Oct. 13, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

The University of New Mexico returns home Saturday to host San Diego State. Kickoff is 4:06 p.m. Mountain Time from University Stadium in Albuquerque. The game will be televised live over The mtn., which is Channel 276 on Comcast Cable in Albuquerque and Channel 616 on DirecTV.

New Mexico has won a series-high seven straight games against San Diego State. The Aztecs' last win in the series was 17-16 in Albuquerque in 2000.

Last Saturday, UNM (3-4, 1-2 MWC) fell to No. 8 BYU 21-3 in Provo. The Lobos grabbed a 3-0 lead and trailed just 7-3 at halftime thanks to a ball-control offense and solid defensive play.

A potential turning point in the game came midway through the fourth quarter. UNM was down 14-3, but had driven inside the BYU 15-yard line. Facing a 3rd-and-11, QB Tate Smith dropped off a screen pass to Bryant Williams, who scored. However, the momentum-changing play did not stand after a late flag went against UNM offensive tackle Byron Bell for a block in the back. Television replays clearly disputed the infraction. The Lobos then failed to score on two pass attempts from the Cougar 24.

San Diego State (1-5, 0-2 MWC) lost 35-10 at home to Air Force. The Falcons' triple-option ground attack piled up 401 yards while holding the injury-riddled Aztecs to 165 total yards, including just 35 on the ground. Free safety Corey Boudreaux had a career-high 21 tackles for San Diego State.

UNM VS. SAN DIEGO STATE

New Mexico and San Diego State meet for the 35th time since the first game was played in 1953. UNM trails the series 20-14, however, the Lobos have won 7 straight, and they have also won 6 in a row at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. SDSU's last victory was 17-16 in Albuquerque in 2000. UNM has a 8-1 advantage in MWC games. The Aztecs have a 10-6 series lead in Albuquerque.

New Mexico head coach Rocky Long is 8-2 in his career against San Diego State teams, 3-2 in Albuquerque and 5-0 at Qualcomm Stadium.

MORE ON THE AZTECS

San Diego State was 4-8 last year, 3-5 in the MWC and finished in 6th place. The Aztecs return 38 lettermen and 14 starters from the 2007 team.

SAN DIEGO STATE HEAD COACH CHUCK LONG

Former Iowa QB Chuck Long is 8-22 into his third season at San Diego State. He is 0-2 against the Lobos.

LAST YEAR IN SAN DIEGO

Rodney Ferguson's 6-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds left in the game lifted New Mexico to a 20-17 victory over San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Aztecs appeared to have the game in hand when quarterback Kevin O'Connell, who had rushed for two touchdowns, scrambled for an apparent first down on a 3rd and 11 play from the Lobos' 40-yard line. However, New Mexico linebacker Herbert Felder knocked the ball out of O'Connell's hand and OJ Swift recovered for New Mexico at the Lobos' 35-yard line.

From there, quarterback Donovan Porterie directed an 8-play, 65-yard drive capped off by Ferguson's run up the middle.

Porterie finished the game completing 18-of-35 passes for 239 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Travis Brown with just 11 seconds left in the first half, tying the game at 10-10. Porterie also rushed for 16 yards including nine on the last drive.

Brown caught seven passes for 119 yards. He also drew a pass interference call on San Diego State's Aaron Moore that set up the Lobos at the 6-yard line on their game-winning drive.

O'Connell, who rushed for 82 yards and completed 18-of-26 passes for 133 yards, tied a San Diego State school record for rushing TDs by a quarterback (14) when he rambled 23 yards -- breaking a 10-10 tie with 9:17 left in the third quarter. He also had a one-yard TD run early in the second quarter after Aztecs defensive back Mantrell Fantroy picked off Porterie's pass at midfield and returned it 45 yards to the New Mexico 5.

New Mexico's John Sullivan kicked a 39-yard field goal with 13:04 left in the fourth quarter to pull the Lobos to within four points at 17-13. The teams had traded field goals in the first half with Sullivan booting a 31-yard field goal for New Mexico midway through the first quarter and Garrett Palmer kicking a 29-yard field goal for San Diego State early in the second quarter.

After San Diego State took the lead on O'Connell's second rushing TD New Mexico came back and tied the game when Porterie directed a 7-play, 59-yard drive with his 25-yard scoring strike to Brown with 11 seconds left in the first half.

TWO YEARS AGO IN ALBUQUERQUE

The Lobos clinched a berth in the inaugural New Mexico Bowl with a 41-14 win over San Diego State. Rodney Ferguson ran for a career-high 210 yards and two touchdowns and New Mexico scored 24 first-quarter points with the help of three interceptions. The Lobos dominated from the start. Ferguson scored on runs of 26 and 49 yards, consistently picked up huge chunks of yardage against the Aztecs' defense and became the eighth Lobos back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

New Mexico got an early field goal from Kenny Byrd, then scored touchdowns on three straight possessions to put away the Aztecs. San Diego State scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns after being down 41-0.

Byrd's field goal of 35 yards was his 24th straight successful attempt from inside the 40 and was set up by LB Cody Kase's interception at the Aztecs' 37.

Cornerback DeAndre Wright picked off Kevin O'Connell's pass at the San Diego State 26 and Ferguson scored on the first play. New Mexico then stopped the Aztecs on a fourth-and-1 at the New Mexico 28 and five plays later Chris Nelson tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Travis Brown.

Blake Ligon intercepted O'Connell's first pass on the ensuing SDSU possession and returned it 22 yards for a score.

LOBOS HAVE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE AMONG MWC TEAMS

According to this week's NCAA stats, New Mexico is playing the toughest schedule among the nine MWC schools. Based on past and future opposition, the Lobos' schedule has a winning percentage of .603, which is the 21st toughest in the nation and the most difficult of all non-BCS teams. Colorado State (30), Air Force (39), TCU (43) and San Diego State (47) are also in the top-50.

UNM's non-conference opponents - Texas A&M (2-4), Arizona (4-2), Tulsa (6-0) and New Mexico State (3-2) have a combuned record of 15-8.

NOTES TO KNOW BEFORE THE GAME

In their past 8 meetings, New Mexico has held the Aztecs to averages of 13.9 points, 71.3 yards rushing and 268.4 total yards...UNM has forced 17 SDSU turnovers the past 5 meetings, including 13 interceptions

San Diego State has entered the red zone 18 times against New Mexico the past 5 games, but scored just 7 times...the results are 7 TDs, 4 interceptions, 1 fumble, 3 missed field goals and 3 drives ending on downs....UNM has limited SDSU to 27.5% (25-91) on 3rd down conversions the past 7 games

The Lobos have posted shutouts in two of their last five games at University Stadium: 24-0 over Wyoming on Oct. 4 and 23-0 over Nevada in last year's New Mexico Bowl...the blanking of the Cowboys was UNM's first in a conference game in 25 years, since 35-0 over UTEP in 1983

Senior TB Rodney Ferguson continues to lead the MWC and is 24th nationally in rushing at 101.5 yards a game...a two-time all-league performer, Ferguson has 13 career 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 210 yards against San Diego State in Albuquerque in 2006...his 3,068 career rushing yards rank 3rd in the MWC record book and 4th at UNM

New Mexico had a 7-game October winning streak snapped last week at BYU...UNM head coach Rocky Long is 24-15 in October, 23-11 since 1999

The Lobos are 3rd in the MWC in rushing offense at 194.7 yards a game, and they have averaged 248 yards over the past 3 games...San Diego State is last in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 271.2 yards a game

New Mexico is also 3rd in the MWC in rushing defense, allowing 109.9 yards a game and only 98.3 yards the past 3 contests...the Aztecs are last in the nation in rushing offense at 47.3 yards a game

San Diego State is also last in the nation in time of possession, averaging just 23:42 per game

UNM has won 8 straight games decided by 3 points or less, 4 in 2007

Senior CB Glover Quin is tied for the MWC lead in interceptions (3) and passes defended (9)

Junior lobo Ian Clark leads the MWC and is 6th in the nation in punt return average at 20.3 yards...the single-season school record is 19.4 yards by Bobby Lee in 1953...Lee returned 13 punts for 252 yards

Although he has not caused a fumble in the past 2 games, senior LB Zach Arnett continues to lead the nation in that category with 4, an average of .57 a game

BYU POSTGAME NOTES

New Mexico held BYU to a season-low 21 points; the Cougars came into the game averaging 41.2 points...BYU did not score in the 1st quarter for the first time this season

The Lobos had a season-low 3 penalties for 26 yards

Senior CB DeAndre Wright

started his 37th consecutive game against BYU

had a career-high 3 pass breakups, moving into 7th place on UNM's career list with 24...2 of his PBUs came on 3rd down

thrown at 4 times in man coverage and allowed just 1 completion (3 yards)

has not allowed a long pass (15+ yards) in his last 3 games and just 3 all year

Senior RB Rodney Ferguson

24 carries for 86 yards after missing the previous 6 quarters against New Mexico State and Wyoming with a shoulder injury

4th place all-time at UNM with 3,068 rushing yards...Winslow Oliver is 3rd with 3,332 yards

is tied with Mike Williams for 4th place at UNM with 27 career rushing TDs and is 7th with 3,663 career all-purpose yards

Senior CB Glover Quin

1 PBU to tie Ray Hornfeck for 4th place all-time at UNM with 26

leads the MWC in interceptions (4) and passes defended (9)

Senior WR Jermaine McQueen

caught 4 passes for a career-high 59 yards, including a career-long 23-yard reception

Redshirt freshman QB Brad Gruner

most efficient passing game of his young career, completing 8-12 for 86 yards and 0 interceptions

rushed for 33 yards on 5 carries (6.6 avg.), including a long of 16, and was not sacked

Walk-on sophomore QB Tate Smith

saw the most playing time of his 2-game Lobo career, completing 5 of 10 passes for 60 yards in 17 plays from scrimmage

cousin of record-setting UNM QB Stoney Case (1991-94)...Smith transferred from Cisco (Texas) JC in the spring of `08

True freshman walk-on K James Aho

hit a 27-yard FG on his only attempt

now 12-15 on FGs this season, and off to the best FG start in school history by a Lobo freshman...in 1989, David Margolis kicked his 12th FG in game 10 and finished with 14

captured two MWC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in his first 5 games at UNM

Junior lobo Clint McPeek

tied his career high with 2 pass break-ups to go along with a team-high 8 tackles

career-high 6 PBUs this season

Redshirt freshman WR Michael Scarlett

started his 2nd game at UNM and caught the first 3 passes of his Lobo career for 27 yards

Senior S Blake Ligon

season-high 7 tackles and no long passes allowed

Offensive Line

UNM's five starters on the offensive line - OT Byron Bell, C Erik Cook, OT Sylvester Hatten, OG Matt Streid and OG Joshua Taufalele - have played every snap through the first 7 games of the season

3 STRAIGHT 100-YARD RUSHERS

Showing its depth at the running back position, New Mexico had three different running backs reach 100 yards on the ground in three successive games.

Senior Rodney Ferguson had 122 yards at Tulsa, which was his third straight 100-yard effort of the season. Senior Paul Baker came on for an injured Ferguson at New Mexico State and rushed for 146 yards. Against Wyoming, freshman James Wright made it a trifecta with a 120-yard effort against the Cowboys.

The last time UNM produced three different 100-yard rushers in a season was 2005: D.D. Cox, Kole McKamey and DonTrell Moore.