Won and ten
Certain things weren’t meant to be set in stone.
For example, an 0-12 season for the UNM football team.
Demond Dennis, middle, celebrates alongside fellow running back James Wright, left, and cornerback Anthony Hooks, right. UNM won its first game of the season, a narrow 29-27 win over Colorado State.
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The Lobos defeated Colorado State, 29-27, thanks to a redemptive performance by sophomore kicker James Aho, who booted a field goal in the final 12 seconds at University Stadium on Saturday.
The perfect kick by Aho ended the Lobos’ bid at imperfection and saved 17 members of the football team’s senior class going winless and losing their last game at home.
First-year head coach Mike Locksley, who has had his share of struggles on and off the field this year, was at a loss for words after earning his first victory as a collegiate head coach.
“It’s been a long time coming, and it’s been a long year, but as I’ve said many times after some tough losses, I haven’t been more proud of a team than this team, and I’ve been a part of some great teams in my 18 years of coaching,” Locksley said. “I’ve learned as a coach from this team and the character that this team has shown week in and week out, through adversity, through losses, through injuries, losing some key guys. They stuck together and that’s what families do. This team is a family, and we won it together.”
Just when Locksley looked primed to get his first win, quarterback Donovan Porterie allowed CSU back into the game.
Up 23-21 and driving, Porterie was baited into a crucial mistake. In the fourth quarter, Porterie was picked off by CSU’s Nick Oppenneer on the Rams’ 3-yard line, and 97 yards later UNM trailed 27-23.
But Porterie regained his composure, leading the Lobos into a field goal position twice thereafter, and the last time set up Aho’s game-ending kick.
The victory concluded a UNM losing streak which reached 14 games, dating back to the Lobos’ last victory on Oct. 18, 2008, when UNM trounced San Diego State, 70-7, in Albuquerque.
Remarkably, the Lobos carried momentum from a hotly contested game against BYU.
And this time, the result was different.
Porterie and Co. opened the game in the same fashion as they did against the Cougars.
The quarterback led an opening drive that covered 80 yards on 12 plays and hit wide receiver Victor James in the corner of the end zone to put the Lobos up 7-0 early.
The Rams answered with a 67-yard drive, finished by running back John Mosure, who rambled into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. Mosure rushed for 179 yards off 27 carries, including two touchdowns.
However, CSU head coach Steve Fairchild said he was disgusted with his team’s lack of execution in all three phases of the game.
“I was not pleased at all, and we should have won that game,” Fairchild said, whose Rams fell to 3-8 overall and 0-7 in the Mountain West Conference. “We got a bunch of kids in there playing hard and doing some good things. We just can’t get everybody on the same page. We continue to do things like line up wrong — drop balls — and it’s our own doing. You get what you deserve.”
Later in the first quarter, Porterie was intercepted by CSU defensive back Gerald Thomas with the game tied at 7.
However, the Rams couldn’t capitalize on the pick.
The senior quarterback would take UNM on another scoring drive in the first half, but not before Aho made his first field goal of the day from 21 yards to give the Lobos a three-point advantage, 10-7.
On the ensuing kick off, CSU returner Alex Square had the ball knocked loose by UNM defensive back Frankie Solomon. UNM recovered.
Nine plays later, Porterie found receiver Quintell Solomon on a 21-yard touchdown strike. The score put UNM up 17-7, the Lobos’ largest lead of the season.
UNM found its way to the win because of the team’s experience level, Porterie said.
“About two or three other times this season we have been in similar situations,” he said. “This week a lot of guys stepped up and came up big for us and made a lot of plays for us down the stretch. We are leaving University Stadium as winners.”
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by Andrew
UNM Football is still a joke because of Locksley.
Flag for moderationby UNM Alumnus
Although the win was good for the TEAM; 1-10 is hardly anything to shout about. What we should be shouting is FIRE Lose-ley and maybe we will be able to get some new recruits next year!
Flag for moderationby Frank
Locksley’s inability to too foster a cooperative work environment; violent temper and lack of self control has caused national media attention of the wrong kind to the UNM. There won’t be a recruit coming within ten miles of our university.
Flag for moderationby Student
Congrats to the team! However, Locksley is still not an adequate coach or role model. What he models for his players is nothing more than; his lack of self control when stressed or angered; lies and deception when confronted with the truth; as was revealed from interviews with ESPN OutSide the Lines, KRQE News 13 and others.
Flag for moderationby Kathleen Martin
Honestly, the Lobo football team would still suck without Locksley… Certainly, the guy is a loser in many many ways, but it isn’t all his fault. The coach isn’t on the field pretending to compete, high school dropouts are. I bet you that the average IQ of that bunch is less than 85…
Flag for moderationby Vernell
Include coach Locksley in that average of less than 85 IQ bunch; due to the fact that his first two recruits never saw the field due to the criminal activity and academic deceit. Coupled with the fact that coach Locksley has a history of violence and he can not control his temper.
Flag for moderationby Kathleen Martin
I apologize for my earlier post…that generalization of the UNM football team isn’t entirely true. I’m sorry if I offended anyone. However, the stereotypes are still there for a reason.
Flag for moderationby Corrupt Krebs Exposed by Emails
Emails reveal administration tension in Locksley incident
Posted at: 11/25/2009 5:23 PM | Updated at: 11/25/2009 6:08 PM
By: Jeremy Jojola, Eyewitness News 4, and Kurt Christopher, KOB.com
Eyewitness News 4 has uncovered what University of New Mexico officials were saying behind the scenes as the investigation into football coach Mike Locksley unfolded.
Investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola filed a records request more than a month ago to obtain emails regarding the incident. In one of those emails, UNM athletic director Paul Krebs writes that he is worried about his own future. He also expresses frustration over leaks in the department and how the story unfolded.
It all began with the September 20th scuffle between UNM head football coach Mike Locksley and former assistant coach J.B. Gerald. Statements said an argument over football plays resulted in Locksley lunging at Gerald. Locksley was initially verbally reprimanded by the university and later placed on a ten-day suspension.
A month after Eyewitness News 4’s record’s request, the university did provide emails that had been sent out by Krebs during the time he was dealing with the media swarm.
In one email to a media consultant, Krebs writes about an October 13th ESPN article that broke the news about Locksley’s suspension: “Story broke on ESPN. Not sure how or where the leak came from as none of my staff knew except Greg [Remington] and Kurt.”
Krebs asks the consultant, “Any last minute advice? Feel like he may take me down with him.”
In another email sent to the same consultant, Krebs writes, “It is incredible how many people are using this as an opportunity to bash Mike [Locksley] and taking shots about everything about him.”
The emails also reveal an effort to get J.B. Gerald to speak about the incident. Nine days after the scuffle, athletics spokesman Greg Remington wrote to Krebs, “J.B. coming forward and saying something [positive] would sure soothe the situation.”
Krebs responded, “Suggest you try and reach out to him.”
Also among the emails is criticism about a sports reporter with The Daily Lobo school newspaper, Isaac Avilucea, who requested Locksley’s phone records and text messages. Associate director of athletics, Richard Pickering, writes to Krebs, “I just want to be careful dealing with Isaac because we know he will be subjective in his reporting and will look to portray us in a negative light.”
Krebs responds, “If we have to release them, we will. No way to spin numbers.”
Avilucea calls the “subjective” reference conjecture aimed at trivializing the true issue.
Eyewitness News 4 also requested emails sent out by UNM coach Locksley. We were told by the university that no sent emails exist from the coach.
Attempts were made to get comments from the university regarding this story, but calls and emails to the athletic department were not returned.
Read the UNM emails released to Eyewitness News 4
Flag for moderationby Professor
Also among the emails is criticism about a sports reporter with The Daily Lobo school newspaper, Isaac Avilucea, who requested Locksley’s phone records and text messages. Associate director of athletics, Richard Pickering, writes to Krebs, “I just want to be careful dealing with Isaac because we know he will be subjective in his reporting and will look to portray us in a negative light.”
Isaac Avilucea reports the stories from an objective standpoint, and can not be manipulated by this corrupt brunch of imbeciles; his reporting has exposed the deception of the UNM’s administration. AD-Krebs, President Schmidly, Coach Locksley and HR VP Gonzales should all be fired immediately.
Flag for moderationby Rick
Too bad for the win. I was hoping for 0-12 so we could rid ourselves of this thug.
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MIKE LOCKSLEY IS IN OVER HIS HEAD
• New Mexico finished the season 1-11, its worst record since the 1980’s. Many of those losses were blowouts.
• Coach Locksley admitted striking an assistant coach during a “physical altercation”.
• As of 10-10-09, Locksley had been blown out in 5 out of 6 games.
• Loss at home to undermanned and less talented NMSU squad.
• Poor leadership and example for student athletes — physical violence in the workplace.
• Talented recruiting class not yet in the works, despite Locksley’s supposed expertise as recruiter.
• Rapid decline in football game attendance, and general apathy toward program under Locksley.
• Segment by ESPN Outside the Lines alleges cover up and previous anger management issues.
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Despite big promises and big words, University of New Mexico Lobo head football coach Mike Locksley delivered only a single victory in 2009, at a cost of $750,000 to the taxpayers of New Mexico. That’s right, $750,000 per victory — what a bargain. The Lobos finished near the bottom of the NCAA in most important offensive and defensive statistical categories — so much for Locksley’s bragging assertion that another number would need to be added to the scoreboard — if it was needed, it was needed on the opposing team’s side this year. Coach Locksley was hit with an EEOC complaint earlier in 2009 that has now been settled, with his former employee being given a newly created, higher-paying position, back pay, lifetime season tickets to UNM sporting events, and an undisclosed, behind the scenes settlement. Coach Mike Locksley has admitted to striking assistant coach J.B. Gerald in a “physical altercation”, and it appears possible that this incident may result in a lawsuit against UNM, as Coach Gerald has opted to leave the team, and retain an attorney. Locksley has also failed to land the recruits he could supposedly deliver, losing two of his top three recruits in 2009 to their failure to qualify. Another one of Locksley’s highly touted recruits briefly left the program and returned because of the controversy surrounding the gerald situation.
The University of New Mexico pays Coach Mike Locksley $750,000 annually, or approximately $14,423.08 per week. Has Coach Mike Locksley done anything to demonstrate that he is qualified to be a head football coach at this level? Is Mike Locksley representative of the values of the University of New Mexico Lobos, or the state of New Mexico? Does he really deserve this kind of money, based on performance, or should the University of New Mexico have terminated him for cause when they had the opportunity to do so? We feel the answer is a resounding “yes”, based on his record, performance, and behavior. Mike Locksley was a very bad hire.
The taxpayers of New Mexico and fans of University of New Mexico Lobo football deserve more coaching and more integrity for their money. It is time to recognize the mistake made by Paul Krebs in hiring Coach Locksley, and sever ties with Coach Locksley, before the program suffers irreparable damage. New Mexico Lobo football cannot survive 5 more years of Mike Locksley, and this style of management, or lack of coaching ability. Our student athletes deserve better leadership.
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