by Matthew Kappus
Daily Lobo
What word would you use to describe a team that scores 30 points on 276 yards of total offense in the first half alone? Commanding? Dominant, perhaps?
Lobo head coach Rocky Long says the more appropriate word would be lazy.
That was his assessment after his team's 58-0 trouncing of Sacramento State on Saturday. Long said his team started out flat, but showed maturity in the latter part of the game.
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"I really thought we were lackadaisical on offense in the first half," he said. "It didn't seem like we were real sharp."
Long was probably referring to three Lobo drives that were halted around the red zone, an area of the field that has given the team headaches this year.
If not for a few missed blocks, mistimed routes and dropped balls, the Lobo lead at the half could have been much more
than 30.
Instead, UNM settled for three carries into the end zone by Rodney Ferguson and three short
field goals.
Ferguson, whose four touchdowns were a career high, said Long's halftime talk inspired the Lobos to their explosive third
quarter.
"He didn't really say much, but he let us know that if we didn't man up, we were going to lose,"
Ferguson said.
In the third quarter, the Lobos accepted Long's challenge.
Donovan Porterie threw for 229 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to Travis Brown. Ferguson scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a 17-yard run.
The Lobo offense combined for 499 yards while the defense held Sacramento State to 104 yards.
Long said the Lobos were not especially emotional Saturday, given the tough games they played against NMSU and Arizona.
Still, Long said UNM did a good job preparing for Sacramento State and avoiding a let down game.
"I'm proud of our team because they showed some maturity tonight," Long said. "After two emotional wins, they could have come not ready to play tonight."
Lobo kicker John Sullivan, who made three field goals, said Sacramento State was no pushover despite the lopsided win.
In addition to a better record, there are plenty of things the Lobos can take from the game,
Sullivan said.
"It gets us closer to bowl eligibility," he said. "It gets our team confident. Our offense got some points, our defense got a shutout
- it's huge."
