Sept. 23, 2006
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
NEW MEXICO HEAD COACH Rocky Long
“I thought that’s the first full game we’ve played. I thought both offense and defense played well and thought the kicking game was average because we gave up that long punt return at the end of the game. The boys finally put one together where they all played hard and played fairly well and there weren’t many mistakes.”
(on forcing turnover early in the game): “I thought it was big, obviously, to cause a turnover first of all and then the offense being able to take it in and put it in the end zone when we’ve been having trouble scoring. That gives the team confidence.”
(on being ready for conference play): “We’d better be. Whether it is or not, it has to be now. We play a team that is hard to be ready for in Air Force and that offense is impossible to get ready for in three days but we’re going to have to do our best.”
(on Rodney Ferguson’s play): “I thought that Rodney the ball well, but our offensive line really blocked well. I thought they were physical even late in the game when (UTEP is) stacking the line of scrimmage with nine or ten guys and we’re gaining some yards and getting some first downs to run the clock. Rodney’s a pretty good running back, but I have yet to see a running back who has a good day without the big boys blocking for him up front.”
(on the offensive line’s play this week): “I don’t have any idea, but I have a theory; I think they finally know what their assignments are. Coming off the ball and hitting people in the mouth. That’s my theory because they weren’t hesitant today. Then if you run the ball okay you protect your quarterback a little bit better too.”
SOPHOMORE TB Rodney Ferguson
(on his breakthrough game today): “I felt like I could do it anytime. We put it in (offensive coordinator Bob) Toledo’s hands and he put it in our hands, the o-line’s hands and we just ran the ball. We wanted to establish something.”
(on the performance of the UNM offensive line): “The o-line was perfect today. They got their name back, ‘The Hitmen.’ They never lost it, they always had it and today they brought it out to show everybody we are Hitmen on this offense this year.”
UTEP HEAD COACH MIKE PRICE
(on tonight’s performance against New Mexico): “That was unexpected and we played poorly. New Mexico played better than we did and deserved to win. We weren’t ready to play for some reason and they were. We came out fall and never recovered.”
(on New Mexico’s play): “We thought their offensive line would be on their heels because they have been kind of maligned lately, but that wasn’t the case. You have to go into every game thinking it’s the last game you’re ever going to play and take it one game at a time and we didn’t do it.”
“You have to come and play hard every game. New Mexico played hard and they are tough guys. They are competitors and they deserved to win.”