Nov. 9, 2008
Lobo Football
Saturday: UNLV 27, Lobos 20
Up next: Lobos at Colorado State, Nov. 15
Quick fact: The Lobos will not be bowl eligible in 2008
By Richard Stevens, Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
In Las Vegas, eventually streaks of good fortune come to an end. Ithappened to the New Mexico Lobos Saturday when a 27-20 loss to theUNLV Rebs ended two UNM streaks.
1. The Lobos’ seven-year streak of being bowl eligible is over. The best UNM (4-7) can finish this season is 5-7 and that includes a win next Saturday at Colorado State.
2. UNM’s seven-year run of posting a non-losing record in MWC games also crashed in Sin City. The Lobos will carry a 2-5 league mark to Fort Collins.
“You have to make plays,” said Lobo coach Rocky Long. “I don’t think our team was as ready to play as they should be. There was some outside motivation that should have kicked in. The chance to go 6-and-6 is motivation enough.”
A 6-6 mark would have made the Lobos eligible for postseason play. That shot at bowl glory probably ended when UNLV’s Deante Purvis ran untouched to block a Lobo punt that teammate Rodelin Anthony scooped up and jogged into the end zone with 13:32 left to play in the fourth quarter. The Rebs were up 27-17.
The Lobos also were hurt in the first half when a Michael Scarlett pass back to QB Brad Gruner was picked off by Rebel Quinton Pointer at the UNLV 11-yard line. Pointer fell down before he got into the UNM end zone, but an apparent UNM score turned into a field goal by the Rebs.
“We got way too fancy, trying to trick ’em,” Long said of theinterception.
The momentum shift probably hurt the Lobos more than giving up the three points. The Rebs also made a major statement in the first half by driving 84 yards in one minute and 58 seconds to scored a TD with three seconds left before intermission.
The momentum shifted again in the final quarter after UNLV blocked the punt and scored. “When they blocked the punt, that put all the momentum in their favor,” said Long.
The Lobos end their season on the road at CSU and the only thing left on the line for the Lobos is how they want to go out in 2008.
“I told them that they could play it two ways,” said Long. “They could come to practice and just get through practice and go out and lay an egg next week or they could come to practice with the right attitude of a competitor and prepare well to play and have a chance to win.
“If we can win the last one, at least they (seniors) will go out with a good feeling.”
It’s been a tough season for the Lobos, who faced a rugged schedule without a bye week and were hit hard by numerous injuries. The emotional impact of playing hurt seemed to surface in Vegas.
It also hurt the Lobos that they failed to score a touchdown in the second half.The Lobos rolled out enough yards to beat Vegas with 232 coming on the ground and 148 through the air. UNM totaled 380 yards to 258 for UNLV. The Rebs had only 55 yards rushing.
Senior Rodney Ferguson ran for 121 yards and cracked the 1,000-yard barrier for the third straight season — only the third Lobo runner to accomplish that feat.
The Lobos went into the UNLV game planning to exploit the inexperience of Rebel quarterback Mike Clausen. The redshirt freshman did fine, completing 17-of-34 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Lobo QB Brad Gruner did OK, completing 11-of-25 passes for 128 yards. His lone interception came in the game’s final seconds.
The Rebs might have stole the momentum at the end of the second quarter, but UNM came out and opened the second half with a 30-yard field goal by James Aho togo up 17-13.
The confidence UNLV gained with its final drive of the first halfcarried over to the Rebels’ first drive of the second half. UNLVmarched down to the Lobos’ 4-yard line and called a timeout on a4th-and-3. The sideline decision was to go for it.
Clausen lofted a quick pass to tailback Frank Summers coming out of the backfield. The Reb beat UNM’s Zach Arnett around the right side. UNLV was up 20-17.
The Lobos came back with power football on the ground and were movingthe ball well. A holding penalty as the third quarter ended put UNMinto a second-down hole. UNLV then sacked Gruner and UNM had to punt.
The punt was blocked by the Rebs’ Purvis, who ran all the way to theball without being blocked. UNLV’s Anthony picked up therolling ball at the 11-yard line and strolled into the end zone. The Rebs were up 27-17.
The Lobos came out passing. Three passes later and UNM had a4th-and-one at its 18-yard line. The Lobos lined up to go for it andUNLV went off sides, handing UNM a first down at the UNM 23-yard line.The Rebels’ mistake didn’t hurt them. The Lobos punted the ball awayfour down later. UNLV went to work on the clock with 10:56 to play andpossessing the ball on the UNLV 19-yard line.
The Rebs burned the clock down to 9:32 before punting the ballback to the Lobos. Gruner then led the Lobos on an impressive drivethat was hurt by a holding penalty called on UNM tackle Byron Bell.That penalty helped kill the drive and UNM had to settle for a 33-yardAho field goal that cut UNLV’s lead to 27-20.
The Lobos’ kickoff went out of bounds allowing UNLV to start on its40-yard line with 6:34 to play. The Rebs were thrown into a hole on asack by linebacker Herbert Felder III. UNLV, looking at a 3rd-and-22,went straight ahead on the run and punted the ball back to UNM. TheLobos got the ball at their 35-yard line with 4:22 to play.
Gruner opened the drive by hitting Chris Hernandez on a slant for 17yards. UNM’s Jermaine McQueen then got loose behind the Rebels’ defense withno defender near him. Gruner overthrew McQueen by 10 yards. The Lobosended up punting and UNLV took over at its 8-yard line with 3:19 togo. The Lobos still had three timeouts.
The Lobos got UNLV into a 3rd-down situation, but Clausen hit juniorJerriman Robinson for a first down with 1:43 to go. The Rebels endedup punting the ball back to UNM with 43 seconds to play. The Lobos’last chance began with 36 seconds to play, the ball at their 31-yardline. UNM needed a miracle TD to stay alive.
Like most visitors looking for miracles in Vegas, it didn’t happen.Gruner was intercepted with four seconds to play.
The Lobos’ first score of the game was a 40-yard endaround by Bryant Williams. Aho added the PAT and it was 7-0Lobos.
The Rebs responded with a 52-yard field goal that made the score 7-3with 2:16 left in the first quarter.
The Lobos next score came after the Rebs dropped a UNM punt and MicaWilliams recovered setting up the Lobos at the UNLV 38. Ferguson eventually went over from five yards out, Aho converted andUNM was up 14-3.
The Lobos had a great chance to extend their lead as they drove from their 34-yard line to the UNLV 16-yard line. That’s when Scarlett’s pass back to Gruner was picked off by the Rebs’ Pointer, who cut in front of Gruner at the UNLV 11-yard line.
Pointer raced down the sideline and had a clear path to the end zone,but he decided to look back over his left shoulder to see if any Loboswere closing on him. Gruner and Mitch Straub were close, but not closeenough to catch Pointer. The look back caused Pointer to lose therhythm of his stride. He lost his balance, and fell down at the UNM12-yard line.
What should have been a UNLV TD turned into a field goal and UNM wasup 14-6.
UNLV then scored the final points of the first half. Clausen did a greatjob on UNLV’s 2-minute offense and marched the Rebs from their own18-yard line to UNM’s 10-yard line with nine ticks left to play. TheRebs then called their final timeout of the half.
UNLV decided to loft a high floater to 6-foot-5 Rodelin Anthony, whowas matched in the left corner with UNM’s Anthony Hooks, a 5-11,walk-on freshman. Hooks had decent position and jumped pretty high,but not as high as the taller Reb, who pulled down the ball. UNMclutched a slim 14-13 lead at the half, but momentum seemed to have found its team.
It was not the Lobos.
Editor’s note: Richard Stevens is a former Associate Sports Editor andsports columnist for The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him atrstevens50@comcast.net. Previous articles are available at The RichardStevens Corner