Both run the triple option offense and both rank among the top rushing offenses in the country. On the defensive side it’s a different story, as AFA has one of the better run defenses in the country, while the Lobos have one of the worst.
UNM ranks No. 124, or second to last, among all Division I schools in run defense, giving up an average of nearly 287 yards per game. That’s good news for AFA, who have the second best running offense in the Mountain West, gaining 274 yards per contest.
On the other side, the Falcons rank 17th in the country in rush defense, allowing just 109 yards per game. That’s a far cry from where AFA was last season when it had the 122nd worst run defense in the nation. The Lobos offense averages 294 rushing yards a game good for first in the conference.
UNM (2-4, 0-2 Mountain West) will look to break through the Falcons’ 3-4 defense when it travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to take on AFA at Falcon Stadium. The Lobos are 10-point underdogs against the Falcons.
“They’ve had more tackles for losses and more sacks. If you look at it, that’s the striking thing: How many negative plays they’ve made, which in college football is a huge difference because it comes off the rushing defense,” head coach Bob Davie said. “It’s always a combination of things, but there’s no question statistically they’re much improved.”
One trend UNM will look to keep going is its unblemished record on the road. The Lobos’ only two wins of the season came when they beat in-state rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces 38-35 on Sept. 20 and won 21-9 at UTSA on Oct. 4.
That will be a tough task because AFA has a 3-0 record at home this season. The Falcons have beaten Nicholls State, Boise State and Navy at home and have won by an average of 17 points per game.
“If you look at our record it looks like we’re road warriors this year,” wide receiver Jeric Magnant said. “I think the two wins on the road that we have were extremely focused and we treated it as a business trip. I think that’s part of the reason why we’ve had success on the road.”
One big change for AFA this season is its quarterback. After suffering a season-ending knee injury last year, Kale Pearson has come on to lead the Falcons to a 4-2 (1-2 Mountain West) record this season. The senior has rushed for 304 yards this year with four touchdowns and has completed 58 percent (57 of 98) of his passes for 768 yards and one touchdown.
“You look at their offense and it’s slightly different than last year, particularly because the quarterback is back that was injured in the first game last year,” Davie said. “He’s back off surgery, knee surgery, and he (Kale Pearson) is a heck of a player and a heck of a competitor. He’s from Tulsa Union High School and he’s fun to watch.”
As for UNM’s quarterback situation, Cole Gautsche will start for the Lobos after getting pulled last week in a 24-14 loss to San Diego State, a game where the Lobos had just 263 total yards of offense. Last year Gautsche gashed the Falcons for 140 rushing yards in a 45-37 win.
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Signal caller Lamar Jordan will also see playing time as he has for most of the season.
Thomas Romero-Salas is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.
