2008 New Mexico Lobos - Recruiting Class

2008 New Mexico Lobos Head Coach: Rocky Long

New Mexico Lobos

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Bryant Williams WR 5-11 180 Soph-Tr Edina, Minn. (Coffeyville CC)
Transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College who enrolled at UNM in January...a redshirt in 2006 so Williams has three years of eligibility remaining at UNM...a team-high 14 catches for 192 yards and 1 TD for the run-oriented Red Ravens in 2007...also 2 rushes for 36 yards, and he returned punts and kickoffs...played for head coach Jeff Leiker

Potential Instant Impact Players

Joe Harris LB 6-2 215 Fr-HS Denver, Colo. (George Washington HS)
All-state linebacker last fall when he totaled 139 tackles, 14 sacks, 6 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries...a three-year starter at linebacker and running back for head coach Steve Finesilver...returned 2 interceptions and a fumble for TDs...also 1,300 yards rushing

Ben Contreras OL 6-2 300 Jr-Tr Pleasanton, Calif. (City College of San Francisco)
Transfer who enrolled at UNM in January...All-America offensive lineman for the junior college national champions...the Rams finished 12-1, including a 31-28 victory over Mt. San Antonio in the California State championship game...it's CCSF's fifth national championship...played for head coach George Rush...has a redshirt year available

Rest of the Class

Edrick Boger	5-11	170	DB	Dallas, Texas (North Mesquite HS)
A.J. Butler	6-1	195	RB	St. Petersburg, Fla. (St. Petersburg Catholic HS)
Jake Carr	6-3	240	DL	Murrieta, Calif. (Vista Murrieta HS)
Ben Contreras	6-2	300	OL	Pleasanton, Calif. (City College of San Francisco)
Nathan Enriquez	5-10	180	DB	Las Cruces, N.M. (Mayfield HS)
Karlin Givens	6-3	295	OL	Ridgeland, Miss. (Holmes CC)
Tray Hardaway	6-0	215	LB	Olive Branch, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Joe Harris	6-2	215	LB	Denver, Colo. (George Washington HS)
B.R. Holbrook	6-3	175	QB	Stevenson Ranch, Calif. (Hart HS)
Mark Hunter	6-2	235	DL	Spring, Texas (Klein Oak HS)
Rufus Johnson	6-5	230	DL	Dallas, Texas (Spruce HS)
Ty Kirk	6-2	180	WR	Arlington Heights, Ill. (Rolling Meadows HS)
Jonathan Mader	6-4	200	QB	Albuquerque, N.M. (Cibola HS)
Andre McQueen	5-11	175	WR	Dallas, Texas (Pinkston HS)
Maurice Mears	6-4	295	OL	Miami, Fla. (Rock Valley College)
Spencer Merritt	6-2	205	LB	Aurora, Ill. (Waubonsie Valley HS)
Lucas Reed	6-6	215	TE	Tucson, Ariz. (Sabino HS)
Carmeiris Stewart	6-3	190	WR	Apopka, Fla. (Apopka HS)
Joe Stoner	5-11	215	DB	Midwest City, Okla. (Carl Albert HS)
Joshua Taufalele	6-2	320	OL	San Jose, Calif. (Foothill College)
Bryant Williams	5-11	180	WR	Edina, Minn. (Coffeyville CC)
Freddy Young	5-11	180	DB	Las Cruces, N.M. (Mayfield HS)

- 2007 UNM Season
- 2007 UNM Preview
- 2006 UNM Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 9-4

Sept. 1 at UTEP L 10-6
Sept. 8 NMSU W 44-34
Sept. 15 at Arizona W 29-27
Sept. 22 Sacramento St W 58-9
Sept. 29 BYU L 31-24
Oct. 13 at Wyoming W 20-3
Oct. 20 at S Diego St W 20-13
Oct. 25 Air Force W 34-31
Nov. 3 at TCU L 37-0
Nov. 11 Colorado St W 26-23
Nov. 17 at Utah L 28-10
Nov. 24 UNLV W 24-6
New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 22 Nevada W 23-0

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Could the New Mexico Bowl win over Nevada be the catalyst for bigger and better things? There was an ugly cloud over Rocky Long and his inability to come up with a post-season victory, but that's gone. The pass defense that finished 20th in the nation gets three starters back in the secondary, while the offense gets the backfield back with QB Donovan Porterie and RB Rodney Ferguson a dangerous veteran duo.
Why to be grouchy: The Lobos won't easily replace the First Team All-Mountain West receiving tandem of Travis Brown and Marcus Smith, while four starters are gone off the offensive line. If that wasn't enough, the defensive line loses ends Michael Tuohy and Tyler Donaldson, while all three linebackers are gone.
The number one thing to work on is: Scoring. Even with all the talent at the skill positions, and even with a huge, veteran line, the offense got worse as the season went on averaging a mere 17.2 points per game over the last five. Take the 58 points against Sacramento State out of the mix, and the Lobos put up only 22 points per outing.
Biggest offensive loss: WRs Marcus Smith & Travis Brown
Biggest defensive loss: DE Tyler Donaldson
Best returning offensive player: RB Rodney Ferguson, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: CB DeAndre Wright, Sr.

2007 Recap
Recap: Sparked by a senior-drenched lineup, New Mexico won nine games for the first time in a decade and a bowl game for the first time since 1961, suffocating Nevada in the New Mexico Bowl.  Typical of a Rocky Long-coached team, the catalyst for the Lobos’ success was an experienced defense that yielded just 319 yards and 19 points a game.  Had the sporadic offense not disappeared in four losses, averaging just 10 points in those games, New Mexico might have challenged for a Mountain West championship.               

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Rodney Ferguson

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Tyler Donaldson

Biggest Surprise: The Lobos had lost nine in-a-row to Pac-10 opponents, six under Long, before upsetting Arizona on Sept. 15 in Tucson.  Despite giving up a ton of yards through the air, the New Mexico aerial connections of Donovan Porterie to Marcus Smith and Travis Brown were up to the challenge, hooking up 21 times in a two-point, springboard victory for the school.    

Biggest Disappointment: Seemingly peaking as October became November, the sizzling Lobos got annihilated by TCU, 37-0, in their worst game of the season.  Nothing went right for New Mexico, which allowed 421 balanced yards to a bad Frog offense, while managing just 119 yards and six first downs when it had the ball.

Looking Ahead: The majority of last year’s top performers, including six all-league first teamers, are out of eligibility, so Long could be rebuilding in 2008.  He’ll do so around Ferguson, Porterie, and a secondary that boasts capable corners DeAndre Wright and Glover Quin.

Dec. 22
New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico 23 ... Nevada 0
New Mexico blew past Nevada with 548 yards of total offense, while the defense allowed a mere 210. Marcus Smith took a pass 66 yards for a score on the third play of the game, and Travis Brown caught a 39-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter. John Sullivan was the Lobo scorer the rest of the way with a 53-yard field goal, a 45-yarder and a 37-yard kick. The Lobo defense never let the Wolf Pack offense get close allowing just 73 rushing yards and forced 11 punts. The two teams combined to convert a mere six of 26 third down chances.
Offensive Player of the Game: New Mexico QB Donovan Porterie completed 20 of 36 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Defensive Player of the Game: Nevada LB Joshua Mauga made 11 tackles, forced a fumble and made a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Nevada - Passing: Colin Kaepernick, 13-31, 137 yds
Rushing: Luke Lippencott, 10-40. Receiving: Marko Mitchell, 6-96
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 20-36, 354 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Paul Baker, 22-167. Receiving: Travis Brown, 7-120, 1 TD
Thoughts and Notes ... New Mexico won its first bowl game since the 1961 Aviation Bowl, and Nevada was shut out for the first time since 1980 and a span of 329 games. ... Nevada got badly outprepared and badly outcoached. The Wolf Pack attack never established any sort of consistency, while the offensive line had a nightmare of a time in pass protection. Will this game serve as a motivating factor for next year? The pieces are in place to be far better, and far more consistent. ... New Mexico might have been missing top RB Rodney Ferguson, but WRs Marcus Smith and Travis Brown turned their games up a notch, and QB Donovan Porterie came up with his best performance as a Lobo. Now the bowl monkey is off the program's back, and it'll be interesting to see if this turns into a confidence-builder in the Rocky Long era. ... Considering there was probably going to be a quarterback battle going into 2008 anyway at Nevada, Colin Kaepernick's 13 of 31, 137-yard game opened things up even more. He hardly staked his claim to the full-time job.

Nov. 24
New Mexico 27 ... UNLV 6
New Mexico overcame four turnovers and 11 penalties with a great defensive performance holding UNLV to just two first half field goals. The Lobo offense overcame a 6-3 deficit with a 63-yard Marcus Smith touchdown catch, a 26-yard Travis Brown scoring dash and a one-yard Rodney Ferguson run as part of a 24-0 scoring run to close out the game. The two teams combined for 21 penalties. Beau Bell made 15 tackles and forced a fumble for the Rebels.
Player of the game: New Mexico WR Marcus Smith caught eight passes for 130 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: UNLV - Passing: Travis Dixon, 14-38, 135 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Frank Summers, 17-48. Receiving: Ryan Wolfe, 7-68
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 18-32, 199 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 24-117, 1 TD. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 8-130, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Against UNLV, the Lobos didn't do anything special offensively and made a slew of mistakes, but the defense pitched a near perfect game making it a blowout over the final 40 minutes. Now it's a case of watching and waiting for a possible bowl bid. At 8-4, the Lobos certainly have a strong enough record to find its way into a 13th game, but it can't go to the New Mexico Bowl after playing in it last year, and it has to hope some other openings could be there with six wins teams certain to be nervous about being bounced out.

Nov. 17
Utah 28 ... New Mexico 10
Utah took advantage of four New Mexico turnovers with Koa Misi returning a fumble 28 yards for a score, and Brian Johnson connecting with Derrek Richards for a seven-yard touchdown to pull away in the second half. New Mexico mounted a comeback in the third quarter on a two-yard Rodney Ferguson run and a 22-yard John Sullivan field goal, but the fumbles proved critical. The Utes held the Lobos to just 279 yards of offense.
Player of the game: Utah S Steve Tate made ten tackles and a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Utah – Passing: Brian Johnson, 16-27, 165 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Darrell Mack, 24-77, 1 TD. Receiving: Bradon Godfrey, 6-77, 1 TD
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 18-41, 198 yds
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 19-51, 1 TD. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 6-64
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The schizophrenic season continues for the Lobos playing well off and on and not being consistent from one week to the next. Rodney Ferguson and the running game has to work to beat teams like Utah, and there can't be the turnovers to kill drives like there were this week. Donovan Porterie has to be more efficient and needs to handle a pass rush a little better at this point in the season. This is a far better team than UNLV, but the playing field will be evened next week if the mistakes continue.

Nov. 10
New Mexico 26 ... Colorado State 23
For the second year in a row, New Mexico beat Colorado State on a last second kick, getting a 43-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. Sullivan also nailed shots from 46, 39 and 34 yards out, while Donovan Porterie threw two first half touchdown passes. The Rams kept pace helped by a 172-yard rushing day from Gartrell Johnson and Johnny Walker touchdown catches from 64 and 31 yards out.
Player of the game: New Mexico QB Donovan Porterie completed 21 of 29 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, and PK John Sullivan connected on field goals from 34, 39, 46 and 43 yards out.
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Caleb Hanie, 13-19, 221 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 31-172. Receiving: Johnny Walker, 7-177, 2 TD
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 21-29, 211 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 20-110. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 9-83, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Lobos played well against Colorado State getting an efficient day from Donovan Porterie, great kicking from John Sullivan, and big plays, from the special teams and defense, particularly from O.J. Swift, to stay in the hunt for a bowl bid. The run defense could stand to be stronger, but after a dud of a game in the shutout loss to TCU, this was a nice win to get back on track before dealing with the trip to Utah.

Nov. 3
TCU 37 ... New Mexico 0
TCU's defense was stunning, keeping New Mexico to 28 rushing yards, 119 yards of total offense, and allowed just two of 16 third down conversions, while the offense had few problems, getting two Andy Dalton touchdown passes and three Chris Manfredini field goals. Rafael Priest picked up a fumble for a 13-yard score, and Marcus Jackson connected with Marcus Brock for a seven-yard score. TCU held on to the ball for 36:52.
Player of the game: TCU RB Joseph Turner ran 28 times for 115 yards.
Stat Leaders: New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 7-23, 76 yds
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 13-28. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 4-39
TCU - Passing: Andy Dalton, 11-18, 149 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Joseph Turner 28-115. Receiving: Ervin Dickerson, 3-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's vital the Lobos get over the drubbing against TCU right away and not let Colorado State pull off the upset next week. Nothing worked for the Lobos in the type of clunker game that happens every once in a while when a superior defensive team steps up its intensity and play. This can't be a trend. Work still needs to be done to secure a bowl bid, and winning two of the last three games would do that.

Oct. 26
New Mexico 34 ... Air Force 31
Rodney Ferguson ran 41 times with two short touchdown runs, and John Sullivan connected on four field goals as New Mexico took advantage of five Air Force fumbles to pull off the win. The Falcons got four touchdown runs, including two from Chad Hall, but they turned the ball over on three of their final four drives. The Lobos held on to the ball for 34:40 and turned it over two times.
Player of the game: New Mexico RB Rodney Ferguson ran 41 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for 15 yards
Stat Leaders: Air Force - Passing: Shaun Carney, 11-18, 110 yds
Rushing: Chad Hall, 21-97, 2 TD. Receiving: Chad Hall, 6-66
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 16-28, 169 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 41-146, 2 TD. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 7-84
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's not like the Lobos played all that well against Air Force, turning it over twice, committing eight penalties to two, and converting just four of 18 third down chances, but they got the turnovers late and took advantage of most of the opportunities. With a road trip to TCU coming up, this was a huge win to get in a great position to finish second in the league pecking order behind BYU. To get through the final month, Rodney Ferguson has to rest up after getting 42 touches. If he's not the best player in the Mountain West this year, he's the most valuable.

Oct. 20
New Mexico 20 ... San Diego State 17
San Diego State appeared to be on the way to the win after QB Kevin O'Connell scrambled for a first down, but he fumbled, and the Lobos took advantage. Down four, they marched 65 yards in eight plays with Rodney Ferguson scoring on a six-yard run with 15 seconds to play to get the win. O'Connell ran for scored from one yard and 23 yards out, while the Lobos got in the end zone on a 25-yard Travis Brown catch with 11 seconds to play in the first half.
Player of the game: New Mexico WR Travis Brown caught seven passes for 119 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Kevin O’Connell, 18-26, 133 yds
Rushing: Kevin O’Connell, 11-82, 2 TD. Receiving: Vincent Brown, 9-58
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 18-35, 239 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 24-78, 1 TD. Receiving: Travis Brown, 7-119, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Just win and move on. San Diego State had New Mexico beaten, but a huge play from the defense, a crisp drive, and a last-second Rodney Ferguson touchdown run kept the Mountain West title hopes alive. Now come the big tests against Air Force and on the road to deal with TCU and Utah over the next month. The running game has to kick in again. New Mexico can't keep playing with fire, and it needs Ferguson to be a 100-yard back on a consistent basis.

Oct. 13
New Mexico 20 ... Wyoming 3
In the snow and sloppy weather, with a midgame delay, New Mexico dominated after the break with a 63-yard Travis Brown touchdown catch at the end of the first half, and then controlled the second on a two-yard Ian Clark fumble recovery for a score and John Sullivan's second field goal of the game. The Cowboys only came up with 238 yards of total offense and a 26-yard Billy Vinnedge field goal.
Player of the game: New Mexico S Ian Clark made eight tackles and recovered a fumble for a touchdown
Stat Leaders: New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 12-21, 191 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 26-89. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 5-75
Wyoming - Passing: Karsten Sween, 18-28, 176 yds
Rushing: Devin Moore, 12-30. Receiving: Michael Ford, 5-58
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Thanks to the bad weather, New Mexico came up with a huge win over Wyoming to make a statement in the Mountain West race. The offense wasn't great, but it couldn't be in the sloppy conditions and against the UW defense. The run defense shut down the Cowboy running game, and the secondary never allowed the big pass play to turn things around. Now the key will be staying focused at San Diego State, while hoping BYU starts to slip. It's all Mountain West the rest of the way out, and UNM will be a player.

Sept. 29
BYU 31 ... New Mexico 24
Max Hall threw two touchdown passes, highlighted by a 59-yard play to Austin Collie in the third, but it took a ten-point fourth quarter to put the Lobos away. Rodney Ferguson did what he could to carry New Mexico, scoring on a second quarter one-yard run, and in the third quarter, on a five-yard run, and then two minutes later, he took a pass 71 yards for a score. Hall connected with Dennis Pitta for a 14-yard score, and Mitch Payne hit a 22-yard field goal, while the Lobos were only able to crank out a 43-yard John Sullivan field goal in the fourth. BYU LB Bryan Kehl opened the scoring with a 36-yard interception return in the first two minutes.
Player of the game: BYU LB Bryan Kehl made nine tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: BYU - Passing: Max Hall, 18-40, 251 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Harvey Unga, 22-56. Receiving: Austin Collie, 4-98, 1 TD
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 20-38, 231 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 22-87, 2 TD. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 7-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The run defense did a nice job against BYU, and the secondary kept Max Hall from getting into a groove, but five turnovers ruined any hope of coming up with a win and making a statement in the Mountain West race. With four road games in the next six, this was a win the Lobos desperately needed to have, and while it played well, and Rodney Ferguson was tremendous, the mistakes proved too costly.

Sept. 22
New Mexico 58 ... Sacramento State 0
In a game even uglier than the final score, New Mexico held Sacramento State to 104 yards of total offense, including 27 passing yards, and got four rushing touchdown from Rodney Ferguson to go along with a 24-yard Travis Brown scoring grab. John Sullivan added field goals from 36, 30 and 37 yards. Lobo backup Bryan Clampitt came in and completed all six of his passes for 38 yards with a touchdown pass to Jonathan Brooks.
Player of the game: New Mexico RB Rodney Ferguson ran 18 times for 129 yards and four touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Sacramento State - Passing: Jason Smith, 3-7, 18 yds
Rushing: Travon James, 18-33. Receiving: Phillip Perry, 3-8
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 19-26, 229 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 18-129, 4 TD. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 7-69
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Does New Mexico feel better about itself now? Coming off the big win over Arizona, the Lobos had the layup against Sacramento State, and they took full advantage of the situation by getting all the parts working, and getting the backups some good time in the fourth quarter. The offensive line dominated, and now it needs to continue the momentum into the big game with BYU. If the offense is as balanced as it was this week, the Lobos could actually pull off the win and become a major factor in the Mountain West title race.

Sept. 15
New Mexico 29 ... Arizona 27
In a weird and wild game, New Mexico and Arizona combined for 773 passing yards with three different Wildcat receivers going over the 100-yard mark and the Lobos getting 100-yad days from Marcus Smith and Travis Brown. Arizona held a 13-7 lead late in the first half, when Brown made a 38-yard touchdown grab with three seconds to play, sparking a 21-point run that ended late in the third quarter on a 23-yard Smith scoring grab. The Wildcats kept it close in the fourth on two Mike Thomas touchdown catches to pull within two, but a final chance was snuffed out by an interception. Arizona last two fumbles in the end zone, with both recovered by O.J. Swift.
Player of the game: New Mexico WR Marcus Smith caught 11 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Arizona - Passing: Willie Tuitama, 30-53, 446 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Jennings, 11-41. Receiving: Michael Thomas, 7-127, 2 TD
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 29-41, 327 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 26-94. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 11-164, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Lobo secondary has been ripped apart over the past two weeks, but to be fair, New Mexico State and Arizona throw and throw some more. Even so, the D did a tremendous job against the Arizona running game, and it forced the devastating turnovers when it needed them. The defensive front didn't generate enough pressure, allowing Willie Tuitama way too much time to operate. With BYU coming up soon, the Lobos need to work on getting into the backfield this week against Sacramento State.

Sept. 8
New Mexico 44 ... New Mexico State 34
The two teams traded offensive punches all game long when New Mexico finally broke the game open in the fourth quarter on a one-yard Rodney Ferguson touchdown run. a field goal and a 26-yard Chris Mark touchdown catch gave the Lobos some breathing room, but it was a deflected pass into the hands of Frankie Solomon that sealed NMSU's fate. Chase Holbrook and Chris Williams hooked up for touchdowns from 38, nine and four yards out, while New Mexico kept pace all game long helped by two Donovan Porterie touchdown passes and two Ferguson touchdowns. The two teams combined for 1,077 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: New Mexico QB Donovan Porterie completed 17 of 24 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: New Mexico State - Passing: Chase Holbrook, 47-63, 473 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Tonny Glynn, 10-92. Receiving: Chris Williams, 10-120, 3 TD
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 17-24, 342 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 26-118, 2 TD. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 6-128
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Lobos can exhale now. New Mexico State pushed and pushed and pushed, but the balance of the Lobo offense, and a flawless day from QB Donovan Porterie, were enough to get by in a hard-fought, must-have win. The Lobos need to keep getting big games out of their offensive stars, and the defense has to do even more to create turnovers when Porterie isn't on. This is a talented team that just needs to find some overall consistency game in and game out.

Sept. 1
UTEP 10 ... New Mexico 6
New Mexico outgained UTEP 379 yards to 195, but the Miners got the one big play it had to have with a 36-yard Terrell Jackson touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Miner defense held, as hit had all game long allowing  John Sullivan field goals from 20 and 40 yards out. UTEP scored first on the game's opening drive on a 51-yard Jose Martinez field goal.
Player of the game: UTEP S Quintin Demps made 17 tackles with two tackles for loss and broke up a pass
Stat Leaders: UTEP - Passing: Trevor Vittatoe, 6-21, 59 yds
Rushing: Terrell Jackson, 11-70, 1 TD. Receiving: Jeff Moturi, 3-22
New Mexico - Passing: Donovan Porterie, 25-39, 190 yds
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 32-128. Receiving: Marcus Smith, 11-77
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... New Mexico held on to the ball fro 38:23 against UTEP. Outgained the Miners 379 yards to 195, didn't turn the ball over, and got 23 first downs to 12, and still lost. Rodney Ferguson ran relatively well but didn't break off many big runs, while Donovan Porterie was effective from short range. To beat New Mexico State next week, the offense has to start figuring out how to put points on the board in a hurry.