ARCHULETA: Lobos Victory Mantra at UCLA: You Can’t Win Big Unless You Bet Big
UNM head football coach Jason Eck receives a Gatorade bath after the Lobos upset UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Friday. It’s UNM’s first win over a power conference on the road since 2007. Photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
There’s a fine line between fearlessness and recklessness. UNM head football coach Jason Eck walked that line Friday night.
And earned the big payoff.
The 15.5-point underdog Lobos ran for 298 yards and dominated helpless UCLA 35-10 at the Rose Bowl.
UNM’s last win over a Power Conference opponent was 17 years ago, 36-28 over Arizona at University Stadium. Its last win over a Power Conference foe on the road also came against Arizona, 29-27 in Tucson in 2007.
Friday night’s game wasn’t nearly as close, even though the Lobos tried to keep the woeful Bruins in the game.
UNM (2-1) turned the ball over on downs inside the UCLA 5-yard line not once, but twice, on the night. Coach Jason Eck decided to keep the offense on the field four times on fourth down, converting just two.
The Lobos defense, however, never let the Bruins (0-3) seize the momentum.
“I thought we really believed we could win,” Eck said in a postgame interview with KKOB-AM. “We believed we could beat Michigan, but that belief has grown over time.”
New Mexico had two huge fumbles and committed a season-high four penalties. Running back Scottre Humphrey left the game in the first quarter due to injury.
A fumbled punt return led to a UCLA field goal that gave the home team all the momentum in Tinsel Town, despite a 14-10 deficit to UNM in the third quarter.
That came off the heels of two Bruins defensive stops inside their own 5 on back-to-back Lobo possessions between the second and third quarters.
But this team has the attitude of its head coach and kept playing through adversity and broke through with 21 straight points to finish the game.
Eck established UNM’s mindset early in the second quarter when he sent the offense back out on a fourth-and-1 at the UCLA 8 and the visitors leading 7-0.
That paid off as Lobos scored on an 8-yard Jack Layne pass to tight end Simon Mapa to take a 14-0 lead with 12:43 left in the second quarter.
Then, Eck’s throwing caution to the wind almost backfired. A UCLA TD preceded a fourth-and-1 stop at its own 3 just before the half to keep UNM’s lead at 14-7.
When you’re the inferior team, you gamble. The Lobos started the game with two trick plays. But it was evident late in the second quarter that UNM wasn’t little brother.
Continued rolls of the dice seemed unnecessary.
Eck, however, gambled again on his team’s next possession, going for a fourth-and-1 on the UCLA 5. Sophomore running back Deshaun Buchanan fumbled the ball at the 3.
UNM’s defense forced a three-and-out. Michael Buckley, however, fumbled the punt return and gave the Bruins new life. They turned it into three points.
Yet, the fearlessness of their coach never wavered in the Lobos. The offense scored TDs on its last three drives, sandwiching a 43-yard Layne-to-Damon Bankston screen pass for a score between 15 rushing plays.
“I thought it would take time to wear them down, but we ran the ball really well in the first half,” Eck said. “We won the line of scrimmage on both sides.”
Three games into the season, the Lobos are showing a confidence that can withstand mistakes and bodes well heading into the bye week.
“It wasn’t perfect,” Eck said. “Whether it was a fumble or a missed opportunity, they just kept playing together as a team and I think we’re the team that that played harder and executed better.
“I told (the fans) this team was going to give them something to be proud of. I hope they come out in a couple of weeks when we play against New Mexico State.
