Nov. 17, 2007
New Mexico Football Postgame Notes vs. Utah
Salt Lake City (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
TEAM
– New Mexico’s defense allowed just 21 points…Utah final offensive TD came on a 24-yard drive
– Utah RB Darrell Mack was held to just 77 yards on 24 carries, including 24 on 11 carries in the 2nd half
– Sacked Ute QB Brian Johnson 3 times and limited him to 165 yards (16-27) and an INT
– 8 sacks over the last 2 games after going 4 in a row without any
INDIVIDUAL
Junior CB DeAndre Wright (All-MWC Candidate)
– Tied his career-long with 42-yard return on his 3rd interception of the year and 8th of his career to set up first Lobo TD
– Allowed 3 completions for a total of 17 yards and none over 15 yards
– Just 2 long passes allowed, 5 break-ups and an INT in his last 8 games
– Also had a 3-yard solo tackle for loss
Junior TB Rodney Ferguson (All-MWC Candidate)
– 110 yards from scrimmage and a TD on 21 touches (5.2 avg.)
– 100+ yards from scrimmage in 12 of last 15 games (14 in his career)
– Averaging 131.9 scrimmage yards in his last 15 games (1,979 total – 1,583 rushing, 396 receiving)
– Now tied for 7th on the UNM single season list with 12 rushing TDs
– 268 carries this year are 3rd on the UNM single season list
– Scored from 3 yards out on a 4th-and-1 play in the 3rd quarter
– Has scored a TD or picked up a 1st down on 6 of 7 4th down rushing attempts this year
Senior K John Sullivan (All-America & MWC Special Teams Player of the Year Candidate)
– Set MWC record and extended his own school record with his 24th field goal of the year
– Has kicked a FG in all 10 games he’s appeared in this fall
– Kicking with a torn ACL in his left (plant) leg that he suffered in late April of 2007
Senior P Jordan Scott (All-MWC Candidate)
– 40.5 net average on his 9 punts and forced 7 more fair catches, giving him a MWC best 38 this fall
– Allowed just 1 return and still has a league-low 12 returns against on 66 punts this season
Sophomore LOBO (S) Ian Clark
– Had double-digit tackles (11) for the third straight week and continues to lead the team with 73 this fall
– Over the past 7 games (3 starts) he has: 63 tackles (9.0/game), 2 forced fumbles and fumble return for a TD
– Had just 10 tackles first 4 games of the season
Senior WR Marcus Smith (All-MWC Candidate)
– Now has 78 catches this season for 909 yards
– 3rd on the UNM single-season reception list – 10 shy of Terance Mathis’ school record (88 – 1989)
– Tied for 6th on the UNM career list with 140 catches
– 10th on the UNM single-season yardage list; 8th on the UNM career yardage list
Senior DE Michael Tuohy (All-MWC Candidate)
– 19.0 career sacks ties John Wingate (1994-97) for 6th on the UNM all-time list and is one shy of the MWC record
– It’s the most at UNM since half sacks began to be tallied in 1992
– 36.5 career tackles for loss ranks 7th all-time at UNM (assisted TFLs were not tallied until 2003)
– Career-high 12.5 TFLs (9 solo, 7 assists) this year and has a TFL in 5 straight games
Senior DE Tyler Donaldson (All-MWC Candidate)
– Career-high 12.5 tackles for loss on the year and has notched a stop in the backfield in 8 of 11 games
– Last 2 games: (6 tackles), 4.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks
Junior CB Glover Quin (All-MWC Candidate)
– Thrown at 3 times and did not allow any long passes (15+ yards)
– 6 pass break-ups – all coming in the last 6 games – and has not allowed a TD pass all year
MISC.
– New Mexico has not lost consecutive MWC road games since 2000 (at UNLV and BYU)
– 9-5 in last 14 road games overall and 13-6 in MWC road games since 2003
– New Mexico lost in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2001
– UNM played in front of its 2nd-largest crowd of the year (43,788)