LIDOakaLJT
10-15-2007, 10:22 AM
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/oct/15/university-new-mexico-lobos-ready-rumble-san-diego/
University of New Mexico Lobos ready to rumble with San Diego State
Andy Carpenean/Associated Press
Monday, October 15, 2007
The San Diego State Aztecs are the Porsches, the Corvettes, the Ferraris of the Mountain West Conference.
The Aztecs are sleek, fast, muscular, shiny. They run pass routes like a BMW purring along the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Aztecs are pretty boys, Hollywood leading men, Pac-10 wannabes stuck in a Mountain West Twilight Zone.
And they are about to run into their worst nightmare.
The bump in the road for the SDSU Aztecs is an all-terrain pickup truck called the University of New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos are blue-collar, off-road suspension, roll-bar tough, bumper-to-bumper dirt and grime.
The Aztecs are a dandy in a sports car wearing a white scarf. The Lobos are a working stiff in a T-shirt with a greasy elbow hanging out the window.
This Lobos war wagon might not beat you in the straight away, but who said anything about football being a straight line?
The Lobos look at this football thing as a demolition derby, a monster mash, a stock-car race where Ferraris and Porsches look good only for a little while.
Only until they get their grill smashed in.
That's probably what the Lobos have planned for the Aztecs Saturday in San Diego. Throw a little mud on the Aztecs' shine. Put a few dents in their fenders. Crack a few windshields. Take away their pretty scarves.
And wait for the Aztecs to do what they usually do on a football field - underachieve, lose.
It's just that way with Aztecs football. They toss out a few brilliant games every season but seem to forget it's a season.
"I have no idea what it is," said UNM coach Rocky Long. "There is something about the situation, because they have enough talent and they've had three or four coaches since I've been here (at UNM), so I don't think it's the coaching.
"But there's something. You could come up with a thousand different theories. But they can beat any team in our league by 30, if you get them on the wrong day."
Long is hoping Saturday is the right day in San Diego just like this past Saturday was the right day in Laramie, Wyo.
The Lobos beat Wyoming 20-3 to raise UNM's record to 4-2 and 1-1 in league.
The Lobos got that win in Laramie by out-toughing a Cowboys team noted for being tough.
UNM held Wyoming to 238 total yards and embarrassed the Cowboys heralded rushing attack by giving up only 48 yards on the ground.
Long kind of admitted the win was a big win only because Long sees all league games as big.
Of course, he is right. If UNM backs up a win at Laramie with a loss at SDSU, UNM's shot at a MWC title will suffer major damage.
"If you can get through with one loss, you are going to win it for sure," said Long. "But I think you can have two losses and share the title."
There are four teams in the MWC with one loss - 1-1 UNM, 1-1 Wyoming, 1-1 SDSU and 4-1 Air Force. Brigham Young is 3-0, with a win over UNM in Albuquerque.
TCU, a team Long said returns the most proven talent in the MWC, sits 1-2.
"It's a pretty balanced deal," said Long.
Which is why Long sees another big game on the horizon - San Diego State.
"They have as good as talent as any team in our league," said Long. "When you see them walk onto the field, they are as big, they are as strong, they are as fast as any team in our league.
"And there are times when they play up to that ability."
GO LOBOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
University of New Mexico Lobos ready to rumble with San Diego State
Andy Carpenean/Associated Press
Monday, October 15, 2007
The San Diego State Aztecs are the Porsches, the Corvettes, the Ferraris of the Mountain West Conference.
The Aztecs are sleek, fast, muscular, shiny. They run pass routes like a BMW purring along the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Aztecs are pretty boys, Hollywood leading men, Pac-10 wannabes stuck in a Mountain West Twilight Zone.
And they are about to run into their worst nightmare.
The bump in the road for the SDSU Aztecs is an all-terrain pickup truck called the University of New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos are blue-collar, off-road suspension, roll-bar tough, bumper-to-bumper dirt and grime.
The Aztecs are a dandy in a sports car wearing a white scarf. The Lobos are a working stiff in a T-shirt with a greasy elbow hanging out the window.
This Lobos war wagon might not beat you in the straight away, but who said anything about football being a straight line?
The Lobos look at this football thing as a demolition derby, a monster mash, a stock-car race where Ferraris and Porsches look good only for a little while.
Only until they get their grill smashed in.
That's probably what the Lobos have planned for the Aztecs Saturday in San Diego. Throw a little mud on the Aztecs' shine. Put a few dents in their fenders. Crack a few windshields. Take away their pretty scarves.
And wait for the Aztecs to do what they usually do on a football field - underachieve, lose.
It's just that way with Aztecs football. They toss out a few brilliant games every season but seem to forget it's a season.
"I have no idea what it is," said UNM coach Rocky Long. "There is something about the situation, because they have enough talent and they've had three or four coaches since I've been here (at UNM), so I don't think it's the coaching.
"But there's something. You could come up with a thousand different theories. But they can beat any team in our league by 30, if you get them on the wrong day."
Long is hoping Saturday is the right day in San Diego just like this past Saturday was the right day in Laramie, Wyo.
The Lobos beat Wyoming 20-3 to raise UNM's record to 4-2 and 1-1 in league.
The Lobos got that win in Laramie by out-toughing a Cowboys team noted for being tough.
UNM held Wyoming to 238 total yards and embarrassed the Cowboys heralded rushing attack by giving up only 48 yards on the ground.
Long kind of admitted the win was a big win only because Long sees all league games as big.
Of course, he is right. If UNM backs up a win at Laramie with a loss at SDSU, UNM's shot at a MWC title will suffer major damage.
"If you can get through with one loss, you are going to win it for sure," said Long. "But I think you can have two losses and share the title."
There are four teams in the MWC with one loss - 1-1 UNM, 1-1 Wyoming, 1-1 SDSU and 4-1 Air Force. Brigham Young is 3-0, with a win over UNM in Albuquerque.
TCU, a team Long said returns the most proven talent in the MWC, sits 1-2.
"It's a pretty balanced deal," said Long.
Which is why Long sees another big game on the horizon - San Diego State.
"They have as good as talent as any team in our league," said Long. "When you see them walk onto the field, they are as big, they are as strong, they are as fast as any team in our league.
"And there are times when they play up to that ability."
GO LOBOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!