Oct. 15, 2006
MISC.
-New Mexico won for the first time in 4 overtime games on the road and improved to 3-4 all-time in OT…it was the Lobos’ first overtime game since the 2002 season (W, 42-35 at home over Utah – 2OT), when they played in three OT games…UNM has won back-to-back OT games after losing 4 straight between 1998 and 2002.
-UNM matched the ninth-largest comeback in program history(14 points), last achieved in a double-overtime win at home over Utah in 2002…the Lobos trailed in that contest28-14 with 6:46 remaining in the 2nd quarter before winning 42-35 in OT.-UNM faced its largest halftime deficit since trailing at TCU by an identical score of 28-14 on Oct. 1 of last year.
-The Lobos are now 7-2 in their last nine Mountain West Conference road games and have won 14 of their last 19 MWC games away from home….UNM has not lost consecutive MWC away games since 2000 (at UNLV and at BYU)
-New Mexico has won 3 straight and 5 of 6 over UNLV since2001 and now leads the series 8-6…UNM has won 3 in a row at Sam Boyd Stadium.
-The Lobos came into the game having scored 27 points in the 2nd half in 2006, including just 17 points in the 4th quarter…UNM scored 25 after halftime tonight, including 16 in the fourth quarter and 3 in the OT…the 16 points in the 4th period are the most in the final frame since the Lobos got 17 last year at Missouri, a 45-35 win
TEAM
-New Mexico forced 4 turnovers tonight- all in the 2nd half – including a fumble recovery on the Rebels’ first play in overtime to secure the victory.
-UNM has recorded 8 interceptions and has returned two for TDs.
-New Mexico also has 9 fumble recoveries this season after recovering just 5 in 2005.
-UNM scored on all 6 trips inside the UNLV 20 tonight and has come away with points on 18-19 trips inside the red zone this year.
-The Lobos recorded 4 more sacks, giving them 20 through 7 games this fall.
-Ryan Wolfe’s 75-yard TD reception from Shane Steichen was the longest play by a Lobo opponent in 15 games, since New Mexico State’s Royal Gill thew an 80-yard TD pass to Paul Dombrowski in 2005.
INDIVIDUAL
-Senior K Kenny Byrd kicked a career-high 4 field goals (4-4; 33, 24, 29, 39) and scored a career-high 14 points…the Lou Groza Award candidate improved to 11-14 (78.6%) on FGs this season and 25-32 for his career…his 25 FGs are tied for sixth all-time at UNM, while his 78% accuracy rate is second on the career list.
-A former walk-on, Byrd played his first organized football game at Sam Boyd Stadium in 2002 (a 25-16 UNM victory), replacing injured starter Wes Zunker…Byrd was a soccer player in high school who had never played football before trying out at UNM.
-Redshirt freshman QB Donovan Porterie completed 13-27 passes for 168 yards, a TD and an INT in his first career start…Porterie was the first freshman to start at QB for the Lobos since redshirt freshman Stoney Case in 1991…Porterie saw time under center off the bench against UTEP and Wyoming earlier this season.
-Porterie completed his first 6 passes for 74 yards before throwing his first career interception.
-Porterie led the Lobos to TDs on the first two drives of the game: 8 plays, 54 yards and 7 plays, 57 yards
-Sophomore CB DeAndre Wright recorded his team-leading third interception of the year…Wright, a first-year corner, had one INT in 11 games at safety last year.
-Junior LB Cody Kase returned his first career interception 47 yards for a TD, the same distance as his jersey number…it was Kase’s second career TD…he also scored on his first career fumble recovery last year at Utah…Kase finished with 4 tackles
-An honorable mention all-MWC selection last year, Kase had been slowed significantly for the first month of the 2006 season due to a lingering hamstring injury, playing just 31 snaps between weeks 2 – 5.
-Senior WR Thomas Wilson caught his first career touchdown pass, a 8-yarder from Donovan Porterie in the first quarter…Wilson had 3 catches for 39 yards on the night…he entered the game with 4 receptions for 42 yards in 6 games this season…Wilson also logged UNM’s longest punt return of the season, 18 yards
-Junior TB Martelius Epps scored his first career rushing TD from 4 yards out in the fourth quarter…Epps finished with career-highs of 31 yards on 12 carries…he entered the night with 27 yards on 7 attempts in two games this season and had missed 4 games due to a broken hand.
-Junior WR Travis Brown had 5 receptions for 58 yards…Brown has caught at least one pass in 19 straight games and 24 of his 27 career games…he has 32 receptions for 419 yards this year after catching 35 for 245 in 11 games last fall.