by Daniel S. Archuleta
Daily Lobo
Maybe the second time around will have a better ending.
The UNM football team will travel for the second week in a row to play Texas Christian University on Saturday. The Lobos are coming off a 21-13 loss at the University of Texas-El Paso last weekend. The loss snapped an eight-game regular-season winning streak for the Lobos.
UNM head coach Rocky Long said the team has moved on and is prepared for TCU.
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"I think that we were a little depressed and a little disappointed on Sunday," he said. "We got over it on Tuesday and practiced really hard."
TCU is new to the MWC this year and has already knocked off last year's champion, the University of Utah, in overtime as well as Brigham Young University in another dramatic 51-50 overtime win.
Long said TCU's two MWC wins should have the Horned Frogs feeling pretty good about themselves.
"They've had a couple of big-time wins in the conference in overtime, so I'm sure they have a lot of confidence," he said. "I think that it's going to be a good football game."
TCU has a pair of running backs who are running wild on MWC opponents this year. Aaron Brown, a freshman, has 213 yards in two MWC games against Utah and BYU. Junior Robert Merrill gained two touchdowns and 128 of his 259 overall yards against Utah and BYU.
TCU wide receiver Cory Rodgers had two rushing touchdowns and a 100-yard kickoff return and caught nine passes for 137 yards with one touchdown on his way to being named the Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Week last week.
Lobo linebacker Mike Mohoric said UNM's defense should match up fine with TCU's offense.
"They have a lot of athletes, but I think that we have the same thing they do," he said.
Mohoric said there are some defensive keys to stopping TCU.
"It's going to change every play," he said. "Everyone has to know their assignments and go full speed."
TCU's starting quarterback Tye Gunn will not start this week because of a shoulder injury. His backup, Jeff Ballard, will get his first career start against the Lobos.
Ballard engineered TCU's comeback win against BYU, going 8-for-12 with 150 yards and two touchdowns.
TCU put up 475 yards of total offense against BYU. The Lobos will have their hands full, but Mohoric said the Lobos are up to the task.
"We have to be physical, attack the ball and hit them all game long," he said.
Mohoric had seven tackles, two for a loss on sacks and two pass breakups against UTEP.
BYU put up 614 total yards on TCU. Of those 614 yards, 517 came through the air.
Senior wide receiver Hank Baskett likes the matchup between the Lobos' receivers and TCU's defensive backs.
"I think that we have an advantage," he said. "They are definitely a fast team, but I think that we are physical, and that will help us out quite a bit."
If practice this week is any indication, Baskett said the Lobos are ready to make up for the loss at UTEP.
"The intensity level picked up," he said. "Our errors went down quite a bit. We got back to our roots this week. We are still going to come out and hit every week. That's our nature."
