Hopefully the alarm clock was as loud as it could be immediately following the fifth-worst loss in UNM football history.
The Lobos fell at the hands of the No. 11 Oregon Ducks on Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., by a whopping score of 72-0.
“This was a wake-up call for the whole team. We can’t point fingers and fall apart,” Lobo defensive end Johnathan Rainey said. “We need to come together as a team and make up for each other’s mistakes.”
By all accounts, it was a record-setting day for the Ducks. Oregon set a handful of modern era records en route to the blowout. From the first possession, it was clear UNM would be no match for Oregon’s speedy ground game. Redshirt sophomore running back Kenjon Barner paced the Ducks with five first-half touchdowns.
The Riverside, Calif., native carried the ball 17 times for 147 yards and four scores, while also catching one pass for another 60-yard touchdown reception for his final touchdown of the day.
“The depth we have on both sides of the ball, especially offensively right now, we got a lot of guys contributing,” second-year Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said.
Recording his first career start at running back, Barner shattered his previous single-game career high of 64 rushing yards well before the end of the first quarter. He concluded the day with 225 all-purpose yards in what was one of the finer offensive performances in program history.
The Ducks set the single-game record for total yards with 720, while pounding out 369 rushing yards with another 351 through the air. Oregon’s mark of 72 points also tied the program’s single-game record in the modern era, having reached the same feat against Nevada during the 1999 season.
New Mexico had little to show on either side of the ball throughout the day, particularly after the first-quarter departure of junior linebacker Carmen Messina. Messina, the heart of the Lobo defense, left the game injured but under his own power midway through the first quarter leaving room for Oregon’s offensive juggernaut to impose its will.
Lobo linebacker Joe Stoner intercepted sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas on the Ducks’ opening possession, but Thomas eventually settled in and found a rhythm, completing 13-of-23 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think it was a miscue on the play,” Thomas said of the interception. “But like I said it calmed me down, got me ready to go out there and make some plays.”
Things got no better for UNM.
Moments later, a muffed snap that squirted through the legs of UNM punter Ben Skaer, and Oregon took over at the Lobo 20-yard line. Five plays later, Barner punched it into the end zone from one yard out.
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Before the first half expired, Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining.
“I can’t take all the credit,” a giddy Harris said. “You know, I got to give it to the blockers up front that opened the hole for me to run through.”
UNM finished with 25 yards rushing and 82 passing yards.
UNM quarterback B.R. Holbrook completed 11-of-24 passes for 70 yards and threw two interceptions in the loss. Wide receiver Ty Kirk pulled in eight receptions for 48 yards to lead the Lobos.
Holbrook said he thought UNM had a different vibe heading into Saturday’s contest.
“We’re disappointed. I feel like our team has a different mentality from last season, but we didn’t execute today,” Holbrook said. “Oregon is the reigning Pac-10 champ, so you have to give them credit. But you never think things will go that badly.”
Sports editor Ryan Tomari and the Associated Press contributed to this story
