Lobos (3-1) head to San Jose State (1-3) for Friday Night Lights

UNM defensive lineman Brett Karhu flexes after a sack of NMSU quarterback Logan Fife in the Lobos’ 38-20 win over the Aggies on Saturday at University Stadium.Chris Rodate/GamePassMedia

It's a familiar time of the year for Lobo fans, but an unfamiliar time for the University of New Mexico football team.

It may be the eve of the annual Lobo Howl, the first chance fans get to see their beloved basketball team, but this year, it’s also hunting season (also known as the Mountain West football season opener, beginning tonight in San Jose, Calif.), for UNM football.

The Lobos, 3-1 on the season for the first time since 2007, just might have an unfamiliar role entering conference play:

Wearing the bull’s-eye.

True, the Spartans (1-3) enter the game as a 2.5-point favorite, but Lobo coach Jason Eck figures that San Jose State, which has played in bowl games three consecutive years, don’t want to fall three games under .500 and have a steeper climb to a fourth straight bowl berth.

“This team’s going to be desperate,” Eck said of the Spartans. “They don’t want to be 1-4.”

New Mexico is coming off two emotional victories – at Power Four school UCLA and at home against in-state rival New Mexico State. The first-year Lobo coach is trying to get his team in the mindset of treating each game like a big game.

“That’s something we’re trying to prepare our players for because big games are made upon themselves,” Eck said. “The more you win, the bigger games get and the more big games you play in through the year. Hopefully, we’re not going to be a team that has one or two big games a year. Hopefully, we’ll be working this program so there will be seven or eight big games each year.”

Being 3-1 certainly puts the Lobos in a great position to think big.

When you’re a losing team, a lot of times you don’t get other teams’ best shot because they take you lightly,” Eck said. “When you’re a good team, you get everybody’s best shot.

“We have to embrace that. Maybe last year, we were able to win some games sneaking up on people because Washington State or somebody takes you lightly. When you got a winning record, when you’re 3-1, you’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”

Eck said New Mexico State gave UNM its best shot last week in front of a packed house at University Stadium.

The men’s basketball team and coach Eric Olen got a rare glimpse of the Pit atmosphere from across the street.

“Saturday, our whole team was here out signing some autographs with kids and stuff beforehand,” Olen said, “and we’re all excited about being in the Pit and feeing that atmosphere, but it was certainly cool to feel that energy in University Stadium on Saturday and be kind of a part of that. That does give us a little glimpse and I think it does get everyone’s juices going a little bit and so we’re super fired up for football.”

A lot of Lobo fans are, making October more exciting on both sides of University Boulevard, now that it’s Howl and hunting season simultaneously.