Hail to the Champions!

It wasn’t like the other eight MW conference wins. It wasn’t a question of jumping on Air Force early and dominating them with our aggressive defense, creating and capitalizing on turnovers, and running up points with our almost flawless offense.

In fact, quite the opposite. Our offense, skilled at getting quick leads, failed to score in the first quarter. Well, none that counted.  We did have what looked like a TD wiped out by a penalty. Shades of early-season problems!  Air Force moved the ball well and capitalized on a fumbled punt deep in Aztec territory by easily scoring to take a 7-0 lead.

This set the tone and made this the best game of the conference season. Our Aztecs were put to the test over and over, and passed with flying colors. From that first quarter on, it was back and forth. 

We tied the game at the start of the second quarter with a 24-yard TD pass from Redshirt Freshman Christian Chapman (filling in for the injured Maxwell Smith) to DJ Pumphrey. Toward the end of the second quarter, the Falcons kicked a FG to take a 10-7 lead. But the Aztecs came right back and Donny Hageman kicked a 22-yard FG to tie the game, 10-10, at the half.

It continued in the third, with AF scoring first to make it 17-10 until late in the quarter when the Aztecs culminated a drive with Dakota Gordon plowing through from the one to tie it up again at 17-17.

The final quarter was a virtual repeat, except the sequence changed as the Aztecs scored first on Rashaad Penny’s beautiful 28-yard TD run for a 24-17 lead. The Falcons came right back to tie it at 24-24. Then, as time was running short, the Aztecs got in FG range and Donny Hageman came through under pressure with a long 47-yard kick to make it 27-24. A few short passes and then a final desperation Hail Mary was knocked down and the Aztecs were crowned undisputed champions of the Mountain West for 2015.

To me, it was a classic play-off game, with both teams all-out to capture the title.  No really spectacular stats, yet still solid. The Aztecs, even with Pumphrey having an ”ordinary” running game (90 yards, but another 64 receiving with a TD), rolled up 233 net yards rushing. Most worthy of praise was Christian Chapman’s 9-14 passing for 203 yards, one TD and NO interceptions. His footwork was impressive, too, especially his 13-yard run for a key first down in a third-and-long situation.

Now it’s on to the Hawaii Bowl to face Cincinnati, Thursday, Dec. 24. I see another win coming, making this an 11-3 season. We have won 10 straight after a 1-3 start. Hail to our Champions!

Donny Hageman kicks the game-winning field goal with 5:10 left; Chase Price and DJ Pumphrey combined for 141 rushing yards, DJ added two receptions for 64 yards and a TD (photos by Ernie Anderson)

GO AZTECS!