AIR FORCE ACADEMY — There really wasn’t much need for Air Force to do anything other than its specialty.
Run, run, run. See the Falcons run.
But reserve quarterback Connor Dietz mixed in a little extra Saturday night, coming off the bench for injured Tim Jefferson and leading the Falcons to a 48-23 victory.
Dietz entered the game late in the second quarter and promptly completed 5-of-6 passes, including a 28-yard strike to receiver Zack Kauth with 4 seconds left in the half.
“There wasn’t that much time on the clock, and we wanted to get some points before half,” Dietz said.
The quick drive gave the Falcons confidence that they could continue on without their leader, Jefferson.
The score just before halftime pushed the Falcons ahead 21-7, and they kept right on going to clinch a winning season for the fourth straight year.
“You have to keep reaching and grabbing and finding different ways here,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “We probably went down a different avenue tonight. There’s always been somebody else ready to go, and Dietz is one of those players who’s always ready.”
While it was an instant spark, Air Force relied heavily on a strong running game that hammered out 25 of the team’s 31 first downs and 393 yards rushing.
“The score right before the half was a big play, and Air Force kept the momentum the rest of the game,” said New Mexico linebacker Carmen Messina, who had 17 tackles. “Their second quarterback was able to come in and provide energy. It’s very tough to get off blocks and stop their run game.”
Although the Lobos scored first after a fumble on a pitch from Jefferson to halfback Asher Clark on the game’s first play, Dietz and reserve quarterback Ben Cochran took the Falcons to touchdowns on five of their last six possessions.
“Last year, he (Dietz) stepped in and helped us,” Calhoun said. “He’s a tough nut, but if you’re going to play quarterback here, you have to be hard-nosed. Soldiers march. We had to get another pilot in there and the plane has to take off.”
In addition to his 67 yards passing, Dietz had 34 yards rushing and another touchdown.
“All the guys around me take a load off my shoulders and it makes it easy on the quarterback,” Dietz said.
Fourteen seniors played their last game at Falcon Stadium, and defensive line Rick Ricketts felt the emotion.
“Going in, I thought it was no big deal and just another game,” Ricketts said. “After the game, it sets in. We weren’t worried at all. We never lost focus or confidence. All around it was a pretty good game. Not a perfect game, but a good game.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Key stat
26: Air Force ran 26 more plays than the Lobos (90 to 64), with 31 first downs, 25 on the ground. Air Force had nearly a 9 1/2-minute advantage in time of possession as well.
Key play
Holding a 14-7 lead, the Falcons took over with 2:10 remaining in the first half, 76 yards away from the goal line. Quarterback Connor Dietz connected with receiver Zack Kauth on a 28-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left in the half to increase the lead to 14 points.
Three questions for AFA
Will Air Force’s salty defense be enough to confuse New Mexico’s freshman quarterback Stump Godfrey and cause turnovers? The Falcons didn’t get an interception, but they limited Godfrey and New Mexico’s offense to 258 total yards (99 yards passing for Godfrey) and 64 plays.
Has New Mexico ended its skid and in doing so become a dangerous opponent that could keep the Falcons from clinching a winning season? The Lobos scored first, but not often enough, as the Falcons clinched another winning season under Troy Calhoun.
Will Air Force halfback Asher Clark return to 100-yard rushing games and get closer to a 1,000-yard season? Clark fell 5 yards short of 100 yards, but took his season total to 919 yards. He scored two touchdowns, bringing his total to five.
