UNM's football team had the national television spotlight all to itself for the first time in 18 years Friday night- and proved it's not quite ready for prime time.
Texas Tech University Heisman-candidate quarterback Kliff Kingsbury picked apart the UNM defense, throwing for 407 yards and six touchdowns in the Red Raiders 49-0 defeat of the Lobos.
UNM Head coach Rocky Long said the Lobos lost a chance at gaining respect on a national stage.
"I think we blew a great opportunity," he said. "Is there anything more than that?"
The loss, before an announced crowd of 35,111 and countless millions more on the ESPN2 network, was not the worst ever for the Lobos. But it was the Lobos' first shutout loss in nearly 10 years - breaking a streak of 111 games.
Long was terse in his post-game interview, which was understandable considering the team's two-game losing streak as well as Kingsbury's surgical dissection of UNM's heralded defense. Long said he had no immediate explanation for the team's performance.
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"I don't have any answers," he said. "If I did have answers, you guys (in the media) would just call them excuses."
Certainly UNM's defense had no answer for Kingsbury. The 6-foot-4 senior, who set a Big 12 Conference record for most touchdowns thrown in a game, directed Tech's quick pass offense to perfection. After the Lobo D forced two early punts, Kingsbury led Texas Tech to scores on four straight possessions, including a touchdown late in the second quarter that was set up by a UNM fumble of a Red Raider punt with 2:19 left in the half. Kingsbury led Tech to two scores in three drives in the second half.
On the other side, the Lobos offense few glimmers of first half hope were dashed when starting quarterback Casey Kelly left the game at halftime with a fractured left ulna - the outer bone in the forearm. Kelly said the injury likely happened late in the first quarter on a two-yard run for a first down. Initially he and the trainers thought the injuiry was only a bruise. When trainers did an X-ray at halftime, they discovered the fracture, he said.
"When it first happened, my arm kind of went numb," Kelly said. "I've had stingers like that before so I figured my hands were just numb. But as the game went on, it didn't feel right and was really painful. But I wasn't going to come out until they made me come out."
According to UNM Sports Information, the 6-foot-3 junior had surgery on his left arm Sunday. A six-inch by one-half inch plate was inserted where the fracture is and Kelly's arm was placed in a cast and will be attached to a bone simulator to speed healing. Kelly's absence is indefinite. He could miss as little as four weeks or he could be out for the season.
Senior quarterback Justin Millea and freshman Kole McKamey switched off at quarterback in the second half. The duo was a combined six-of-18 passing for 61 yards and gained eight yards on eight carries on the ground.
UNM only managed three trips into Red Raider territory, as its inconsistent offense never found a rhythm. At halftime, the Lobos had 94 yards total offense to Tech's 298. UNM finished with 199 yards total to the Texas Tech's 590 yards.
UNM junior Lobo back Brandon Ratcliff said that the Lobos prepared all week for Tech's passing attack.
"We knew they were going to try to get us in man coverage and take shots deep," he said. "We practiced for it all week; we just didn't make any plays on the ball."
Junior defensive end D.J. Renteria echoed Ratcliff, pointing tothe Red Raider's offensive talent.
'They've got great players and they were making plays," he said. "I think it was a combination of us not making plays on defense. We were throwing blitzes on them and not getting there and (Kingsbury) was picking us apart."
UNM now gets a week off before returning to Mountain West Conference play at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas Oct. 12. UNLV is off to a 1-4 start and faces in-state rivals, the University of Nevada at Reno in Reno Saturday. The Wolfpack has been tough on Mountain West teams at home, defeating Brigham Young University Sept. 14 and playing Colorado State University close before losing 32-28 Saturday.
UNM has things to work out before then, such as picking a starting quarterback - as well as restoring the defense's productivity.
"Obviously we're on a downward spiral right now, we'll eventually fix it, but it's hard to figure out what it is," Long said. "Sometimes things start going bad and they get worse before they get better. But that doesn't mean you quit. It means you suck it up and get up the next morning and go back to work."
Lobo Notes: According to UNM Sports Information, sophomore offensive tackle Nate Hembree and sophomore linebacker Domingo Villareal are out for the season.
Hembree tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the game at New Mexico State and played against Tech with the aid of a special brace. He will have surgery on the knee Oct. 7. Replacing Hembree will be redshirt freshman Terrance Pennington. Villareal is out indefinitely with a bulging disk in his neck, an injury he suffered in the New Mexico State game.
Junior linebacker Shannon Kincaid, who was injured late in the Tech game, re-injured his right knee and will be out for at least two weeks.
Injured senior tailback Quincy Wright will have surgery today to repair his torn left ACL.
The Lobos got some good news from doctors this weekend. Redshirt freshman receiver Hank Baskett has been cleared to practice with the team. He will practice in non-contact drills this week.
