by Daniel S. Archuleta
Daily Lobo
The UNM football team will face another must-win situation this Saturday when it plays the Utah Utes.
In the Mountain West Conference preseason polls, Utah and New Mexico were picked to finish first and second, respectively, in the conference.
The Lobos and Utes are both sitting in fourth place in the MWC.
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Both teams need one win to become bowl-eligible, and both teams could be eliminated with one loss. Head coach Rocky Long said the bye week just builds anticipation for the next game - and the Lobos are ready for some action.
"It's not fun practicing without a game to look forward to," he said. "I think they're excited to play football."
The Lobos have had success in games that follow a bye week. Since Long started coaching in 1998, the Lobos are 8-0 in games that follow a bye week.
Long said that's no reason to pencil in another win for the Lobos.
"Obviously every year is different," he said. "I think that if we play well we have a good chance to win."
Utah is not the Bowl Championship Series buster it was last year, losing quarterback Alex Smith to the NFL draft. Sophomore quarterback Brian Johnson has filled in for the departed Smith and carried his fair share of the team's offensive load.
In Johnson's last game, a 43-13 thumping of Wyoming, he threw for 384 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 67 yards and a touchdown for a combined 451 yards of total offense.
The Utes' top running back, Quinton Ganther, sat out last week's game against Wyoming, but if he is able to play he will bring his 771 yards and 6 touchdowns with him.
Lobos' linebacker Mike Mohoric said mobile quarterbacks always pose a threat.
"I think that it's definitely an added bonus for them," he said. "You have to put a little bit more emphasis knowing that he can run the ball and pull it down and run it whenever."
The Lobos will have a new signal-caller this week as backup quarterback Chris Nelson replaces an injured Kole McKamey.
Nelson said he will be ready for his first Division I start.
"I just have to go in there and treat it like the big game it is and let the offense work for me," he said.
Nelson has game experience at the Division I level, leading UNM to a come-from-behind victory over Wyoming earlier this season.
Because the Lobos' bowl hopes ride on winning the rest of their games, this game has even more pressure.
"It's going to be a tough game," he said. "It's going to be huge for us. We got to get past this game before we get anywhere."
The last time the Lobos played in Utah they won a 42-35 shootout in overtime.
UNM wide receiver Hank Baskett is aware of the importance of this game.
"It's going to be a very big game," he said. "Both teams are in the same boat, so we have to come to play."
Baskett said even though this is not a rivalry, it sure feels like one.
"Both teams consider themselves the most physical team in the conference," he said. "It turns out it comes down to who is the most physical team on game day."
