Falcons fly with fumble return for score against Lobos

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published October 23, 2008 at 8:49 p.m.

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Photo by Kevin Kreck © The Gazette

Air Force safety Aaron Kirchoff returns a fumble 96 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of Air Force's victory against New Mexico at the Air Force Academy on Thursday night.

Kickoff

GOIN' BOWLIN'?

Air Force became bowl eligible for the second consecutive year, but nobody is taking for granted the Falcons will get one of the Mountain West Conference's four guaranteed bowl bids.

The Falcons are 6-2 and have games remaining against Army, Colorado State, Brigham Young and Texas Christian. Air Force needs to win at least one, and maybe two, to solidify its bowl position, especially with three MWC teams ranked in the top 25.

"As good as our conference is this year, there are going to be more than four teams that are bowl eligible," linebacker Brandon Reeves said. "We need to make sure we are one of those top four. Just because we're bowl eligible now doesn't mean we're going to be top four. We need to win."

ETC.

* New Mexico tailback Rodney Ferguson, the leading rusher in the MWC, finished with 107 yards, only 1 yard below his season average, despite throwing up on the Lobos sideline in the second quarter.

* Aaron Kirchoff's 96-yard run with a fumble recovery was the second longest in Air Force history. Adam Zanotti set the record with a 98-yard return against Army in 2006.

* The Lobos suffered their fourth straight conference road loss for the first time since the Mountain West was created in 1999.

NUMBERS GAME

6 field goals in the past two games for Air Force's Ryan Harrison.

HE SAID IT

"That was just a team, gut-it-out win."

Troy Calhoun, Air Force coach.

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Aaron Kirchoff figured the play was over, but thankfully for Air Force, he didn't give up.

Kirchoff, a senior free safety from Barrington, Ill., grabbed a bouncing fumble by New Mexico quarterback Brad Gruner and ran 96 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter.

Instead of the Lobos possibly grabbing a 17-point lead, Kirchoff's touchdown gave the Falcons life and Air Force went on to a key 23-10 victory against New Mexico on Thursday night before 25,101 fans at Falcon Stadium.

The win made the Falcons bowl eligible as they improved to 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the Mountain West Conference.

New Mexico fell to 4-5, 2-3, but it appeared the Lobos, who pounded San Diego State 70-7 last week, might well be on their way to another lopsided victory until Kirchoff's touchdown, the second-longest fumble return for a score in school history.

"Brandon Reeves made the tackle to my opposite side and I thought the play was over because (Gruner) was on the ground and Reeves was on top of him," Kirchoff said. "The ball just popped out, and there was no one in front of me. I looked down and picked the ball up - it bounced perfectly into my hands - and I looked up and saw a lot of green, and that's exactly what you want to see."

The error-filled game saw the teams combine for seven turnovers - four for New Mexico, three for Air Force - and 30 of the game's 33 points followed turnovers. But none was bigger than the one Kirchoff returned for a touchdown.

"It was a huge play," coach Troy Calhoun said. "That play almost instantly said it's almost even- steven and here we go fellows. We've got to create turnovers, no matter how they occur."

Air Force found itself down 10-0 after freshman quarterback Tim Jefferson turned over the ball twice in succession. First, he mishandled a snap, then threw an interception on the Falcons' next offensive play.

New Mexico capitalized on those errors by scoring a touchdown and field goal.

The Lobos then had a chance to swell their lead when the Falcons lost another fumble on a third consecutive possession, but Kirchoff's big play thwarted that opportunity.

"It took a lot of pressure off me," Jefferson said. "After that third straight turnover, I was on the field and I was a little uptight. I was in a zone that I wasn't comfortable with.

"When I saw him scoop it up and score, it was a big load off my shoulders. He kept us in the game and that changed the momentum and our offense finally got clicking on the next drive."

Jefferson, who rushed for 64 yards, did complete one pass, a 1-yard jump pass to tight end Travis Dekker that went for a touchdown and put the Falcons ahead 17-10 early in the third quarter.

Ryan Harrison kicked three field goals for the Falcons, with the second coming early in the fourth quarter after New Mexico fumbled a punt.

"We fumbled a kickoff return and we fumbled a punt," New Mexico coach Rocky Long said. "I don't know if we've done two of them in the same game, but we've had them. It's a simple deal. If you turn the ball over and then you can't make fourth-and-short, you're going to lose."

New Mexico outgained the Falcons 303-228 but was shut out for the final three quarters and finished 1-for-4 on fourth-down conversions.

New Mexico had to settle for a field goal on a fifth try when the Lobos were called for a false start.

"We find different ways to win," Calhoun said. "We've done that now for the past 21 games."

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