New Mexico Football Report

"Where do you want this killin' done ?" 
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun and have it on Highway 61"

UNM Lobos  0    Univ. Texas Longhorns  45

How do you go from scoring 66 points one week and totally dominating your opponent to scoring zero points and getting routed?.... You take a big step up in competition, that's how. Coming off an invigorating win over undermanned Southern Univ., the Lobos found themselves  overwhelmed by  the Texas Longhorns 45-0. 

And thus is the circle of life in college football, last week Southern Univ. was nailed to the cross for thirty pieces of silver and this week UNM bore the burden. Though, today it was the Lobos turn, every pissant has a foot waiting to stomp it  into mush, even the U.T. Longhorns have that coming to them.  "Southern, 'ol noble Southern.. now we know what it is to be ye"

Of course, we are well acquainted with the agony of defeat. The previous coaching regime turned getting steamrolled into a science.  But that was then and this is now, that one  victory set ablaze passions and hopes that had been dormant since midway through Mike Locksley's first season.  The sweet nectar of victory can be intoxicating and oh so deceiving.  

On a weekend when Savannah State Univ. whoring itself out in order to keep its football program solvent was big news, it's important that we keep things in perspective. On a day when we were witness to Devon Walker of Tulane Univ. being revived with CPR after a helmet to helmet collision with a teammate, let us temper our raucous enthusiasm.

It was a frightening scene on the field at Tulsa as Walker, who suffered a cervical spine fracture on the last play of the first half during a  45-10 loss to the Golden Hurricanes, was administered to by medical personnel from both teams. Devon was carted off the field into an awaiting ambulance and the game resumed, as it always does.

Then as if to drive the point home, Arkansas CB Tevin Mitchel was carted off the field after a brutal helmet to helmet collision with a teammate. Mitchel's injury came in the fourth quarter as the Razorbacks were fighting to stave off an upset at the hands of underdog Louisiana-Monroe.  Arkansas reported that his injury was "above the shoulders" We await an update.

Blood money games are a despicable though necessary part of the process.  Savannah St., a week after being on the receiving end of an 84-0 whupping at the hands of Oklahoma St. U. (who's head coach Mike "I'm a Grown Man" Gundy swore he didn't run up the score) took on Florida St. Univ., which showed some class by calling off the dogs in the first quarter.

Mercifully, the game was cut short (with the Seminoles leading 55-0) when the gods called down the thunder, forcing a prolonged weather delay and causing a cancellation of the game, to which Savannah St. did not protest.  There is no mercy rule in college football and no matter how mismatched the teams, the game must be played out, unless God intervenes.

Would you travel to Austin,Tx, in style to be feted like a prince in return for getting your bell rung?  For a million dollars and an opportunity to play in front of 100,990 fans (who weren't there to see the Lobos) Bob Davie and the Lobos couldn't say no, the future of the program depends on these televised beat downs (on The Longhorn Network no less)

The Lobos got trampled in all their gladiatorial splendor, but nobody in New Mexico got to see the game, for The Longhorn isn't available here. The fledgling network is still struggling to find cable providers to carry their package (shades of The Mtn.) Now-a-days if you ain't got your own network, you ain't shit. With the demise of The Mtn., the Lobos have no network.    

UNM is Savannah St. in wolf's clothing, better compensated for sure,  but still light years away from playing "grown man football" (a phrase used by the Georgia Bulldogs in response to Missou's taunts that Georgia plays "Old Man football") During the course of a  45-0 loss to the Texas Longhorns, the Lobos played like what they are, young men with more guts than talent.  

Lobo Qb. B.R. Holbrook left the game after a jarring helmet to helmet hit and never returned. Following the game Coach Davie said that Holbrook's injury was actually to his ribs.  Lamaar Thomas the Ohio St. transfer smitten with the injury bug, went down following a blow to the head on the second half kickoff. It's now obvious that we'll never get to see Lamaar fully healthy.

Two games into a thirteen week (without a bye) schedule and attrition is already rearing its ugly head. After Holbrook was helped to the locker room, Fr. Cole Gautsche came in and promptly threw an interception. He was 1-4 passing and also rushed for 35 yds. on 13 carries. So. transfer Quinton McCown made his Lobo debut,  completing one pass in four attempts. 

Surprisingly the game started out well for UNM, the Lobos used their triple option offense to grind out first downs and eat up the clock. However, once they sniffed the redzone, the Texas defense stiffened up. 'When we got the ball, we scored. We just couldn't get their offense off the field,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said.

Once Holbrook left the game, UNM lost any semblance of a passing attack and resorted to running the ball, even on third and long. ''When B.R. was in the game, there's no question we had some things we could do. We moved the ball well in the first half.'' said Coach Davie, who screamed for a penalty on Quandre Diggs following the hit on Holbrook. 

B.R. Holbrook better heal quickly and make it back for the Texas Tech game, or the Lobos will find themselves up proverbial shit creek without a paddle and a passing game.  In the mean time, the check is in the mail, all $1 million of it. The best we could hope for was that the Lobos could get through this game injury free.... that didn't happen. 

NMSU Aggies   24      Ohio Univ. Bobcats    51

Down 21-17 in the third quarter, The Aggies were pumped up and then quicker than you can say Gig 'em Aggies, Hook 'em Horns or Boomer Sooner, the Ohio Bobcats exploded for thirty points to bury the Aggies and their wounded knees.  Favored by 21 points and coming off a big road win over  depleted Penn State, the Bobcats did not disappoint. 

Even as Ohio started to take control following a field goal to stretch their lead to 24-17, the Aggies had a chance or as The Sun News reported "NMSU quarterback Andrew Manley missed an open Kemonte Bateman on a deep pass down the middle of the field - realistically, if the receiver was hit in stride, a touchdown would have followed"

Reality slipped away on Saturday, realistically if every receiver was hit in stride, a touchdown would result on every play. "We just have to go out and do good on every possession," Aggie Qb. Andrew Manley earnestly stated. Doing good on every possession would be a good thing, but realistically that's not going to happen, not on every play, let's keep it real. 

Ultimately, NMSU came up one half short.  Austin Franklin blocked a Bobcat field goal attempt to end the first half on a high note.  However, in the second half with the game on the line, the Aggies faded from contention. An Aggie pass picked off and returned for six and two pass interference penalties ended any realistic chance NMSU had to pull an upset. 

A record crowd of 25,893 was on hand to watch the Bobcats, who see themselves as "genuine BCS busters"  two games into the season and undefeated  still lives in Athens, Ohio. On a day which he celebrated his 68th. birthday, Ohio Univ. head coach Frank Solich kept it all in perspective  “We didn’t play perfect football, but we played good football,” said Solich.

 For NMSU good would have been good enough.  Andrew Manley echoed those sentiments "We just gotta come out in the second half and play good. That's really it," Manley said. Continuing on the good foot theme,  Aggie Head Coach DeWayne Walker  praised the Bobcats, "Ohio, could very easily win 10, 11, 12 games. This is a very good football team"

 NMSU Qb. Andrew Manley finished 12 of 24 for 132 yards with a touchdown and an int. New Mexico State averaged just 2.4 yards per carry, and finished with only 70 rushing yards. By comparison Ohio U. running back Beau Blankenship picked up 168 yds. on 27 carries. Qb. Tyler Tettleton threw for 257 yds. and 2 tds.  Ohio U. kicker Matt Weller accounted for 15 points himself. 

For NMSU, no running game, equals no passing game. They got away with it against Sac St. (who by the way, knocked off Colorado of the PAC 12 with a last second field goal) But against good teams and UTEP (next week at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Tx.) that won't cut it.  A horse, A horse, my kingdom for a horse or a fullback, halfback or anyone capable of gaining more than 1.5 yards per carry.  Ha! I've used that one before and it never gets old.