by Daniel S. Archuleta
Daily Lobo
The Lobos have won their fifth straight and secured a spot in bowl game for the third straight year.
As they said goodbye to 21 seniors, the Lobos (7-4, 5-2) beat the Wyoming Cowboys (6-5, 3-4) 16-9 at University Stadium.
UNM had problems out of the gate - the offense simply did not show up for the first half.
The Lobos' defense got their team on the board first when Nick Speegle sacked Wyoming quarterback Corey Bramlet for a safety. Speegle left the game with a shoulder injury in the first half but returned to finish the game.
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At the end of the game, Speegle learned he had a separated shoulder.
"While I was in the training room, I realized this is my last game and nothing is going to stop me from playing," he said.
Brandon Payne grabbed his sixth interception of the year, tying him for the national lead.
"I wasn't really expecting all this," he said. "I knew what type of corner I was and that I can cover anyone in the nation."
All of Wyoming's nine points came off of three field goals by kicker Deric Yaussi, including a career-long of 51 yards.
Offensively, the Lobos got started when quarterback Kole McKamey rushed 80 yards for a touchdown. McKamey was the Lobos' leading rusher with 152 yards and one touchdown. McKamey also helped orchestrate two drives at the end of the game to secure the Lobo win.
"Coach Long talked about not having any heart at halftime and not playing with any emotion," McKamey said. "So I came out with the mindset to stay calm and poised but to play with a lot of emotion."
Running back DonTrell Moore added to his rushing legacy at UNM by becoming the second rusher in the program's history to rush for over 1,000 in three consecutive seasons. At the beginning of the season, Moore needed 1,207 yards to eclipse UNM's all-time rushing record. He sits at 1,082 with the bowl game to go. That leaves him with 125 yards.
"It shows the character of this team to come back the way we did," he said. "When we were 2-4, everyone counted us out."
Moore had 150 yards and the game-winning 20-yard touchdown.
He said he knew he was going to score before anybody else did.
"Right before the play, I told myself, 'I'm about to score,'" he said. "Landrick (Brody) got a good block. Then it was just a matter of running."
The Lobos finished the season in second place in the Mountain West Conference and are now waiting to find out which bowl game wants them.
"We are definitely not spoiled," Long said. "We'll go where ever they want us to go, and we'll be darn happy to be there."
