Football

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Football: Lobos win share of Mountain Division title for first time in nearly 20 years

Robert Maler | November 27

Wyoming will head on to play in the Mountain West Championship game, but New Mexico looked like the best team in the conference in a 56-35 thumping of the Cowboys Saturday night. Last week New Mexico was dominated by Colorado State 39-31. But at University Stadium, it was a complete role reversal as the Lobos rebounded to stifle the best team in the conference. The win by New Mexico (8-4, 6-2 MW) earned the Lobos a share of the Mountain Division crown for the first time since 1997, joining Wyoming (8-4, 6-2 MW) and Boise State (10-2, 6-2 MW) as co-champs.

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Football: UNM offense explodes in regular season finale for win

Isabel Gonzalez | November 27

The Lobos rushed to a 56-35 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys, earning a piece the Mountain Division title in Saturday night’s regular season finale. They made school history in the process. “Before we delve into the game, you have to take a look at the bigger picture of it all and it’s unbelievable really,” head coach Bob Davie said.

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Football: Lobos can get share of division title with win against Wyoming

Robert Maler | November 26

A loss by Boise State (10-2, 6-2 MW) in its final regular season game just made the season finale between the Lobos and Wyoming on Saturday a lot more interesting. A win by Wyoming (8-3, 6-1 MW) would give the Cowboys the division crown outright, while New Mexico (7-4, 5-2) could force a three-way tie to earn co-champ honors. A share of the division title would be the first for the Lobos since 1997, although Boise State would likely get the nod to play in the Mountain West Championship by virtue of its higher ranking.

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Football: Colorado State outhustles UNM for big win

Robert Maler | November 20

For a second straight season, Colorado State spoiled New Mexico’s division title aspirations, beating the Lobos to win its final game ever at Hughes Stadium, 49-31, to earn bowl game eligibility. New Mexico head coach Bob Davie said there was a lot of energy in the stadium and the student section was “on fire” in helping to cheer the Rams to victory. The Rams dominated play on both sides of the ball, consistently putting their playmakers in position to make an impact — and they wasted no time getting things started.

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Football: What the world was like the last time the Lobos won six straight

Robert Maler | November 18

Oct. 11, 1997 — the date New Mexico football last won its sixth consecutive game. The Lobos have a chance to accomplish the feat again on Saturday, nearly 20 years later. That streak would go on to be seven victories in a row, and actually spanned two seasons, sparked by a win in the program’s last game of the 1996 season.

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Football: Lobo garners MW Player of the Week honors, the third for the team in 2016

Robert Maler | November 17

New Mexico football collected another conference weekly accolade — the team’s third in the past six weeks. Junior kicker Jason Sanders took home Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the second time this season, after having also been recognized after the season opener. Sanders kept the Lobos within striking distance after the team fell behind 14-0 early in last weekend’s game at Utah State, and the eventual go-ahead score came off his leg.

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Football: Lobos eye bowl game, sixth consecutive win

Robert Maler | November 16

New Mexico and Colorado State will square off for the final time at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium on Saturday as the schools play for history, a potential bowl bid and the continued pursuit of a division title. A release said the 262nd game in the history of the stadium, which opened in 1968, will be its last as the Rams expect to open their new facility next season. Head coach Bob Davie said the game will mark another week against a team that has given New Mexico problems in the past, and provide an opportunity to show that they have improved.

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Football: Lobos win fifth consecutive game after coming back on the road

Robert Maler | November 13

New Mexico football grinded out its fifth straight win in Logan, Utah on Saturday night, in a game featuring an action-packed fourth quarter that saw some big decisions lead to even bigger consequences. The last three series probably provided enough excitement to last head coach Bob Davie a lifetime. He praised his kicker for making a big field goal to lift the team to what he called a terrific win.

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Football: Lobos look to make it five straight against Utah State

Robert Maler | November 11

“If you were in that stadium at 1:10 a.m. on 11/5/16, my email is rdavie@unm.edu. You send me an email, send me your home address, give me a little story as to why you thought it was important that you stayed — and I will definitely commemorate the occasion.” Head coach Bob Davie is normally not one to dwell on the past, and is typically steadfast in his stance that it isn’t his place to coach fans or tell them what to do. But he took the time to reflect and deliver the above statement to start Tuesday’s press conference to show his appreciation for the Lobo fans that stayed throughout the entirety of Saturday’s affair, when the Lobos eventually beat Nevada after a lengthy rain delay to become bowl-eligible once again.

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Football: Lobo punter named Special Teams Player of the Week in Mountain West

Robert Maler | November 10

The New Mexico football team had to wait until 1:10 a.m. Sunday to grind out a 35-26 win over Nevada, but the team’s punter had been waiting the entire season to earn an important accolade. The Mountain West named junior Corey Bojorquez as the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Week, after he averaged 52.8 yards on four punts in Saturday’s game. Nevada’s return game was essentially eliminated. Three punts weren’t returned, and Bojorquez unleashed a 66-yard bomb to pin the Wolf Pack at their own 4-yard line when the team sold out to block a punt in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

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Football: Lobos eligible to go bowling for second straight year

Robert Maler | November 6

“These guys’ goal is to play Sunday football, right? Well, those college kids — they got to do it.” Head coach Bob Davie had that to say after New Mexico football (6-3, 4-1 MW) played into the wee hours of Sunday morning after a lightning delay to snare a 35-26 victory over Nevada (3-6, 1-4 MW) at University Stadium. Davie said it seemed like the first half was “yesterday,” due to the time he made the comment. The late start time resulted in the first half ending near 10 p.m., as the teams played to a 14-14 draw.

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Football: Lobos beat Nevada for first 4-game win streak since 2004

Isabel Gonzalez | November 6

It was going to take more than a little rain and lightning to stop the Lobos from achieving the win that would make them bowl-eligible for the second year in a row. New Mexico took a 35-26 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday night. Or, more accurately, Sunday morning, as the team began heading back into the locker room at 1:10 a.m. With the victory, the Lobos are now 6-3 overall, 4-1 in Mountain West Conference play. They are also on a four-game winning streak for the first time since 2004. New Mexico is tied for second place in the conference with Boise State, just one game behind the first place team, Wyoming.

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Football: Lobos look to even the score against Nevada

Robert Maler | November 3

New Mexico football has an opportunity to earn bowl eligibility for the second year in a row as it hosts Nevada at University Stadium on Saturday night. The Lobos (5-3, 3-1 MW) hope to avenge a 35-17 loss that the Wolfpack (3-5, 1-3 MW) dealt them last season, one that head coach Bob Davie said is still etched in his memory. The team is riding a three-game winning streak after outlasting Hawaii 28-21 on Saturday, but the head coach said he isn’t even considering looking at the scope and impact of what four in a row could mean for the program. “What happened last year in Reno, Nevada was personal — they whipped us,” Davie said. “Nothing matters other than playing this game this week.”

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Football: UNM wins in Hawaii for first 3-game win streak since 2007

Robert Maler | October 30

The New Mexico defense shined in Saturday’s 28-21 triumph over Hawaii, scoring late in the game to preserve the win and give the Lobos their first three-game winning streak since 2007. The defense finished the game the way it started — by making a stop on fourth down to kill a Hawaii drive.

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Football: Lobos look for first 3-game win streak in almost a decade

Robert Maler | October 26

New Mexico football has a chance to do something Saturday in Hawaii that it hasn’t achieved in nearly 10 years — win three consecutive regular season games. The last time the Lobos won three in a row was the 2007 season, under head coach Rocky Long. The team actually accomplished the feat twice that season, en route to a 9-4 record. That’s not to say this team hasn’t experienced some recent success. The Lobos won seven games last season and had the Mountain division title in its reach until almost the very end. This season, New Mexico (4-3, 2-1 MW) is back over .500 and will showcase its best-in-the-nation rushing attack in the 10:00 p.m. (MT) road game against Hawaii (4-4, 3-1). The Lobos have won the last six meetings between the schools, including a 28-27 victory last season.

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Football: Lobos pull together for rout over LMU

Robert Maler | October 23

The Lobo football team finally got solid play — and scores — in all three phases of the game as the team recorded eight touchdowns from eight different players en route to a 59-17 thumping of Louisiana-Monroe Saturday at University Stadium. Junior cornerback Jadon Boatright, who has logged limited minutes this season due to a turf toe injury, proved he is back as healthy as ever, and made an immediate impact in the game on defense.

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Football: All three teams contribute to scoring in romp

Robert Maler | October 23

Those who worried about New Mexico football stumbling in a “trap” game didn’t need to do so. The Lobos scored on their first offensive — and defensive — possessions and never looked back in a Saturday night win against Louisiana-Monroe. The defense hadn’t created a turnover since game four of the season against San Jose State, an Austin Ocasio interception return for touchdown in a 48-41 win.

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Football: Lobos aim to drive their record above .500

Robert Maler | October 19

New Mexico football looks to get back over .500 for the first time since it won the home opener — and win back-to-back games for the first time this season — when it takes on Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday New Mexico (3-3, 2-1 Mountain West) will host the Warhawks(2-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) at University Stadium, in a non-conference match nestled between eight Mountain West contests. The outcome could have big implications as the Lobos try to take another step toward becoming bowl-eligible, while also trying to avoid looking ahead to the next opponent.

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Football: Big day on kick returns gives UNM freshman Player of the Week honors

Robert Maler | October 18

In his first game taking the reins on kickoff returns, UNM freshman Elijah Lilly put up more return yardage in one game than anyone else has for the season. And it didn’t go unnoticed, as his performance has garnered him Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week honors. New Mexico outlasted Air Force 45-40 on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in large part due to timely kickoff returns by Lilly that set up vital scoring drives for the Lobos.

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Football: Defense ups its game to secure the win

Robert Maler | October 16

New Mexico (3-3, 2-1 MW) got back to the .500 mark by staving off a late comeback from Air Force (4-2, 1-2 MW) Saturday in a Texas shootout at the Cotton Bowl, escaping with a 45-40 victory. It’s hard to praise a defense that surrendered 40 points to an opponent, but the Lobos managed to clamp down when it mattered. UNM’s defense got burned again by some big plays, but came up huge in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.