Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Air Force Edged by New Mexico, 34-31
10/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -Punishing tailback Rodney Ferguson ran for 146 yards and John Sullivan kicked four field goals, leading New Mexico to a 34-31 victory over Air Force on Thursday night.
The Lobos (6-2, 3-1 Mountain West) snapped a three-game losing streak to Air Force (6-3, 5-2), capitalizing on five lost fumbles by the Falcons - including three in the fourth quarter.
Ferguson showed his durability with 41 carries and Sullivan set a school record by hitting his 18th straight field goal, a 36-yarder that put New Mexico ahead 34-31 with 10:10 remaining.
The Falcons got a big break when Sullivan finally missed, sailing wide right on a 32-yard try with 2:18 remaining. But Air Force's Mark Root fumbled and Herbert Felder recovered for the Lobos, who ran out the clock.
It was a big night for New Mexico's defense, which held versatile Air Force standout Chad Hall to 97 yards rushing on 21 carries. It was close, but the Lobos haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in the past 10 games.
Hall, who came in as the only player in the nation to lead his team in rushing and receiving, added six catches for 66 yards receiving and added 84 yards on four kick returns, two days after missing practice because of food poisoning.
He wasn't slowed by the illness, zigzagging 26 yards on his first carry and scoring on runs of 1 and 18 yards in the first half. But the Lobos kept Hall in check, considering he'd logged 592 yards rushing in the previous three games.
Sullivan, meanwhile, connected from 43, 20, 32 and 36 yards to break the school mark of 16 field goals in a row by Vladimir Borombozin from 2000-01.
Sullivan's 32-yard field goal tied it at 31 early in the fourth quarter, and his 36-yarder on New Mexico's next series completed the scoring.
That possession started after Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney fumbled and Wesley Beck recovered for the Lobos at the Falcons 28. New Mexico scored 14 points off three Air Force fumbles.
The Lobos are off to their best start in 10 seasons under coach Rocky Long, and the victory made them bowl-eligible for the seventh straight year.
It also moved New Mexico into second place in the Mountain West standings behind BYU (5-2, 3-0), though the Lobos still have four conference games remaining and Air Force has one to go.
Ferguson scored on a 3-yard plunge on fourth-and-1, put New Mexico ahead 28-24 in the third. It was set up when Air Force's Garrett Rybak had a New Mexico punt bounce off his leg and Ian Clark recovered for the Lobos.
The Falcons answered with a 65-yard drive, capped by an 8-yard TD run by Jim Ollis to give Air Force a 31-28 lead late in the third.
Ferguson also had a 1-yard TD that put the Lobos up 7-0.
