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PROVO, Utah — The University of New Mexico turned back the clock on Saturday night as a dominating defense and ball-control offense combined to give the Lobos a 20-16 victory over Brigham Young University at LaVell Edwards Stadium. New Mexico snapped a 14-game losing streak at BYU, winning its first game in Provo since current head coach Rocky Long quarterbacked the Lobos to a 14-0 win in 1971.
With its third straight win, New Mexico improves to 6-5 on the season, 4-1 in the Mountain West Conference and is one win away from bowl eligibility with two games remaining in the regular season. BYU, meanwhile, drops to 5-6 on the season and 2-4 in the MWC.
“I’m really proud of the players and I know we’re really happy and excited, but I know there’s a lot of work to do yet,” said UNM head coach Rocky Long. “This team has proved to me that no matter what happens early in the game, we’ll come back and do something to get ourselves back into it. I thought we were physical on both sides of the ball and I think if you’re physical you should be in every game. I think we played with heart and soul, and tonight it was enough to win.”
Trailing 16-14 early in the fourth quarter, New Mexico got a much-needed spark from junior wide receiver Adrian Boyd on its second possession of the period. Boyd opened the drive with a 12-yard gain on a fly-motion sweep, then, following a 4-yard gain by running back DonTrell Moore, reeled in a 27-yard catch-and-run pass from junior quarterback Casey Kelly to give the Lobos a first down at the BYU 33-yard line. Two plays later, facing second-and-11 from the BYU 34, Kelly checked out of the called play and audibled to a speed option play down the line of scrimmage. Moments before he was stuffed by two Cougar defenders, Kelly pitched the ball to an unmarked Moore, who scampered 32 yards up the left sideline to the BYU 2-yard line. Moore followed with his UNM freshman-record ninth touchdown run of the season, barreling in from two yards out behind the Lobos’ new eight-offensive lineman “diesel” package. Following a failed conversion run by Moore, UNM turned the game over to its resurgent defense with a 20-14 lead at the eight-minute mark of the quarter.
After forcing the Cougars to go three-and-out on their ensuing possession, the Lobo offense ground the clock down to the two-minute mark before punting the ball back to BYU one last time.
Freshman quarterback Matt Berry hit Justin Anderson for a 21-yard gain on the Cougars’ first play of the drive, moving the ball to the BYU 35-yard line, but New Mexico’s suddenly stingy secondary came up big on the next play as senior cornerback Brandon Gregory came made a tremendous one-on-one deflection of Berry’s next long pass. Three plays later, senior linebacker Charles Moss picked up his third interception of the year with a diving stab of Berry’s fourth down crossing pass to seal the UNM victory.
Turnovers nearly doomed New Mexico from the onset of the game as BYU jumped out to a 7-0 first quarter lead when Kelly’s off-balance pass was intercepted by Cougar free safety Jon Burbidge and returned 80 yards for a touchdown. The Cougars moved out to a 10-0 lead at the end of the quarter after a Moore fumble on the UNM 26-yard line led to a 32-yard field goal by Matt Payne.
However, UNM safety Brandon Ratcliff reversed the turnover flow when he jumped an out pattern to intercept Berry’s pass and return it 50 yards to the Lobo two-yard line. After Moore’s two-yard touchdown plunge cut the lead to 10-7 at the 12-minute mark of the second quarter the Lobo offense went back to work with a marathon drive. Starting on its own 18-yard line, UNM converted a pair of fourth down plays as it methodically drove down the field. Kelly hit junior receiver Dwight Counter on a seven-yard fade route to cap the season-long 17-play, 82-yard drive, which ran a season-high 8:02 off the clock.
BYU would strike once more at the end of the first half as Payne rushed for 28 yards on a fake punt to set up his own 52-yard field goal to trim the Lobos lead to 14-13 at the break. Payne’s 28-yard gain would prove to be the Cougars’ longest of the game however, as they mustered just 188 yards (94 passing, 94 rushing) on the suffocating UNM defense. The final stat sheet was remarkably similar to the box score from UNM’s 14-0 victory over BYU on Oct. 1, 1971 when the Lobos allowed a mere 169 yards (103 rushing, 66 passing) in Provo.
Following another Kelly interception, the Cougars took a 16-14 lead midway through the third quarter on Payne’s third field goal of the game, this time from 37 yards out.
Boyd enjoyed the best game of his collegiate career as he tallied 156 all-purpose yards with 57 yards rushing on eight carries and four receptions for 99 yards. As a team, New Mexico finished with 300 yards of total offense with near equal rushing (145) and passing (155) success. The Lobo defense meanwhile, held its second-straight opponent to less than 200 yards and without an offensive touchdown. BYU came into the game 17th in the nation in pass offense (279.8 ypg) and 18th in total offense (415.9 ypg).
New Mexico’s victory sets up a pivotal match-up next weekend in Fort Collins, Colo. when UNM faces the nationally-ranked and Mountain West-leading (9-2, 5-0) Colorado State Rams on Nov. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. (MST).9