Last season New Mexico stunned Boise State by dealing the Broncos a rare home loss on its distinctive blue turf; now Boise State will be looking to exact revenge when the teams square off Friday at University Stadium.
The Lobos were 30.5 point underdogs, but never trailed in last year’s upset, a 31-24 triumph that arguably became head coach Bob Davie’s signature win during his tenure at New Mexico.
The game is inextricably linked to what many consider a magical weekend for the state of New Mexico. The victory coincided with the Holly Holm knockout of then-champion Ronda Rousey, which ranks as one of — if not the biggest — upset in MMA history.
New Mexico (2-2) enters this week’s matchup against Boise State (4-0) on the heels of a 48-41 win over San José State last weekend.
Boise State climbed to a No. 19 ranking in both the AP and Coaches poll after a 21-10 victory over Utah State.
Davie said things are in full swing now and Boise State presents a lot of challenges for his team to try to overcome.
“They’re a great offensive team. Their bank of deceptive plays is better than anybody’s in the country,” he said. “Most teams have one guy that can do some different things — they have multiple guys in multiple packages.”
Boise State features a balanced attack on offense and a defense that has been stingy against the run, allowing about 72 yards per game rushing. Quarterback Brett Rypien has amassed over 1,000 yards through the air, while running back Jeremy McNichols has gone for over 500 yards on the ground.
Davie said San José State did some things comparable to Boise State in terms of scheme, and hopefully that experience will come in handy on Friday.
The head coach said quarterback Lamar Jordan is a “creator of plays,” likening him to a point guard in basketball. He said Jordan has to continue polishing his game and make good decisions with his playmaking ability.
“If there is an unexpected it has to be a positive unexpected, not a negative unexpected when he’s trying to create something,” Davie said.
In last year’s game, New Mexico was outgained by over 200 yards, committed two turnovers and failed to convert a single third down conversion (0-10). Ultimately, the Lobos were able to overcome those obstacles in the victory — but the Lobos will have to do much better than that this time around.
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Austin Apodaca had some success passing the ball against Boise State in the last matchup, but a shoulder injury to this year’s starter has thrust Jordan back into the spotlight.
Jordan only attempted eight passes in his first start of the season last week. If the Lobos can continue asserting itself in the run game, that trend might continue. New Mexico enters the game as the fourth-highest rushing attack in the nation, averaging 347 yards per game on the ground.
Davie said he feels confident in Jordan’s ability to pass, but acknowledged that if the game becomes pass heavy, it may not bode well for his team.
ESPN released that Boise State cornerback Jonathan Moxey will be suspended for the first half, a rule which enforced on players ejected for targeting. His absence could provide the Lobos an opening to test the secondary with some early passes.
New Mexico recently got some players back from injury. Running back Teriyon Gipson played a big role in the victory over SJSU, and Dakota Cox returned to the lineup as well, although he only managed one tackle.
Davie said Gipson aggravated a hamstring in the San José State game, but expects him to be ready to go Friday. However, Jadon Boatright is expected to miss another week due to a nagging turf toe injury.
Things won’t be easy, but if the Lobos can notch victories over Boise State and undefeated Air Force next week, they will become legitimate contenders for a division or conference title.
The Lobos embark on that quest with Friday’s kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The fan giveaway this week includes Lobo car magnets for the first 5,000 fans.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, football, tennis and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
