Air Force Academy’s football team lost 20-3 to New Mexico on Saturday at Falcon Stadium, marking its Senior Night with a defeat. The Falcons now have a season record of 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the Mountain West Conference, while New Mexico improved to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play.
The Falcons’ offense struggled throughout the game, managing only 153 total yards. Air Force was held to just 110 rushing yards. In contrast, the defense limited New Mexico to 277 total yards.
New Mexico running back Damon Bankston led his team with 62 rushing yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Jay Layne contributed by passing for 105 yards and adding another touchdown on the ground.
New Mexico scored first on its opening drive and extended its lead by adding ten more points in the second quarter, going into halftime up 17-0. Air Force managed its only points in the fourth quarter after completing a lengthy 19-play drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal by Reagan Tubbs. New Mexico responded with another field goal for the final score.
For Air Force, junior Kemper Hodges made his first career start at quarterback, leading the team with 50 rushing yards on 20 carries. Sophomore Josh Johnson took over in the second half and threw for 46 yards. Wide receiver Jonah Dawson led Air Force receivers with two catches for a total of 28 yards.
On defense, linebacker Blake Fletcher recorded a team-high eleven tackles and surpassed one hundred tackles for the season. Linebacker Brody Bujnoch set a career high with ten tackles, while defensive lineman Peyton Zdroik made four tackles, including two for losses.
Air Force will close out its season next Friday against Colorado State at Fort Collins. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MT and will be broadcast on FS1.
