Nov. 10, 2007
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Coach Long’s Press Conference 
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Albuquerque, N.M. — O.J. Swift handled the setup, then John Sullivan was true on the game-winner.
Sullivan kicked four field goals, including a 43-yarder as time expired to lift New Mexico to a thrilling 26-23 victory over Colorado State on Saturday.
“An unbelievable feeling,” said Sullivan, a former walk-on who leads the nation with 23 field goals. “I always thought we’d have one during the season but I never thought it would feel this good.”
The kick came after Swift returned a punt 18 yards to the Rams’ 26, lunging for the final distance and leaving three seconds on the clock.
“I was just concentrating on catching the ball,” Swift said. “As soon as I saw a little space where I could run, I was just trying to get a few yards and get on the ground.”
Sullivan and the field goal unit trotted out, made the kick and celebrated with 27,031 fans as the ball sailed through the uprights, helping the Lobos (7-3, 4-2 Mountain West) bounce back from a 37-0 loss at TCU last weekend.
“After last week’s experience, there’s no such things as ugly wins,” New Mexico coach Rocky Long said.
It was the second straight year New Mexico beat Colorado State (1-9, 1-6) on the final play. Last year in Fort Collins, Colo., Kenny Byrd’s 33-yard field goal was the margin in a 20-19 win.
Sullivan also made a career-long 46-yard field goal to put the Lobos up 23-17 midway through the third. That one gave him the school single-season record, which now stands at 23 field goals. Colby Cason held the previous New Mexico record with 21 in 1997.
Sullivan’s second field goal, a 39-yarder, put New Mexico up 20-3 at halftime. He also made a 34-yard try on the opening possession.
“If you said at the beginning of the year, ‘Would you take 23-of-26?’ I would have said yes in a heartbeat. It’s been a great season,” said Sullivan, who credited holder Bryan Clampitt and snapper Jon O’Brien.
The victory sends New Mexico to Utah (7-3, 4-2) next weekend for an important contest. Both teams are in the Mountain West’s postseason chase.
“Everyone knew this was a must-win if we’re talking about going to a bowl game, same as next week,” Swift said.
It was a heartbreaking ending for the Rams, who have lost 16 of 17. But just as Long had predicted all week, Colorado State’s effort made the team’s 1-9 record seem like a misprint.
“We dug ourselves a hole in the first quarter,” Rams coach Sonny Lubick said. “I thought we moved the ball pretty well and we had a lot of yards, but that doesn’t always count, does it?”
Gartrell Johnson rushed for career highs with 172 yards on 31 attempts. His previous rushing best was 162 yards in a 48-23 win at UNLV on Oct. 20, which snapped Colorado State’s 13-game losing streak.
Johnny Walker also had a big day, logging a career-high 177 yards receiving and two scores. He hauled in a perfectly thrown pass from Caleb Hanie for a 64-yard TD play and later had a 31-yard TD reception.
The Rams trailed by 10 points in the first half but pulled within 23-20 on Jason Smith’s 23-yard field goal with 12:05 remaining, then tied it when Smith connected on a 32-yarder with 8:24 to go.
“Colorado State has the best coach in the league,” Long said. “To keep a team playing as hard as they did today is a great job of coaching. Sonny’s teams always come to play.”
The tying score was set up when New Mexico’s Rodney Ferguson fumbled and Blake Smith recovered for the Rams at the Lobos’ 25-yard line. It was the only turnover by either team.
Ferguson had 110 yards rushing on 20 carries while Donovan Porterie was 21-of-29 for 211 yards passing with two TDs.
Porterie threw for two TDs, including a 28-yard scoring play to Marcus Smith for a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and a 6-yard TD pass to tight end Chris Mark for a 17-7 lead late in the opening period.
Hanie completed 13 of 19 for 221 yards and two touchdowns.