Daily Lobo
LAS VEGAS - The UNM football team came into the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl wanting to make history by winning its first bowl game in 41 years.
The Lobos had to settle for breaking the Division-I gender barrier and giving the University of California at Los Angeles a game before falling to the Bruins 27-13.
Junior kicker Katie Hnida became the first female player to play in a Division-I football game when she attempted an extra point in the first quarter after a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior cornerback Desmar Black.
Black's interception of UCLA's freshman quarterback Drew Olsen's was the high point of the game for UNM. The Lobos finished the game with three turnovers, made too many errors on both sides of the ball and looked tentative to start both halves. UNM Head coach Rocky Long said the game was very competitive, but was decided by his team's mistakes.
"Our miscues on special teams and on offense were obviously the difference in the game," he said. "I thought it was a pretty good match. I didn't think one team dominated the other. I thought both defenses played well."
All of the Bruins' points came off Lobo UNM mistakes. They took control of the game on a 74-yard punt return by sophomore Craig Bragg with 13:04 left in the third quarter. The Lobos had Bragg corralled, but he shook free and sprinted to the end zone for a 13-6 lead. UCLA put the game away with 14:07 left in the fourth when UNM junior quarterback Casey Kelly's pass bounced off the back of tight end Zack Cresap and into the hands of Bruin freshman safety Jarred Page, who made a 29-yard touchdown return.
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"It was pretty obvious just by watching that we looked rusty," Kelly said. "I wasn't hitting receivers, we were dropping balls and we couldn't get the running game going like we wanted to,"
The Lobos had problems early on. After their defense forced UCLA to punt on its opening possession, DonTrell Moore made the Lobos' first mistake. The redshirt freshman fumbled the ball on a routine run up the middle on UNM's second play from scrimmage. UNM's defense stiffened and actually backed the Bruins up, but UCLA was still took its first lead on Nate Fikse's 44-yard field goal.
The Lobos' offense was unsuccessful on its second possession as well, but their defense put them on the board with 8:20 left in the first quarter when Black made his interception return.
UNM's defense continued to do its job on Olsen and gave the Lobos a chance to extend their lead after junior quarterback Casey Kelly led the UNM on a 14-play, 65-yard drive that was aided by a personal foul on the Bruins. The drive stalled at the UCLA 17 but sophomore Matt Goldstein's 34-yard field goal sailed wide left.
UNM's defense got into the giving theme on the Bruin's next drive, breathing life into their failing drive with a pass-interference penalty by Fola Fashola on a third-and-11 at the UNM 36. The Bruins, who substituted the ineffective Olsen with fellow frosh Matt Moore in the second quarter, finished the 15-play, 57-yard drive three plays later with Fikse's second field goal, a 39-yarder.
The Lobos dodged a bullet just before halftime when senior punt returner Dwight Counter driven back on a punt return. UCLA defenders thought they brought the senior down in the end zone for a safety, but he was ruled down inside the one-yard line. UNM ran the clock out and the team's entered halftime tied 6-6.
The Lobos offense started the second half slowly, going three-and-out before surrendering the punt return touchdown. UNM's offense responded with an effective drive, but faltered as it approached the red zone. The Lobos were whistled for a false start on a crucial third-and-one at the UCLA 35-yard-line. Then on third-and-11, Kelly was sacked for a 10-yard-loss, choking off the drive.
UNM's defense was able contain the Bruins' offense on the next drive, but UCLA defense converted the Lobos' next mistake, the Kelly interception, for the clinching touchdown.
The Bruins would capitalize one more time in the fourth when UNM receiver Joe Manning fumbled the ball after making an 11-yard gain. The Bruins offense drove the ball 31 yards in seven plays to take a 27-6 lead.
The Lobos would get a measure of pride back with 5:13 left in the game, when Kelly finished a seven-play, 72-yard drive with an 11-yard pass to Manning to close the scoring out.
Statistically, Kelly led UNM with stellar passing performance, going 18-for-32 for 237 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. DonTrell Moore had a disappointing day. The freshman suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and was limited to 31 yards on 14 carries. UCLA freshman running back Tyler Ebell was the game's leading rusher with 83 yards on 25 carries. Bruin Craig Bragg was named the game's most valuable player.
Long said that the experience gained from playing the bowl game would help the program, stating that the trip was a "big step forward."
"Going into the game I didn't know how we'd compare with a team of UCLA's caliber and tradition. I thought we compared fairly well," he said. "If we hadn't made those mistakes it would've been a very close game - which means we're progressing. Three years ago there's no way we could've stepped on the field with a team like UCLA"
