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LOBO HOMECOMING HAS UTAH COMING TO ALBUQUERQUE•The New Mexico Lobos celebrate their 78th homecoming by hosting the Utah Utes Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is 1:05 p.m. Mountain Time from University Stadium in Albuquerque. The game will be televised by ESPN+Plus and can be seen locally on KRQE-TV. It’s also available through ESPN GamePlan.
•The Lobos are playing at home for the first time in four weeks, since a loss to Texas Tech on Friday, Sept. 27. UNM needs to win four of its last five games to become bowl eligible.
•UNM fell to 3-5 last week following a devastating 45-44 overtime loss at Utah State. The Lobos scored 14 points in a 53-second span to grab a 38-31 lead with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Terrell Golden’s 59-yard interception – his second pick of the game – staked UNM to the seven-point bulge, but the Aggies scored on a 32-yard Hail Mary on the last play of regulation to knot the score at 38-38. Utah State scored first in overtime. The Lobos answered with a TD, but missed the extra point to end the game. The Lobos are 1-1 in conference action. Utah, picked by the league’s media to win the MWC, is 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the MWC after a 28-20 home loss to Colorado State. The Utes outgained the Rams, 481 to 252. That’s a season-high for the Utah offense. After starting 2-0, the Utes have lost five in a row for the first time since starting 0-7 under Jim Fassel in 1986.
•Utah leads the MWC in rushing defense (100.6 yards a game) and total defense (326.6 yards a game). The Lobos have gained 520 yards on the ground the past two games.
•UNM has a 37-37-3 record in homecoming games, has won three straight and five of the past six. Utah has been the opponent seven times with the Lobos holding a 4-3 advantage. The last time the Utes were in Albuquerque for a Lobo homecoming was 1994. Utah came into that game undefeated at 8-0 and ranked No. 9 in the country. New Mexico won 23-21 when Nathan Vail kicked a 22-yard field goal with 32 seconds left. That remains the highest-ranked team the Lobos have ever beaten.
•New Mexico is 7-4 in October the past three seasons, going 2-1 every year between 1999-2001.
•Last year, New Mexico went a bowl-eligible 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the Mountain West Conference. After a 1-3 start, the Lobos won 5 of their last 7 games. Picked to finish seventh in the MWC preseason polls, UNM tied Utah for third place. It was just New Mexico’s fifth winning season since 1979. The league’s media projected a sixth-place finish for the Lobos in 2002. The Utes were 8-4 overall and 4-3 in the league. Utah nipped Southern Cal 10-6, in the Las Vegas Bowl.
•New Mexico has increased its win total by one each of past three seasons: 4 in 1999, 5 in 2000 and 6 in 2001. The only other schools to make that claim are Oregon and Fresno State.
•Thanks to an odd twist in the calender – there are 14 Saturdays from Labor Day weekend until Nov. 30 as required by the NCAA – teams are able to play 12 regular-season games in 2002. Schools will also be allowed to schedule a dozen in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2014. The BCA Bowl against NC State was an exempt game, thus giving UNM 13 tries this year. New Mexico has played 13 games only one time in school history. The 1997 squad finished 9-4, including a Western Athletic Conference division title and an appearance in the Insight.com Bowl.
GAME-DAY SPONSORS/PROMOTIONS•The Utah game is sponsored by Isleta Casino and Resort, KOB-TV Channel 4, Comcast and Wild 106 radio. The first 8,000 fans will receive Howl Towels courtesy of Isleta Casino and Resort. It’s also Youth Day as all fans 18 and can get seats in the north endzone for just $3. There will be a military jet flyover prior to the game.
THE UTAH SERIES•The Lobos and Utes meet for the 44th time since the first encounter on Jan. 1, 1939 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, a 26-0 Utah win. Utah has a 28-13-2 series lead, including last season’s 37-16 victory in Salt Lake City. The Utes have won six of seven and 11 of the past 15 since 1987. They have a 11-10-1 advantage in games played in Albuquerque.
•Two years ago at University Stadium, UNM snapped a 5-game losing streak with a 10-3 win on a cold, wet afternoon in Albuquerque. Jarrod Baxter, now with the Houston Texans, rushed for a season-high 135 yards, helping the Lobos to a 12-minute advantage in time of possession. UNM held the Utes to 60 yards rushing and 1 of 14 conversions on third down. The Lobos also had four sacks.
•New Mexico has gained just 1,042 yards of total offense in its last four games against Utah, an average of 260.5 yards a game.
UNM HISTORY•The University of New Mexico has a 405-475-31 overall record in its 104th season.
•UNM was founded in 1889, although the territory of New Mexico was not granted statehood until 1912. Three years later, the school’s first football game was played on Oct. 7, 1892, when a team representing UNM played a squad from Albuquerque High School in a vacant lot north of the town’s ice factory. The preps prevailed 5-0.
INJURY UPDATE•After having no major injuries to any frontline players last year, the Lobos’ training room became Grand Central Station in September and early October. Starting TB Quincy Wright (torn ACL) was lost for the season in the Baylor game on Sept. 14. Sophomore LB Domingo Villarruel (Fort Worth, Texas) was forced to quit football after a neck injury at New Mexico State and subsequent diagnosis of stenosis in his spine. Starting QT Nate Hembree (Carrolton, Texas) is gone for the year after suffering a torn ACL at New Mexico State. He had surgery Oct. 7. Starting QB Casey Kelly (Portland, Ore.) was put on the shelf for a game with a broken left arm suffered against Texas Tech. Junior LB Shannon Kincaid (Albuquerque) could be out for the rest of the season after reinjuring his right knee against Texas Tech. He had arthroscopic surgery Oct. 14. •Kelly had surgery Sept. 29 on his left ulna (outside forearm). A 6-inch by 1/2-inch plate was inserted where the fracture occurred. That plate, which runs parallel to the ulna, will probably remain in Kelly’s arm for a couple of years. He was placed in a cast and a bone stimulator was attached to help speed up the healing process.
•Sophomore TE Mike Augustyniak (Edgewood, N.M.) is questionable for Utah (neck.) WRIGHT’S SEASON CUT SHORT•The Baylor win on Sept. 14 did not come without cost as senior RB Quincy Wright was lost for the season after suffering a torn left ACL and meniscus at the end of a 13-yard run in the first quarter. It was his fourth carry of the game. Wright finished with 21 yards on the night. He had surgery on Sept. 30. UNM will explore the option of Wright receiving a sixth year of eligibility in 2003. He was a redshirt in 1998.
•In Wright, the Lobos lost a player that head coach Rocky Long described in the following way: “In a very short time, he developed into the heart and soul of our offensive football team.”
•A virtual bit player on special teams in his first three years at UNM, Wright’s senior season of collegiate football looked to be nothing short of colossal before the non-contact injury. Wright came into the Baylor game ranked 3rd in the nation in rushing, averaging 158.3 yards a game. He was 6th nationally in all-purpose yards at 202.3 yards a game and had scored 32 points in the first three games. Wright even had a hand in the Baylor win before going down as he tossed an 18-yard TD to TE Bryan Penley that gave the Lobos a 7-0 lead.
•Wright’s season-ending numbers: 67 carries, 496 yards, 7.4 ypc and 4 TDs…8 receptions, 132 yards and a TD.
•Wright broke a 25-year-old school record against Weber State when he rushed for 265 yards, including 3 TDs. He gained 145 yards on 25 totes at Air Force. Wright’s 410 yards rushing is the highest consective-game total in school history. He scored on runs of 34 and 63 yards against Weber State and on a 48-yard screen pass at Air Force.
NOTES FROM UTAH STATE•The Lobos dropped a 45-44 overtime decision after giving up a 32-yard Hail Mary at the end of regulation and then missing an extra point at the end of the first overtime
•The last time the Lobos scored at least 44 points and lost was in a 49-47 setback at BYU on Sept. 24, 1994…UNM is now 2-19 since 1998 when allowing 30 or more points in a game
•New Mexico’s record falls to 1-4 all-time in overtime games, 0-2 this season…the Lobos lost at Air Force 38-31, on Sept. 7
•Junior QB Casey Kelly (Portland, Ore.), playing with a soft cast on his broken left arm, had his most effective game of the season…Kelly tied a career-high by tossing 3 TD passes…he was 18 of 25 passing for 202 yards and threw no interceptions…Kelly’s pass efficiency rating rose from 101.84 to 112.56…he also rushed for 26 yards, many of those coming on option plays…Kelly engineered scoring drives of 12 plays/71 yards, 11/80, 6/80 and 13/95, the latter in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 31…it’s the longest drive by UNM since a 98-yard trek against Central Florida in 1998
•Redshirt freshman DonTrell Moore (Roswell, N.M.) also enjoyed the best game of his young career…he carried 25 times for 166 yards, the 3rd-best effort ever by a Lobo freshman…Reginal Johnson galloped for 232 yards vs. Tulsa in 1996 and Winslow Oliver gained 186 yards against Air Force in 1992…Moore scored on runs of 5 and 23 yards, respectively, giving him 5 rushing TDs for the year…he now has 459 yards on the season…on the Lobos’ 95-yard fourth-quarter drive that knotted the game at 31, Moore carried it 6 times for 69 yards and hauled in an 8-yard pass
•Junior safety Terrell Golden (Los Angeles, Calif.) did all he could to thwart Utah State by intercepting a career-high 2 passes, his first picks since 2000…Golden’s first theft came at the Lobo 5 when USU had driven to the 19 midway through the 4th quarter…his second grab was a thing of beauty as he stepped in front of an Aggie receiver near the sideline, made a one-handed grab, kept his balance and sprinted down the sideline 59 yards to hand the Lobos a 38-31 lead with only 25 seconds left in regulation…Golden also had 6 tackles, including a tackle for loss
•True freshman WR Hank Baskett (Clovis, N.M.) saw his first action as a Lobo and caught 2 passes, both for TDs…he caught a 9-yard pass in the second quarter and had a 12-yard score in overtime…Baskett suffered a neck injury during two-a-days on Aug. 14 that required him being taken off the field on a backboard and admitted to University Hospital with minimal movement in his extremeties for several hours…Baskett sat idle for almost two months before being cleared for contact on Oct. 6…he did not play at UNLV
•The Lobos amassed a season-high 483 yards of total offense, 263 on the ground and 220 through the air…the previous high was 362 yards at Air Force, also an overtime loss
•Senior WR Joe Manning (Lancaster, Calif.) caught 6 passes for 104 yards, the second time in his career he has hit the century mark…he had gains of 40 and 45 yards, the two longest receptions by a Lobo wide receiver in 2002…Manning’s career numbers are 65 catches for 877 yards
•Junior TE Bryan Penley (Victoria, Texas) caught 2 passes for 30 yards, including a 9-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter…he also had a career-high 17 knockdown blocks, giving him 56 on the season
•New Mexico held the ball for a season-high 37 minutes and 23 seconds
•When WR Michael Brunker (San Diego) connected with DonTrell Moore on an 18-yard pass, Brunker became the sixth different Lobo – and third non-quarterback – to complete a pass this season
•Junior DE Daniel Kegler (Frostproof, Fla.) notched another sack, giving him an MWC-leading 6.5 QB dumps on the year…two of his sacks have been for safeties
• Junior WR Dwight Counter (Lancaster, Texas) caught 4 passes for 24 yards…he has 79 receptions, tying Manley Woods for 13th place all-time at UNM…his 1,090 yards rank No. 15 in the UNM record book
OFFENSE NOTES•New Mexico was 19 of 27 passing for 220 yards and 3 TDs at Utah State…in two games against Texas Tech and UNLV, the Lobos were 14 of 41 for 134 yards, no TDs and two interceptions
•After averaging 146.8 rushing yards the first six games, New Mexico has gained 520 yards the past two contests, 257 at UNLV and a season-high 263 at Utah State
•New Mexico has scored just once on its opening drive of the game this season…after Weber State fumbled on its first snap from scrimmage, Quincy Wright scored on the next play from 34 yards out
•The Lobos have only scored 17 points in the first quarter and have gone four straight games without any tallies in the first period
•UNM had scored in 111 consecutive games, the 15th-longest active streak in the nation, before the 49-0 shutout by Texas Tech on Sept. 27…the last team to blank the Lobos had been BYU (35-0) on Nov. 7, 1992
•Lobo tight ends have caught 19 passes for 180 yards and 3 TDs this season compared to last year’s numbers of just 6 catches for 37 yards…Bryan Penley leads the way with 13 grabs for 140 yards and the team-leading 3 TD catches…that’s the most receptions by a Lobo TE since Brian Johnson caught 18 for 212 yards in 1998
DEFENSE NOTES•After just 3 interceptions the first 6 games, New Mexico has picked off 5 the past 2 games…the Lobos caused a season-high four turnovers (3 int./1 fumble) at UNLV, the most since UTEP had five in the 2001 season opener
•The Lobo defense accounted for 11 points on a touchdown, safety and the school’s first-ever defensive PAT at UNLV…after the Rebels pared the UNM lead to 21-16 with less than 10 minutes left in the game, they went for two…the halfback pass from Larry Croom to QB Kurt Nantkes was picked off by S Brandon Ratcliff and returned about 101 yards for the duece, giving the Lobos a 23-16 advantage
•Twice this year, a Lobo has caused a turnover then lateraled the ball off to a teammate for a TD…against Weber State, NT Hebrews Josue stripped QB Tate Bennett and ran 41 yards before handing off to LB Billy Strother who took it the remaining 42 yards…LB Charles Moss intercepted UNLV’s Jason Thomas and advanced it 5 yards before being tackled…Moss pitched to CB Desmar Black who rambled the 25 yards for his first score
•In the 23-0 win over Baylor, UNM allowed just 107 yards, the stingiest effort since holding UTEP to 70 yards in 1983…it ranks as the 10th-lowest total ever yielded by a Lobo team
•Junior DE D.J. Renteria (Roswell, N.M.) has recovered four fumbles, a figure that leads the MWC…the UNM single-season record for fumble recoveries is 5 by Tom Cole in 1984 and Charles Butler in 1994…Renteria has 5 recoveries for his career
•Only five backs have eclipsed 100 yards rushing against UNM since the start of 2000, a span of 31 games, however, two have done so this season: Oregon State’s Ken Simonton (184) and UNLV’s Jeremi Rudolph (106) in 2000, Utah’s Dameon Hunter (177) in 2001 and Air Force’s Leotis Palmer (125) and New Mexico State’s Paul Dombrowski (136) this year
•The Lobos had held 9 straight opponents to less than 200 yards rushing before Air Force totaled 261 and New Mexico State got 262…only three times in the past 28 games has an opponent reached 200 yards on the ground…the 262 yards by New Mexico State are the most against the Lobos since Air Force had 283 in 1999
•It’s been 48 games since UNM allowed 300 rushing yards…San Diego State churned for 349 yards in 1998
•UNM’s first three opponents produced 8 scoring drives covering at least 80 yards…in 12 games in 2001, opponents only did that 7 times
•Foes converted 58% (28-48) of their 3rd-downs the first three games before Baylor was held to 2-of-15…opponents have converted 44% this season compared to 34% all of last year…NC State was an un settling 67% (10-15) on 3rd downs, the best percentage against the Lobos since Air Force made 73% (11 of 15) in a 56-14 win on Oct. 3, 1998…the Wolfpack gained 181 yards on those 10 conversions, including TDs of 21, 1 and 50 yards, respectively
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES•Even though he only returned three punts for 1 yard at Utah State, Dwight Counter is 2nd in the MWC and 8th nationally in punt returns, averaging 16.3 yards…he has 212 yards on 13 returns…Counter scored on a 63-yard return against Weber State…he returned 4 punts for 107 yards against Baylor, the highest single-game total since Chad Smith set a UNM record with 142 yards on 7 returns against UTEP in 1996…Counter’s 74-yard return against Baylor – which was not a TD – ties for the 7th-longest in school history…the Lobos are 10th in the nation in punt returns, averaging 15.9 yards
•The Lobos have returned 3 punts for TDs in the past 13 games…Counter had the 63-yarder against Weber State on his first career return
•UNM has blocked 10 punts since the start of the 2000 season – a span of 31 games…Brandon Gregory (St. Louis, Mo.) stuffed the Air Force punter earlier this year
•True freshman P Tyler Gaus (San Diego, Calif.) has punted 43 times for a 40-yard average…14 of his kicks have landed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line…UNM is 2nd in the MWC and 22nd nationally in net punting at 37.2 yards…only 20 of Gaus’ punts have been returned for a total of 101 yards, an average of 5.1 yards
•UNM has punted 208 consecutive times without having a kick blocked…the last rejector was Air Force’s Buck Hodgkinson, who did so in the first quarter of the 1999 season finale, 31 games ago
YOUNGSTERS•The Lobos may have the youngest team in the nation with only nine seniors currently participating. Quincy Wright is the 10th, but he is out for the season with a knee injury. UNM has three seniors on offense and six on defense.
LOBOS LOVE THE BYE•After beating UNLV 25-16, in Las Vegas on Oct. 12, UNM is now 5-0 following scheduled open weeks under current head coach Rocky Long. Looking back further shows the Lobos have won eight straight games – over a period of six years – following a scheduled break. The last loss was 48-42 versus San Diego State on Oct. 19, 1996.
•New Mexico has another off week on Nov. 2
|Bye date|Next Game Result||Oct. 5, 2002|W at UNLV, 25-16||Oct. 20, 2001|W vs. Air Force, 52-33||Oct. 14, 2000|W at Air Force, 29-23||Oct. 23, 1999|W vs. UNLV, 27-6||Oct. 2, 1999|W at San Diego State, 24-21||Nov. 8, 1997|W vs. BYU, 38-28||Sept. 27, 1997| W vs. SMU, 22-15||Nov. 16, 1996|W vs. UTEP, 44-17|
HIP, HIP, MILLEA•Pronounced muh-LAY, senior Justin Millea (Silver City, N.M.), a former walk-on quarterback turned safety/special teams player then back to quarterback last spring, had one of the most dramatic debuts in school history at UNLV…thrust into the starting lineup just three days before the contest due to an injury to Casey Kelly and subsequent suspension of true freshman Kole McKamey, Millea rushed 20 times for 148 yards to earn MWC Offensive Player of the Week honors…included in that total was a 73-yard scoring scamper in the third quarter, the Lobos’ longest run in five years, that pushed UNM’s lead to 21-10…Millea also engineered the Lobos’ longest scoring drive of the year at the time – 90 yards – in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead…on the march, Millea rushed 4 times for 54 yards and tossed a 10-yard screen pass to DonTrell Moore to convert a 3rd-and-8
•Millea’s rushing total is the most by a Lobo quarterback in 29 years, since Don Woods had 149 yards against Arizona on Oct. 13, 1973…his 73-yard TD run is the longest by a Lobo since TB Reginal Johnson went 79 yards against Northern Arizona in 1997…it’s the longest by a UNM quarterback since David Osborn traversed 85 yards against North Texas in 1982
•Millea made his first start at quarterback since the summer of 1998 when he played in the New Mexico North-South All-Star game at University Stadium…he tore his right ACL on the second play of that game
ATTENDANCE STRONG AGAIN•UNM has had four straight crowds in excess of 30,000, a first for the Lobo program…prior to the current string, the best was two in a row in 1997…the crowd of 35,765 for Weber State ranks third-best all-time while 35,111 for Texas Tech is No. 4 at University Stadium
•New Mexico is averaging 33,630 fans through three games…the school record, established last year, is 31,268
•Lobo fans purchased 14,142 season tickets in 2002, the second-highest in school history and easily eclipsing last year’s total of 13,202…it’s the ninth straight season New Mexico has sold at least 10,000 season tickets. The school record is 14,254 set in 1998.
ALTERNATIVE SCORING•The Lobos have definitely found other ways to put points on the board other than just on offense. Here’s a list of “other” scores since the start of the 2000 season:
2000 (3 TDs)Oregon State:Stephen Persley 20-yard punt return (on a block)Wyoming:Mike Barnett 25-yard fumble recoveryat Air Force:Stephen Persley 19-yard punt return (on a block)
2001 (6 TDs, 2 safeties)UTEP:Terrell Golden safetyat Utah:Gary Davis safetyat Wyoming:Stephen Persley 6-yard interception return/David Crockett 17-yard interception returnAir Force:Stephen Persley 25-yard fumble recovery/Holmon Wiggins 47-yard punt returnColorado State:Terrell Golden 24-yard fumble recoveryNew Mexico State:Amos Wilson 30-yard punt return (on a block)
2002 (4 TDs, 2 safeties, 1 PAT return)Weber State:Daniel Kegler safety/Billy Strother 42-yard fumble recovery/Dwight Counter 63-yard punt returnat UNLV:Desmar Black 25-yard interception return/Brandon Ratcliff defensive PAT return/Daniel Kegler safetyat Utah State:Terrell Golden 59-yard interception return
GAME-DAY COACHING ASSIGNMENTS•Head coach Rocky Long is joined on the sidelines by assistant coaches Bob Bostad (offensive line), Jeff Conway (special teams/receivers), Curtis Luper (running backs), Lenny Rodriguez (linebackers) and Everett Todd (cornerbacks). Upstairs in the press box are offensive coordinator Dan Dodd, defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall, tight ends coach Jason Strauss and defensive line coach Grady Stretz.
CAPTAINS•New Mexico’s four captains were selected last spring by a vote of the team. The offensive captains are both juniors, QB Casey Kelly and WR Dwight Counter. NT Hebrews Josue and LB Charles Moss – both seniors – are the defensive captains. BLOCK PARTY•The Lobos have rejected 10 punts since the start of the 2000 season, or the past 30 games. Four of the rejections have been returned for scores. After having gone 21 straight games during most of 1998 and all of ‘99 without blocking a punt, the Lobos established a school record with five blocks in 2000. The year-by-year blocks:
2000Texas Tech:Dave MaurerOregon State:Stephen Persley (TD by Persley)Air Force:Terrell Golden (TD by Persley)Utah:Stephen PersleyUNLV:Larry Davis
2001Texas Tech:Stephen PersleyBaylor:Derrick ShepherdSan Diego State:Derrick ShepherdNew Mexico State:Tony Mazotti (TD by Amos Wilson)
2002Air Force:Brandon Gregory
LOBOS IN OVERTIME•The Lobos are 1-4 all-time in overtime games, including a 38-31 loss at Air Force and 45-44 fall at Utah State this season. UNM played a pair of OT games in 1998, winning a 39-36 triple-OT thriller against Utah State and losing to San Diego State 36-33 in a single overtime. The Lobos suffered a 16-13 setback last year at Baylor in single overtime.
GRADES KEEP CLIMBING•The University of New Mexico football team compiled a 2.63 grade-point-average for the 2002 spring semester, the highest GPA since UNM began charting grades in the fall of 1988. UNM had a 2.59 GPA in the spring of 2000 and 2001. That means five of the top-seven semester GPAs have occurred under current head coach Rocky Long. Thirteen Lobos earned academic all-conference laurels during the 2001 season, also a record.
STADIUM IMPROVEMENTS/ATTENDANCE MARK•Last year, the home of New Mexico football – University Stadium – received its most significant renovation since it was erected in 1960, and it proved to be a smashing success. A record crowd of 41,771 witnessed the Lobos’ season-opening 26-6 victory over UTEP on Sept. 1, 2001, crushing the previous mark of 37,156 for the Rice game in 1997. UNM averaged a school-record 31,268 fans in 2001.
•While the expanded stadium has just 37,370 fixed seats, UNM was able to shoehorn nearly 4,000 more fans into the UTEP game by selling 1,000 bleacher tickets in the south end and standing-room-only spots.
•A pavilion now connects the east and west stands for the first time. Renovation on the northwest corner of the stadium was completed in October of 2000 and includes new concession stands, restrooms, novelty stands and landscaping. The next phase is to renovate the remaining three corners with new facilities.
•The highlight of the renovation is a $1.8 million state-of-the-art videoboard at the north end of the stadium. Appropriately named LoboVision, the system has instant replay and live-action capabilities. Manufactured by Daktronics, Inc., the board measures 60 feet high and 61 feet wide. The videoboard is 21’ x 28’. A staff of 10, including three cameras, is needed to operate the system during games.
SUCCESSFUL WALK-ONS•Some of the better-known Lobos – past and present – began their careers as walk-ons, including four team captains over the past two years. Departed seniors Jarrod Baxter, Brian Johnson and Mohammed Konte all started their UNM careers without athletic scholarships, as did junior quarterback Casey Kelly, an offensive team captain for the 2002 season who was awarded a scholarship prior to his sophomore campaign.
•Baxter, a fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2002 National Football League Draft, was a walk-on during the fall semester of 1997 under former head coach Dennis Franchione. He was placed on scholarship in the spring of 1998. Johnson, a two-time first team all-conference selection, was a 195-pound walk-on running back when he came to Albuquerque in the fall of ‘97. He had to wait a year for a scholarship after impressing Long and his staff during ‘98 spring drills. Konte, also a redshirt in ‘97, paid his own way for three years before being placed on aid in the fall of 2000 and earned honorable mention all-conference honors.
•Former walk-ons placed on scholarship prior to the 2001 season include junior S Terrell Golden, a two-year starter and honorable mention all-conference selection last year, and junior WR Terrence Thomas. This year’s recipients are sophomore S Josh Bazinet, redshirt freshman C Ryan Cook, sophomore deep snapper Martin Lovato, sophomore fullback Ryan Rice and sophomore K Wes Zunker.
UTAH NOTES•In the 28-20 loss to Colorado State, Utah had first-and-goal at the end of the game, but was stopped. The Utes missed an extra point after their third score
•Sophomore Brett Elliott is expected to start at quarterback against the Lobos. He made his first collegiate start in the loss at San Diego State, completing 28 of 50 passes for 272 yards, 3 interceptions and 2 TDs. WR Paris Jackson caught 13 passes for 110 yards against the Aztecs.
•TB Marty Johnson gained 405 yards in his first two games, including 228 against Indiana before leaving with a season-ending knee injury. He is still the Utes’ leading rusher on the season. Utah has had three different backs surpass 100 yards rushing this season: Johnson, J.R. Peroulis and Brandon Warfield.
•Warfield carried 20 times for 111 yards against Colorado State. •The 36-17 loss at San Diego State is the Utes’ worst since a 38-10 defeat to Wisconsin in the 1996 Copper Bowl.
•Head coach Ron McBride (San Jose State ‘64) is 85-62 in his 13th year with the Utes. He has guided Utah to six bowl games since taking over in 1990. McBride is 8-4 against the Lobos, 3-4 in Albuquerque.
WORDS FROM THE HEAD COACH•(On Utah State) — “It was a tough game because we were so close to pulling out another win on the road. Getting back to .500 would have been big for us. One more play and we have a lot of momentum going back into conference play. If there is a good thing, it’s that it wasn’t a conference game, but it still stings a lot because we thought we had pulled one out. We had some good indivdual efforts by several guys so that part is encouraging.” •(On Utah) — “We’ll find out how resilient we are this week. We have no choice but to put the Utah State game behind