Sometimes it takes more than skill to garner a victory. New Mexico’s defense kept UNM in Saturday’s game against Utah State, but Head Coach Bob Davie said the Lobos were due for some good fortune during the squad’s 14-13 victory.
The game was by no means a fluke, Davie said. But if it weren’t for some favorable bounces, a missed field goal and timely penalties, things could have been different for New Mexico late in the contest.
“The football gods smiled on us again,” Davie said. “Certainly that kid was capable of making that field goal; certainly David Anaya recovering that football off the return, us recovering the punt — but I think we deserve it.”
Anaya, a senior running back, was right in the thick of it all. With the Lobos hanging on to a slim 7-3 lead in the third quarter, Anaya raced down the field during a 52-yard punt to tackle Utah State’s Andrew Rodriguez with a full head of steam, knocking the ball loose and allowing UNM to recover it at the 3-yard line. Anaya’s forced fumble paved the way for the Lobos, setting up Richard McQuarley with a three-yard touchdown run, the last time UNM would be able to facilitate a score.
However, that was not the only timely effort Anaya gave on the night. Late in the fourth quarter, after Utah State cut the lead to 14-13, wide receiver Carlos Wiggins tried to make a play on the ensuing kickoff return, and ended up losing the ball. Anaya hustled from across the field into a huge scrum of players, and somehow wound up with the ball.
Pulling out these late victories only gives confidence to the team, Anaya said. The change in fortunes from previous years has boosted team morale.
“In the past we’ve had problems with these close games,” Anaya said. “Now that we’ve done it against Hawaii and now Utah State, it really gives us a lot of confidence to play well and come into the next games playing well and playing with the hype.”
In UNM’s earlier home victory against Hawaii, Rainbow Warrior’s kicker Rigoberto Sanchez made his first miss of the year on a 22-yard attempt. Against Utah State, Brock Warren came in for the go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter, his field goal resume also unscathed in the 2015 season. Warren pushed the 41 yarder to the right, sealing the deal for UNM.
UNM quarterback Lamar Jordan said he was anticipating that something would go awry for the Aggie kicker, even though he hadn’t missed all year.
“I knew something was going to happen,” he said. “I thought it was going to be (defensive lineman William) Udeh blocking it, but I guess he just chipped it, you know, and we got the win.”
Davie said the mishaps that have seemed to plague the Lobos in previous years are finally beginning to change for the better, something he said is well warranted.
“I think we deserve to have some good fortune,” Davie said. “We have some kids that have done a lot of good things, worked hard — I think we deserve a break or two, and we got one.”
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Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@daily.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
