New Mexico 26, Colorado State 17
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium – Fort Collins, Colo.
New Mexico won its third straight game to get over .500for the first time this year, moving to 5-4 overall and3-2 in Mountain West Conference play…UNM has wonback-to-back games over Colorado State for the first timesince 1981-82…it was the Lobos’ first victory in FortCollins since a 22-14 win in 1995…the last 11 regularseason games between the two have been decided by 9 pointsor less.
New Mexico overcame a halftime deficit for the secondstraight time on the road (trailed 17-7 at UNLV) and alsowon for the first time in 5 games this year when allowingits opponent to score first…the second half comeback wasjust the Lobos’ third in 10 tries over the past 2 years.
The Lobos put up 13 points in the 3rd quarter and haveoutscored their opponents 83-19 in the third quarter thisyear and 69-9 over the past 7 games…the Rams’ TD was thefirst allowed by UNM in the 3rd quarter since WashingtonState in the season-opener.
UNM allowed the Rams the gain 242 yards (10.1 yards/play)on its 3 scoring drives, but limited CSU to 78 yards oftotal offense on its other 11 drives (1.7 yards/play)
The Lobos recovered two fumbles and had 1 interception vs.CSU, all coming in the second half…in the past 6 games,New Mexico has forced 16 turnovers while committing just4…UNM ranks among the best in the nation with a +11turnover ratio (24-13) this season, including a 14-3advantage in 5 MWC games.
Junior TB DonTrell Moore continued his success against theRams, rushing for 154 yards on 29 carries…Moore passedWinslow Oliver (1992-95), moving atop the UNM all-timelist with his 17th career 100-yard game…Moore has rushedfor over 100 yards in each of his 3 games against ColoradoState and is averaging 192.3 yards/game (577 total) in hiscareer against CSU…Moore has gone over the 100-yard markin 3 straight road games…the Roswell, N.M. native alsoscored his 40th career touchdown, passing WR TeranceMathis (1985-89) for the most in UNM history.
Senior K Wes Zunker tied a career-high with 4 FGs,including a 50-yard kick to give UNM a 26-17 lead with3:26 left in the game…the final FG was his second from 50yards or more in his career, but first since booting a51-yarder vs. UTEP on the first attempt of his career as atrue freshman in 2001…Zunker is just the 3rd Lobo to have2 or more 50-yard FGs in his career (2-3), joining RickWalsh (3) and Jason Bloom (3)…Zunker’s 5 attempts,including a missed 48-yarder, were a career-high…it washis second multiple field goal game of the season andsixth of his career…Zunker also converted from 46, 21, and30 yards out.
Senior LB Nick Speegle continued his stellar play,notching 8 tackles, including 7 solo stops…Speegle alsohad 2 tackles for a loss of 8 yards and a tipped pass atthe line of scrimmage to break up a CSU 3rd down play.
UNM leading receiver Hank Baskett played through a badlybruised left knee that he suffered during the secondquarter of last week’s win over San Diego State and had acareer-long 69-yard catch-and-run TD to put the Lobos up23-14 in the fourth quarter…Baskett limped into the endzone for his second TD of the year and first since thesecond game of the season vs. Texas Tech…the TD was alsothe longest pass play of the year for New Mexico…Baskettalso had a 64-yard gain on a screen pass in theseason-opener vs. Washington State…Baskett, who had playedvirtually every offensive snap during the Lobos’ firstseven games this season before the injury, was slowedconsiderably during the week in practice and playedsparingly on Saturday…he finished with 3 catches for 88yards.
Junior TB Daniel Ramirez recorded the longest punt returnof the year for UNM, a 33-yard runback to set up a 3rdquarter TD by DonTrell Moore…the return also matches thelongest the Lobos had in 2003…New Mexico’s previous bestthis season was an 18-yard gain by Brandon Payne at UNLV.
Senior CB Brandon Payne broke Eric Jack’s 1994 UNM recordin the second quarter with his 15th pass break up of theseason…Payne leads the nation with 15 PBUs and 20 passesdefended (including 5 INTs)…he grabbed his team-high 5thINT late in the game
Senior WR Martin Romero, a Fort Collins native (FortCollins HS), playing in front of 50 friends and familymembers, recorded his first career reception (for 7 yards)in the second quarter during the Lobos’ first scoringdrive…Romero, a former walk-on, transferred to New Mexicofrom Northern Colorado University in 2001…he was placed onscholarship this past August.
Jeff Babcock’s 89-yard punt in the first quarter (69 net)was the longest ever by a New Mexico opponent…UTEP’s EdBunn had the previous record with a 83-yard kick in 1991.