by Kristie Boudwin
Daily Lobo
The Oregon State Beavers should have more trouble damming up the Lobos this year.
This is the first OSU rematch for the Lobos since the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl. OSU dominated the game, winning 55-14. The Beaver defense limited the Lobos to 127 total offensive yards, while their offense accumulated more than four times that amount, finishing with 540 total yards.
In the Vegas Bowl, OSU running back Stephen Jackson made Swiss cheese out of the UNM rush defense. He scored five touchdowns against the Lobos, setting a school record for most touchdowns in a single game. He rushed 128 yards on 28 carries in the game and was the 2003 Pac-10 leading rusher. Jackson, who ended his OSU career after that game, is a rookie for the St. Louis Rams.
UNM head coach Rocky Long said he recognizes the impact of Jackson leaving and the changes for OSU and UNM in the 2004 season.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"They've got some new offensive linemen, some new wide receivers, and they don't have Stephen Jackson," Long said. "The two teams aren't near the same as they were last year."
This season, OSU faces the loss of their star running back in addition to one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Beavers enter the game 0-2 after losing in overtime to Louisiana State University in their season opener and 53-34 to Boise State last weekend.
Long said he expects a strong performance from the Beavers in their home opener since they are coming off two consecutive losses.
"They don't care who is showing up this weekend," Long said. "They are going to try to kill us. It's going to be the meanest game they play all season."
UNM takes on its third BCS opponent of the season with confidence, coming off a big win against Texas Tech. The young UNM team is proving its ability as the offense balances a rushing and passing option, and the defense holds its ground against strong passing offenses.
The OSU matchup is the Lobos' first away game of the year. Center Ryan Cook said the veterans' guidance will be important for the young team.
"It might be (tougher) for some of the younger guys because they don't know what it's like to play on the road," Cook said. "I think it is up to the older guys to help them through it."
Kicker Wes Zunker played a big role last week, kicking the winning field goal as the game clock expired. Zunker said the win was a boost for the Lobos' confidence.
"It's a lot different from last year's team," Zunker said. "There's a lot more chemistry, and we came together to get a big win against a big team last week. I think we proved to everybody, - as well as ourselves - that we can play against anybody."
Zunker added he is confident history won't repeat itself against the Beavers.
"I don't think we can compare last year's team to this year's team, nor this year's game to last year's game," he said. "If we don't make many mistakes and do our best, we can beat anybody."
