Lobos Head East ... Like Way East ... for Date at UMass

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It doesn’t happen all that often, but every now and then, New Mexico has traveled into the Eastern Time Zone.  Just not THIS far into the Eastern Time Zone.  Saturday will mark UNM’s furthest trip East in program history for a first-ever meeting with the UMass Minutemen.  Kickoff will be on ESPN+ at 3:30 pm Eastern and 1:30 pm Mountain Time, and J.J. Buck will have the call on the Lobo Radio Network.

The matchup is the first between the two teams, but it should be the second as the two teams were slated to play in the abbreviated COVID 2020 season.  New Mexico last played in the Eastern Time Zone in 2019, when it did so twice, losing to Notre Dame 66-14 and at Liberty 17-10.  UNM all-time in the Eastern Time Zone is just 1-11, and that one was a neutral site win, the 1961 Aviation Bowl in Dayton, Ohio (which amazingly is in the Eastern Time Zone and not the Central).

It’s a matchup of a pair of similar teams, and for UNM, it will be about limiting big plays (New Mexico State had two, a 31 and 75-yard touchdown pass) and winning the turnover battle (the only turnover last week was a Lobo fumble inside the Aggie 10-yard line).  UMass’ lone win of the season was in Week 0, a 41-30 win over New Mexico State in Las Cruces.  The Minutemen are looking to end a five-game home losing streak, tied for the third-longest streak in the country.  UNM is looking to end a nine-game road losing streak, the fifth-longest.  UNM is just 1-25 in its last 26 road games while UMass is 3-16 in its last 19 home games.

The Lobos do feature the third-most improved offense in the country (only behind Colorado and Georgia Tech) as UNM is averging 403.3 yards per game.  UNM has surpassed the 400-yard mark twice, which is as many times as the last two seasons combined.  UNM’s defense is also ranked third in the Mountain West in yards allowed per game at 362.7 yards per game.