March 30, 2004
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The New Mexico Lobos finished their 105th season of football with an 8-5 overall record. UNM is the only school in NCAA Div. I-A to increase its win total every year since 1999. The Lobos fell to Oregon State 55-14 in the Las Vegas Bowl. New Mexico has made consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in more than a half century.
It was the Lobos’ eighth bowl appearance since their inaugural showing in the 1939 Sun Bowl in El Paso. UNM is now 2-5-1 in bowls and has lost three straight. The last win was in 1961, a 28-12 decision over Western Michigan in the one-time-only Aviation Bowl in Dayton, Ohio. The Lobos had a 36-year postseason drought before appearing in the 1997 Insight.com Bowl. UNM lost to Arizona 20-14 on the Wildcats’ home field in Tucson. New Mexico also played in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl, falling to UCLA 27-13.
The last time New Mexico made consecutive bowl appearances was after the 1945-46 seasons: The Sun Bowl on Jan. 1, 1946 and the Harbor Bowl in San Diego on Jan. 1, 1947.
UNM has actually been bowl eligible for three consecutive years. The Lobos were 6-5 in 2001, but were not selected.
After a 1-3 start, the Lobos won seven of their last eight regular-season games. Picked to finish second in the Mountain West Conference, that’s exactly where New Mexico finished at 5-2, a game behind regular-season champ Utah. UNM beat the 23rd-ranked Utes 47-35 in Salt Lake, but the Lobos suffered home losses to BYU (10-7) and UNLV (37-35).
QUICK HITS – New Mexico has the distinction of being the only school in the nation to increase its win total every year since 1999: 3-9 in 1998, 4-7 in 1999, 5-7 in 2000, 6-5 in 2001, 7-7 in 2002 and 8-5 in 2003.
* New Mexico won eight games for only the eighth time in 105 years of football.
* While winning seven of its last eight games, UNM put together the school’s first four-game winning streak since a 6-0 start in 1997 and completed its first unbeaten October (3-0) since the 1959 team went 5-0. UNM is 9-3 in November games the past three years, going 3-1 each season.
* New Mexico went undefeated in conference road games (3-0) for the first time since a 4-0 mark in 1982. The three MWC road wins came by a combined total of 58 points. The Lobos are 5-1 in their last six road games against MWC competition.
* After no wins over teams with winning records for nearly two years from the middle of the 2001 season to this year, three of the Lobos’ last four victories were over teams with winning records: Utah, Colorado State and Air Force.
* Head coach Rocky Long is tied with Dennis Franchione for third place on the school’s all-time win list. Long is 33-40 after six seasons. Franchione went 33-36 from 1992-97. Roy Johnson is the all-time leader at 41-32-6 from 1920-30, followed by Bill Weeks, 40-41-1 from 1960-67.
* The triumph over Colorado State on Nov. 7 guaranteed New Mexico of having its third straight non-losing season for the first time since a seven-year run from 1958-64. The Lobos are 21-16 since 2001.
* In MWC games only, UNM led the league in rushing offense (265.0 ypg), total offense (434.7 ypg), rushing defense (88.6 ypg), scoring defense (19.7 ppg) and total defense (278.9 ypg).
* Sophomore DonTrell Moore ran for a school-record 1,450 yards in 2003. He established New Mexico season records for rushing attempts (276), rushing TDs (19), overall TDs scored (21), points (126), 100-yard rushing games (9) and consecutive 100-yard games (5). He also has the career mark with 32 rushing TDs. Moore ranks fourth all-time at UNM with 2,584 career yards on the ground. Moore finished 1st in the MWC in rushing (119.8 ypg), all-purpose yards (134.8 ypg) and scoring (10.5 ppg), and tied for the fourth-most TDs (21) in NCAA Div. I-A.
* School records for single-game attendance (44,075 for New Mexico State), season attendance (245,891) and average attendance (35,127) were all set in 2003. The previous standards for total attendance (187,608) and average attendance (31,268) were set in 2001.
* The Lobos are 8-2 in their last 10 contests at University Stadium, although they were 5-2 in 2003 s. New Mexico was 3-0 at home against MWC teams in 2002 and it has won eight of its past 11 league games in Albuquerque. UNM has captured eight of its last nine home games against non-conference competition.
* The Lobos received nine votes in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 preseason coaches’ poll, good for a tie for 47th place with Georgia Tech. They had 13 votes prior to the Texas Tech game. UNM’s Rocky Long was one of 63 NCAA Div. I-A head coaches who votes.
POSTSEASON HONORS. – Never has a Lobo team received as much recognition and postseason accolades as in 2003.
* Three Lobos were given All-America recognition: Junior TB DonTrell Moore (Roswell, N.M.) was chosen third team All-America by Football News and an honorable mention selection by SI.com. Junior OG Claude Terrell (LaMarque, Texas) was named third team All-America by the Associated Press while OG Robert Turner (Austin, Texas) earned first team Freshman All-America status by the Football Writers Association of America.
* The 2003 All-Mountain West Conference teams and honorees were announced on Dec. 3, as voted by the league’s eight head coaches and conference-wide media panel. The University of New Mexico earned a program-best 13 spots on the first and second teams, the most of any school in the conference. UNM had a program-record seven first-team honorees, including four on offense, bettering the previous mark of six first-teamers in 1978. Eight Lobos earned all-MWC honors in 2002, which was previously the most in school history.
* DonTrell Moore was a first-team pick for the second straight year and joined UNLV safety Jamaal Brimmer as the league’s only unanimous first-team selections. Senior S Brandon Ratcliff (Dallas, Texas) was also a repeat first-team honoree. Moore was named Offensive Player of the Year by collegefootballnews.com.
* New Mexico’s “Hitmen” dominated the offensive line with senior OT Jason Lenzmeier (Frisco, Texas), junior OG Claude Terrell and sophomore C Ryan Cook (Albuquerque, N.M.), a former walk-on, all earning first-team honors for the first time in their careers. Center Brandon Turner was the last Lobo lineman to make the first team in 1996. The three first-teamers on the offensive line are the most for UNM since 1971. Moore and the three linemen are the most first-team offense selections for the Lobos in 32 years when OT John Urban, OG Tom Walker, C Tom Klein and QB Rocky Long earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors.
* Joining Ratcliff on defense were senior defensive lineman D.J. Renteria (Roswell, N.M.), who earned first-team honors for the first time in his career. Junior K Wes Zunker (New Braunfels, Texas) earned all-MWC accolades for the first time, joining Vladimir Borombozin (2001) as the second UNM kicker to earn first-team honors under Rocky Long.
* Six Lobos were named to the all-MWC second team, including five on defense. Senior defensive ends Zach Rupp (Pleasant Grove, Utah) and Daniel Kegler (Frostproof, Fla.), and senior linebackers Daniel Gawronski (Marshville, N.C.) and Billy Strother (Evansville, Ind.) represented the nation’s fifth-ranked run defense, while sophomore CB Gabriel Fulbright (DeSoto, Texas) was also a second-team selection. Senior WR Dwight Counter (Lancaster, Texas), who led the MWC in yards per catch, was a second-team offensive selection for the first time. Counter earned second-team honors last year as a punt returner.
* UNM also had three honorable mention all-MWC selections in senior QB Casey Kelly (Portland, Ore.), junior LB Nick Speegle (Albuquerque, N.M.) and senior S Sidney Wiley (Hazelhurst, Miss.). Speegle earned honorable mention accolades for the second straight year, while Kelly and Wiley were honored for the first time in their careers. Including honorable mention, nine defensive Lobos were given postseason recognition.
* Postseason awards as voted by the Lobo team:
Bill Brannin MVP: TB DonTrell Moore Col. H.J. Golightly Defensive MVP: LB Billy Strother Reese Hill Offensive MVP: TB DonTrell Moore Chuck Cummings Memorial Award (morale and team spirit): DE Daniel Kegler Lobo Club Award (unselfish devotion to team): QB Casey Kelly Zia Award (top New Mexico player): TB DonTrell Moore Outstanding Offensive Lineman: OT Jason Lenzmeier Most Improved Player: DE Zach Rupp Top Special Teams Player: S Josh Bazinet Top Offensive Scout: WR Marcus Smith Top Defensive Scout: S Storm Field Red Menace Fan Appreciation Award: LB Billy Strother
POSTSEASON GAMES – Seven Lobos saw action in postseason all-star games, including OT Jason Lenzmeier and DE D. J. Renteria in the Hula Bowl. It marked the first time that UNM has had more than one participant in that game.
* WR Dwight Counter, S Brandon Ratcliff, LB Billy Strother and S Sidney Wiley played in the Las Vegas All-American Classic while OG Calvin McDonald was chosen for the Gridiron Classic.
STADIUM IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE – Thanks to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and members of the State Legislature, UNM received $2 million to complete the next phase in the renovation of University Stadium. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Kiki Saavedra. Construction has begun on the northeast corner of the stadium and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2004 season. New restrooms, concession stands, ticket booths and storage will be built.
* The next phase is to renovate the remaining two corners of the stadium with new entrances, ticket booths, restrooms and concession stands. The final phase is to expand and renovate the south of the stadium. Another 5,000 seats will be added, increasing capacity to 42,000.
* University Stadium was expanded prior to the start of the 2001 season. Capacity was increased to 37,370 as 5,700 seats were added at the north end. The east and west stands were connected by a pavilion and LoboVision, a state-of-the-art videboard and scoreboard, was added.
* The northwest corner of the stadium was completed prior to the 2001 season and features a revamped entrance with new ticket booths, concession stands, restrooms, novelty stands and landscaping.
* New grass and an irrigation system were also installed on two of the Lobos’ four practice fields south of the stadium.
2003 LOBOS: AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED – New Mexico’s success in 2003 was not a surprise. Seventeen starters returned from last year’s bowl team, including 10 on offense. The Lobos were picked to finish second in the Mountain West Conference, which they did.
* As has been the case the past few years, the Lobos started out slowly, due, in part, to the competition. After a 72-8 blowout of NCAA Div. I-AA Texas State-San Marcos, the Lobos traveled to Texas Tech. UNM came back from a 35-14 hole to cut the lead to seven in the fourth quarter, but the Red Raiders pushed across a late TD to win 42-28. New Mexico “held” Tech QB B.J. Symons to 418 yards passing and the Red Raiders to 456 yards of total offense. The Lobos racked up 584 yards of offense, but were stung by three interceptions.
* With the MWC opener the next week against BYU, the worst thing to come out of the Texas Tech game was the loss of starting LB Fola Fashola for the season and ankle injuries to the top-two running backs, DonTrell Moore and D.D. Cox. After starting OT Jason Lenzmeier went down with a torn MCL right before halftime, the offense stalled and BYU stunned the Lobos, 10-7.
* A trip to nationally-ranked Washington State didn’t seem like the antidote to get back on track, but the Lobos led at halftime 13-12, and played quite well, despite the 23-13 loss to the Cougars. However, UNM was 1-3 after four games.
* New Mexico evened its record at 3-3 following home wins over New Mexico State and Utah State. A much-needed off week ensued then the resumption of conference games. The Lobos traveled to San Diego State with everyone healthy. UNM tied a school record with five interceptions – three by sophomore CB Gabriel Fulbright – in the 30-7 victory, the Lobos’ fourth straight at Qualcomm Stadium.
* It was showdown time in Salt Lake City the next week as UNM took on the 6-1 and 23rd-ranked Utes. New Mexico’s first win over a ranked team on the road in 28 years came with relative ease. The Lobos led 44-20 at the end of three quarters and piled up yardage like never before: 407 yards rushing and 633 yards in all.
* Buoyed by two straight road wins, the Lobos returned home for three consecutive tilts at University Stadium. UNLV proved to be a real stunner as the Rebels forced six turnovers, two that were returned for TDs, in the 37-35 loss. New Mexico had 578 yards of total offense to the Rebels’ 229.
* The three victories to end the regular season and clinch second place in the MWC were nothing short of impressive. UNM beat defending conference champion Colorado State for the first time in Albuquerque in 15 years on a last-second field goal. The Lobos clamped down on Air Force and Wyoming, holding both teams to season-lows in points and total offense to finish 8-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play.
* New Mexico’s second consecutive bowl trip did not turn out as planned. Oregon State ripped the Lobos 55-14 in the Las Vegas Bowl. Beavers’ TB Steven Jackson rushed 28 times for 149 yards and four TDs and caught five passes for 51 yards and another score. QB Derek Anderson completed 21 of 33 passes for 322 yards as OSU racked up 540 yards of total offense. The Beaver defense was equally as impressive, limiting the Lobos to just seven first downs and 127 yards of total offense. New Mexico scored on a 27-yard pass play from QB Casey Kelly to WR Hank Baskett and a 17-yard strike from QB Kole McKamey to WR Dwight Counter.