Raiders - Bears Game 11

The Raiders are winning ugly, but they're winning. The defense is always on the verge of a total collapse, but somehow they hold it together. Injuries are adding up and yet they keep winning. Three in a row and counting, a 7-4 record and sole possesion of first place in the AFC West. They need to keep winning, seeing how Tim Tebow and the reborn Donkey crew is one game back and riding a four game winning streak (that began with a road win over the Raiders) 

Up next are the Miami Dolphins, who are not the same team that started out 0-7. Miami had a three game winning streak of their own going before losing to the Dallas Cowboys on a last second field goal on Thanksgiving Day. It turns out that Matt Moore is no better or worse than Chad Henne. Tony Sparano, who was lined up for a boot out the door has some life left in him yet. What I'm trying to say is that the Fins are dangerous. 

Oakland doesn't do well in the Eastern time zone and since moving back to Oakland, their record against Miami is spotty. (they've played eleven times since 1996 with Miami winning 8 times) With Denver playing at Minnesota on Sunday, it's not likely that Christian Ponder will pull one out of his ass (a victory, that is) So, The Raiders must win at Miami, if they want to avoid falling into a tie for first place. 

Last Sunday playing at home against the Chicago Bears (who were without starting Qb. Jay Cutler) the Raider offense had trouble finding the redzone and the endzone. Oakland is now 7-4, thanks to six... count 'em... six, Sebastian Janikowski field goals. Sebastian hit from 40, 47, 42, 19, 37 and 44 yards to set a new Raider record, that he shared with Jeff Jaeger. Those 18 points were almost enough to beat The Bears, but it took a touchdown from Michael Bush in the fourth quarter to seal the deal, 25-20.

Punter Shane Lechler also had an astounding day, booting an 80 yd. punt (from kick to paydirt, no roll) that set another Raider team record. Lechler's deep punts kept Chicago's dangerous kick returner, Devin Hester frustrated throughout the afternoon. Starting for the first in his career, Caleb Hanie struggled as he threw three interceptions. However, he did rally the Bears with a late fourth quarter td pass to Kellen Davis and burned Oakland several times with long runs. I think the word is out that The Raiders can't defend the Qb. draw. Tim Tebow, Christian Ponder and Caleb Hanie all ran effectively against Oakland. 

Hanie competed 18-35 passes for 254 yds. and two td. passes. His lack of game experience showed during the final seconds. With the Bears near mid-field and out of time outs, Hanie took two steps back and appeared to fake a pass before spiking the ball. This drew an intentional grounding call, which results in a ten second run-off (there were only 4 seconds left on the clock) ending the game.

Something the Raiders didn't do during the game earned them praise, they didn't draw their usual barrage of penalty flags. It shows that someone is listening, Oakland finished with 6 penalties for 44 yds. and no personal fouls. At least that bugaboo didn't plague them, however the Raiders inability to stop their opponents on third and long came back to bite them. Caleb Hanie connected with Johnny Knox on a third and long pass play that picked up 81yards and led to the Kellen Davis td.

With so many key offensive players out with injuries, Carson Palmer made do with what he had. His steady play and cool demeanor kept Oakland on course even though they repeatedly faltered once they got past mid-field. Chicago's stingy defense had something to do with that, as did Carson's lack of options.  Palmer was 21-37 for 301 yds. he was sacked four times and threw one interception. Michael Bush rushed 24 times for 69 yds. and scored The Raiders lone touchdown.

Chester McGlockton, R.I.P.

Raider Notes:

Former Raider All Pro defensive tackle Chester McGlockton died today (Nov. 30th) of an apparent heart attack, he was just 42 years old. McGlockton was selected 16th overall by The Raiders in the 1992 draft out of Clemson Univ. Chester was selected to the Pro Bowl four times during his playing days with the Raiders. He was a defensive anchor and a fan favorite, he will always be known as a Raider first and foremost. At the time of his passing he was a defensive assistant at Stanford Univ. 

Obviously, Sebastian Janikowski's hamstring is healing. Jarvis Moss, Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford & Jason Campbell are still listed as out. Samson Satele, Richard Seymour, Denarius Moore, Taiwan Jones, Michael Huff, Lamarr Houston & Darrius Heyward-Bey are listed as questionable for the Miami game. The Raiders also signed cornerback Bryan McCann (who saw action against the Bears) and re-signed wide receiver Derek Hagan (who was cut when Oakland signed TJ Houshmandzadeh)

Michael Bush's touchdown was not only the game clincher, but it was the first fourth quarter score by The Raiders since Oct. 9th at Houston.  The six penalties for 44 yards accured by Oakland was not their season low, The Raiders had five penalties for 35 yards against the Cleveland Browns.  They still lead the NFL with 109 penalties for a total of 936 yards. We'll see if Hue Jackson's plea to league official for fairness pays off some more. 

Highlights: It's a no brainer... Sebastian Janikowski, six for six, a team record.. clutch kicks all!

Lowlights: The defense needs to do a better job of recognizing and stopping Qb. draws, third down lapses almost doomed The Raiders... again.

The Otherside: Johnny Knox 278 total yards of offense, 145 on four catches and 133 on kick returns... Devin who?

They Said It:

 “Those guys are game-changers, There’s not many punter-kicker combinations in the league … there can’t be a better one.”  Carson Palmer on Janikowski & Lechler's performance 

 “Our two kickers are fantastic,” coach Hue Jackson said. “There’s not another punter or kicker in the National Football League I would ever want to have on the football team. I said to the team when this was over, those were the two men who were here the last time this team was 7-4. Those guys have a lot to do with it. They did a tremendous job.”

“We knew coming into this game that he lacked experience but we knew that he could still make plays, as you saw in the Green Bay title game last year, We knew he still had the ability to make us look bad and come out of here with the W if we didn’t take care of business.”  Stanford Routt on preparing to face Caleb Hanie.

"I think our guys recognize that it's something that's hurt us and that we have to play with a little more focus and intelligence when it comes to doing things that could cost us" Hue Jackson on the topic of penalties.

"It's never fixed, I think Chicago was a start. It's a start for the new Raiders. I'm going to term it that way because I think it's very important down the stretch that we play as a very intelligent team."

Hue Jackson still on the topic of penalties.

New Mexico Football Report

With the Lobos sitting out a week before their season finale against Boise St., the Aggies get the spotlight this week.  NMSU's game with Louisiana Tech didn't go how Aggie nation had hoped. The game was played under a steady drizzle, that seemed to bog down the spirit and energy of both NMSU players and coaches.  The Aggies shortsighted scheduling errors finally caught up to them in a big way. The Aggies are the victims of a Catch-22, they can't finance their program without playing against schools that will physically abuse them. Yet, playing those schools kills any chance they have of competing against WAC schools 

For DeWayne Walker, the 44-0 pounding at the hands of newly crowned WAC champion, Louisiana Tech was puzzling. "I know Georgia's Georgia, BYU is a good football team, to come here and to lose like this, it is pretty frustrating," Walker said. Get real Coach!, when you're down to your third string Qb. and your defense hasn't held an opponent under 40 points since Oct. 15th. (a 31-24 win over the U. of Idaho.) what do you really expect?  I wouldn't blame Coach Walker if he's already looking to next year. "We got one left (next Saturday vs. Utah State) and we've got to find a way to finish up on a good note."  Note:*The dearth of game photos forced me to insert random football images

The new look BYU Cougars were not popular with the gals in Provo

The 2012 season will bring a new look WAC  and a chance for NMSU to compete against their conference brethren on a more level field.  For NMSU fans who haven't been following the twists and turns of college football's piranha like feeding frenzy here's a rundown. The WAC currently consists of  eight schools: Fresno St., U. of Hawai'i, U. of Idaho, U. of Nevada, NMSU, San Jose St., Louisiana Tech & Utah St.  Three current WAC schools will depart for the Mountain West Conf. starting in 2012. Fresno St., Hawai'i & Nevada will be replaced by UT-Arlington, UT-San Antonio & Texas St. Univ.- San Marcos. 

The three Texas schools compete in the FCS but are in the process of upgrading their programs to the FBS level. They will compete in all sports for both men and women.  The Univ. of Denver & Seattle Univ. will also join the WAC as basketball only schools. Conference football champ, Louisiana Tech will be the school to beat in the future. Sonny Dykes* has The Bulldogs on the right track, if they don't bolt to Conference USA, they should dominate the new WAC.  San Jose St., Utah St., NMSU & Idaho will head up the middle of the pack. All three Texas schools are wild cards, their success is contingent on how fast they get up to speed on the recruiting trail. (*Sonny Dykes was considered a candidate for the UNM head coaching job before Paul Krebs hired Mike Locksley)

In 2012 UNM and NMSU renewed their annual rivalry in throwback uniforms 

The Mountain West which includes UNM, Colorado St., Air Force, Boise St., Wyoming, San Diego St., UNLV & TCU, has become the target of Big East raiding parties. Boise St. and Air Force have held prelimary talks with that conference concerning membership. Boise St. is ready to go (Boise = The Big East, really?) but desires San Diego St. as a partner rather than Air Force. TCU had joined the Big East, but reneged and jumped to The Big 12 (the only goddamn thing that makes any sense in all this) If it all comes to pass, the MWC would have San Diego St., UNM, UNLV, Colorado St., Wyoming, Nevada, Fresno St. & Hawai'i (football only) as members.

There are far too many intangibles for Boise St. and Air Force to be hasty about moving to the Big East. Outside of  a football program that usually finishes at 7-5, Air Force would bring nothing to the Big East. Bosie St. football is just one coaching change away from returning to their Big Sky days.  Boise St.'s success on the football field has hinged on one man, Chris Petersen. It's a fucking miracle that he's still there, but it's time for big name schools to come calling. If some bug-eyed A.D. throws crazy Urban Meyer money at him, he will take the money and run. In the past decade we've seen some of college football's premier programs struggle mightily: Michigan, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida St. and that's with their advantage of big time television money and BCS tie-ins.  

By 2010, the Reserve Hs. uniforms were a bit outdated

I seem to have digressed from the NMSU Aggies' game report. La. Tech won 44-0, so you can assume that there wasn't much to say about the Aggies' effort. They stank up the stadium, and in Louisiana that's hard to do, because the entire state has an ever present stench of decay hanging in the air. Starting NMSU Qb. Matt Christian could not go at game time, so Travaughn Colwell was called upon to start. As you would expect a third stringer to do, Travaughn struggled the entire game. Simple things like taking the snap and hand-offs became troublesome, dooming the Aggies' every effort. The one bright spot on an otherwise deary day was Kenny Turner who carried the rock 29 times for 149 yds. One more game remains for NMSU against Mountain West reject Utah St., who is coming off a surprising win over Nevada. 

Plug 'em while they're warm!

Raiders- Vikings Game 10

This was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless. Once again the Raiders dominated in the first half, only to find themselves holding on for dear life in the second to beat Minnesota 27-21. The Raiders are known for their propensity to commit penalties.  This we know too well... but some of the penalties called on them raised serious doubts over whether officials are calling games fairly or not. After the game Hue Jackson stated emphatically: "I don't even know what football is right now" 

Sunday's officiating crew was not on top of its game. After a holding penalty on the Vikings, they forgot to reset the down causing a long delay as they corrected their error. Through their stumbling and bumbling, the officials basically killed the flow of the game, it was not a pretty sight. Hue Jackson who has stoically absorbed the onslaught of penalties incurred by Oakland. (103 and counting)  was fuming and edging closer to his breaking point. 

On Monday, Jackson met with league officials to plead his case and demand some answers. The Raiders were penalized 12 times on Sunday for 117 yds. This included 4 personal foul penalties. “I know everyone says we’re the most-penalized team in football and that’s a fact, and I’m not running from that,” Jackson said. “But there’s no way, some things that happened today on that football field, I question. I just do, and I have to, and I’m going to defend my team. It’s time that I do that.” 

The penalties kept several Viking drives alive and helped them rally back from a seemingly insurmontable 27-7 deficit. Some of the blame can be placed on the officials, they did a terrible job Sunday. However,  the other four fingers point right back at The Raiders, specifically the defensive unit. The stitches holding Jackson's bully defense together are starting to unravel. In every game this year (especially in the losses) the defense has lacked stamina, cohesion and  intelligence in the second half.

Minnesota got on the board first, thanks to an Adrian Peterson touchdown run, (he later went down with an ankle injury and was unable to return) This seemed to bolster the Raiders as they roared to a 20 point lead. The Raider defense kept the Vikings in check with the exception of Christian Ponder, who seemingly ran at will through Oakland defenders. That was a cause for consternation, but what the fuck! we're up by twenty and Peterson is gone.

It's never that easy. First came a scary injury to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was carted off the field with no movement in his extremities. Then the offense, after a dominating first half, ground to a halt. Christian Ponder connected with Percy Harvin for a 26 yd. td. pass to make the score 27-14. No need to panic... right? Following three consecutive Raider penalties (including a questionable personal foul called on Aaron Curry) The Vikings found themselves in the redzone, only to have their hopes dashed when Stanford Routt intercepted Ponder in the end zone.

The Raiders got the ball back and seemed to be in full control until Michael Bush fumbled in Vikings' territory allowing Minnesota to score a few plays later, now the score was 27-21 and it looked like the Raiders were fixing to choke it away. Unable to run the clock out, The Raiders gave the Vikings a final opportunity with three minutes left. But, for once the defense showed some backbone, snuffing out Minnesota's final drive. The highlight of their effort was Tyvon Branch breaking up a fourth down pass attempt to preserve the victory. 

Raider Notes:

Carson Palmer completed 17-23 pass attempts, but more importantly cashed in on a total of three Viking turnovers.  Michael Bush rushed for 109 yds. and a touchdown, however his fumble stopped what was shaping up as The Raiders' best second half drive. For the fifth consecutive game, Oakland has failed to score in the fourth quarter. After steamrolling Minnesota's defense in the first half, The Raiders were unable to sustain any of their drives in the second half.

Janikowski had a field goal blocked, he's still not right and it's starting to look like those long attempts early in the season have screwed up his form. Darrius Heyward-Bey had total movement in his limbs, but appears to have suffered a neck injury. It's highly doubtful he'll play against Chicago next week, thinning the Raiders' receiving corp even further. Oakland continues to suffer a rash of injuries, Taiwan Jones is hurt again, center Samson Satele got his bell rung (again!) Jarvis Moss injured a hamstring and Darren McFadden is still out along with Jacoby Ford.

At 6-4 Oakland still leads the AFC West division, and it's starting to shape up as a two team race with the Broncos. San Diego lost its fifth straight game and Kansas City (now without Matt Cassel) is sinking fast.  Chicago Qb. Jay Cutler suffered a season ending injury on Sunday, The Bears will start Caleb Hanie against Oakland.

Highlights: Carson Palmer continues to put 20+ points on the board everytime out, Michael Bush isn't making people forget McFadden, but he's one hell of a stand-in. Matt Giordano snagged his second crucial interception of the season, not bad for someone who was cut in training camp.

Lowlights: Defensive penalties in the second half are killing The Raiders, you can overcome them against bad teams, it'll be a different story against Chicago & Green Bay.

The Otherside: Adrian Peterson lost the shoe on his right foot as he was being tackled. This caused his ankle to roll violently, x-rays were negative.

For What it's Worth:

“We continue to battle and that’s what I really love about my football team is they won’t quit”   Hue Jackson

“It’s definitely scary, Our thoughts and prayers are with him and I know he has family watching the game. It’s a tough situation to be in.” Carson Palmer on the effect Darrius Heyward-Bey's injury had on the team.

“He’s going to be fine, I truly believe he’s going to be OK, but obviously we have to take all the precautionary measures to make sure he’s going to be OK.” Hue Jackson on Darrius Heyward-Bey's injury

 “Like Coach Jackson said, we haven’t played a complete football game yet, And it’s scary to think, when we do, what it’s going to look like.”  Carson Palmer on Raiders' potential

New Mexico Football Report

Nothing says high handed arrogance like "Do you know who I am?" a favorite of New Mexico scalawags and scoundrels. It's usually uttered when police pull them over for DUI or arrive at the scene of domestic disturbance call. Pushing your weight around is a time honored tradition in this state. Every local even remotely connected to a public figure or anyone holding elected office quickly picks up on it, including Meiko Locksley a sophomore on the UNM football squad once coached by his daddy.

The apple it seems, doesn't fall far from the tree. A security guard at the apartments where Locksley's girlfriend lives had reported hearing "yelling and slapping noises." APD officers were summoned and they arrived to find Meiko sitting in his SUV (the same one Joshua Butts drove) The vehicle smelled of marijuana smoke, although none was found in his possession. According to police officers, Locksley was "uncooperative & irate" he greeted them by yelling: "Do you know who I am?" having drawn a blank, he grew agitated and responded "I'm a Locksley, I'm a UNM football player."

Every officer on the scene who kept a straight face when Meiko said that should receive a commendation. Tossing out the Locksley name in this state won't curry much favor.  When questioned, Locksley's girlfriend stated that Meiko had not hit her and that the argument was her fault for "being mad at him" She refused to press charges because "she didn't want Locksley to get in trouble at UNM." No charges were filed and Locksley was not arrested.

That old saying comes to mind: "Good riddance to bad rubbish." The stench of arrogance and failure brought upon us by Mike Locksley still hangs heavy in the air.  Meiko Locksley has probably suited up for the last time as a Lobo, he won't be missed. Bob Davie will have his hands full when he takes over as head coach at UNM. First on the order of things: clear out losers like Meiko. In the future Lobo football won't coddle or tolerate dope smokers and woman beaters, unless they're potential All-Americans.

Bob Davie ushers in a new era for UNM football, he's a hardnosed disciplinarian with a strong work ethic. He will quickly weed out lazy, weak willed, ganja puffing slackers. "I'm taking this job for the right reasons, It is fragile here, losing takes a toll on everybody." said Davie, "I have to stabilize this program, I have to change this culture, we need to out-work and out-hustle everyone else."  In other words, get ready for the shit to hit the fan. New Mexico football is going to get a make-over like we haven't seen since the days of Dennis Franchione.  Davie plans to avoid going the juco route unlike Franchione. His plan calls for hitting the recruiting trail in New Mexico and Texas. Locksley recruited quite a few instate kids, but he came up short in Texas.

"This is a bigtime university and a bigtime city" said Davie "I love this state, it is a little different, a little quirky, it's not for everyone and that fires me up."  Davie was not on anyone's list of candidates for the UNM job, nor was anyone aware that he was seeking the position. So, after the names of Terry Bowden & Tommy Bowden had been mentioned as possible choices, his hiring caught many by surprise.  For the last ten years, Davie has been an analyst for ESPN. Since his firing at Notre Dame he had not sought out any other coaching jobs.

UNM  10    Wyoming  31

On the cold, blustry tundra of War Memorial Stadium, with game time temperatures of 27 degrees the Lobos gave new meaning to the very definition of halfhearted. One more brutal game and the Locksley/Barlow era will draw to a close. Personally, I can't slam the book shut on this nasty chapter of Lobo football fast enough. Coming off their first win of the year and only their third in three seasons, you would hope for more of an effort from UNM. Fuck it!, why go out fighting when whimpering suits you better?

This is an improved bunch of Cowboys. After Saturday's 31-10 win over UNM, they're now 7-3, and in Laramie folks are actually talking Mountain West title and bowl game... imagine that! Wyoming is the example for UNM to build on, last year after they lost to the Lobos (they would finish 3-9), their fans were ready to see Dave Christensen out on a rail. This was just one year removed from a New Mexico Bowl win over Fresno St.... Pay attention Lobo fans!, now their patience is paying off. 

When the season started Wyoming was without a quarterback. Two year starter Austyn Carta-Samuels had decided to transfer (he wound up at Vanderbilt)  His departure left Wyoming thin at quarterback, until  Freshman gem Brett Smith emerged.  Likewise The Lobos also found themselves without a quarterback after Stump Godfrey bolted for Hawai'i.  Tarean Austin was Locksley's starter, B.R. Holbrook took over when Barlow was appointed interim head coach, both quarterbacks have been less than effective. 

Against New Mexico Smith rushed 12 times for 140 yds, including one touchdown run of 69 yds. He also completed 23-38 passes for 212 yds. for a total of 352 total yards. How's that for a balanced attack? Wyoming had possession of the football for 33 minutes and was 11-17 on third down tries, not too shabby. Smith has already surpassed the Mountain West record for total offense by a freshman Qb. a record previously held by TCU's Andy Dalton (now with the Bengals)   

While New Mexico's blind man's bluff approach to defense allowed Wyoming's spread offense to run wild. UNM's offense was forced to punt five times and turned the ball over twice in the second half. The Lobos actually had the lead late in the second quarter, B.R. Holbrook capped off a touchdown drive with a five yard run, to put UNM up 10-7 (adding to a field goal by James Aho, who finally broke his streak of 5 straight misses) With 1:41 left in the first half, the Cowboys ran nine plays and scored to retake the lead at halftime.

George Barlow summed it up for UNM: “We went back to making mistakes we’ve been making, we weren’t moving the ball consistently enough to keep the defense off the field, and when the defense was on the field we didn’t tackle very well and didn’t play well on third downs.”  Which is George Barlow's way of saying that the defense amounts to nothing more than snail snot. 

NMSU 7   BYU 42

Here's the skinny: BYU's Jake Heaps made his first start since getting benched following a loss to Utah St. (Sept. 30th) Cougar starter Riley Nelson is out (presumably for the season) with broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung. Against NMSU it didn't matter, Heaps finished with 238 yds. passing and four touchdown passes as the Cougars blew out the Aggies 42-7. 

Matt Christian threw a touchdown pass to Austin Franklin for NMSU's only score, then true to form he left the game in the third quarter with an injury. Also, true to form, Travaughn Colwell came in and fumbled the ball away setting up a BYU score. It was that kind of game for the Aggies who were coming off an encouraging 48-45 win over Fresno St. (in which they racked up 500 yards of offense)  

BYU's defense is made of stronger and much older material than Fresno St. and it showed. It was Senior night in Provo, which meant that every 26 year old Zoob on the squad, herded his wifes and kids out onto the field at halftime, dragging things out and delaying the inevitable for the Aggies. Two things I noticed during this game, 1. Someone should tell the Lobos that clean living and laying off the marijuana does make you better football players. 2. I don't miss BYU in the Mountain West, they are insufferable asshats. 

Something tells me that meaningless games against Idaho, NMSU & Hawai'i in November won't help your standing in the BCS much. Being a football independent is the kiss of death (unless you're Notre Dame) Whereas BYU could once feed off their scrawny brethren in the MWC, now they're reduced to picking gristle off bleached bones. Sometimes being alone on an island just means that you're going to starve to death all by yourself.  Egads!

New Mexico Football Report

UNM 21   UNLV  14

On these rarest of days,  a glorious Saturday in November when both of New Mexico's FBS schools pulled out improbable victories, let us reflect on the young men who ultimately pay the price and suffer the slights. It was New Mexico's final home game of the year, Senior Day.  This group wraps up their careers at UNM having savored victory just seven times.  Not since the dark days of Mike Sheppard had  a graduating class departed with fewer wins.  

 These were the last of Rocky Long's recruits, young men who committed to a program that still showed flashes of promise.   To quote Mark Anderson of The Las Vegas Review-Journal: "The Rebels lost to perhaps the nation's worst major-college football team, falling 21-14 to New Mexico when Demarcus Rogers scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:15 left."  

Strike that that Mark,  if we go by who beats who, then UNLV not UNM is the worst football team in the land.  That's a title The Lobos will gladly relinquish and one that The Rebels richly deserve. This game has been penciled in as a "possible win" for the Lobos since the season started.  So, it's hard to see how Anderson or anyone else at UNLV thought that a Lobo win wasn't possible.

I think the message is loud and clear:  "We may be terrible, but overlook us and we will beat you."  College football is  a fickle bedfellow, I still think that if The Lobos had found a way to get by Colorado St. in the season opener, the entire 2011 season would have gone a lot different.  A win over an equally bad team is still a win and having gone over a year without a victory, UNM celebrated as if it were a conference title. 

The Lobos opened with a bang, as B.R. Holbrook hit Deon Long for an 80 yd. td.  barely nine seconds into the game.  That got UNLV's attention, they came right back and tied the game on  Dionza Bradford's  45 yd. td.  Not to be out done, UNM used over 8 minutes on the clock to go 80 yds, capping that long drive with a 1 yd. td. run from Demarcus Rogers.

The Lobos who had scored just 10 first quarter points all season, could have built on their lead if not for a missed field goal by James Aho and a UNLV defensive stand that stopped Holbrook cold on a  4th. and goal from the 1 yd. line.  For  Aho it was his fifth consecutive miss. The once reliable kicker has not made a field goal since Mike Locksley's final game against Sam Houston St.

After the first quarter fireworks, The Lobos and Rebels both sputtered on offense.  UNLV did not get back on the scoreboard until early in the fourth quarter when a 4 yd. td. run by Tim Cornett pulled them even at 14-14.  This set up the final series of downs that saw the Lobos pull out their unlikely win.  

With UNLV Qb. Taylor Barnhill fighting for 1st. down yardage, Lobo Middle Linebacker Carmen Messina stripped the ball away and it was recovered by UNM's Jaymar Hutchinson. From that spot the Lobos drove 34 yds for the game winning touchdown by Demarcus Rogers. The Lobo defense slammed the door shut on The Rebels to seal the victor

 "I never felt like we were in jeopardy of losing the game," UNLV coach Bobby Hauck said. "I wasn't nervous about it until we fumbled at the end." Quoting Mark Anderson again: "This loss could go down with the Rebels' 41-16 defeat earlier this season to Southern Utah as one that is nearly impossible to explain."  I can explain for you Mr. Anderson, The UNLV Rebels suck and are the new bottom feeders in FBS football.  Damn! it feels good to say that about someone else for a change. 

NMSU 48  Fresno St. 45

The Aggies and Bulldogs had faced off 17 times previous to Saturday, with Fresno St. winning all of them, usually in convincing fashion.  However, the red faced rummies of the San Joaquin valley will have to wait awhile for win #18, for this time it was NMSU that came out victorious.  In a game where no lead was safe and very little defense was played, The Aggies came out on top 48-45.  

Pat Hill is no slouch and DeWayne Walker is no Pat Hill, but this line from the Fresno Bee's report on the game is unwarranted.  "The Fresno State Bulldogs may have hit the lowest of lows on Saturday when they lost 48-45 to the New Mexico State Aggies."  This game came down to the most basic of all principals, if you score more points than your opponent, then you win every time.

Losing to the Aggies went down like a big ol' shitburger in Fresno, after all it was just two years ago that The Bulldogs were being described as BCS bowl busters. Now, the fickle gods of football have brought down the thunder and it's the 'Dogs getting busted.  Fresno St. is leaving the WAC for the Mountain West, so the bad taste will linger without any shot of redemption next year.

NMSU scored first with Matt Christian connecting with Kenny Turner for a 29 yd. td. The Bulldogs responded with a touchdown from Robbie Rouse to tie it at 7-7. Kenny Turner added another touchdown to give The Aggies a 14-7 lead before Fresno St. closed to 14-10 with a field goal.  Then things really got going, NMSU's Taveon Rogers returned Fresno's ensuing kickoff 99 yds. for a touchdown, though the Aggies missed the extra point.  Up 20-10 the Aggies couldn't keep The Bulldogs out of the end zone as Rouse scored again, this time from 20 yds. out.  The Aggies kicked a successful field goal to go in at the half up 23-17.

Fresno St. wasted no time in the second half as Jalen Saunders scored from 15 yds. out to give them their first lead of the game, 24-23.  The Aggie offense stalled and Derek Carr came right back with a 59 yd. td. strike to Saunders, Fresno was rolling 31-23.  Normally this is when the Aggies start to fold it up, but instead Kenny Turner scored his third touchdown, the Aggies added a  two point conversion to tie the game at 31-31. However, it only took Carr a few seconds to connect with Saunders again for a 69 yd. touchdown pass, pulling Fresno back up 38-31. 

The Fresno St. coaching staff will remember Kenny Turner for a long time to come. Turner  scored his fourth touchdown of the game, to tie the game at 38-38. The Aggies scored on a field goal early in the fourth quarter to retake the lead  41-38.  Fresno St. pulled back in front 45-41, on a touchdown by Robbie Rouse.  NMSU got the ball back with three minutes left to play,  Matt Christian then found Taveon Rogers for a 37 yd. touchdown pass, that would prove to be the game winner.  Fresno St. got the ball back for one last try, but three dropped passes doomed their effort.

Raiders- Chargers Game 9

The  Raiders have always been a case study in glorious inconsistency. In the NFL timing is everything, Oakland played the Broncos coming off Tim Tebow's public humiliation against Detroit. John Fox, Tebow & the rest of the Donkey crew had everything to prove and nothing to lose. K.C. came into town as the Silver & Black was in the midst of grieving Al Davis and trying to figure out how to plug in that fancy new Qb. 

The Raiders seemingly had nothing going for them before Thursday's game with San Diego. Oakland was riding a two game home losing streak (against divisional rivals) Malfeasance was starting to take root in the locker room as some players complained about playing time and the team is hobbled by injuries. Timing, however is everything and The Raiders caught The Bolts at just the right time and came away with a crucial victory.

It seems that this pundit was a little premature in ejecting the Raiders from the divisional race. It's the AFC West, and nobody other than Tim Tebow seems hungry for the title. Ah!! Mr. Tebow, I feel a need to hate him, but it's not that easy.  Even as the Raider faithful filled the stadium with chants of  "Tebow Sucks", deep down inside I knew that he would make every last one of them eat those words. Advice for Raider fans at the game, next time, let's not tease the gorilla or make Hulk angry.

The Chargers however, have problems of their own. Oakland's gutty 24-17 victory on the road, now has them on the ropes and in the throes of a four game losing streak. The Charger faithful are calling for Norv Turner's head and Marmalard (Philip Rivers) is a hollow shell of his usual smug, arrogant self. A Matt Giordano interception that kept San Diego out of the end zone was Rivers' 15th of the season (an NFL high) His fumble on the final play of the game was his 19th turnover (also an NFL high)

San Diego opened the game with Nick Novak kicking a 20yd. f.g. to cap off their opening drive, however they would go three and out on their next four possessions. Oakland got on the scoreboard on a touchdown by Michael Bush, then extended its lead on a 23 yd. Janikowski field goal. Carson Palmer then found Denarius Moore on a 33 yd. strike for a touchdown putting The Raiders up 17-3 at halftime. The Chargers came back to score a touchdown, cutting the lead to 17-10 early in the second half.  

Oakland would answer on their ensuing drive as Palmer found Moore once more for a 26 yd. score, up 24-10 the game seemed well in hand. The Raiders have been here before, just last week against Denver for instance, when the defense came up short. Raider fans are painfully aware of how fast a 14 point lead can vanish. Rivers connected with Jacob Hester for a 7 yd. td. and just like that, the noose tightened around The Raider's neck.

With just a seven point cushion between them and victory, The Raider defensive unit, did what it hadn't done since the Cleveland game, they made stops. Kamerion Wimbley came back from the dead and started making plays. Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour  manhandled San Diego's patched up offensive line and sacked Philip Rivers six times. Sure, there were still some anxious moments, but for once the defense came close to playing two full halfs of football.

Raider Notes:

Carson Palmer finished 14-20, 299 yds, two tds, 1 int. both touchdown passes went to Denarius Moore, who has suddenly become the Raider's primary receiver. Michael Bush starting in place of  Darren McFadden, rushed for 157 yds. and 1 td. Bush also caught 3 passes for 86 yds. Jacoby Ford sustained an injury in the first quarter and was helped off the field, he did not return. 

With Sebastian Janikowski still nursing a sore hamstring, the Raiders opted for a fake punt instead of a field goal try on their first drive of the game. Unlike two other successful fake punt attempts this season, this one went badly. Quentin Jammer mugged Jacoby Ford as he attempted to catch a pass from Shane Lechler. 

Up next for The Raiders are the Minnesota Vikings, now led by Qb. Christian Ponder.  The Vikings were at 2-6 before Monday's game with Green Bay. Ponder took over for Donovan McNabb who appears to have reached the end of his rope. Minnesota has fallen off dramatically, but they still have Adrian Peterson who shoulders the offensive load.

Highlights: Michael Bush, the tandem of Bush & McFadden is the best in the NFL, now if only Darren could stay healthy. Carson Palmer continues to impress me, sure he gets picked off every now and then, but he's more than a capable replacement for Jason Campbell.

Lowlights: Janikowski's nagging injury brings The Raider's kicking game back to earth.

The Otherside: Marmalard (Rivers) is a mess, Norv Turner is a mess and I couldn't be happier

For What it's Worth:

 “We had a real good rhythm going, there were some great play calls at the right time. We still have some things to get better at, but it’s just good to come into this environment and get a win.”  Carson Palmer

“I know the man, I know what he is and what we have, We haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s just warming up.” Hue Jackson on Carson Palmer

 “Obviously some of the offensive linemen went down and we smelled blood and we just went after him,” Richard Seymour on sacking Rivers six times

"After owning the first half, taking a 17-3 lead -- and the competition wasn't that close -- they started giving it back after halftime. It's as if they went into the locker room to sing camp songs and eat ice cream." Oakland Tribune staff writer

"We have a problem coming out of the locker room, I don't know what it is, but we still better figure it out."  Tommy Kelly on The Raider defense's second half struggles.

Raiders - Broncos Game 8

The Natives are growing restless, after coughing up a ten point lead and losing at home to Denver 38-24, the mood has soured in Oakland. I think we can finally put any talk of division or conference championships to rest. Let us focus on some realistic goals. Right about now a repeat of last year's 8-8 record would be considered a victory. The Raiders who after defeating Cleveland, stood at 4-2, now find themselves at 4-4 with a Thursday night game against the San Diego Chargers coming up next.

Tim Tebow was one game away from being laughed out of the NFL, lucky for him, John Fox gave him one more start against the Raiders. If any team can provide the remedy for what ails an opposing quarterback it's Oakland.  The Lions provided the game plan on how to stop Tebow. You can bet every team that plays The Broncos paid attention, except for The Silver & Black. It seems that instead of studying tape on The Lions game, The Raiders watched Denver's game with Miami, from the perspective of Miami. This doesn't say much for Chuck Bresnahan's ability to draw up a game plan for the defense.  

Against The Raiders (and Dolphins) Tim Tebow played like he's the greatest quarterback the game has ever seen (which he's not) Tim Tebow runs like the Incredible Hulk, he telegraphs his every move, whether he's running or throwing. Tim is a one trick pony, the Raiders knew he was coming at them and just couldn't stop him.  The option seemed like a foreign concept to the Raider defense, and you mean to tell me there's not one Raider defensive back faster than Tim Tebow?  I've said it before, either Tebow is sneaky fast or The Raiders were just fucking slow. 

The defensive unit has been suspect since the pre-season, their Achilles heel is now apparent, they can't stop the run. Denver rushed for 298 yds., 163 of which came from gimpy Willis McGahee,  while a plodding Tim Tebow added 117 more to the tally. The Raiders are 29th. in the league in defending the run and the worst in the AFC (5.2 per carry)  We knew this was coming, the truth is this: The Raider defense is slow and stupid, they've tried to bluff their way with imaginary speed and false bravado.  Silly mistakes and penalties have been a Raider  trademark forever, but it's time for Jackson's bully to leave those childish ways behind.

A slew of penalties kept the defense on the field. Oakland racked up 15 penalties, this after they were flagged 10 times against The Chiefs. The Raiders lead the NFL with 84 penalties, 14 more than anybody else. “Some of ‘em are just bonehead mistakes that we need to clean up,” said Richard Seymour. Up 24-14 lead well into the third quarter, Oakland seemed well in control of the game. Then the defense, which had bloodied up Tebow in the first half, went into self destruct mode and the walls came tumbling down. Denver would go on to score 24 unanswered points, and avenge their season opening loss at home to the Raiders.

Carson Palmer who at times moved like he was wearing concrete boots, threw three touchdowns passes, he would finish with 312 yds. on 18-34 attempts. Not bad for a guy who three weeks ago was practically retired and hadn't taken a single snap since last season. After wowing the crowd in the first half Palmer came crashing down to earth in the second. He threw three interceptions, two of which led to Denver touchdowns. Carson Palmer is our quarterback and he will pay dividends, although if the defense plays like it's been, then it's all for naught. Consecutive losses against bad teams, is not how you win championships. The gap between Oakland and the elite teams in the AFC grows wider every week.

Raider Notes:

Did the arrival of Carson Palmer, Aaron Curry, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the passing of Al Davis,  change the Raider's locker room chemistry? Both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Kevin Boss played sparingly against Denver. Heyward-Bey, was noticeably angry and refused to speak to reporters after the game. Houshmandzadeh contributed little to the Raider offense and at times seemed totally out of sync, but he's Carson's boy. Hayward-Bey has never been what you could call a "go-to" guy, and as an Al Davis project he could be out of the loop now. Boss coming off a concussion against the Browns, is probably better off with less playing time, at least for now.   

Taiwan Jones played a part in a strange series of plays at the end of the first half. As Denver's Matt Prater attempted a field goal from 53 yds., Jones was called for being offsides. Prater re-kicked from 48 yds. out and made the field goal, Jones however rolled into Prater's leg and was called for roughing the kicker. With :17 seconds left, John Fox took the first down instead of the points. After Denver failed to punch the ball into the endzone, Prater came on to kick a chip shot field goal and missed it.  At that point it seemed like nothing could go wrong for the Raiders.

Darren McFadden is healing slowly and probably will miss Thursday's game. Starting center Samson Satele is out with a groin injury, Stefen Wisniewski moves over to center and Joe Barksdale steps in at left guard. Sebastian Janikowski is still not healthy, his shortened follow through was painful to watch. Nonetheless he got the job done, including one gingerly booted field goal in the first half.

Highlights: Carson Palmer, his td.pass to Marcel Reese was a thing of beauty. 

Lowlights: Palmer's interceptions and a shoddy effort from the defense

The Otherside: Is Tebow that good, or is he just that good against us?  Who the fuck would have thought that Willis McGahee (who averages about 2 yds. per carry) had anything left?

For What it's Worth:

“We need to eliminate bad football, and that’s part of the bad football side of it. You won’t win a lot of games, and be where you want to be at the end of the year if we continue to do this.”

Richard Seymour

“Right now we’re not the healthiest football team so I’m sitting them down to play who?”  Hue Jackson (on Heyward-Bey & Boss not getting much playing time)

“When you lose, everybody has a reason why you lost. But when you look at it, that’s not why we lost. We lost because of penalties. We lost because we didn’t do a good enough job of taking care of the ball, and we didn’t stop the run.”  Hue Jackson 

“It’s kind of a crash course the last couple weeks, It’s like you’re jamming or cramming for a final or a test. But I just got to continue to work, continue to study, continue to have it down and learn from every opportunity I get.” Carson Palmer

“The runs were the runs that we saw in practice. We knew exactly what they were going to do and we just didn’t stop it"  Richard Seymour

New Mexico Football Report

Coming off an upset loss to Wyoming, The SDSU Aztecs went to great lengths to ward off complacency before their game with UNM  “They’re just as talented as we are.” declared SDSU defensive lineman Larry Gibbs, “They’re plenty good enough to beat us,” Rocky Long added. Whether they really meant it or not, both were right. There's a general consensus around the country that the Lobos are the worse team in all of FBS football. A loss to UNM would be catastrophic for any football program right now. None of the teams remaining on the Lobo's schedule can afford to show up unprepared against such a woefully coached opponent.

“If we fall into the trap that it’s going to be easy, we’ll be in deep trouble,” Rocky Long said. You know both Wyoming and UNLV are doing their homework, those bottom feeders can't afford to be caught napping. As for Boise St., Chris Petersen is a red assed prick with a hardon for the BCS. Scoring  a 100 points on the Lobos would certainly get them some national attention. If the football Gods had a sense of humor, the Lobos would upset Boise St. to end the season. Not that there's anything funny about the present state of college football.

The Broncos, who along with Air Force are most likely headed to The Big East next year are greedy shortsighted whores. The college game has become our national brothel, although unlike the NFL it's not the players that sell themselves, in this version of football, the university presidents, athletic directors & coaches are the repugnant soiled doves. College football epitomizes the struggle that continues in this nation, 1% controls all cash, while the other 99% get their dicks knocked into the dirt. 

UNM 7  SDSU 35

The Lobos were reacquainted with an old friend in San Diego and it's not who you might think. For the first time since the waning moments of the Nevada game the Lobos scored a touchdown. Crusoe Gongbay's 6yd. run at the end of the first half broke a long dry spell for the downtrodden Lobos. That was the highlight for UNM in a 35-7 loss to SDSU (led by former Lobo head coach Rocky Long)  The Lobos would finish with just 162 yards of total offense as they stretched their losing streak to 12 games. The Lobos who were a 35 point underdog going into the game on Saturday, have gone 2-30 since Long's sour adieu to UNM.

Loboland.com editor Dennis Latta had worried that Rocky would pour it on the Lobos. That wouldn't be the case, as the Aztecs were forced to punt on their first two drives of the game. Finding themselves still in a game this late in the first half, sparked the Lobos who drove 80 yds. for a touchdown. With the score 14-7, the Aztecs had a chance to tack on another score. With the ball at the Lobo 37yd. line, with :30 remaining, SDSU let the clock rundown to :12  without calling a timeout. Ryan Lindley's pass was caught at the  1yd. as the clock ran out. That poor clock management probably cost the Aztecs seven points and helped the Lobos beat the spread. As a betting man, I found that last sequence of events to be rather strange.

Was Rocky holding back on the throttle out of pity for his alma mater and former employer?  Though, not likely... the sparse crowd seemed to think otherwise, as they roundly booed Long & the Aztecs off the field at the break.  Attendance at kick-off  was announced at 28,362 which was a stretch to say the least. The Lobos have become turnstile killjoys, not just at home, but also on the road. The Aztec faithful should have saved their jeers, the second half belonged to them. SDSU would find it's way into the end zone three more times while shutting out the Lobos. Still, it wasn't a dominant performance against a team that ranks as the worst in all of college football.

SDSU running back Ronnie Hillman, the nations leading rusher, would gallop for 141 yds. on 29 carries including a td.  Walter Kazee had a career day (it seems the Lobos are often on the receiving end of "career days") with three short touchdown runs, that were all but gift wrapped for him.  Aztec Qb. Ryan Lindley misfired early before he found his range, burning UNM for 271 yds. passing on 16-24 attempts. SDSU showed all the characteristics of a Rocky Long team, which is to say that they were brilliantly inconsistent

NMSU  16  Univ. of Georgia 63

This is what a $900,000 ass kicking looks like, down 49-3 at halftime the Aggies never made up an ground losing by 47 points to No.18 Georgia on the road. I understand why NMSU would agree to play this game. That's a nice chunk of cash, although it seems that Aggie football won't see much of it as explained by NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker "I would love for all of that money to go to football, to be honest with you, but I don’t think that’s going to happen" NMSU Athletic Director McKinley Boston has the final say on how that money is parceled out. 

Scheduling this game proves that the current way of doing things in college football is fucked up. Money games trump everything, conference games are meaningless. NMSU isn't playing football in hopes of being competitive, they're playing to help fund the rest of their programs so they can remain a Div. 1 (FBS) school. McKinley Boston takes a check to the bank and Matt Christian's ears will ring for the rest the season.  Matt's ailing left shoulder is being held together with duct tape and spit so NMSU can field a women's equestrian  team?  As Jenna Jameson would say.... Fuck Me!

So, the Aggies got paid and The Georgia Bulldogs got to puff themselves up and strut around while whipping the college football equivalent of a special needs child. This is some sad shit and it makes me sick to my stomach. Next week the Aggies play conference foe Fresno St. to be followed by another money game against BYU. Don't expect the Zoobs to pay out like Georgia, the Aggies will be lucky to bank $400,000 from those bear trap pocket books. In actuality, I believe the Aggies are filling in as a replacement for the Lobos. BYU had to modify their schedule after they quit the Mountain West.

As for the game itself, Aggie Qb. Matt Christian left  after having his bell rung while trying to tackle Baccari Rambo following an interception.  When you're down to your 2nd. and 3rd. string Qb's, maybe you should instruct your starter not to try and tackle anyone when you're down by 40 or more points. "He’s a tough guy and he tried to get in there and make a play. He kind of got himself dinged up a little bit" said DeWayne Walker. It's easy for him to say that since he can see and think straight. It was a stupid risk on Christian's part, one that will hobble the Aggie's offense the remainder of the season.  

Aggie Fr. Qb. Travaughan Colwell came in and stayed healthy, which is a plus because he'll probably get the start against Fresno St. Colwell was 8-12 passing for 120 yds. and one td. Christian left having completed 12-24 for 156 yds. Kenny Turner returned to form for NMSU, he carried the ball 23 times for 94 yds. and he had 8 receptions for 127 yds. including both Aggie td's.  "No rest for the weary,” Walker said. “From Hawaii to Nevada to Georgia, this is like Murderer’s Row." If that's the case McKinley Boston should be arrested as an accomplice.

New Mexico Football Report

Dennis Latta, editor for Loboland.com (a UNM fan site with strong homer tendencies) went heavy with the purple prose this week: "But no one has really thought about those young men who put on their pads and go out to practice and then play every week. Maybe they are going to slaughter, but they still are going. This is a football team that could qualify for the Charge of the Light Brigade as they ride into the valley of death every Saturday." Both Grantland Rice and Lord Tennyson just rolled over in their graves. 

Let us not compare, the trials and tribulations of these football Lobos with men who sacrificed their very lives for something greater than themselves. The only slaughter this sad cast of put upon footballers will ever witness is at the training table.  Soldiers steel themselves to face death, rather than San Diego St.  College football is not life or death, it's a sleazy every man for himself cluster fuck orchestrated by greedy bastards. These selfish young men are not victims, they play football for the simple perks and prestige that come with being a varsity athlete. 

Not tho' the soldier knew, someone had blunder'd... 

The four games left on the Lobo's schedule hardly resemble a path of glory. The Lobos are not heading into Balaclava, they're merely going to San Diego to take on former head coach Rocky Long & The Aztecs. Dennis Latta, the schlockmeister that he is, seems to be talking to himself:  "We wonder how bad Boise State will run it up against New Mexico in the final game and if Rocky Long is out for revenge this week and will have SDSU keep scoring." Boise St. head coach Chris Petersen can name his number against the Lobos and I'm not sure where the Rocky Long revenge angle comes from.  

If the Aztecs pour it on the Lobos it'll be because the defense can't stop a tumbleweed rolling uphill.  

It's probably safe to say that Rocky Long doesn't carry a grudge against The Lobos, why would he? He was relatively successful at UNM, although since taking over for Brady Hoke at SDSU,  he's barely above .500. The Aztecs are coming off an upset loss to Wyoming, which Long attributes to the fact that SDSU had two weeks off prior to playing the Cowboys. According to Rocky the lack of playing time left them a step behind their opponents. Rocky Long's final game as Lobo head coach was a 70-7 shellacking of San Diego St. in 2008.   

UNM 0  Air Force 42

The Lobos have been shutout for two straight games, since George Barlow replaced the fired Mike Locksley, the offense has scored.... 7 points.  For the fifth time this season UNM lost by 40 plus points, The Lobos have now lost 11 straight. Crusoe Gongbay, a freshman and one of the bright spots for the offense this year, sounds like a man with one foot out the door. “It’s definitely different and frustrating, I thought I was coming into something that was going to be on the uplift but that isn’t the case.” said Gongbay who led the Lobos in rushing with 10 carries for 63 yds.

The nuts and bolts came down to this: The Lobos did have a couple of opportunities to score, however James Aho missed easy field goals from 30 and 40 yds.   Air Force scored touchdowns on it's first two possessions. UNM muffed a punt and The Falcons scored again. At halftime Air Force was ahead 35-0, and this was without starting Qb. Tim Jefferson who was injured in the first quarter. Connor Dietz stepped in and rushed 6 times for 87 yards,  including a 39 yd. td. dash. Mike DeWitt had a career day against the Lobos scoring four rushing touchdowns. Air Force, as a team had 335 rushing yards.

“Everyone is mad” said Crusoe Gongbay, “Mad after every game.” That includes the fans, or at least the ones that haven't moved on to basketball already. Loboland.com's Dennis Latta prophetically writes: "Obviously, a new head coach will try to turn the program around next year." Locksley got $700,000, the new coach will get more than that. I say that $800,000 to $1,000,000 should at least get us a few feeble tries. But, it won't happen with this current group of players, this bunch is beyond redemption. “We went into the game thinking we’d like to have a lot better effort than we had last week” George Barlow said.  Once again, We (the fans) didn't get it.

NMSU  34  Nevada 48

The schedule certainly doesn't favor The Aggies. After a long trip to Hawai'i they returned home to face off against a resurgent Nevada Wolfpack.  Behind the stellar play of Qb. Matt Christian the Aggies came out smokin' and caught the Wolfpack on their heels. Christian threw for 315 first half yards and connected with WR Taveon Rogers six times for 177 yds. and two touchdowns. As they headed into the locker room up 27-20, Aggie fans were grinning like a dirt farmer on the day his government subsidy check comes in.

However, they play two halves in football, and once Matt Christian aggravated a nagging left shoulder injury, the momentum shifted. Nevada Qb. Cody Fajardo who scored on four rushing touchdowns, tied the game at 27-27 with a six yard run in the third quarter. He quickly added another touchdown to give Nevada the lead for good at 34-27. The Wolfpack used their gang of four backs to rip through the Aggie defense, Fajardo, Mark Lampford, Mike Ball & Stephon Jefferson ran at will  against NMSU racking up 374 yds. on 48 carries total. 

The Aggies, who's running game consists of Kenny Turner, rushed 29 times for 48 yds. This broke Turner's streak of four games with 100 yds.+ rushing. With no ground attack to speak off, The Aggies were forced to drop back and pass on most downs. Making Christian an easy target for Nevada's aggressive defense. Nevada would sack him three time and then add insult to injury, by picking off three of his passes. 

On the Aggies  inability to stop Cody Fajardo from scoring, Teddy Feinberg sports scribe for The Las Cruces Sun-News overstated the obvious: "Fajardo scored four touchdowns on the evening - all on the zone-read run to the outside, a play the Aggies defended OK for much of the night until the Wolf Pack got on the goal line." Damn! those pesky goal lines. Cody Fajardo has now had career days against both UNM and NMSU, making him more feared in this state than a prolonged drought. 

The busted up Aggies now stupidly break from their conference schedule to travel all the way to Athens, Ga. for a game with Georgia.  NMSU also has a non-conference road game with BYU coming up. Even for a school like NMSU that's willing to go on the road and get throttled for cash, that's bad scheduling.  Boston McKinley or is that McKinley Boston? (I always forget, and I'm a card carrying Aggie) is to blame for these suicide missions, per shame!