New Mexico Lobos Football – Branch Field at University Stadium
When/Who: 1 p.m., Saturday — Wyoming (4-7, 2-5 MW) at New Mexico (3-8, 1-6 MW)
On The Air: ROOT Sports (TV) – 770-AM KKOB/Lobo Radio Network
GoLobos.com: Game Story, Complete Stats, LoboTV, Quotes, Photo Gallery
TOYS FOR TOTS PROMOTION: Lobo fans can purchase tickets for $10 in the Cherry & Turquoise sections by bringing an unused toy to the Lobo Ticket Office in The Pit or to University Stadium ticketing.
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
On the radio, Lobo Coach Bob Davie compared Saturday’s Mountain West clash with Wyoming to a Super Bowl because of the various ways the game is important to his Lobos.
It’s Senior Day. New Mexico will say goodbye to 14 Lobos.
It’s a chance to win a game in 2014 on Branch Field in front of probably the most loyal of Lobo fans – the ones who stay to the end. UNM’s three wins this season have come on the road: at NMSU, at UTSA, at UNLV.
It’s a chance for Davie’s program to win two Mountain West games for the first time in the same season.
“That’s simply what it is and that’s enough,” said Davie of that list. “It’s about right now and this year.
“It’s trying to win a game here at the end. It’s an important game for us and it’s an important game for them.”
The last game of the season is always a feel-good game for the team that wins the scoreboard. The winning players go into the long, hard days of the off-season with a clean, fresh taste in their mouths. It’s not that either team will work less hard if they lose, but athletes play to win. It matters.
“It’s all about trying to win a football game,” said Davie.
The Lobos will try to win on offense behind a pistol attack that leans to an option that is difficult to stop. The Lobos average 316.7 rushing yards per game. “There is not a whole lot different that you can do,” said Davie of UNM’s bread-and-butter run game.
The Cowboys usually try to be more multiple, but face a question mark with their quarterback position.
Wyoming’s starter, Colby Kirkegaard, sprained his left ankle in Wyoming’s 63-14 loss to Boise State. He has been practicing this week with that ankle heavily wrapped – but how long will the ankle hold up in full contact vs. the Lobo defense?
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The Wyoming senior averages 208 passing yards per game completing 58.4 percent of his throws (184-of-315). He is not a quarterback who will hurt you much scrambling out of the pocket. He averages 200.5 total yards – a minus 83 on the ground. Kirkegaard had 320 passing yards vs. Fresno.
The Cowboys got some good news with the return of junior running back Shaun Wick, who had pins removed from a broken hand and also is expected to see action on Branch Field. Wick has missed most of the past four games, but still tops the Wyoming rushing charts with 705 yards.
Wick is a solid addition, but Wyoming hasn’t exactly been hurting in the backfield with the emergence of freshman Brian Hill, who is expected to start vs. the Lobos.
“We are getting ready for the freshman running back, number eight (Hill),” said Davie. “He has a chance to be a star in this league.”
Hill got the Mountain West’s attention when he ran for 281 yards against Fresno State while averaging 12.2 yards per carry in that game. Hill looked NFL and Wyoming had 694 total yards in that win. The Cowboys had scoring drives of 75, 92, 88, 95 and 88 yards. Wyoming also has a head-turning win over Air Force.
Wyoming averages 151.7 yards rushing and 214.6 yards passing for a 366.4-yard total. But with Kirkegaard hobbled and Hill and Wick healthy – will the Cowboys throw a smash-mouth run game at a Lobo defense that gives up an average of 278.1 rushing yards a game?
“It’s going to be a game where they will line up and do what they do, and we will line up and do what we do,” said Davie. “They line up and they run a lot of A-gap power, and that kid (Hill) finds creases and he runs very determined. They have a really good play-action pass game.”
Davie said he expects Kirkegaard to play and that Cowboy arm could be pivotal to Wyoming’s play-action look. Probably Wyoming would be content if it could move the ball without going to the air. Ditto for UNM. Both teams can be very good when they are successfully running the football and controlling the clock. Wick had four 100-yard games before he got hurt, including 122 yards vs. Oregon.
Is it possible that Wyoming will throw a two-back look at UNM with Wick and Hill in the backfield?
Come to University Stadium on Saturday and find out. It’s also a chance to say goodbye to 14 seniors who have worked hard to change the culture at UNM and help Davie bring winning football to Branch Field.
Editor’s Note: Richard Stevens is a former national award-winning Sports Columnist and Associate Sports Editor at The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him at rstevens50@comcast.net.