SAN DIEGO -- Eleven years ago, former San Diego State football coach Al Luginbill was livid that Air Force used a fumblerooskie to help pull off a victory over the Aztecs. The roles were reversed Saturday night.

A double pass in which converted cornerback Hubert Caliste tossed a 25-yard scoring aerial to Devin Pitts was the key play as the Aztecs finished the season with a .500 record with a 24-3 victory before 23,682 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Caliste, a high school quarterback, sold the trick play well, and Pitts was wide open behind the Air Force defense. The third-quarter play broke a 3-3 tie.

"It was lovely," said Caliste, a junior. "I haven't had the opportunity in three years. So once I stepped on the field, I was thinking about making a play. Every time I hit the field, I want to make a play because I don't get many opportunities to do so."

Caliste's pass helped the Aztecs finish 6-6 overall for the program's first nonlosing season in five years. The victory also marks the first time the Aztecs (3-4 Mountain West Conference) have beaten the Falcons in back-to-back seasons. The Aztecs won 38-34 last season at Air Force.

"This is a nice dominating performance by our football team," Aztecs coach Tom Craft said. "I'm real encouraged with where the football program is headed."

San Diego State's "Dark Side" defense was stellar again, holding an opponent to less than 300 yards for the seventh time this season. They limited the Falcons to 286 total yards.

Even more impressive is that Air Force didn't score a touchdown for the first time since it was routed 44-3 by Oklahoma in the opening game of the 2001 season.

"I had fun playing against a competitor like Chance Harridge," said junior middle linebacker Kirk Morrison, referring to the Falcons' star quarterback. "He's a real good player, and he brought out the best in our defense."

The Aztecs allowed an average of 289.8 yards per game this season, becoming the first SDSU defense since 1976 to hold opponents to less than 300 yards per game.

The Aztecs created distance from the Falcons (7-5, 3-4) in the fourth quarter as Michael Franklin (122 yards on 29 carries) broke free for a 17-yard touchdown scamper to make it 17-3 with 12:54 to play.

With 1:32 remaining, the Aztecs cemented the game on free safety Marviel Underwood's 74-yard interception return. Underwood, a former high school running back, made a sensational runback for the score.

But the key play was one that was called by a fan who won the right to suggest a play in a recent auction to help victims of the area's recent wildfires. The Aztecs worked on the play all week in practice and often ran into problems.

Late in Thursday's practice, receivers coach Ray Peterson was working with Caliste on rounding off the pattern more precisely. Caliste showed Saturday that he caught on pretty well.

"Initially, he was catching the ball deep and he was moving too much toward the line of scrimmage," Peterson said. "Tonight, he took the approach of doing it correctly and he noticed the defender came over so fast that he released it quick."

Caliste fielded the pass in a manner that had every Air Force defender sure that he was the final destination for the pigskin. Meanwhile, Pitts kept running down the sideline and Caliste winged the ball his way for an easy touchdown with 6:41 left in the third quarter.

"Today it worked out fine," Caliste said. "The defense came up pretty quick, and I was able to lob it over the top with no problems."

Aztecs quarterback Matt Dlugolecki completed 23 of 31 passes for 226 yards. He looked much sharper than he did in his most recent start, against UCLA on Sept. 27.

Dlugolecki will be a junior next season, and he enters the offseason as the leading candidate to replace the departed Adam Hall.

The Aztecs struck first on J.C. Mejia's 34-yard field goal. The successful was kick was Mejia's 18th field goal of the season, tying the school record set in 1990 by erstwhile Aztec Andy Trakas.

Air Force tied the score on the final play of the half when Joey Ashcroft booted a 40-yard field goal. The Falcons took possession with 1:46 remaining and moved 48 yards in 10 plays.

Harridge was held to 35 yards on 15 rushing attempts. He also was sacked for the first time all season when Aztecs safety Marcus Demps dropped him for a 13-yard loss in the first quarter.

Contact staff writer Mike Sullivan at (760) 739-6645 or msullivan@nctimes.com.