by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
The UNM football team will have to pick itself up after its most crushing defeat of the season Saturday.
Entering that 37-0 thrashing at the hands of TCU, the Lobos were off to a 6-2 start and were one of the hottest teams in the Mountain West Conference.
But after the serving of humble pie the Horned Frogs gave them, UNM needs to close the season with a bang if it wants to play in a bowl game this year.
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"There's a possibility of seven teams in our league being bowl-eligible," UNM head coach Rocky Long said. "I think there's going to be five teams. I think if we don't win eight (games), we're sitting at home."
UNM's first chance to move in the right direction comes at home Saturday against 1-8 Colorado State. The Lobos then travel to Utah and finish at home against UNLV.
Failing to reach a bowl game this season would be a huge disappointment for the Lobos, especially considering they became bowl-eligible after beating Air Force on Oct. 25.
Still, Long said UNM must win two of its last three games in order to feel comfortable about getting a bowl bid. Factors such as television, history and fan support would play a role into whether the team got an invite.
"If they have a choice on who they pick for a bowl, they don't necessarily pick the best team," he said. "They pick the one that serves their purposes the best. In the four bowl games that New Mexico could possibly go to, it's basically decided by television sets."
Not only was TCU's loss crushing in terms of the lopsided score, it killed UNM's hopes of winning the MWC. BYU remains perfect in conference play at 4-0 and is 6-2
overall.
Air Force is second at 7-3 overall and 5-2 in MWC play.
The Lobos are tied with Utah, both teams having 6-3 overall records and 3-2 conference records.
Offensive guard Bart Miller said UNM is approaching every game the rest of the season as must-win if they want to lock up a sure
bowl bid.
"I feel like we have to win out - be 9-3," he said. "I feel like if we're 9-3, they can't deny us a bowl game. Anything less, and there's a chance that we won't go."
Miller added that winning the first of the remaining games won't be a cakewalk.
CSU has struggled this season, but if history is any indication, the Rams should at least keep it close against the Lobos.
In the last 13 meetings between the teams, each game has been decided by 10 points
or fewer.
UNM safety Tyson Ditmore said Lobo games against CSU are so close because both teams play a similar type of smashmouth football.
"I think our teams are both similar because we're both physical," he said. "I think (head) coach (Sonny) Lubick has some similarities with coach Long. It's always a
hard-fought game."
In order to come out on top in Saturday's game, UNM will likely have to establish the running game early.
Long said the Lobos are an ineffective offense when they are not rushing the ball well, something that was evident in the loss to TCU, as they finished with just 119 total yards. UNM's season average was 397 yards per contest before that game.
Miller said the offensive line will need to set the tone early if the team wants to continue to be one of the elite offenses in the MWC.
"We pride ourselves in out-physicaling people," he said. "That's kind of the approach we take into the Colorado State game."
Football vs.
Colorado State
Saturday, 1 p.m.
University Stadium
