Sept. 18, 2006
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The New Mexico Lobos (1-2) host a longtime rival Saturday as the UTEP Miners (1-1) visit Albuquerque for the first time in five years. Kickoff is 3:05 p.m. Mountain Time from University Stadium. The game will be televised live nationally by CSTV, located on Comcast Channel 274 in Albuquerque. Saturday’s game marks the end of the non-conference portion of the Lobos’ 2006 schedule. UNM opens Mountain West Conference play at Air Force on Sept. 30.
Saturday will mark Rocky Long’s 100th game as head coach of his alma mater. Long started at UNM in 1998. He is 47-52, but 35-29 since 2001.
The Lobos dropped to 1-2 last Saturday, falling at home to Missouri 27-17. UNM has lost five straight at University Stadium for the first time in six years. New Mexico has not lost six in a row at home since a nine-game drought from 1986-88. The Miners, idle last week, are 1-1 after a 34-27 win at MWC member San Diego State and a 38-35 overtime loss to nationally-ranked Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl.
New Mexico and UTEP first met in 1919 and square off for the 74th time, making it UNM’s second-oldest series next to New Mexico State (97 games). The two schools met every year between 1955-99. This is the second game of a four-game set between 2005-08. The Lobos are scheduled to play in El Paso Sept. 1, 2007, with the Miners returning to University Stadium Aug. 30, 2008.
The Miners took a 21-13 victory last year at the Sun Bowl despite gaining just 248 yards of total offense. They turned the tide in the third quarter by scoring on an interception and a blocked punt. Both teams came into the game undefeated – UNM 3-0, UTEP 2-0 – for the first time since 1957. The last meeting in Albuquerque was the 2001 season opener for each team. The Lobos snatched a 26-6 decision.
The Lobos and Miners previously shared membership in two leagues: the Border Conference from 1935-1950 and the Western Athletic Conference from 1968-1998. New Mexico departed the WAC for the Mountain West Conference in 1999. UTEP is in its second season in Conference USA after 36 years (1968-2004) in the WAC.
New Mexico was picked to finish 5th in the MWC in 2006, while UTEP was selected to finish 2nd in the Western Division of Conference USA. The Miners have gone 8-4 each of the past two years under head coach Mike Price after going 6-30 between 2001-03. UTEP started 8-1 in `05 before losing its last three games, including a 45-13 decision to Toledo in the GMAC Bowl.
Both teams are without marquee players. UNM senior QB Kole McKamey is out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament on the third play of the New Mexico State game Sept. 9. He had surgery Monday.
McKamey ranks 4th at UNM in career completion percentage (55.4%), 7th in pass completions (279), 8th in TD passes (21), 9th in passing yards (3,359) and 9th in total offense (4,199). McKamey had one of his best collegiate performances in last year’s win at Missouri, completing 14 of 25 passes for 188 yards and 3 TDs and rushing for 41 yards and another score.
For the Miners, senior LB Jeremy Jones broke his right leg in practice last Saturday and is also lost for the year. Jones led UTEP with 130 tackles last season and is on the Watch List for the Bronco Nagurski and Butkus Awards. He had 24 stops the first two games, including 15 against Texas Tech.
UNM and UTEP have similar team statistics entering Saturday’s game. Offensively, the Lobos are averaging just 69 yards on the ground, but 253 yards passing. UTEP is averaging 75 yards rushing and 294 yards through the air. The difference, however, is in putting the ball in the end zone. The Lobos are averaging just 19 points a game – actually 17 ppg as the defense has one score – while the Miners have tallied 69 points in two games, or 34.5 ppg.
UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer is completing 67.5% of his passes (54-80), but he has been intercepted six times in two games. Speed at receiver is prevalent for both teams. The Lobos’ Marcus Smith has caught 18 passes for an MWC-best 322 yards and 3 TDs. UTEP’s Johnnie Lee Higgins has produced 20 catches for 252 yards and 3 TDs in two games.
Defensively, the Lobos have a slight edge, allowing 387 yards and 24 points through the first three games. The Miners are allowing 431.5 yards and 32.5 points. Quintin Demps has all three of UTEP’s interceptions.
One area that is different lies in sacks allowed. Lobo quarterbacks have been dumped 15 times, tied with Miami (Ohio) for most in the nation. UTEP has yet to allow a sack.
GAME SPONSORS / GIVEAWAYS/ ROBERTS PRESENTATION
Saturday’s game is sponsored by News Radio 770 KKOB, 96.3 the Buzzard, Jose AM 1450, Univision Channel 41 and Bank of Albuquerque. It’s Youth Day with inflatable games, face painting and other activities for kids starting at 12 noon in the Tailgate Lot northeast of the stadium. The first 1,000 kids will receive a football jersey courtesy of Bank of Albuquerque
Veteran broadcaster Mike Roberts will also be recognized at halftime for his 40 years of service to 770 KKOB and the University of New Mexico.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE
In what has to be one of the most puzzling scenarios in college football, New Mexico has won four straight road games, but has dropped its last five at home. The last home victory was more than a year ago, 38-21 over New Mexico State on Sept. 17, 2005. That was followed by losses to BYU, Colorado State and Air Force and this year to Portland State and Missouri. It’s the longest home drought since a 5-game skid from 1998-99. In the 5-game slide, UNM has been outscored 92-27 in the second half, including 73-15 in the fourth quarter.
NEW MEXICO IN 2006
The Lobos are gunning for their sixth straight non-losing season, a feat only accomplished during a seven-year run from 1958-64.
New Mexico head coach Rocky Long welcomed a young team that returns just 35 lettermen, the fewest in the Mountain West Conference. Despite that figure, the Lobos were picked to finish fifth in the MWC. The total includes just 10 returning starters on offense and defense, plus a kicker and a deep snapper. As of Aug. 25, the roster breakdown lists 16 seniors, 27 juniors, 18 sophomores and 47 true or redshirt freshman.
In addition to a lot of new players on the field, New Mexico has four new coaches, a new offense, a slightly different defense and a new philosophy for special teams. Only two assistant coaches from 2005 are overseeing the same positions they had last year: Cornell Jackson (running backs) and Troy Reffett (cornerbacks).
Three new assistants are on offense. The Lobos’ new West Coast attack is being guided by Bob Toledo, formerly the head coach at UCLA and Rocky Long’s boss with the Bruins in 1996-97. Toldeo is assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. Veteran assistant Bob Stanley has taken over offensive line duties for Bob Bostad, who accepted the same position at Wisconsin, while Todd Throckmorton oversees the tight ends. That was a vacancy made available following Grady Stretz’s departure to Arizona State in the winter.
Danny Gonzales moved from his position as video coordinator to coaching the safeties and punters. Gonzales has been with the program – either as a player, volunteer or on staff – since 1994. Jason Strauss, tight ends coach the past four years, is now the video coordinator
Defensive coordinator Osia Lewis and Lenny Rodriguez switched position responsibilities. Lewis is mentoring the linebackers, Rodriguez the defensive line. Rodriguez is his ninth season on Rocky Long’s staff, giving him the longest tenure for a Lobo assistant since personnel records were available in the late 1940s.
The defense changed somewhat in that Long has brought back the lobo position made famous in the late 1990s by Brian Urlacher, now in his seventh season as middle linebacker with the Chicago Bears. UNM is employing two lobos, which is a linebacker-safety hybrid.
Dan Dodd, the Lobos’ offensive coordinator from 2000-05, is now in charge of recruiting, special teams, receivers and kickers. One coach was in charge of all special teams last year, but now Dodd oversees several assistants who may have one of more of the special team units.
HEAD COACH Rocky Long
The school’s career leader in wins, head coach Rocky Long is in his ninth season at his alma mater. The only coach to guide New Mexico to three bowl games, Long has coached more games (99) than any other Lobo mentor. He has a 47-52 record, but is 35-29 since 2001.
LOBO-MINER TIES
Lobo true freshman Frankie Solomon is a 2006 graduate of South Oak Cliff HS in Dallas where he was a teammate of UTEP true frosh Michael Mitchell. The Miners’ Lance Castleberry, also a defensive back, graduated from SOC in 2005.
UNM’s Paul Baker and UTEP’s Tufick Shadrawy each graduated from Sam Houston HS in Arlington, Texas: Baker in 2005, Shadrawy in `05.
New Mexico redshirt freshman QB Donovan Porterie used to throw passes to the Miners’ Eric Reynolds two years ago at Memorial HS in Port Arthur, Texas. Porterie, a 2005 grad, is a year older than Reynolds.
UTEP senior DE Justin Watson is a 2002 graduate of Farmington (N.M.) High School. This is Watson’s second season of competition with the Miners after playing his first two years (2002-03) at New Mexico Highlands.
UNM cornerbacks coach Troy Reffett came to Albuquerque following the 2003 season after spending 14 seasons at UTEP, including 2002 and `03 as the Miners’ defensive coordinator under former head coach Gary Nord. Reffett also tutored UTEP’s cornerbacks and free safeties.
Reffett joined the UTEP coaching staff in 1990 as a graduate assistant. He directed the outside linebackers from 1993-96, and the defensive backs from 1997-01. The native of Cynthiana, Ky., also served as the Miners’ recruiting coordinator from 1996-01.
Reffett came to UTEP in 1985 as a walk-on out of Eastwood High School in El Paso. He helped the Miners to a 10-2 record his junior year, including an Independence Bowl berth. Reffett’s career was highlighted by academic and athletic superlatives. As a junior and senior he was named a WAC Scholar Athlete and to the WAC All-Academic team, and was recognized as the team’s defensive back of the year. In 1988, Reffett etched his name into the school record book with a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown versus San Diego State, the fourth-longest in school history. Reffett tallied 145 tackles, five interceptions, 10 pass break-ups and six tackles for losses in his UTEP career. His best season was 1989 when he had 104 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass deflections as a senior.
Lobos head athletics trainer Dave Binder spent 13 years as UTEP’s trainer before coming to UNM in March of 1995. A native of Big Springs, Texas, Binder received both his bachelor’s degree (1973) and master’s degree (1975) from UTEP. During his tenure in El Paso, Binder was recognized with the school’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. He is a member of the UTEP Sports Hall of Fame and was elected to the El Paso Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
MORE ON THE MINERS
UTEP finished 8-4 in 2005, the program’s second straight 8-4 ledger under head coach Mike Price, who toook over before the 2004 season. The Miners started 8-1 a year ago and were nationally ranked before dropping their last two regular-season games to Conference USA opponents UAB and SMU. UTEP also fell to Toledo in the GMAC Bowl. The Miners have been to consecutive bowl games for the first time since 1953-54.
Just like Missouri last week, UTEP returns a whopping 17 starters, eight on offense and nine on defense, although starting LB Jeremy Jones is out for the season with a broken leg.
Head coach Mike Price (Puget Sound `69) is 17-9 in his third year at UTEP and 146-131 in his 25th years overall. He is the 10th winingest active coach in NCAA Div. I-A football. Price spent eight years (1981-88) at Weber State and 14 seasons (1989-2002) at Washington State, leading the Cougars to two Rose Bowl appearances in 1997 and 2002. His last four teams have played in bowl games. Under Price, UTEP is 7-4 in road games.
LAST YEAR IN EL PASO
Joe Fleskowski returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown and Nate Draughon recovered a blocked punt in the end zone as UTEP struck for two quick third quarter scores in a 21-13 win over New Mexico. The Miners took control in a span of less than 3 1/2 minutes in the third quarter.
With New Mexico driving midway through the period and the crowd of 50,425 mostly UTEP fans on edge, Fleskowski picked off Kole McKamey’s pass at the Miners’ 32, broke to the sideline and went in untouched with 8:33 left in the third. On the ensuing kickoff, New Mexico’s Marcus Smith had trouble fielding the ball and was tackled at the Lobos’ 10. The Miners, aided by a couple of illegal procedure penalties against New Mexico, forced a punt and Chris Francies blocked Tyler Gaus’ kick. Draughon fell on the ball near the back of the end zone and the Miners had turned a 10-7 deficit into a 21-10 lead.
New Mexico got another drive going and reached UTEP’s 27 after a 14-yard run by DonTrell Moore. But UTEP tackle Chris Mineo derailed that drive by dropping Moore for a 3-yard loss and then sacking McKamey for a 10 yards.
Things unraveled quickly in the third for New Mexico, which came in with just one turnover on the season and didn’t have a penalty while building a 10-7 halftime lead.
With Moore finding holes through the middle of UTEP’s defense, the Lobos faced second-and-8 at the UTEP 18 and McKamey in the shotgun when center Ryan Cook snapped the ball over McKamey’s head. Moore recovered at the 35. On the next play, McKamey was pressured into the interception that Fleskowski turned into six points for UTEP.
Moore, with 161 yards on 28 carries, became the 65th player in NCAA Div. I-A history to go over 4,000 yards rushing. He gave New Mexico a 10-7 lead on a 4-yard TD run with 9:24 left in the second quarter.
The Lobos also got field goals by Kenny Byrd from 46 and 26 yards. The 26-yarder came with 4:22 left after the Miners halted a New Mexico drive at the UTEP 8-yard line.
MISSOURI RECAP AND POSTGAME NOTES
Chase Daniel’s fourth quarter touchdown bailed out Missouri’s bungling offense and Tony Temple rushed for 168 yards as the Tigers remained unbeaten with a 27-17 win over New Mexico.
Missouri showed plenty of offensive potential with 396 total yards, but the Tigers kept squandering scoring opportunities against a New Mexico defense that played good enough to keep the Lobos in the game.
Daniel finally gave the Tigers breathing room by taking Missouri on an 80-yard, 11-play drive in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and scoring on an 8-yard keeper for a 20-10 lead. Earl Goldsmith added a late 2-yard TD for the Tigers and New Mexico scored with 25 seconds left on a 13-yard pass from Chris Nelson to Marcus Smith.
New Mexico, whose other touchdown came from defensive end Michael Tuohy’s 11-yard interception return of a Daniel pass in the second quarter, had trouble all night against the bigger and quicker Missouri defensive front. The Lobos finished with 201 total yards – just 33 of them rushing- and Missouri’s pressure sacked Nelson eight times. But the Lobos were still thinking upset after Kenny Byrd’s career-best 52-yard field goal cut Missouri’s lead to 13-10 with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.
That’s when Daniel, who completed 25 of 36 passes for 199 yards, led the Tigers on their best drive of the night. He completed four passes in the drive, the two biggest a 16-yarder to Will Franklin and a 13-yarder to Martin Rucker to the New Mexico 17.
The Tigers had wasted a good drive in the third quarter when Temple was hit by Lobo freshman defensive back Frankie Solomon and fumbled the ball into the end zone, where defensive end Phillip Harrison recovered for a touchback.
Missouri led 13-7 at the half, but the Tigers easily could have had a bigger cushion. The Lobos lost two fumbles and Nelson threw an interception in the second quarter, but all the Tigers got from the three turnovers was a 36-yard field goal by Jeff Wolfert. Missouri’s offense clicked early as Daniel completed his first six passes in a smooth 13-play drive that ended with a 37-yard Wolfert field goal.
After New Mexico went three-and-out, Missouri went 56 yards on five plays, with Daniel hitting Rucker with a 6-yard TD. The big play in that drive was a 39-yard run by Temple.
New Mexico, which spent much of the first half with negative rushing, cut it to 10-7 on Tuohy’s interception. Missouri’s receivers broke upfield on the play and Daniel’s pass into the flat went right into Tuohy’s hands. It was Daniel’s first interception this season after seven TD passes.
New Mexico’s defense held the Tigers on fourth down at the Lobos’ 5-yard line late in the first half. That drive started with a fumble by Lobo halfback Rodney Ferguson at the New Mexico 30 that was recovered by linebacker Marcus Bacon. Daniel completed three straight short passes that got the Tigers to the New Mexico 7. On fourth-and-one from the six, Daniel tried to sneak for it and came up well short.
New Mexico’s offense again gave the Tigers another opportunity when Nelson fumbled and Lorenzo Williams recovered at the Lobos’ 19. But Missouri gained just 1 yard on three plays and settled for Wolfert’s second field goal.
At the end of three quarters, the Lobos trailed 13-10 and Mizzouri had gained just 253 yards of offense
The Lobo defense stopped two Missouri drives inside the red zone…UNM held on a 4th-and-1 at the 5-yard line, then caused and recovered a fumble in the end zone to stop another drive…opponents have converted 9 of 12 red zone opportunities, but have just 7 TDs
The Lobos ran just 58 offensive plays to the Tigers’ 76…the past two weeks, opponents have had 51 more offensive snaps (163-112) than New Mexico
After 11 penalties for 93 yards in the opener against Portland State, UNM has committed just 5 for 45 yards the past 2 games…the Lobos were violators only once for 5 yards against MU T
DE Michael Tuohy’s 11-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter was the Lobos’ first defensive score of the year…it was Tuohy’s second theft of his career…the last defensive score was Cody Kase’s 2-yard fumble return against Utah last year, a fumble Tuohy caused…the Lobos’ Evroy Thompson also returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown at Missouri in 2005
The Lobos allowed 8 sacks, the most since San Diego State had 10 in 1991…after allowing just 19 sacks in 11 games last year, New Mexico has yielded 15 thus far…that is tied with Miami (Ohio) for most in the nation among the 119 NCAA Div. I-A schools
New Mexico was held to 201 yards of total offense, the lowest total since 114 at Oregon State in 2004
The 33 yards rushing by the Lobos is the lowest total since 6 against Oregon State in the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl…New Mexico has yet to score a TD this season via the rush
The 168 rushing yards by Mizzou’s Tony Temple are the most against a Lobo team since BYU’s Reynaldo Braithwaite gained 169 in 2003
New Mexico got its first offensive TD at University Stadium when QB Chris Nelson hit WR Marcus Smith on a 13-yard strike with 25 seconds left in the game…the score came on UNM’s 125th offensive play at home this season
Junior WR Travis Brown tied a career-high with 6 catches…it’s the 5th time he has recorded 6 in a game
Senior K Kenny Byrd launched a career-high 52-yard FG…that’s also the longest attempt of his career…his previous long was 46 yards against UTEP last season…the 52-yard effort ties for the 3rd longest in school history…Rick Walsh holds the school record of 56 yards against San Diego State in 1988…Byrd is now 19 of 25 in his Lobo career for 76% accuracy…the school record for highest conversion rate is 81.8 (27-33) by Vladimir Borombozin from 2000-01…on the season, Byrd ranks 2nd in the MWC and is tied for 11th nationally with 1.67 FGs a game…Byrd has launched 8 of 13 kickoffs into the end zone this season
Junior S Tyson Ditmore recorded a career-high 11 tackles while sophomore CB Glover Quin recorded a career-high 3 pass breakups and had 5 tackles