Lobos Look to End Streak Against the Rams
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s a number that rhymes with the word great, but UNM, it’s a number that they hope stops growing. That number is eight, and that’s the number of consecutive times Colorado State has defeated New Mexico, going back to UNM’s last win, a 29-27 walk-off win in 2009. The Lobos will get a chance to end that streak on Saturday at 2 p.m. as the Lobos hit the road for a second straight away conference game. It will UNM’s first trip to Canvas Stadium, the new home of the CSU Rams and the game will be broadcast on AT&T Sports Network.
The Lobos are coming off one of the most complete games of the Bob Davie era, a 50-14 win over UNLV in Las Vegas in which UNM rushed for 252 yards and passed for 250. It was the largest margin of victory in a conference road win for New Mexico in 46 years. Colorado State is coming off on of the weirdest games of the season, a 42-30 win over San Jose State in California. The Rams got two touchdowns in the first quarter, and then two more in the second, all from the arm of KJ Carta-Samuels to sit in the lead with a commanding 28-0 edge, nearly identical to UNM’s 29-0 halftime edge. But where UNM put the pedal to the metal, San Jose State turned it around on Colorado State.
The Spartans exploded for 30 straight points in the third quarter to take a 30-28 lead, but CSU was able to come back for a 42-30 win, making the Rams 1-1 in the Mountain West and 2-4 overall.
The Lobos will once again be helmed by Sheriron Jones, who earned his second straight start after throwing for four touchdown passes against UNLV. It marked the second straight game that Jones threw for four TDs, the first player in the history of the school to do so.
UNM’s last trip to Fort Collins in 2016 turned out to be the only loss for UNM that season over the final eight games, and it eliminated UNM from the Mountain West championship race, although UNM would eventually win a share of the league’s Mountain Division title. That game was the final game played in Hughes Stadium, the former home of the Rams. Davie knows regardless of where the game will be played, Hughes Stadium, Canvas Stadium, or even Dreamstyle Stadium, for UNM to win, the team will have to slow down a potent Rams offense. “It is pretty startling to see the statistics they have had on us, particularly running the ball,” said Davie, who also noted, “they’ve had great receivers and haven’t really had to throw it against us.”
Davie was blunt in his assessment. “They have been that team that has been able to line up against us and maul us at the line of scrimmage and that’s a big challenge for us.” Davie offered that UNM will need to win some individual battles to succeed. “We are going to have to win some individual battles in the run game.” Davie knows despite the 2-4 record, this may be UNM’s biggest challenge of the season. “I look at who they’ve played; Colorado, Arkansas and Florida. If I had to guess, they will be in the Mountain West Conference title conversation.”
Davie hopes that CSU will pick up that conversation after the Lobos conclude business on Saturday.