by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
With the 31-24 loss to Utah on Saturday, the UNM football team may have fumbled away its bowl hopes.
But call me school-spirited - I can honestly say I look at the glass as half full.
When you sit down and think about it, the Lobos are having a good season.
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Sure, at 7-4 on the season, it's not exactly the perfect record fans hoped for.
But when you look at it, of the Lobos' four losses - to UTEP, BYU, TCU and Utah - three have come against teams that have received votes to be in the top 25.
More importantly, when you focus on who UNM has beaten this season, things suddenly become brighter.
The Lobos have managed to beat some top-notch teams.
UNM was a 34-31 winner over Air Force on Oct. 25. The Falcons outlasted perennial powerhouse Notre Dame 41-24 on Nov. 10.
So, the Lobos could theoretically beat the Fighting Irish, too.
UNM was also a 29-27 winner over Arizona on Sept. 15. The Wildcats responded with a 34-24 shellacking of then-ranked No. 2 Oregon last week, one of the most shocking upsets in college football this season.
Common sense would tell you that since the Lobos topped Arizona, they could beat the No. 2 team in the country, even if they are the Ducks.
Following the same rationale, UNM could also win against No. 11 USC and No. 7 Arizona State by the third degree, since both teams were losers to Oregon.
And by the fourth association, the Lobos would be able to beat powerhouses Nebraska, Oklahoma, UCLA, Texas and Florida.
The point: With the quality wins the Lobos have picked up on the season, a bowl bid may not be too far out of the realm of possibility.
Sure, it's not the conference title that was in their sights just a few weeks ago.
But a postseason bowl berth - whether it's the Rose Bowl or the Sun Bowl - is an honor.
And look at it this way: The worst-case scenario is if the Lobos are passed up by other bowls, at least UNM would have the New Mexico Bowl as an option - the equivalent of a self-created salvation.
So, hallelujah for the New Mexico Bowl for saving a Lobo football season that could have been and might still be.
