Sept. 24, 2005
New Mexico (3-1) lost for the first time in 2005, despite out-gaining UTEP 285-248 and allowing just 1 offensive touchdown on the night?UNM had an interception returned for a TD for the first time since 2003 (UNLV) and a blocked punt returned for a TD for the first time since 2002 (at Colorado State) both plays came in a span of 3:22 midway through the 3rd quarter The loss snapped the Lobos’ eight-game winning streak in regular-season games and a four-game winning streak in regular season road games–it was also just the second time in 11 games that UNM has lost when QB Kole McKamey and TB DonTrell Moore have played an entire game together-the Lobos had won 9 straight with a healthy McKamey and Moore in the lineup, the last loss coming in the 2004 season opener vs. Washington State. After giving up 119 yards (6.2 per play) in the first quarter, the Lobo defense stiffened and effectively shut down the Miners? high-powered offense, limiting UTEP to just 129 yards (3.0 per play) over the next 3 quarters-the 248 yards of total offense is the fewest allowed in eight games, since San Diego State had 146 last year. UTEP tailback Tyler Ebell finished with just 42 yards on 19 carries (2.2 avg.), 64 yards below his season average-quarterback Jordan Palmer also had his lowest output in 11 games, finishing with 178 yards on 16-31 passing, 1 TD and 1 INT. Senior DonTrell Moore, a Doak Walker Award candidate, finished with 161 yards on 28 carries, with 1 TD-it was Moore’s best rushing performance since a 167-yard game in the 2004 season-opener at home against Washington State-it’s his 2nd straight 100-yard game and 21st of his career-he has rushed for over 100 yards in 5 of his last 6 regular season road games-Moore became the 65th player in NCAA history to reach the 4,000-yard rushing mark on a 4-yard gain early in the third quarter-he now has 4,089 rushing yards in his career, good for 58th in NCAA history. Biletnikoff Award candidate Hank Baskett III caught 6 balls for 66 yards tonight?Baskett moved up 2 spots to 8th on the UNM career receptions list (98), passing Shane Hall (94 – 1985-87) and Keith MaGee (97 – 1979-82). New Mexico scored on its opening drive for the fifth game in a row-the Lobos’ 9-play, 51-yard drive (4:21) was capped by a 47-yard FG by Kenny Byrd-the Lobos dropped to 21-3 when scoring first since 2002. Senior LB Mike Mohoric had a season-high 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a 7-yard sack-the Butkus Award candidate also broke up 2 passes, 1 a deflection at the line of scrimmage and the other a vicious hit across the middle, and had 4 QB hurries-Mohoric leads the team with 9 QB pressures this season. Junior kicker Kenny Byrd had his first multiple FG game, booting a career-long 46-yarder in the first quarter and a 26-yard conversion in the 4th quarter-he also sent his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks 3 times, limiting speedy Miner return man Johnny Lee Higgins to just a single return-Byrd is a perfect 5-5 on FGs this year, including 3-3 on the road-he has forced touchbacks on 13 kickoffs this year, 3 more than UNM had in all of 2004. Senior punter Tyler Gaus had his best statistical game of the early season, averaging 52.2 yards on his 4 punts?Gaus blasted a career-long punt of 67 yards and landed a pair of balls inside the UTEP 5-yard line, including a punt to the UTEP 1 late in the first half?the Ray Guy Award candidate has dropped punts inside the opponent?s 20-yard line 77 times in his career with just 19 rolling into the end zone?Gaus has landed 17 punts inside the 10-yard line over the past two years, including 4 times this fall. UNM has not trailed at halftime in any of their 4 games this year (led UNLV, NMSU, UTEP, tied with Missouri)-tonight’s loss was the team’s first since 2003 when holding a lead at halftime, a streak that had reached 11 games?two years ago, the Lobos led Washington State 13-12 only to fall 23-13. Sophomore linebacker Cody Kase and redshirt freshman safety Blake Ligon each turned in their best performance in the fourth start of their young careers-Kase tied his previous career-high with 7 tackles (6 solo) in the first half alone and finished with 9 stops on the night?Ligon, meanwhile, had a career-high 9 tackles as well. Junior safety Aleem Harris recorded a team and career-high 11 stops in his second start at the Lobo safety position. Lobo WRs Chris Brawley (1 – 8 yds.) and Jason Caprioli (2 – 33 yds.) each had their first catches of the year-Brawley, a senior, was playing in his second game of the season after returning from a broken forearm suffered in preseason training camp–Caprioli, a redshirt freshman walk-on, had played in each game this fall, but had not been thrown to until tonight. Sophomore safety OJ Swift, a starter in the first 3 games of the year, did not play due to a knee injury that he suffered earlier in the week in practice–redshirt freshman DeAndre Wright made his first career start in Swift’s place, finishing with 5 tackles, a 42-yard INT return and a forced fumble.