Oct. 6, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
The University of New Mexico confronts its highest-ranked opponent in 14 seasons, visiting powerful BYU Saturday in a key Mountain West Conference game. Kickoff is 4:06 p.m. Mountain Time from LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. The game will be televised live over The Mtn., which is Channel 276 on Comcast Cable in Albuquerque and Channel 616 on DirecTV.
Entering the week at No. 8 in the coaches’ poll and 9th by the Associated Press, BYU is the highest ranked team New Mexico has met since 1994 when Utah carried the exact same rankings into a November game at University Stadium. The Lobos pulled off a 23-21 upset over an 8-0 Utah team.
Last Saturday, UNM (3-3, 1-1 MWC) evened its overall record and MWC ledger with a solid 24-0 triumph over Wyoming. It’s the Lobos’ first shutout in a conference game in 25 years, since blanking UTEP 35-0 in 1983.
Redshirt freshman James Wright became the third UNM running back in as many games to gain 100 yards, rambling for 120 and a TD on just 15 carries. The Lobos churned for 317 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the New Mexico defense held the Cowboys to just 201 total yards and without a TD for the second straight year. Junior S Frankie Solomon returned a deflected pass 13 yards for a score on the first play from scrimmage to set the tone on a rainy night at University Stadium.
BYU (5-0, 1-0 MWC) stayed unbeaten with a 34-14 victory at Utah State last Friday. Junior wide receiver Austin Collie recorded his third-straight game with more than 100 receiving yards as the Cougars extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 15 games.
Collie hauled in eight catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns. QB Max Hall threw for 303 yards and connected with seven different receivers while going 23-for-37. Running back Harvey Unga led the Cougar ground attack with 92 yards on 22 carries to help BYU total 406 yards of total offense.
The Cougars extended their streak of shutout quarters to 11 before Utah State scored with 13:47 to go in the fourth quarter. BYU had not given up a score since the fourth quarter at Washington on Sept. 6. The Cougars went on to score 137 straight points against UCLA, Wyoming and Utah State before the Aggies finally broke through with a score.
The Lobos were picked to finish 4th in the Mountain West Conference, while the Cougars were chosen to win the title for the second straight season.
NOTES TO KNOW BEFORE THE GAME
New Mexico has won 7 straight games in the month of October…the last loss was 14-10 to Wyoming in Albuquerque in 2006…UNM head coach Rocky Long is 24-14 in October, 23-10 since 1999
Dating to 2006, New Mexico has won 14 straight games when scoring first…last week’s Wyoming game marked the first time this season that UNM hit the scoreboard before its opponent
BYU’s last loss was 55-47 at Tulsa on Sept. 15, 2007
New Mexico is an impressive 13-6 in Mountain West Conference road games since 2003 and has won 17 of its last 25 on foreign soil within the league
The combined score of BYU’s three home games this season is 144-17…the Cougars have pitched consecutive shutouts in their last two appearances at LaVell Edwards Stadium: 59-0 against UCLA and 44-0 against Wyoming
New Mexico has rushed for 614 yards the past 2 games, increasing the season average to 205.5 yards a game, which ranks 3rd in the MWC…the 614 total is the most in consecutive games since 2003 when UNM had 614 against San Diego State (207) and Utah (407)
Conversely, the Lobos have passed for only 88 yards the past 2 contests…that’s the lowest total in consecutive games since 1972 when an option-oriented UNM offense produced 43 yards against UTEP and 11 against Arizona for a total of 54
BYU has outscored its opponents 134-17 in the first half…UNM has been outscored 103-58 in the first half
BYU has won 17 straight MWC games – a conference record – and 15 in a row at home, also an MWC standard
In the team rankings, BYU ranks 1st in the MWC and is in the top-13 nationally in passing offense (333.0 ypg), total offense (466.8 ypg), scoring offense (41.2 ppg), passing efficiency (166.30), scoring defense (11.6 ppg), net punting (38.81 yards), kickoff returns (28 ypr), turnover margin (+1.4 a game), 3rd-down conversion rate (64.4%) and red-zone defense (56%)…individually, QB Max Hall leads the league in passing efficiency (172.05 rating) and total offense (418.6 ypg) while WR Austin Collie is the MWC’s leading receiver at 7.6 catches a game
UNM junior QB Donovan Porterie was lost for the season late in the 2nd quarter at Tulsa on Sept. 20…he suffered a torn right ACL and MCL on a pass play…Porterie does not have a redshirt year
Despite not playing last week with a bum shoulder, senior TB Rodney Ferguson continues to lead the MWC and is 22nd nationally in rushing at 104.6 yards a game…a 2-time all-league performer, Ferguson has 2,982 career rushing yards to rank 3rd in the MWC record book and 4th at UNM
UNM has won 8 straight games decided by 3 points or less, 4 in 2007
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 58th meeting between the two schools and they have played every year since 1951, making it the Lobos’ second-longest uninterrupted series next to New Mexico State. UNM and NMSU have played every season since 1946.
BYU has a 42-14-1 lead, 21-6 in Provo and 21-8-1 in Albuquerque. The visiting team won five straight games from 2001-05 before the Cougars took a 42-17 decision two years ago in Provo and 31-24 last year in Albuquerque. The Lobos won consecutive games in Provo in 2002 (20-16) and 2004 (21-14)
Since 1972 – when LaVell Edwards took over in Provo – BYU has won 32 of the past 36 match-ups overall, including 17 of 19 in Albuquerque. UNM’s wins came in 1980 and 1997.
BYU is the only Mountain West Conference school (not including new member TCU) that Lobo head coach Rocky Long has not beaten in Albuquerque. He is 0-5 vs. the Cougars at University Stadium, but 2-3 in Provo.
New Mexico has turned the ball over 8 times in its last 2 games against BYU, 4 interceptions and 4 fumbles. The Cougars have converted the miscues into 31 points, including 24 on five Lobo errors last year.
MORE ON THE COUGARS
BYU was 11-2 last year and 8-0 in the Mountain West Conference for the second straight year. The Cougars beat UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl. BYU returns 50 lettermen, including 16 starters – 10 on offense, 3 on defense and 3 specialists.
BYU HEAD COACH BRONCO MENDENHALL
Former New Mexico assistant Bronco Mendenhall is in his fourth year as head coach of the Cougars where he has a 33-10 record. He is 18-3 at home, 22-3 in MWC games and 3-0 against the Lobos.
ROCKY & BRONCO
Mendenhall was the Lobos’ defensive coordinator under Rocky Long from 1998-2002, and Mendenhall credits Long for much of the defensive knowledge he possesses today.
Long and Mendenhall were also together at Oregon State in 1995, Long as the defensive coordinator and Mendenhall tutoring the defensive line. Mendenhall replaced Long as OSU’s defensive coordinator in 1996 after Long accepted the same position at UCLA.
Mendenhall’s two oldest sons – Cutter and Breaker – were born in Albuquerque.
LAST YEAR IN ALBUQUERQUE
Max Hall threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns and linebacker Bryan Kehl returned an interception 36 yards for a TD as BYU beat New Mexico 31-24.
The Cougars survived a spirited effort by New Mexico’s defense, but the Lobos were hurt by two fourth-quarter fumbles and Kehl’s TD less than two minutes after kickoff.
BYU led 28-21 early in the fourth after Hall beat New Mexico’s blitz and found Dennis Pitta for a 14-yard TD pass. It was set up when Ian Dulan recovered a fumble by Lobos fullback Matt Quillen at New Mexico’s 32.
The Lobos answered on John Sullivan’s 43-yard field goal — kicking into a 20-mph wind — to pull within 28-24 with 7:34 remaining.
New Mexico had the momentum after its defense held BYU to three plays, sending the cherry-colored crowd into a frenzy. But things quickly soured when Frankie Solomon fumbled on the ensuing punt return and BYU’s Chris Bolden recovered at the Lobos’ 22.
Moments later, Hall threw an 11-yard TD pass to diving Andrew George. After a lengthy delay while the play was reviewed, referee Terry Leyden announced the ball had touched the ground and the call was reversed.
The Cougars instead settled for a 22-yard field goal by Mitch Payne, taking a 31-24 lead with 4:12 to play.
It was just barely enough. The Lobos were unable to gain a first down on their final possession and punted, and Hall scrambled 17 yards on third-and-10 as the Cougars ran the clock down to put the victory away.
Turnovers made the difference. BYU scored 24 points off New Mexico miscues. Through the first four games, the Lobos had given up only three turnovers. But on this night, Donovan Porterie was 20-of-38 for 231 yards passing with one TD and two interceptions, and New Mexico lost all three of its fumbles.
Rodney Ferguson had a big night in the losing effort, gaining 87 yards rushing on 22 carries and catching four passes for 105 yards, including a 71-yard TD play that helped the Lobos tie it at 21 going into the fourth quarter.
TWO YEARS AGO IN PROVO
No. 23 BYU clinched the conference title with a 42-17 win. Curtis Brown ran for 124 yards and became the leading rusher in BYU history and John Beck passed for 464 yards and four touchdowns for the Cougars.
Beck completed 28 of 42 passes with two interceptions and became the second Cougar to pass for 10,000 yards. Brown had 13 carries for 124 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and also caught a 9-yard touchdown.
BYU led 28-3 and put New Mexico away after allowing two quick touchdowns in the third quarter. Quincy Black returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown for New Mexico, but the Lobos couldn’t stop Beck and Brown.
Chris Nelson completed 22 of 38 passes for 245 yards, but also had two interceptions. Rodney Ferguson ran for 138 yards on 20 carries for the Lobos. New Mexico finished with three turnovers.
The score might have been a little closer had UNM not thrown an interception inside the BYU 20-yard line, fumbled inside the 30 and turned the ball over on downs at the BYU 3
BYU’s 653 yards were the most against a New Mexico team since 1991 when the Cougars gained 659 in a 41-23 win in Albuquerque…BYU had 419 in the first half, 234 in the second
LOBOS VS. RANKED BYU TEAMS
New Mexico is 1-14 against ranked BYU teams. The lone win was 25-21 in the 1980 season opener. The highest ranked BYU team the Lobos have met came during the Cougars’ 1984 national championship season. BYU was No. 4 in the UPI poll and No. 5 by AP on Oct. 25, 1984. The Cougars won 48-0 in Albuquerque.
WYOMING POSTGAME NOTES
New Mexico records its first shutout in a conference game since blanking UTEP 35-0 in 1983; that was in the Western Athletic Conference
UNM’s last shutout in any game was 23-0 over Nevada in the 2007 New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico shuts out Wyoming for the 3rd time in 61 meetings between the two schools; UNM blanked the Cowboys 28-0 in 1941 and 7-0 in 1952
The Lobos have won 8 of the last 9 meetings against Wyoming
UNM has held Wyoming without a TD in the past 2 games…the Lobos won 20-3 last year in Laramie…Wyoming’s last TD against the New Mexico came in Albuquerque in 2006 at the 12:48 mark of the 4th quarter
Wyoming’s offensive averages in its last 6 games against New Mexico: 8.8 points and 242.2 yards
The Lobos took a 7-0 lead 15 seconds into the game; it’s the first time this year UNM has scored first
After rushing for 317 yards, UNM has exceeded 200 yards rushing in consecutive games for the first time since the 2005 season: 244 vs. BYU and 237 vs. Wyoming…the Lobos gained 297 yards last week at New Mexico State…the 317 yards are the most by UNM since 321 yards against New Mexico State in 2004
Redshirt freshman RB James Wright became the third different Lobo running back in as many games to reach 100 yards rushing this season…Wright finished with 120 yards on 15 carries…Rodney Ferguson and Paul Baker have each hit 100 this season as well…the last time UNM produced three different 100-yard rushers in a season was 2005: D.D. Cox, Kole McKamey and DonTrell Moore
UNM is now 25-5 under Rocky Long when rushing for at least 225 yards
The Lobos did not commit a turnover and are now 19-2 under Rocky Long when playing mistake-free football…UNM has just 1 turnover the past 2 games after 12 the first 4 games
Frankie Solomon’s 13-yard interception return was the Lobos’ first for a TD since Blake Ligon had one against San Diego State in 2006
After being outscored 72-17 in the 1st quarter of the first 5 games, UNM led 14-0 after the first period
New Mexico was 3 of 4 on 4th down tonight and is now 7 of 9 on the season
Senior RB Rodney Ferguson
the MWC’s leading rusher (104.6 yards per game) did not dress due to a shoulder injury suffered Sept. 27 at New Mexico State; after 40 career games played and 29 starts, it’s the first time he has missed a game due to injury
remains in 4th place all-time at UNM with 2,982 rushing yards, is tied with Mike Williams for 4th place with 27 career rushing TDs and is in 7th place with 3,577 career all-purpose yards
Redshirt freshman TB James Wright
did not start, but finished with a career-high 120 rushing yards and 1 TD in just 15 carries, an average of 8 yards per carry…it’s his 2nd career game as a Lobo
became the first UNM freshman to gain 100 rushing yards since DonTrell Moore did it 4 times in 2002
Senior LB Zach Arnett
had a career-high 16 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery
recovered the first fumble of his Lobo career
9 tackles for gains of 5 yards or less, 5 tackles for gains of 2 yards or less and 3 tackles on 3rd down to force Wyoming punts
is tied with lobo Clint McPeek for the team lead with 49 tackles, and has 27 in the past 2 games
continues to lead the nation with 4 forced fumbles
Senior TB Paul Baker
made his 1st start of the season and the 3rd in his 30-game career; his last start was in last year’s New Mexico Bowl
finished with 89 yards on 22 carries
is 68 yards from 1,000 in his career
Senior LB Herbert Felder
career-highs with 8 tackles and 2 sacks, plus a forced fumble, fumble recovery and 3 QB hurries
Wyoming gained three yards or less in six of his stops
continues to lead the team with 20 QB hurries and 6.5 tackles for loss
Senior CB Glover Quin
broke up 1 pass to tie Walter Bernard for 5th place all-time at UNM with 25 PBUs
didn’t allow any pass completions (thrown at 3 times)
Junior lobo Ian Clark
had 7 tackles and a 6-yard sack after missing the New Mexico State game with a dislocated shoulder; he wore protective braces on each shoulder
returned 5 punt returns for 84 yards, an average of 16.8 yards per return…had returns of 24, 5, 12, 4 and a career-high 39 yards
season punt return average is now a league-leading 20.3 yards on 9 returns
Junior S Frankie Solomon
intercepted his 1st pass of the season and the 3rd of his career, which was returned 13 yards for a TD on the first offensive play of the game
Redshirt freshman LB Carmen Messina
made his first career start and had 3 tackles and a deflected pass that Frankie Solomon returned 13 yards for a TD on the first play of the game
Redshirt freshman QB Brad Gruner
rushed 8 times for 81 yards, including a 52-yard run
scored his first career TD on a 2-yard run in the 2nd quarter
True freshman K James Aho
although he missed two FGs in a game for the first time in his brief career, Aho made 1 of 3 and is now 11 of 14 on the season
off to the best FG start in school history by a Lobo freshman…in 1989, David Margolis kicked his 11th FG in game 10 and finished with 15
captured two MWC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in his first 5 games at UNM