ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In a game New Mexico never trailed and was barely tied, UNM picked up six rushing touchdowns including three from Jhurell Pressley as part of his career-high 170 yards rushing as the Lobos clinched a winning season and second place in the Mountain Division with a 47-35 win over Air Force in front of 18,868 at Branch Field at University Stadium.
The win ended Air Force’s five-game winning streak and most likely knocked them out of the opportunity to host the Sports Authority Mountain West Championship Game next Saturday. For the Lobos, it was the teams’ sixth win in the last nine games, and it was UNM’s third win in four weeks over a 2015 Bowl team.
The Lobos got on the board first when Jhurell Pressley raced for a 57-yard touchdown at the 12:17 mark on the opening half. Air Force answered with a methodical drive that ended with a 2 yard Timothy McVey touchdown, the first of his five on the night. However, Pressley answered on the next play, breaking a tackle and racing 75 yards for a score and the lead UNM would never relinquish.
Richard McQuarley would score from 16 yards out in the second quarter, and a Zack Rogers 27-yard field goal made it 24-7. McVey picked up touchdown number two on a 75-yard pass, but McQuarley answered with 44 seconds left on a 44-yard run and UNM led 31-14 at the break.
The Lobos went up 34-14 when Rogers hit from 41 to cash in on a Ryan Santos interception, but McVey scored back-to-back touchdowns. The first was a 61-yard run with 2:30 left in the third, and then the second on a 26-yard touchdown pass 34 seconds into the fourth quarter. That made it 34-28 Lobos, but Lamar Jordan executed a perfect drive, getting a fourth down conversion in the process as UNM went 78 yards on 11 plays, chewing up 6:41 of the clock to make it 40-28.
McVey wasn’t done, scoring on a 56-yard pass with 3:08 left to make it 40-35, but UNM recovered the onside kick, returning it to the Air Force 27, with a personal foul tacked onto it. Pressley then scored his third touchdown on the last play to end the game at 47-35.
UNM will now wait eight days to see where they will head for its first bowl game since the 2007 season.
Postgame Notes: New Mexico 47, Air Force 35
This was the 33rd meeting between the two teams.
Air Force now leads the series 21-12
The series is tied 9-9 in Albuquerque
Air Force leads 11-2 in Colorado Springs
The series is tied 1-1 on neutral fields
New Mexico has won one straight in the series
New Mexico has won two straight in Albuquerque
Starting lineup changes for UNM from published two-deep
Offense: QB-Matt Quarells for Dameon Gamblin at WR
Defense: DE-Ryan Langford for Kimmie Carson at OLB
*New Mexico’s captains were Lamar Jordan, Dakota Cox and Reece White
*New Mexico lost the toss but received the kickoff after Air Force deferred.
*Romell Jordan carried the New Mexico flag onto the field. Reece White was the New Mexico Man, but couldn’t carry the flag as he was being honored on Senior Night.
TEAM NOTES:
*New Mexico had six plays from scrimmage of 44 yards or more (Pressley runs of 57 and 75, Gipson run of 45, Reece White catch of 58, McQuarley run of 44, Wiggins catch of 44)
*The win game the Lobos six wins in their last nine games, and it clinched UNM’s first winning season since 2007, and first winning conference season since 2007.
*After not beating a team that went to a bowl since defeating Arizona in 2008, UNM defeated three bowl teams in Utah State, Boise State and Air Force. Overall, seven UNM opponents qualified for a bowl (Nevada, Arizona State, Tulsa and Colorado State).
*New Mexico converted a 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter, making UNM 15-for-19 for the season on fourth down.
*New Mexico failed on a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, UNM’s first missed two-point conversion since 11/2/2013 against San Diego State when Kasey Carrier missed a try.
*Air Force became just the second team to score more than four touchdowns in a game this season on UNM. Nevada was the other.
*UNM’s 377 rushing yards were its second-most of the season. Air Force was allowing just 117.9 entering the game.
*UNM allowed 389 yards of offense, the second time in four games UNM has allowed fewer than 400 yards.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
*The game served officially as the final home game for 20 UNM seniors.
*Donnie Duncan participated in his second straight senior day … he earned his fifth year back after the 2014 season.
*Jhurell Pressley’s 57-yard touchdown run moved him into sixth place on the career rushing list ahead of Willie Turral. He finished with a career-high 170 yards, giving him with 2,664 yards.
*He surpassed Rodney Ferguson for second in career rushing touchdowns at UNM with his 35th on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. His three touchdowns were a career-high and he is the first Lobo with three rushing TDs in a game since Teriyon Gipson on 11/8/2014 against Boise State.
*Pressley now has five career touchdowns of 70 or more yards.
*Ryan Santos picked off a Karson Roberts pass in the third quarter, his first career interception.
*Cranston Jones picked off his seventh career pass, and it was his team-high tying third of the season.
*Donnie Duncan’s interception in the fourth quarter was his second career pick.
*Teriyon Gipson’s 71 yards rushing gives him 1,795 career yards, keeping him in 20th place on the UNM list.
*Carlos Wiggins had 120 all-purpose yards, giving him 3,476 career all-purpose yards, moving him ahead of Don Perkins into ninth on the career UNM list.
*Jason Sanders had eight touchbacks on nine kickoffs.
*Dakota Cox led UNM with 10 tackles, giving him 303 in his career. He is the 20 player in UNM history with 300 tackles, and he moved from 20th place to 18th, ahead of Robert Rumbaugh and John Bell. He is 11th in career tackles by a linebacker at UNM.
*The win was Bob Davie’s 18th at UNM.
POST GAME QUOTES
New Mexico Video Quotes
Coach Bob Davie (Part 1): https://youtu.be/2tZKUfl80H0
Coach Bob Davie (Part 2): https://youtu.be/RHVDjGYunh4
Linebacker Dakota Cox: https://youtu.be/nkK4AGc8OOU
Running Back Jhurell Pressley: https://youtu.be/-Jszc-YYDM0
Air Force Video Quotes
Linebacker Claude Alexander III: https://youtu.be/Br-uG7jbv88
Head Coach Troy Calhoun: https://youtu.be/VHSdO2-GQT0
Tailback Timothy McVey: https://youtu.be/tpV17pLgGXE
Lobos Fly Past Air Force 47-35 to Clinch Winning Season
