Air Force Goes To The Air To Defeat New Mexico, 44-22

Post Game Interviews

Air Force football rolled to a 44-22 win over New Mexico Saturday afternoon at Dreamstyle Stadium in Mountain West action. Quarterback Donald Hammond III threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns to lead an air attack that snapped a three-game losing streak in Albuquerque.

The Falcons won for the first time at New Mexico since 2011, as the offense erupted for four touchdowns in the second half.

Air Force went to halftime leading 14-10. The Falcons out-scored the Lobos 30-12 in the second half to pull away and improve to a 9-2 record and 6-1 mark in MW play. The Falcons are 9-2 for the first time in the Troy Calhoun era and are 6-1 in conference play for just the second time.

Hammond threw two scoring strikes each to receivers Geraud Sanders and Benjamin Waters. Sanders caught five passes for 156 yards, hauling touchdown passes of 46 and 27 yards. Waters caught four balls for 171 yards, hauling TDs of 59 and 76 yards. His 171 yards receiving is the 10th most in a game in Air Force history.

Hammond completed 9 of 10 passes on the day and accounted for 368 total yards of offense. His 327 yards passing were the most at Air Force since 1976 and he was the first Falcon QB to throw for over 300 yards in a game since Dee Dowis in 1989. The 327 yards passing was the fifth-most in a game at Air Force and his four TD passes tied for the second most in a game. His 368 total yards of offense were the sixth-most in a game at Air Force.

New Mexico led early with the first touchdown of the game in the first quarter, but Air Force went ahead on touchdown runs by Hammond and fullback Taven Birdow to go up 14-7 early in the second quarter. Birdow finished with a team-leading 110 yards on the ground on 17 carries. New Mexico would make a field goal near the end of the second to make it a 14-10 Air Force lead at the half.

Hammond then found Sanders for a receiving TD to start the third quarter to put the Falcons up 21-10. After a New Mexico touchdown, defensive back Milton Bugg III ran back the botched PAT to make it a 23-16 game.

Hammond then threw touchdown passes to Waters, Sanders, then Waters again, to make it a 44-16 game. New Mexico tacked on a final touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, linebacker Demonte Meeks had a career-high 14 tackles. Defensive back Zane Lewis had two pass break ups to lead the secondary.

Air Force caps the 2019 regular season next Saturday, Nov. 30, hosting Wyoming. Kickoff is set for 12 pm MT.

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