All the sideline towel-twirling ended up being nothing more than a formality, as the UNM football team was gut-checked 13-10 by the No. 9 Utah Utes on Saturday in its home finale.
On a night where upset brewed like a cup of coffee, the difference was a blocked field goal.
With 12:32 left in the second quarter and the Lobos down 3-0, James Aho's 41-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Utah's Aiona Key.
"I thought they pushed our front line a little back, and they got high up in the air," head coach Rocky Long said. "But I couldn't tell if it was a low kick or not. It seemed like a low kick."
Aho didn't have any answers to what happened on the play, either.
"I have no idea," he said.
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For Utah, that was the key to keeping its BCS hopes alive.
And for the Lobos, there wasn't much else they could do to win.
"Obviously, if they would have had four turnovers and we wouldn't have had any, we would have won," Long said in a sarcastic tone. "That's simple math. So, the defense needed to cause more turnovers, or the offense needed to get more first downs, or the offense needed to score more points, or the defense needed to stop them better. You can argue both sides of the story 'til you're blue in the face."
Blue in the face was the theme in UNM's locker room, as a dejected bunch of players sat motionless, fuming by their lockers.
After a touchdown pass from Brian Johnson to Brent Casteel put the Utes up 13-3 with 3:15 in the third quarter, the Lobos looked to make their fifth comeback victory against the Utes.
UNM immediately took the ball downfield to the Utes' 10-yard line.
Running back Rodney Ferguson slashed 10 yards into the end zone, making it 13-10 Utes.
Looking to close out the game on the ensuing possession, Utah drove down to the Lobos' 2-yard line, but Johnson was intercepted by DeAndre Wright while trying to throw a fade route.
The Lobos would get no closer, though.
On its second-to-last possession of the game, UNM drove to Utah's 48. But on third-and-3, UNM threw an incomplete pass.
Long decided to go for it.
Again, an incomplete pass led to a turnover on downs.
Long defended UNM's decision to pass twice as opposed to run and try and pick up the first on two plays.
Quarterback Brad Gruner didn't think twice about the decision.
"I don't question the calls at all," he said. "I'm sure (offensive coordinator Dave) Baldwin had a reason for doing it. We just have to execute."
UNM's last hurrah came with 1:58 left. But Utah's punter Louie Sakoda made sure the Lobos were pinned back, as the Utes downed the ball at UNM's 1.
"(Sakoda's) a great player. It's about time for him to graduate," Long said, laughing. "I think he's been there six years."
