Lobos Trounce Air Force 20-3 in Defensive Masterpiece

USAFA, Colo. — The University of New Mexico’s defense dominated for a second straight game, limiting Air Force to just 110 yards rushing and 161 total yards as UNM ended a 25-year losing skid at Falcon Stadium with a 20-3 game that was never in doubt.

The point total is the lowest ever for Air Force in the series, and the rushing yards and total offense numbers for the Falcons were the fewest in the history of the series, which dates back to 1957.

The Lobos scored on three of its first four drives of the game to open up a 17-0 halftime advantage in a half that saw each team only have four possessions apiece.

UNM opened the game going right down the field, covering 75 yards on nine plays. Damon Bankston got things going with a 22-yard run on an end-around off a wildcat formation, and Jack Layne finished it with his legs. After he couldn’t find anyone open, he directed traffic and scored from 12 yards out for a 7-0 lead.

UNM then forced a punt after one first down, and UNM went right down the field again, this time 82 yards over 15 plays, chewing up an Air Force-like 8:33 off the clock. UNM converted three third downs on the drive, twice off Layne's scrambles before Damon Bankston finished the drive off. He bullied his way from the 11 to the 2-yard line, and then bowled over from there for a 14-0 lead.

Brett Karhu gave the ball right back when he strip-sacked quarterback Kemper Hodges, who was making his first start. UNM got the ball at the Air Force 14, but mustered a Luke Drzewiecki 27-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead.

Air Force crossed midfield to the Lobo 35, but on fourth-and-6, Hodges was sacked for a 10-yard loss, and the half ended after two short possessions each way.

Air Force finally got on the board in the fourth quarter after a quarterback switch, as Josh Johnson led the Falcons into a first-and-goal situation. Still, the Lobo defense broke up a pair of passes, and then Jaxton Eck chased Johnson out of bounds for no gain, and Air Force settled for a 27-yard field goal by Reagan Tubbs to break the shutout attempt.

UNM answered with a 23-yard Drzewiecki field goal, and on the first play after that, Jon Johnson picked off Josh Johnson for UNM’s second takeaway of the game, and the Lobos ran the clock out from there.

UNM scored 20 points for the second straight game, but this time UNM did it on just seven drives after having 14 against Colorado State the week before.

POSTGAME NOTES:

This was the 42nd meeting between the two teams.

AFA now leads 26-16

AFA leads the series in USAFA 14-3

The series is tied in Albuquerque 11-11

The series is tied in Denver 1-1

UNM leads the series in Dallas 1-0

UNM now has a two-game winning streak in the series

UNM now has a one-game winning streak in USAFA after AFA had a 10-game winning streak at Falcon Stadium.

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Starting lineup changes for UNM from the published two-deep

Offense: Nevell Brown started at left tackle, and Malik Alaine moved to left guard, for Richard Pearce.

Defense: Darren Agu started for Brett Karhu at end. Jalen McIver started for Gabe Lopez at tackle. Caleb Moleman started for Ky’Won McCray at safety.

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*New Mexico’s captains were Jack Layne, Austin Brawley, Keyshawn James-Newby, and Jaxton Eck.

*New Mexico’s David Murphy carried the state flag of New Mexico onto the field, and D.J. McKinney carried the United States flag.

*Air Force won the toss and elected to defer. UNM defended the north goal and received.

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TEAM NOTES:

*New Mexico’s opening drive touchdown marked just the second score of the season on an opening drive this year, having scored a touchdown against Nevada. It was the first on the road against three punts, an interception, and a fumble.

*New Mexico’s opening two drives went for touchdowns, giving UNM 10 scores (eight touchdowns, and two field goals) on its last 16 road drives.

*New Mexico’s four sacks gave it 29 on the season, the most since having 30 in 2015, which was over 13 games.

*New Mexico limited Air Force to 44 total yards and 39 rushing in the first half.

*Each team only had seven possessions, and UNM’s 55 offensive plays were the fewest of the season.

*The eight wins tie for the sixth-most wins in school history.

*The three points allowed were the fewest in a Mountain West game since a 14-3 win on October 23, 2001, at Wyoming.

*New Mexico’s five-game in-season Mountain West winning streak is the longest since 2004, and that team won the final five games of the regular season, and then won its first Mountain West game the following season.

*For the second time in four meetings at Falcon Stadium, Air Force had no penalties, although UNM declined a holding penalty.

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INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

*Jason Eck tied Gwinn Henry for the most wins ever by a first-year Lobo head coach, as Henry went 8-1 in 1934.

*Darren Agu recorded his first fumble recovery as a Lobo, and his first since September 30, 2023, while at Vanderbilt against Missouri.

*Luke Drzewiecki moved into second place all alone in career field goals with his 46^th, which was a 27-yard kick in the second quarter. He hit two field goals for a third straight game.

*Mercury Swaim’s 11 tackles were a career-high.

*Punter Daniel Hughes was called upon once, punting for his average of 46 yards, and that was the net on the punt, and it was fair caught inside the 20.