SAN JOSE, Calif. (Interstat) — Liam Szarka ran for two touchdowns and Owen Allen rushed for 109 yards as Air Force controlled the clock and the line of scrimmage to defeat San Jose State 26-16 on Saturday at CEFCU Stadium.

The Falcons, relying on their signature triple-option offense, amassed 263 rushing yards and held the ball for extensive drives to keep San Jose State’s potent passing attack on the sidelines for long stretches. The victory evened both teams’ season records at 3-6.

San Jose State struck first with a 31-yard field goal from Denis Lynch on the game’s opening drive, a 12-play, 56-yard march that stalled in the red zone. That early lead would be the Spartans’ only one of the game.

Air Force’s offense found its footing in the second quarter, scoring 16 points to take command. Szarka, the quarterback from Aurora, Colorado, capped a methodical 16-play, 80-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. He followed that with another 1-yard scoring plunge later in the quarter to extend the lead.

The Falcons added two more points just before halftime when San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget was called for intentional grounding in his own end zone, resulting in a safety and a 16-3 lead for Air Force at the break.

San Jose State chipped away at the deficit in the second half. Mathias Brown connected on a 29-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Steve Chavez-Soto powered in for an 8-yard touchdown run early in the fourth, cutting the Air Force lead to 16-13.

The Falcons responded immediately with a decisive 10-play, 80-yard drive of their own. Szarka, who finished with 87 rushing yards, connected with Quin Smith on a 12-yard touchdown pass to push the lead back to 10 points.

Eget led the Spartans on a final push, moving the offense into field goal range where Lynch hit from 34 yards to make it 23-16 with 5:43 remaining. Air Force then embarked on a clock-killing, 11-play drive that consumed over five minutes and ended with a 33-yard field goal from R. Tubbs with 31 seconds left to seal the victory.

Eget, the San Jose State quarterback from Santa Clarita, California, put up prolific numbers in the losing effort, completing 27 of 42 passes for 334 yards. His primary target was Leland Smith, who hauled in nine catches for 144 yards. Kyri Shoels added six receptions for 93 yards.

Defensively, the Spartans were led by Taniela Latu with eight tackles, while Jaylen Thomas and Jordan Pollard each had seven. For Air Force, Dallas Daley recorded seven tackles and Roger Jones Jr. had six. Levi Brown contributed four tackles and a key 42-yard interception return that snuffed out a San Jose State drive in the second quarter.

The Falcons’ ground-heavy attack proved effective, with Allen’s 109 yards on 20 carries leading the way. The win gives Air Force momentum heading into a road game at Connecticut next Saturday. San Jose State will look to rebound when they travel to face Nevada.