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New Mexico Has Few Answers Against Boise State
Boise State dominates in win over Lobos 42-9
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Lobos losing streak continues
The New Mexico Lobo football team did not quite start with a bang Saturday night against Boise State at Albertsons Stadium on the blue turf.
It would be the Broncos who would start with that big bang vs. the Lobos as the first offensive series of the Lobos turning the ball over.
New Mexico quarterback Tavaka Tuioti fumbled the ball on the opening play of the game as Broncos senior Sonatane Lui scooped and scored from 24 yards out going up 7-0 on the Lobos.
Not the way to start the game as far as giving momentum to the home team without them earning it sort to speak, especially when momentum plays a huge impact on college football games.
UNM’s top two running backs, Ahmari Davis and Bryson Carroll, were both injured on the opening two drives and left the game. Kentrail Moran ended up as UNM’s leading rusher with 30 yards.
Davis would end the leave the game with what later with a torn ACL, so he is out for the season, leaving the Lobos with just three running backs in the season.
This leaves the Lobo football team with only three running backs, Kentrail Moran, Bobby Cole, Micah Gray. Bryce Carroll did not practice with Lobos on Monday’s practices per UNM SID Frank Mercogliano.
The Lobos would end up with 45 attempts on 117 rushing yards, and Sophomore QB Tavaka Tuioti would go 14 of 21 175 passing yards. UNM only rushed for 117 yards, the second-lowest total of the season.
Boise State got off to a very fast game, with this Lobo turnover starting the scoring taking the lead early and ending the first quarter 28-0
So its 28-0 at the end of the first quarter and Boise didn’t score again till 40 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 35, said a lot about the Lobo defense did not lay down and had some three and outs.
Hence the score remaining pretty stagnant until the third quarter until Boise State continued to score, and New Mexico got on the board with the score.
The Lobos would go on to get routed 42-9 in a game that there was never any doubt from a Bronco perspective as far as being dominant and winning the game.
It was apparent early on in the game that the Lobo football team would not pull the upset as they did in 2015 on the blue turf in one of Head Coach Bob Davies’s biggest win’s ever as the head coach at UNM.
The Broncos looks and showed why they were the ranked team, being very physical against the Lobos on both sides of the ball against the Lobos.
A huge loss for the Broncos suffered on Saturday night was star defensive end, Curtis Weaver. He went down awkwardly attempting a sack and never returned to the game. He is the Moutain West record holder in career sacks and a huge part of the success for the Broncos in 2019.
This win over the Lobos could be very costly for Boise State if Weaver is out for a significant amount of time.
So with that loss, it adds to the loss of Hank Bachmeier, and DeAndre Pierce the Broncos are now without their best quarterback, safety and defensive front players
UNM’s last road win over a ranked team was with Rocky Long, the head coach at the time, October 25, 2003 at No. 23 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium with a Lobo 47-35 win.
It would be one of Long’s biggest upset wins on the road as head Lobo coach with the win over the head Coach Urban Meyer Utah Utes who finished 21st ranked at 10-2
So, it’s been 16 years since the Lobos have beaten a ranked opponent on the road, and they have lost 13 in a row against such ranked opponents.
Coach Bob Davie mentioned on the morning radio show that this had been the year “Did that really just happen?”
He was candid that it’d been a nightmare season, but he appreciates the fight in his player’s fight through it all that has happened this year. To his credit, Davie also has taken full responsibility in the Lobo football season as well.
The Lobo loss to Boise dropped UNM to 2-8 overall and 0-6 in the conference and their seventh straight loss.
With two back to back 3-8 seasons, the Lobo faithful fans had hoped for better than what has transpired this season at very least a winning record.
New Mexico football could very well end the season 2-10 overall and 0-8 even worse than the last two years if the Lobo can’t pull out a win hear near the end of the season.
For Boise State, the No. 19 Broncos improved to 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the conference. The Broncos travel to Utah State next week while UNM heads home for its final two games against Air Force and Utah State.
One a positive note in a tribute to Lobo defensive tackle Najah Flowers who passed away a week ago Tuesday, both teams lined up along their respective sidelines and had arms locked for a moment of silence for Flowers who passed a week ago Tuesday.
Lobo captains were at midfield and held Flowers’ jersey aloft, and each helmet had a round black sticker with Flowers’ 93 inside of it on the back left of the helmet.
On the back, right was a sticker that was an actual picture of Flowers. As good as the gesture or ceremony was, you have to wonder how the Lobo players regrouped to play a top-ranked opponent in such an emotional moment just moments later.
How about Boise State reaching out to UNM to have this ceremony before the game to honor Najah Flowers life, speaks volumes of Bronco Nation, Coach Harsin their university in general.
It just has been that kind of season for the 2019 Lobo football team, the coaches, the fans, and all in Lobo nation.
The ceremony put a stamp on what’s really important in life over the game of football and its lift itself when you have seen a loved young student athlete’s life end at such an early age.
Rest in Peace Najah Flowers from Lobo nation.
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