutes after it was predicted when lightning lit up the sky. Two more plays were run, the last a punt by SDSU's Brandon Heicklen. He was roughed on the play and the Aztecs retained possession.
That's when play was suspended, with 7:56 remaining in the second quarter and Air Force leading 9-0.
By this time, virtually the only people left in the stands were a couple thousand cadets, who were probably on orders to stay.
A huge majority of fans had headed for the exits before the first quarter concluded. There were eight rows of red tail lights visible from the press box. They weren't going anywhere, but they were safe. Local knowledge. They knew severe weather was on the way, and they weren't going to wait around two hours for conditions to improve.
When the lights went out at the San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium last week, SDSU was driving for a potential go-ahead score against Stanford. Play resumed after a 22-minute delay and the Aztecs scored the touchdown that provided a 20-17 victory over Stanford.
The lightning delay Saturday night couldn't have come at a better time for the Aztecs.
Pouring rain began an hour before kickoff and continued through the first quarter, flooding the middle of the field. It made footing tentative at best. SDSU running back Rashaad Penny was slipping, negating his speed advantage against the Falcons.
The rain was accompanied by high winds. The Falcons didn't flinch since they only pass about once a quarter, anyway. It made passing nearly impossible for the Aztecs, however. Air Force took advantage, sometimes bringing all 11 players within six yards of the line of scrimmage.
Early in the second quarter, SDSU's Brandon Heicklen tried punting into the wind deep in SDSU territory. His effort went only 17 yards and Air Force took over at the SDSU 35-yard line.
Air Force kicker Luke Strebel then added a 35-yard field goal to the 29-yard touchdown teammate Ronald Coleman scored in the first quarter and the Falcons had a 9-0 lead.
This was the only the second lightning delay ever for Air Force at Falcon Stadium. The first one was in 1993 _ against the Aztecs.
In that game, lightning delayed the start of the contest by 20 minutes. SDSU trailed 31-14 with 12:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, but rallied for 24 straight points and a 38-31 win.
When play resumed Saturday night, SDSU had a lightning strike of its own _ quarterback Christian Chapman hitting tight end Kahale Warring for a 42-yard gain to the Air Force 12-yard line.
Three plays later, Penny scored on a 2-yard carry and it was 9-7.
SDSU forced Air Force to punt on its next possession and the ball was snapped past punter Charlie Scott, giving SDSU possession at the Falcons 21-yard line.
The Aztecs weren't able to take advantage of this good fortune, however, when kicker John Baron II was wide right on a 39-yard field goal attempt.
Air Force had one more possession in the period, but time expired in the first half before the Falcons could move much downfield.
Things got strange again at that point, with both teams remaining on the field at "halftime." SDSU coach Rocky Long and Air Force coach Troy Calhoun both agreed to go straight to the third quarter, with SDSU kicking off to the Falcons.
The Air Force offense continued to sputter in the second half, although SDSU didn't immediately take advantage.
Driving inside the Air Force 10-yard line for a potential go-ahead score, Chapman fumbled away the ball on a sack.
SDSU still had the game's momentum and finally took a 14-9 lead with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter on a 20-yard touchdown by Penny.
The teams traded scores thereafter.
After Air Force blocked an SDSU punt to get the ball at the Aztecs 5-yard line, Air Force quarterback Arion Worthman rushed for a 1-yard touchdown and passed for a two-point conversion to give the Falcons a 17-14 lead with 12:35 remaining.
Chapman hit tight end David Wells with a 28-yard touchdown pass 63 seconds later and the Aztecs led 21-17. Then Air Force went back down the field before running back Tim McVey carried for a 12-yard touchdown and a 24-21 advantage.
Penny decided the matter with his 53-yard TD _ and the Aztecs defense stepped up to stop the Falcons twice in the final minutes.
