Provo » The Cougars got away with the lack of a running game -- by the skin of their teeth -- against winless New Mexico last week, edging the Lobos 24-19 mostly because quarterback Max Hall threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns.

BYU had just 41 net rushing yards when sacks and kneel-downs at the end of the game were figured in.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Monday that they will have to do a much better job running the ball this week if they hope to beat 7-4 Air Force.

"The difference in the game itself, if you are saying from an offensive perspective, from what type of game we thought it would be, and the way it ended up being, [was ] New Mexico's ability to play run defense against us," Mendenhall said. "It wasn't that there wasn't an attempt to run the ball, but we weren't very effective -- to their credit they played us very well up front, and so that forced us to be more one-dimensional than we normally are."

BYU's leading rusher, Harvey Unga , entered the game with a sore ankle and needing 70 yards to become the school's career rushing leader. He had 50 yards on 11 carries when Mendenhall pulled him midway through the third quarter, saying Unga didn't look quite right.

Monday, Mendenhall said he thinks he made a "wise decision" because the benching "prevented more damage being done" to Unga's tweaked ankle. He expects the junior to heal more this week and be ready for Saturday's 1:30 p.m. game against Air Force.

The Cougars were also running behind a makeshift offensive line. Starting right tackle Nick Alletto missed all but a few plays with a calf strain, starting left tackle Matt Reynolds left the game for a while with a back strain, and freshman backup Fono Vakalahi stayed home due to academic struggles. Braden Brown , a converted tight end, got his first start and played the entire game at right tackle.

"We are thin, but with Nick back and possibly some depth coming back, with Vakalahi, that gives us at least as good [depth] as we have been all year, at least in terms of bodies," Mendenhall said.

Still, it was against New Mexico, 80th in the nation in rush defense.

"Most of the time when you run the ball well, or stop the ball well, it is just man for man, with one player beating the player across from them," Mendenhall said. "And I thought New Mexico's front did a very nice job of playing faster and more physical than what we expected and prepared for. And that was to their credit."

Briefly

Mendenhall said linebacker Terrance Hooks will likely undergo surgery today on his second torn patella tendon [knee] in two years. ... Mitch Payne kicked off against New Mexico, rather than Riley Stephenson , because of how he kicked off in practices last week, Mendenhall said.

drew@sltrib.com