Sept. 25, 2006
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LOBOS OPEN MWC SEASON AT AIR FORCE
New Mexico’s (2-2, 0-0 MWC) eighth season of Mountain West Conference competition begins Saturday when the Lobos travel to Air Force (1-1, 1-0 MWC). Kickoff is 12:06 p.m. Mountain Time from Falcon Stadium at the United States Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs. The game will be televised live on The mtn., located on Comcast Channel 276 in Albuquerque.
The Lobos improved to 2-2 last Saturday, posting their best all-around effort to date in a 26-13 victory over UTEP. UNM led 19-0 early in the second quarter and 26-3 after scoring on its opening drive of the second half. Sophomore TB Rodney Ferguson ran for a career-high 162 yards and senior QB Chris Nelson threw a pair of TD passes. The Lobo defense had five sacks and limited the Miners to just 241 yards, including a net 30 yards rushing. The win halted a five-game losing streak for New Mexico at University Stadium, its longest at home in six years.
Air Force opened MWC play with a 31-24 triumph at Wyoming. The Falcons are just 1-1 overall, 1-0 in the league. They did not play the opening week of the season (Sept. 2) and had an open week Sept. 16. Air Force took No. 11 Tennessee down to the wire before losing 31-30 in front of 105,446 fans at Knoxville.
In the win at Wyoming, Air Force’s option game was in high gear. The offense held the ball for 40:25, including 34:08 of a possible 45 minutes over the final three quarters. Wyoming’s time of possession was just 19:35 and it ran only 42 offensive snaps. Air Force had it for 77 plays, totaling 327 yards rushing on 70 carries. QB Shaun Carney recorded career highs in rushing yards and carries with 131 yards on 25 carries. He also rushed for two touchdowns and threw a TD pass.
While New Mexico has had a great deal of success in Mountain West Conference road games the past few years – 9-2 since 2003 – it has not won at Air Force since 2000 (29-23). The Lobos lost 38-31 in overtime in 2002 and 28-23 in 2004. UNM is 2-7 all-time at the Academy, the other win coming in 1982.
Last year, the Falcons kept New Mexico out of a bowl game with a 42-24 victory in the regular-season finale at University Stadium. Air Force has won the last two games in the series and three of the past four overall.
New Mexico was picked to finish 5th in the MWC in 2006, while Air Force was selected seventh.
Lobo senior QB Kole McKamey is out for 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 Sept. 18. 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).
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Although it has only played two games, Air Force is 2nd in the nation in rushing, averaging 304 yards a game. Navy is first with a 330.5-yard average. New Mexico has been solid against the run, allowing just 86.8 yards a game. The Falcons lead the nation in 3rd-down conversion percentage at 67.7% (21-31) and they are 2nd nationally in time of possession, averaging 35:28. UNM is last in the league and 85th nationally in T.O.P. at 28:49 a game.
Air Force’s Chad Hall leads the MWC in rushing at 101.5 yards a game while QB Shaun Carney is No. 3 at 91.5 ypg. Sandwiched in between the two Falcons is Lobo sophomore Rodney Ferguson at 93.2 yards a game.
LOBOS LOOK TO CONTINUE ROAD SUCCESS
New Mexico has a 4-game road winning streak going into Saturday’s contest at Air Force. That ties for the second longest run in school history. The record is six from 1981-83.
After losing at TCU last Oct. 1, the Lobos won their final three contests away from Albuquerque: at Wyoming, San Diego State and Utah, and Sept. 9 at New Mexico State.
The Lobos were 4-2 on foreign soil last year, 3-1 in the MWC. UNM is a startling 6-1 in its last 7 MWC road games, 9-2 in its last 11 and 13-4 in the past 17.
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 MWC. 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 deep snapper. As of Aug. 25, the roster breakdown was 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 records were available in the late 1940s.
The defense has 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.
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 (100) than any other Lobo mentor. He has a 48-52 record, but is 36-29 since 2001.
MWC HISTORY AND OPENERS
New Mexico is 29-21 all-time in the Mountain West Conference. UNM is 19-10 in the loop since 2002, second only to Utah (21) for most wins in that span. The Lobos are 3-4 in MWC openers, 2-2 at home and 1-2 on the road. New Mexico is 2-5 in MWC road lid-lifters.
MORE ON THE FALCONS
Air Force finished 4-7 in 2005, 3-5 in the MWC to finish in 7th place. The Falcons have suffered consecutive losing seasons for the first time since head coach Fisher DeBerry took over in 1984.
Now in his 23rd season at the Academy, the 68-year-old DeBerry has a career mark of 166-102-1. He has guided the Falcons to 17 winning seasons and 12 bowl games. DeBerry is 10-5 vs. UNM, 5-1 at the Academy.
NEW MEXICO-AIR FORCE LAST YEAR IN ALBUQUERQUE
Shaun Carney threw over New Mexico’s defense and fullback Jacobe Kendrick ran through it as Air Force snapped a three-game losing streak with a 42-24 win. The 230-pound Kendrick scored on runs of 2 and 10 yards and Carney picked apart the Lobos’ secondary for 186 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons dealt a big blow to New Mexico’s bowl hopes.
Carney also scored in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run. Carney ran for 94 yards and Kendrick had 89 as the Falcons had 278 yards on the ground and 464 total. New Mexico lost starting quarterback Chris Nelson in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and had to go with third stringer Bryan Clampitt the rest of the game.
Halfback DonTrell Moore, who rushed for 143 yards – his 26th career 100-yard game – scored on an 11-yard TD run that got New Mexico within 21-16 with 6:34 left in the third quarter. But the Lobos had no other offensive threat and could not slow down Air Force’s option.
Nelson was hurt in the drive that led to Moore’s score. He was hit hard while scrambling for a first down on a fourth-and-2 to the Falcons’ 33-yard line. Nelson had started in place of Kole McKamey, the starter most of the season who was out the last two weeks with a bad back. McKamey started the game in street clothes, but went into the locker room and suited up after Nelson went out. McKamey didn’t get into the game.
Air Force, which had lost seven of its last eight games, sealed the win on Kendrick’s 10-yard TD with 9:54 left. That came after the Falcons’ defense held UNM on fourth-and-1 at the Air Force 28.
Air Force took a 10-0 lead on a career best 49-yard field goal by Scott Eberle and a 46-yard screen pass from Carney to Kirkwood. The touchdown was set up by Brad Meissen’s interception of a Nelson pass that bounced off Lobo receiver Hank Baskett and into the hands of Falcon safety Brad Meissen.
Meissen returned the interception 10 yards to the New Mexico 45 and one play later Kirkwood took the screen pass and went in untouched. It was the 14th touchdown pass by the Falcons, a school record since the AFA started running the option in 1980.
New Mexico tied it at 10-10 in the second quarter on a 15-yard TD run by Marcus Smith and a 40-yard field goal by Kenny Byrd.
The Falcons then mounted an 80-yard, 11-play drive that took just 2:13 and ended with Kendrick’s first touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first half.
TWO YEARS AGO AT THE ACADEMY
A 21-point deficit was just too much to overcome in the 28-23 loss at Air Force. Buoyed by two blocked punts that were returned for TDs, the Lobos rallied, but a roughing the punter penalty ended up being very costly down the stretch.
Trailing 21-16 early in the 4th quarter, the Lobo defense posted what appeared to be its sixth straight 3-and-out of the second half as consecutive sacks forced an Air Force punt from its own end zone. UNM roughed the punter, though, and the Falcons had new life. Back-to-back passes of 33 and 30 yards keyed a scoring drive that put Air Force up 28-16. UNM scored again on a blocked punt, but the Falcons were able to run out the clock after picking up a pair of first downs
Redshirt freshmen Cody Kase and Martelius Epps both blocked punts that were returned for TDs by true freshman Tyson Ditmore and junior Joe Selander.
DonTrell Moore returned after missing the last game vs. Utah (strained MCL – left knee) and finished with 110 yards on 29 carries.
Making his first career start, UNM senior QB Tali Ena completed 9-22 passes for 119 yards and an interception. He scored his first career rushing TD on a 3-yard option keeper in the 3rd quarter. Ena had a career-long 57-yard completion to Baskett on the first play of the 2nd quarter.
UTEP RECAP AND POSTGAME NOTES
Rodney Ferguson rushed for a career-high 162 yards and quarterback Chris Nelson threw for two touchdowns and had New Mexico’s first rushing score of the season in a 26-13 win over UTEP. New Mexico also got a huge lift from its defense, which constantly pressured quarterback Jordan Palmer, forcing him to hurry throws or settle for short-yardage completions.
Palmer, who holds virtually every UTEP passing record, completed 26 of 37 passes for 211 yards, including a 25-yard TD pass to Daniel Robinson in the third quarter that extended his streak of touchdown passes to 23 straight games. But Palmer had trouble sustaining drives against the Lobos’ blitzing defense and UTEP (1-2) couldn’t stop Ferguson’s bullish runs.
New Mexico scored on its first two possessions. Nelson hit Ferguson with an 8-yard touchdown pass and threw an 18-yard TD to Marcus Smith. Nelson got the Lobos’ first rushing touchdown of the season with a 1-yard plunge on the Lobos’ first drive of the second half that put the Lobos in control at 26-3.
New Mexico’s defense set the tone three plays into the game. Linebacker Herbert Felder got through untouched and blindsided Palmer, forcing a fumble. It was the first sack allowed by the Miners’ offensive line this season and Lobo linebacker Major Mosley recovered the ball at the UTEP 21.
Three straight runs by Ferguson got New Mexico to the 8 and on third-and-goal, Nelson found Ferguson open over the middle.
UTEP, scoreless this season in the first quarter, went three-and-out on its next possession and New Mexico went 57 yards in eight plays, with Nelson tossing the 18-yarder to Smith with 6:27 left in the first quarter. Nelson scrambled for 27 yards on third down to keep the drive going.
New Mexico also got a safety and a 35-yard field goal from Kenny Byrd in the second quarter. The safety was set up by punter Jordan Scott’s kick that was downed inside the UTEP 1-yard line. Palmer was called for intentional grounding after being tackled by Lobo lineman Tyler Donaldson in the end zone.
The Miners, who got their first first down five minutes into the second quarter, got their only score in the first half on a 36-yard field goal by Reagan Schneider with 1:51 left before halftime. It followed Bryant Tisdale’s interception of Nelson’s pass at the New Mexico 25.
UTEP had just 30 rushing yards. Johnnie Lee Higgins, the Miners’ leading receiver, had just 3 catches for 18 yards and Palmer had just 59 yards passing in the first half.
UNM snapped a five-game home losing streak…its last home win had been against New Mexico State on Sept. 17, 2005…the Lobos lead the series with UTEP 42-29-3 , including 26-9-1 in Albuquerque
UNM’s defense held UTEP to a season-low 241 total yards, including 30 yards rushing…UTEP came into the game with offensive averages of 34.5 points and 369 yards in its first two games
The Lobos recorded 5 sacks…UTEP had not allowed a sack in its first 2 games
UNM used 21 players on defense, and all but three were underclassmen…the lone senior starter is lobo Quincy Black…the other seniors who saw time were NT Billy Brittain (25 plays) and LB Justin Clayton (21 snaps)…only six seniors played on offense, three of them starters
New Mexico’s 14 points in the 1st quarter are the most in the opening period of a home game since the 2005 season opener vs. UNLV (17)…UNM had scored just 3 first quarter points in its last 3 home games combined…UTEP had not allowed a TD in the 1st quarter this season
The Lobos scored their first rushing TD of the season when senior QB Chris Nelson punched through on a 1-yard sneak in the third quarter
New Mexico gained 193 yards on the ground after averaging 69.0 yards through their first 3 games
The Lobo defense held on a 4th-and-1 at its 11-yard line…that makes three stops inside the red zone in the past 2 games…UNM negated two Missouri drives too, a 4th-and-1 at the 5-yard line, then it caused and recovered a fumble in the end zone to puncture another drive…opponents have converted 11 of 15 red zone opportunities, but have just 7 TDs
The Lobos came into the game having converted 38% of their 3rd down opportunities, but were 9 of 14 (64%) against the Miners
New Mexico was penalized just 3 times for 25 yards…the last 2 games, UNM has been flagged only 4 times for 30 yards…after 11 penalties for 93 yards in the opener against Portland State, UNM has committed just 8 for 70 yards the past 3 games
Sophomore TB Rodney Ferguson set career rushing highs with 162 yards and 34 carries…he also caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from QB Chris Nelson that put UNM up 7-0 early in the game…it was Ferguson’s first career 100-yard game and the first of the year for New Mexico…Ferguson was at his best in the second half when the Lobos were protecting a lead that grew to 26-3 early in the third quarter..he rushed 21 times for 95 yards after halftime…UNM came into the game averaging just 69 yards a game on the ground, but Ferguson’s effort led to a 193-yard rushing total for the Lobos..Ferguson entered the UTEP contest averaging 70.3 yards over the first three games…his 34 carries ties Mike Williams and DonTrell Moore for the 11th-most rushes in a game by a Lobo
Senior lobo Quincy Black tied a career-high with 12 tackles…he also had 12 against New Mexico State…Black, who has 34 tackles the past 3 games, ranks 2nd in the MWC in tackles, averaging 9.25 a game
Sophomore LB Herbert Felder’s sack and forced fumble in the first half was his first career solo tackle…it was his only tackle of the game…he had two career assisted tackles coming into the game
Junior LB Brett Madsen, true freshman DE Kendall Briscoe and junior lobo Major Mosley all recorded their first career sacks…Briscoe made his collegiate debut
Sophomore DeAndre Wright’s 49-yard kickoff return was the longest by a Lobo since the 2001 season
Redshirt freshman QB Donovan Porterie went 2-3 passing for 34 yards in his first Lobo action under center…his only previous pass completion was off an option on a trick play against New Mexico State that went for a TD to Marcus Smith
Sophomore CB Glover Quin recorded a season-high eight tackles in the game.
UTEP WR Johnnie Lee Higgins Jr., came into the game with 20 catches and he was leading the nation in receiving yards at 126 yards a game…Higgins finished with 3 receptions for 18 yards
Attendance was a season-high 34,069…UNM is averaging 29,803 fans through 3 games
UNM head coach Rocky Long guided the Lobos for the 100th time…he is 48-52 in his career at UNM, but 36-29 since 2001
Senior K Kenny Byrd made 1 of 2 FGs…he is now 20 of 27 in his Lobo career for 74% 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 14th nationally with 6 FGs or 1.5 a game…Byrd has launched 11 of 18 kickoffs into the end zone this season, which is tops in the MWC…his booming kickoffs have the Lobos 1st in the league in kickoff coverage