The UNM football team celebrated like it had won the BCS National Championship.
Students leapt over rails, darting onto the field after kicker James Aho’s 38-yard field goal split the uprights as time expired against Wyoming on Saturday at University Stadium. The kick gave the Lobos a 34-31 victory.
“Our guys played the way they are capable of playing for four quarters,” head coach Mike Locksley said. “One of the goals for us is to get a game into the fourth and give us a chance for victory, and I think that’s what we did today.”
Set up by a fumble by Wyoming quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, the Lobos wound down the clock before Aho connected to boost the Lobos. It was one of the Cowboys’ four turnovers.
For the fifth time in the past seven games, the Lobos scored first with about five minutes left in the first quarter, as Kasey Carrier scampered in for a 10-yard touchdown run. Wyoming responded with 21 unanswered points before the end of the first half.
Tailback Alvester Alexander scored on a 94-yard run, the second-longest in Wyoming history, to give the Cowboys a 21-7 lead.
UNM freshman quarterback Stump Godfrey responded by hitting tight end Lucas Reed in the end zone with 49 seconds left in the half. Reed made an amazing one-handed grab to cut the deficit to seven before the half.
“Our chemistry between me and him (Godfrey) is building, and he has made a lot of progress, especially in our situation of losing quarterbacks,” Reed said.
The Cowboys had chances to bury the Lobos time and again, except turnovers negated much of the 53 yards they gained.
On one of Wyoming’s five 40-plus-yard plays, Robert Herron ran to UNM’s two-yard line on a 68-yard run down. One play later, he fumbled. The turnover set up an Aho 51-yard field goal.
The Cowboys marched back into Lobo territory, but Herron fumbled again inside the red zone.
“Whenever we can give the ball to our offense and get momentum for them, it’s great,” Lobo middle linebacker Carmen Messina said. “That’s what we are supposed to do on defense: stop the ball and create turnovers, and stop them from scoring.”
UNM pulled ahead late in the fourth quarter. Godfrey, who
finished 16-of-20 and threw for two touchdowns, ran in from five yards out to give the Lobos a 31-24 lead. Wyoming scored on its next drive.
But defensive end Seth Johannemann forced Carta-Samuels to fumble, giving the Lobos the ball at the 11-yard line.
“You have to create turnovers, and I have said that from day one,” Locksley said.
