Bronco and a bowl game with a turquoise twist. Forget the humble 5-7 record—the storyline for this Saturday’s clash between the New Mexico Lobos and Utah State Aggies is drenched in turquoise, betrayal, and the tantalizing scent of a bowl berth. With a win, the rejuvenated Lobos—under a new staff and featuring 72 fresh faces—will stand just one victory away from their first bowl game since 2017. That's a magnificent feat in its own right. But the game’s intrigue goes deeper than conference standings and high-powered Aggie offense. It’s about the man on the visitors’ sideline: coach Bronco Mendenhall.

Forget perfection. For the New Mexico Lobo football team, "winning ugly" isn't just a phrase—it's quickly becoming their defining, albeit messy, strategy. Their recent 24-22 victory over Nevada was a microcosm of their season: a dramatic, error-filled battle where the beauty of the game was a beast they narrowly tamed. The Lobos lost the turnover battle, missed a field goal, racked up eight penalties, and even had a touchdown wiped out. And yet, they led wire-to-wire. As Eck himself put it, “It’s awesome when you can overcome things... We’re a tough-minded team. We battle and we compete, no matter what the situation.”

UNM’s Defensive Identity—UNM head coach Eric Olen is bringing his signature fast-paced, space-and-pace offensive style to the Lobos — but it starts with defense. With 14 newcomers, the team has embraced a high-intensity, turnover-focused defensive identity that mirrors Olen’s 2024–25 UC San Diego squad, which ranked among the nation’s best in efficiency and steals. The Lobos are expected to at times run a disruptive matchup zone that blurs the lines between man and zone defense, designed to confuse opponents and fuel transition offense. Despite some fan concerns about a lack of traditional bigs, Olen emphasizes the team’s length and versatility across positions. The vision is clear: create chaos on defense, run the floor, and let it fly from deep

The UNM Lobos are standing at the tipping point of their 2025 season. At 3-3, this Saturday's home clash against the struggling Nevada Wolfpack isn't just another game—it's a definitive must-win for any realistic shot at a bowl berth. Favored by over a touchdown, the Lobos must capitalize on this golden opportunity to "defend our home field," as Coach Jason Eck emphasized.

Lobo Howl - Freshman guard Uriah Tenette and junior forward Kevin Patton Jr. cranked the energy to the maximum, closing the night with a spectacular dunk contest that more than compensated for the tepid tipoff. In front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Pit, the 5'11" Tenette soared through the air, delivering a quartet of hair-raising slams that ultimately edged out Patton Jr. in an electrifying extra round.

The University of New Mexico Lobo Football team gave a lion-hearted effort on the blue turf, battling the favored and statistically dominant Boise State Broncos into a one-score game entering the fourth quarter. Despite an atrocious start and being outmatched in size, speed, and depth, the Lobos showed a new resolve, even briefly leading 14-10 in the second quarter.

After a promising 3-1 start to the 2025 season that included a win over UCLA, the New Mexico Lobo football team suffered a "deflating loss" to Mountain West rival San Jose State, falling 35-28.

While frustrating, the coach views the loss as a necessary "reality check" for an up-and-coming program learning how to sustain success. The Lobos (3-2, 0-1 Mountain West) now face a tough road test against Boise State (3-2, 1-0), a place UNM hasn't won since the legendary "Greatest Night in Albuquerque Sports History" in 2015.

Lobo Howl - Freshman guard Uriah Tenette and junior forward Kevin Patton Jr. cranked the energy to the maximum, closing the night with a spectacular dunk contest that more than compensated for the tepid tipoff. In front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Pit, the 5'11" Tenette soared through the air, delivering a quartet of hair-raising slams that ultimately edged out Patton Jr. in an electrifying extra round.

In their Mountain West opener, the New Mexico Lobos found themselves outdueled and under pressure, falling to the San Jose State Spartans 35-28.The difference came down to the quarterbacks: UNM's Jack Layne (28-of-40 for 344 yards, 3 INTs) struggled against a pass rush that tallied four sacks, while Spartans QB Walker Eget was masterful, completing 26 of 30 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. As Lobos coach Jason Eck admitted, "I thought their quarterback was outstanding."

It's a new feeling for the University of New Mexico football team. While the annual Lobo Howl for basketball is tomorrow, all eyes are also on the football team as they open their Mountain West season on the road in San Jose.

The Lobos are off to a 3-1 start—their best since 2007—and coach Jason Eck thinks that puts a "bull's-eye" on their back. Despite being 2.5-point underdogs to San Jose State (1-3), Eck expects the Spartans to be "desperate" to avoid a 1-4 start.

UNM men’s and women’s basketball prepare to showcase teams at the Lobo Howl on Saturday evening at The Pit. This is the first Lobo Howl since the 2017 season.

UNM outscores NMSU in the second half 24-3 en route to back-to-back wins in the Rio Grande Rivarly. Layne, James-Newby deliver with strong perforamnces on both sides of the ball.

UNM’s win over NMSU felt a little nostaligc. Greg Archuleta on what the 38-20 Lobos’ win over the Aggies meant for the program.

Jeffery Gordon on why The Land of Enchantment needs to embrace the football game between the state’s two biggest universtiies. And why basketball should take a back seat - for a day at least.

The UNM football team could enter uncharterd territory with a win at University Stadium against NMSU on Saturday. Why Greg Archuleta thinks a victory over the Aggies could be a huge momentum swing for Lobo football.

The UNM football team, with the help of Damon Bankston’s 203 yard performance, beat Big Ten opponent UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Friday, 35-10.

The UNM football team played fearless against UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Friday. It earned them a 35-10 win and Greg Archuleta has instant reaction on why he thinks the gambles by Jason Eck paid off in a huge win for the program.

UNM heads to UCLA on Friday to take on the Bruins at the Rose Bowl. UNM is looking for back-to-back wins while UCLA seeks its first win of 2025.

UNM football hasn’t played UCLA since a bowl game in 2002, the history of the Rose Bowl stadium itself and place kicker Katie Hnida’s groundbreaking moment.

Erik Moulton awards his helmet stickers for Week 2 to the best peformance and players in the Mountain West Conference.