by Daniel S. Archuleta
Daily Lobo
Despite breakthrough performances from wide receiver Hank Baskett and running back DonTrell Moore, the Lobos still lost a heartbreaker to the Washington State Cougars, 21-17.
The Lobo football team dominated for three quarters at University Stadium on Friday night. Then the rug was pulled out from under their cleats.
With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the hearts of Lobo fans were shattered when a Lobo punt was blocked and returned to the 4-yard line. The ensuing play essentially ended the game for the Lobos.
"I'm proud of the way the football team played," head coach Rocky Long said. "I thought we played harder than they did, and I thought that we matched their speed."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Long also pointed out mistakes that led to the Lobos' breakdown.
"You can't get a punt blocked, and you can't throw interceptions close to your own goal line and expect to win," he said.
The first half of the game was a defensive showdown that yielded no points for either squad. Both teams showed their inexperience by dropping and overthrowing passes. Although the Lobos had a chance to take an early lead, usually rock-solid kicker Wes Zunker just missed a 33-yard field goal.
The Lobo defense was led by linebacker Fola Fashola, playing his first game after a torn ACL ended his last season just two games into the schedule. Fashola looked as if he never took a foot off the football field.
"I feel blessed," Fashola said. "Sitting out a year, I think, helped me refresh my body and get a little wiser."
The second half was a different story. The Washington State defense took advantage of a McKamey mistake and intercepted the football. Alex Teams intercepted the ball at the UNM 18-yard line, then three plays later, Cougar Josh Swogger found receiver Chris Jordan in the end zone for the game's first touchdown.
The momentum switched for the Lobos when McKamey hit Baskett on a screen pass, and the speedy receiver took the ball 64 yards to the WSU 16-yard line.
After a couple of quarterback keepers by McKamey, Adrian Byrd took the ball in for the first Lobo touchdown of the year.
Zunker made the extra point to tie the game at seven.
After a WSU punt, it took just two plays for Moore to take the ball 61 yards, outrunning the lightning-fast WSU defense for the touchdown. Moore finished with 24 carries for 167 yards and one touchdown. The Lobos were suddenly up seven.
Zunker added a 21-yard field goal to expand the Lobo lead to 17-7.
Then the Cougars came back on a fourth-and-nine. Swogger had all day to complete a 25-yard pass to receiver Trandon Harvey for the first down. Three plays later, Swogger found Harvey again for a 13-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Lobo's lead to 17-14.
The Lobos conservatively ran the ball three straight times for minus-5 yards and were forced to punt.
The play that changed the game came next, when Omowale Dada blocked Tyler Gaus' punt, which was recovered by WSU cornerback Tyrone Brackenridge at the Lobos 4-yard line.
Swogger then found tight end Troy Bienemann for the touchdown that made the score 21-17.
The Lobos tried to come back, but it wasn't in the cards. Two McKamey interceptions and a questionable fumble by tight end Mike Augustyniak ended the game for the Lobos.
McKamey, who finished the game 16-for-30 with 229 yards, said he knows what he did wrong and what he has to do next week.
"I have to focus (on) making better reads and making better throws," he said.
McKamey has already thrown more yards in one night then he did all last season.
The Lobos will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday at 6 p.m. at University Stadium.
