Winning Ugly Remains Positive Strategy for New Mexico Lobo Football Team, For Now
New Mexico running back DJ McKinney dives in for a touchdown in the first quarter against Nevada on Saturday night. Photo: Chris Rodarte/Game Pass Media
Beauty remains a beast for the Lobo football team.
After seven games of the college football season, the University of New Mexico has been consistent at one thing – playing to the level of its competition.
But the UNM defense again came up with a timely stand, and the offense did just enough to eke out a 24-22 victory over Nevada on Saturday night in front of a back-to-earth Homecoming crowd of 18,233 at University Stadium.
The Lobos (4-3, 1-2 Mountain West) lost the turnover battle 2-0, turned the ball over on downs at midfield, missed a field goal, allowed 17 straight completions and tied a season high with eight penalties – including a holding penalty that erased a red-zone touchdown run late.
And yet they lead from start to finish.
“It’s awesome when you can overcome things,” first-year coach Jason Eck said. “We’re a tough-minded team. We battle and we compete, no matter what the situation (is).”
We stopped the run. We gave up two yards a carry, we rushed for five yards a carry. That’s a good recipe for winning football.
The situation looked promising for the Wolfpack (1-6, 0-3) with six minutes left in the game after UNM’s Luke Drzewiecki missed a 34-yard field goal attempt that followed the wiped-out TD run.
Nevada, which rallied from deficits of 14-3 and 21-12, started from its 20 and quickly moved to its 47, thanks in part to a questionable pass interference call on UNM safety Caleb Coleman.
But the Lobos defense, which had switched to man-to-man coverage in the secondary after the completion streak, forced incompletions on third and fourth down to get the ball back for the offense with 2:28 left.
Nevada forced a UNM fourth-and-1 at its 41. The ever-gambling Eck kept the offense on the field, and Scottre Humphrey barreled for two yards and the first down to lock down the victory.
All this drama after the Lobos came out like they were going to dominate. They scored on their first drive of the game for the first time this season on a 16-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a two-yard touchdown D.J. McKinney run.
He’d find the end zone on a 22-yard run in the third quarter for the 21-12 lead.
But these Lobos do nothing easy. A muffed punt led to a Wolfpack field goal that cut the UNM’s lead to 14-6.
Eck said the Lobos had the Wolfpack right where they wanted them. So to speak.
“Maybe we should fumble a punt every game,” Eck quipped. “Because we fumbled a punt against UCLA and won. We fumbled a punt in this game, and we fumbled a punt (against) New Mexico State. We’re 3-0 when we fumble the punt so maybe we should put that play in, do it (early) to ensure victory.”
Then as the Lobos were trying to run out the clock in the first half, Damon Bankston fumbled on a second-effort run on third-and-22 that gave Nevada the ball at the Lobos 22. The Wolfpack scored in just three plays, capping the touchdown drive on Caleb Ramseur’s three-yard run with 41 seconds left. The Lobos did break up the two-point attempt to preserve a 14-12 lead at the half.
The Wolfpack kept the game close after intermission but never could get the advantage.
Eck’s 4-3 record matches the best start for a first-year coach since Bob Davie way back in 2012.
Davie’s team ended up an ugly 4-9 that season.
Eck’s Lobos will have to play significantly better down the stretch to avoid a similar fate. That may depend on the quality of their opponents.
