by Daniel S. Archuleta
Daily Lobo
The UNM football team will have its last home game of the season Saturday when it faces the Air Force Academy Falcons at University Stadium.
Saturday will be senior day for the Lobos, as 21 seniors will play their last game at University Stadium.
The Falcons (3-7 overall, 2-5 in the Mountain West Conference) have dropped three straight games and will have consecutive losing seasons for the first time in Fisher DeBerry's 22-year coaching tenure at Air Force.
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The Lobos (6-4, 4-3) clinched bowl eligibility with a come-from-behind victory over Utah.
If UNM wins on Saturday, it most likely will go to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.
Despite the Falcons' losing record, quarterback Chris Nelson said the Lobos' foe on Saturday is far from a quitter.
"Air Force is a tough team, and they're never going to give up," he said.
Nelson is the first to understand the importance of Saturday's game.
"We can't look past this game," he said. "Like I said last week, if we don't get past this game we're not going anywhere. We got to keep our focus and not worry about what's to come. We need to focus on this week and that's it."
The Lobos lost last year to Air Force in Colorado Springs 28-23.
UNM linebacker Quincy Black said the sour taste of that defeat lingers.
"We went up there and they kind of whopped us," he said. "We definitely didn't forget that. We did lose to those guys last year."
Black said just because this is the last game of the season, it doesn't mean more or less than any other game.
"You have to play every game like it's your last," he said. "Which it quite possibly is. If we want an opportunity for the postseason, then we have to win this game."
Black had his first career interception last week against Utah in a 31-27 win, which he returned for his first career touchdown.
Black's interception for a touchdown was the first for the Lobos since the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl.
Michael Tuohy also had an interception at Utah and a tackle that caused a fumble recovered by Cody Kase for a touchdown.
Tuohy said he fully expects both teams to come out swinging Saturday.
"It should be a real hard-fought game," he said. "They're physical and we're physical, and it should make out for a good one."
It will be no surprise to see Air Force running the triple option offense.
Even though head coach Rocky Long said he knows what cards the opponent is holding, it is still hard to call its bluff, he said.
"Air Force runs a unique scheme on offense," he said. "It's almost impossible to get ready for in three days."
Long said for UNM to be successful, the game might have to turn into an old-fashioned shootout.
"We're going to have to score some points on offense, and our offense is going to have to be able to control the ball to keep them off the field," he said. "It might end up being a high-scoring game."
