by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
With five games left on the schedule, Thursday's contest against Air Force may be the most important one of the season for the UNM football team.
If the Lobos knock off the Falcons, they will be in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West Conference and keep their hopes alive of winning the conference championship.
UNM linebacker Herbert Felder said the Lobos know how crucial Thursday's game is.
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"I think Air Force is a big game because they only have one loss," he said. "They're a very good team. This is a very big game as far as trying to get to our goal of Mountain West champions."
At this point, only UNM, Air Force and BYU have one loss or less in the MWC.
BYU is 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. Air Force is 6-2, 5-1 in the MWC.
The Lobos are 5-2, including a 2-1 conference record.
UNM's conference loss came against BYU.
When the Falcons travel to University Stadium on Thursday, the Lobos will have a lot of motivation, considering their recent history against Air Force.
None of the players on this year's UNM roster have beaten the Falcons, as they are on a three-game losing streak against their conference foes.
Last year at Air Force, the Falcons shut down UNM in a 24-7 win. In 2005 at University Stadium, the Falcons ended UNM's chances at a bowl, winning 42-24.
UNM wide receiver Travis Brown said the losing streak against Air Force has been frustrating, and the Lobos will play with a chip on their shoulders come Thursday.
"Losing to Air Force the past three years, that's something that really sits with us," he said. "Even though it's a short week, we're getting mentally focused and prepared to go out there and get a W."
One of the biggest keys in the game will be how the UNM defense matches up with the Air Force rushing attack.
The Lobo rush defense has been the best in the MWC, allowing just 95 rush yards per game. However, the Falcon offensive attack is based on running, and they are averaging a blistering 260 yards on the ground per contest.
UNM head coach Rocky Long said Air Force runs a complicated scheme - including triple options - that is hard to prepare for.
On offense, UNM has been playing solid football. They lead the conference in scoring with 28.7 points per game and have three of the most recognizable skill players in the conference in wide receivers Brown and
Marcus Smith and tailback Rodney Ferguson.
The offense is near the top of the conference list in just about every offensive category.
However, Air Force has played well on defense, giving up 17.6 points per contest.
Long said a win Thursday would be huge, but he also said they would still have a lot of work to do.
"I think Air Force has the best chance right now to win the conference championship," he said. "They won't have as good a chance if we're lucky enough to win (Thursday)."
Football vs.
Air Force
Thursday, 7 p.m.
University Stadium
