Former UNM head football coach Mike Locksley was very emotional after what would be his last game with the Lobos.
“It was unacceptable to lose that game,” Locksley said. “Right now we’re not a really good team. We’re not doing what it takes to win football games.”
The team lost in overtime 48-45 to the Sam Houston State University Bearkats.
UNM sent the game into overtime with a 20-yard touchdown pass with only 27 seconds remaining but could only score a field goal in overtime. SHSU scored a touchdown on its first possession to win the game.
The Lobos weren’t supposed to lose to SHSU, an FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) school, formerly Division II.
SHSU was put on the schedule and paid to travel to UNM as an easy win for the Lobos.
It looked good for the Lobos in the beginning of the game, when wide receiver Deon Long returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
After that, the Bearkats scored two unanswered touchdowns. With 6:35 left in the first quarter, SHSU running back Tim Flanders scored on a 61-yard rush, the longest play from scrimmage that the Lobos have given up all season.
Despite the Lobos being outworked on offense, they didn’t let the Bearkats get too far ahead. The teams scored touchdowns one right after the other. At halftime, the score was tied at 21.
The second half of the game was more of the same story, with SHSU running the ball and UNM having trouble on offense.
Quarterback Tarean Austin was benched in the third quarter for B.R. Holbrook.
With 7:33 left in the game, SHSU’s Flanders scored another touchdown on a 53-yard run, making the score 42-28 in their favor.
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UNM running back Crusoe Gongbay scored a touchdown on a 1-yard rush, making the score 42-35, with 5:56 left in the game.
On the final drive of the game, Holbrook drove the team 80 yards down the field and capped it off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Deon Long with 27 seconds left, to tie the game at 42.
After being unable to get into the end zone, the Lobos settled for a field goal from James Aho, giving them a three-point lead.
The Bearkats then scored a touchdown on their first possession, immediately giving them the win.
Freshman Deon Long had the best game of his young career. He had 378 all-purpose yards, which is a new Mountain West Conference record.
Despite being in the game for hardly more than a quarter, Holbrook threw for 289 yards and had two touchdowns.
