If the Lobos' offense steps up its performance and the defense continues its stellar play, the team will be capable of beating anyone it faces, UNM head football coach Rocky Long said.
Both of those things happened Saturday night, resulting in what Long called "the most well-rounded game of the season."
The Lobos dominated their last non-conference opponent of the season in every aspect of the game at University Stadium Saturday, posting a 34-7 homecoming victory over Utah State in front of 31,435 fans.
Long admitted UNM's performance wasn't without its problems, but said the win was a much needed confidence booster.
"We didn't have one assignment error tonight," Long said. "We got beat several times because they outran us, but that's football. All in all though, I can't complain."
Senior quarterback Casey Kelly ended the quarterback controversy at UNM, at least for the time being, by completing 13 of 22 passes for 230 yards with one touchdown.
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"I felt good about the game overall," Kelly said. "With the way the last couple games have went, I felt like I had something to prove." All three of UNM's quarterbacks saw action Saturday night, with varying degrees of success.
Sophomore Kole McKamey played the bulk of the fourth quarter, completing only one of five passes for 14 yards, with one interception and ran once for -1 yard.
Kelly hooked up with senior receiver Dwight Counter for the Lobos' two longest offensive plays of the night, 39 and 46-yard strikes. Counter finished with one touchdown and four receptions for 106 yards.
"Tonight, we needed the offense to contribute," he said. "We worked hard for this moment. We knew our time would come."
UNM kept the Aggies guessing the entire game with a mixed attack from the air and the ground, generating 393 yards of total offense. UNM moved the ball 256 total yards in the first half - more than the Lobos generated the entire game last week against NMSU.
UNM's sophomore tailback DonTrell Moore shouldered the bulk of the running responsibility, gaining 132 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.
Backup tailback D.D. Cox had six runs for 15 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
"It was just a matter of time before we all got on the same page," Moore said. "Hopefully it's a sign of things to come."
UNM's defense held Utah State to 221 yards, the fewest this season for a Lobos opponent.
It was the worst defeat of the season for the Aggies, who have played such formidable foes as Arizona State and 12th-ranked Nebraska.
The Lobo defense also forced two fumbles and held the Aggies to 55 yards rushing, while forcing them to punt on half of their offensive drives.
"This game helped us gain some momentum and identify what we need to work on," Long said. "If we use the bye week to our advantage, we can come out a better team, ready to make a name for ourselves."
