Wyoming (4-8, 2-6 MW) converted on 12 of 23 third downs, playing right into UNM's defensive tendencies. UNM opponents have converted on 51 percent of third-down plays – a stat head coach Bob Davie said will be a point of focus next year.
New Mexico (4-8, 2-6 MW) has converted on just under 37 percent of its conversions all season, and didn't have a single conversion against Wyoming.
"It's extremely frustrating when you can't get stops on defense," Davie said. "There's so much pride on our defensive staff, and they've been through a lot."
The Lobo defense was on the field for more than two-thirds of the game, in large part because it couldn't get the necessary stops on third down. Wyoming's punter Ethan Wood didn't see any playing time for nearly three quarters, until UNM forced a punt with just 41 seconds left in the third.
Despite having a banged-up defensive unit, the Lobos did come up with some timely stops throughout the game: Three of the four stops on third down came while Wyoming was knocking on the red zone door. In fact, UNM's first points of the game came on third-and-2 when junior cornerback Cranston Jones picked off Cowboy quarterback Colby Kirkegaard and returned it for a touchdown, putting UNM up 7-3.
The Lobo defense came up big again with less than 10 minutes in the first half after senior linebacker Tevin Newman sacked Kirkegaard for a loss of 5 yards. Wyoming kicker Stuart Williams was forced to kick the long field goal and pushed the 43-yarder wide right. Two plays later, redshirt junior running back Jhurrell Pressley broke off a 69-yard dash to put the Lobos up 21-10.
Davie said he was pleased with his squad's fight throughout the entire game and their ability to come up with timely stops, even though the stops were a rarity in the first half.
UNM's defense stepped up as the offense faltered in the fourth quarter. The Lobos stopped the Cowboys six consecutive times on third down, until the final drive. Davie said the defensive play call was more aggressive late in the game, which played a significant role in the Lobos' success.
"At the end, we were coming after them every time," Davie said. "If we go down, we go down swinging."
On third-and-10, Kirkegaard hit wide receiver Tanner Gentry on a 44-yard pass with less than a minute remaining in the game, and the ball ended up at UNM's 5-yard line. Senior safety David Guthrie came up with the game-saving tackle that forced New Mexico into the season's final goal line stand of the season.
"‘I just gotta get him down' – That was the only thing going through my mind," Guthrie said.
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Following a false start, UNM forced two straight incompletions, bringing the biggest third down of the ball game. UNM sent Brian Hill out of bounds on a six-yard rush, requiring one more stop on fourth down to seal the ball game.
On fourth and goal, the Lobos prevailed with the final stop and the offense kneeled away the final 12 seconds.
"It's a great feeling to help your team in a big game like this with no time left on the clock," Guthrie said. "Really, it's huge."
Liam Cary-Eaves is the assistant sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
