Despite the Christmas Eve massacre in Las Vegas, 2003 was a year that the Lobo football squad can be proud of.
UNM is the only team in the country to increase its win total each of the last five years, improving one game every year since they went 3-9 in 1998.
Thirteen Lobo players were named to the first and second All-Mountain West Conference teams, which is more than any other team in the MWC. The first-teamers include center Ryan Cook, tackle Jason Lenzmeier, tailback DonTrell Moore, safety Brandon Ratcliff, defensive end D.J. Renteria, guard Claude Terrel and kicker Wes Zunker.
Lobos named to the second team include defensive ends Zach Rupp and Daniel Kegler, linebackers Daniel Gawronski and Billy Strother, cornerback Gabriel Fulbright and wide receiver Dwight Counter.
As a testament to the incredible offensive line, Moore established new school records for rushing yards (1,438), rushing touchdowns (19), overall touchdowns (21), points (126), 100-yard rushing games (9) and consecutive 100-yard games (5). He led the MWC in each of these categories.
UNM also broke three records in attendance this season, attracting 44,075 fans when New Mexico State came to town. Total season attendance reached 245,981, with an average of 35,127 fans per game.
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And yet the most prominent memory of the season is the 55-14 Las Vegas Bowl rout. In spite of all those records and all-conference players, the Lobos were dominated by Oregon State.
UNM gained 127 yards passing and six rushing in the game. All but 21 of its total offensive yards came in the garbage-time fourth quarter. The Beavers went for 154 on the ground and 386 through the air.
The Lobos' rush defense, which was outstanding all year and No. 4 in the nation, was shredded by OSU's star runner Steven Jackson.
Jackson won game MVP after rushing for 149 yards and four touchdowns, while catching five balls for 51 yards and another score.
After the game, UNM head coach Rocky Long summed Jackson up easily.
"He's the best running back we've played against all year," he said.
Only once this season had UNM allowed an opposing running back to gain over 100 yards.
"We knew he was their top weapon going in," Ratcliff said. "They controlled the line of scrimmage more than we're used to, and he's a strong runner. He was tough to tackle."
Jackson declared after the game that he would enter this year's NFL draft rather than return to OSU. He will likely be a first-round pick.
UNM couldn't spring its own star back, as Moore was suffocated by swarming defenders on every one of his carries. Moore came in with numbers very similar to, if not better than, Jackson's season totals, but OSU allowed him no room to run. Moore managed just five yards on 11 carries in the game.
It was a brutal, demoralizing loss that was reflected in the somber UNM locker room after the game.
"We played as bad as you can play," Long said. "We'll take pride in this season, but that definitely puts a damper on the season, to lose like that."
