The Vegas Knight Hawks did not need another miracle this time.
One week after beating San Antonio on a final-play Hail Mary, Vegas handled business early and buried the New Mexico Chupacabras 50-16 on Saturday afternoon at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Knight Hawks improved to 11-3 overall and 8-2 in conference play, winning their second straight game after a brief two-game skid. Vegas led 30-3 at halftime and never let New Mexico turn the second half into anything serious.
Crittendon starts fast
Quincey Crittendon opened the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Deshon Stoudemire midway through the first quarter.
New Mexico answered with a Kevin Macias field goal, but Vegas struck again quickly. Crittendon found Senika McKie for a 21-yard touchdown, giving the Knight Hawks a 14-3 lead after one quarter.
It was the kind of start Vegas needed after consecutive tight finishes against San Diego and San Antonio.
Defense breaks it open
The second quarter belonged to the Vegas defense.
New Mexico had a chance to cut into the lead, but La’james White lost the ball on a third-down run. Irshaad Davis recovered it and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, pushing the Knight Hawks ahead 21-3 with 4:55 left in the half.
Vegas added one more offensive score before halftime. Crittendon hit Antonio Wimbush for a 2-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left, and Gabe Rui followed with a two-point kickoff bonus to make it 30-3 at the break.
Vegas keeps control
The Knight Hawks kept the pressure on after halftime.
Crittendon found Stoudemire again, this time for a 25-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. New Mexico got its first touchdown on a 12-yard run by Walter Wilbon III, but the Chupacabras never got close.
John Erby took over the late scoring for Vegas. He ran for touchdowns of 12 and 10 yards in the second half, turning the finish into a clean road closeout.
Balanced win for Knight Hawks
Crittendon finished 12 of 16 for 169 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Stoudemire caught two passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns. McKie had two catches for 30 yards and a score, while Wimbush added three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Erby led the ground game with 41 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
Vegas also handled the game defensively. The Knight Hawks held New Mexico to 146 total yards and 60 passing yards. Calvin Bundage had two sacks, and Terry Roberts blocked a field goal in the third quarter.
What it means
This was the response Vegas needed.
The Knight Hawks had played three straight one-score games, including back-to-back losses to Tucson and San Diego before the wild 43-42 win over San Antonio. Saturday brought a different kind of result.
Vegas started fast, created points on defense and closed without drama.
Up next
The Knight Hawks return home to face the San Diego Strike Force on Sunday, July 12 at Lee’s Family Forum.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
