New Mexico vs. Air Force: Lobos Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Lobos looking for a stellar defensive effort
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Can New Mexico get its offense going?
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WEEK 11: Air Force Falcons 6-3 (2-3) vs. New Mexico Lobos 2-7 (0-5)
WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2022, 1:30 MST, 3:30 pm ET
WHERE: Falcon Stadium, Colorado Springs, Colorado
WEATHER: 45° Sunshine & clouds mixed. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
TV: CBS Sports Network
Play-by-play: Chris Lewis (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst)
LIVE Stream: FuboTV — Get a free trial
RADIO: 77KOB Lobo Radio Network: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, 104.3 the Fan in Denver SIRIUS 388, SXM App 978
Rob Portnoy (play-by-play), Dontrell Moore (analyst)
SERIES RECORD: Air Force leads 25-14
LAST WEEK: UNM Lost to Utah State 27-10. Air Force beat Army 13-7
WEBSITES: golobos.com | goairforcefalcons.com
GAME NOTES: New Mexico | Air Force
SP+ PROJECTION: Air Force by 27
FEI PROJECTION: Air Force by 25.5
PARKER FLEMMING PROJECTION: Air Force win probability of 78.35% (21.80- 10.98).
Over/Under: +37.5
The New Mexico Lobos head to the United States Air Force Academy for a key Mountain West matchup on Saturday afternoon in Colorado Springs.
The Lobos look to end a six-game losing streak and get back in the win column while Air Force, sitting at 6-3 and coming off a Commander in Chief Trophy clinching 13-7 win over Army, looks to move to .500 in conference play.
The Lobos will have all they can handle with the Air Force trip option offense with a ground-and-pound game that has been proven to be their hallmark over the years.
Air Force is 14-3 at home, and Air Force defeated UNM 38-10 last season in Albuquerque. So this will be a big challenge for this Danny Gonzales Lobo lead team.
Air Force has a solid running game led by fullback Brad Roberts who has almost more yards (1,078 on 207 attempts, 13 touchdowns) by himself than the entire Lobo offense this year, with an impressive 5.2 yards per carry.
He is very effective at getting his yards between the guards and has one heck of a motor; at only 5’11 215 lbs., he plays much more prominent as a fullback.
Quarterback Haaziq Daniels is behind center for the Falcons and is an excellent solid athlete who can both run and throw the football for Troy Calhoun‘s Air Force squad.
He has 677 yards, five touchdowns, and just two interceptions for the year and is also an excellent leader.
As hard as the Lobos Rocky Long 3-3-5 is to figure out on paper, the trip option presents a massive challenge to this Lobo Defense.
The Lobos haven’t won in Falcon Stadium since October 21, 2000, when the Lobos won 29-23 over Air Force in an early morning 10 am kickoff.
It’s 2022, and UNM’s defense will have to slow down an offense that has scored a touchdown on precisely 33.3% of its drives (32 of 96).
UNM’s defense is ranked 31st nationally, and while it will be challenged, it allows just 135.1 yards per game on the ground.
Defensive Coordinator Rocky Long, known for his very successful 3-3-5 Defenses, will look to slow down the option attack from the Falcons and has had success over the years.
The Lobos are one of the youngest (8th) FBS teams in 2022, and at times have shown the personality of Long, being aggressive, flying to the ball, and just outright physicality.
The Falcons lead the nation in rushing at 324.4 yards per game, and Air Force will happily go for it on fourth down, going 10-for-13.