Falcons get win they needed, 42-0 over hapless New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE • The most depressing setting in college football over the past few years might be University Stadium at New Mexico.

Very few fans attend games and the Lobos players don’t seem very excited to play. They have won just twice in three seasons.

Air Force couldn’t be picky. The Falcons had lost three in a row and needed to get a win, against anyone.

Air Force did its job against a pathetic New Mexico team that fell to 0-8. Led by fullback Mike DeWitt’s four touchdowns and Air Force’s first conference road shutout since 1997, the Falcons thoroughly dominated the Lobos, winning 42-0 to snap a three-game losing streak.

Air Force (4-4 overall, 1-3 Mountain West) needed to win four of its last five games to become bowl eligible, and the first one was easy.

“I’d gotten tired of hearing ‘We’re proud of your effort,’” guard A.J. Wallerstein said. “It’s always good to get a win, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, and they have a lot of great athletes out there, and they’re ready to come to play. You want to get a lot of wins against better teams, but you have to start somewhere.”

The only time the Falcons were punched in the nose by New Mexico was when quarterback Tim Jefferson was literally hit in the nose. Jefferson was knocked out of the game in the second quarter when he suffered what looked like a broken nose. Just like the New Mexico game last year, Jefferson might have been able to come back in if needed — and he should be fine for next week — but the team has complete faith in backup Connor Dietz.

Dietz rushed for 87 yards on six carries, and his 39-yard touchdown run with 2:01 left in the first half gave the Falcons a 35-0 lead.

“I had to step up for my team,” Dietz said. “They did their part, which makes my job easier.”

After the game, coach Troy Calhoun kept mentioning the Falcons’ mistakes. Their first touchdown came when tight end Austin Briehl recovered a Jefferson fumble in the end zone. On DeWitt’s first touchdown he reached out the ball and lost it just after he crossed the goal line.

“We’ve got to get some things corrected,” Calhoun said.

Mostly, the Falcons played well. And the Lobos were so bad, the few fans who attended (announced crowd of 16,691, with a large Air Force contingent) probably didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

In the second quarter, New Mexico had its biggest highlight, a 67-yard pass to Air Force’s 14-yard line. A holding penalty brought it all the way back. New Mexico didn’t have a completion longer than 13 yards. The Lobos even managed to get a facemask penalty after they had tackled Dietz and the whistle had blown.

When the Lobos got in position to score in the fourth quarter, quarterback B.R. Holbrook slipped and fell for an 8-yard loss on third down, then New Mexico kicker James Aho missed a 40-yard field goal wide right. New Mexico again tried to break the shutout with 1:45 left, and Aho missed a 30-yard field goal wide right again. New Mexico has been outscored 160-7 in its last three games.

“I thought I was coming into something that was going to be on the uplift, but that isn’t the case,” New Mexico running back Crusoe Gongbay said.

New Mexico’s problems are not Air Force’s concern. The Falcons needed a confidence boost, and got it against the Lobos.

“It’s like a weight off our shoulders,” safety Jon Davis said.

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Contact Frank Schwab: 476-4891

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Check out a replay of Gazette beat reporter Frank Schwab's in-game chat as the Falcons take on the Lobos.