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UNM football fans haven’t seen a game like this in quite a while.
The Lobos dominated Southern University in almost every facet of Saturday’s season opener, capturing a 66-21 victory. The 66-point total and 45-point margin of victory is UNM’s largest since a 70-7 win over San Diego State in 2008.
Playing before a crowd of 28,450 fans, it was quite a debut for the new Lobo coaching staff and young roster.
“It feels great to get the first win of the season,” senior linebacker Joe Stoner said. “It sets the tone for the rest of the season. We know who we have next, and it’s not going to be easy. We proved today that we can play solid as a team.”
UNM (1-0) amassed 417 total yards, primarily on the ground. The Lobos rushed for 347 yards on 51 attempts. It’s also the first 300-yard rushing game since the 2008 game against SDSU.
Junior tailback Demarcus Rogers led the pack with 103 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, becoming the first 100-yard rusher for the Lobos since 2009. Freshman quarterback Cole Gautsche added 88 yards on eight attempts and scored two touchdowns, while freshman tailback Jhurell Pressley added 75 yards on 10 attempts with a touchdown.
“Demarcus Rogers is tough,” head coach Bob Davie said. “He popped that hamstring out at practice before we went to Ruidoso (for training camp). He took some licks today. I really like him. He’s a physical back. I think Jhurell Pressley, you could see with his hands on the ball. He’s a pretty stout guy.”
The scoreboard at University Stadium saw an explosion in the second quarter with 38 points for UNM. That total set a school record for most points in a quarter since the school began tracking the statistic in 1946.
Already holding a 7-0 lead after the first quarter from a 5-yard Pressley run, UNM scored three second-quarter touchdowns in 1 minute, 54 seconds. Senior wide receiver Ty Kirk started the rally when he caught a 16-yard pass from senior quarterback B.R. Holbrook, giving the Lobos a 14-0 lead six seconds into the quarter.
On Southern’s ensuing possession, Lobo senior defensive tackle Ugo Uzodinma forced a fumble by Southern quarterback Dray Joseph. UNM senior linebacker Joseph Harris recovered the fumble and returned it 10 yards for another UNM score.
The Lobos capped the quick scoring spurt with an 8-yard touchdown run by Rogers, and the Lobos held a 28-0 lead just two minutes into the second.
UNM’s other second-quarter touchdown came on a Gautsche 7-yard run, a Chase Clayton 98-yard kickoff return and a Justus Adams 38-yard field goal. Southern scored in the quarter when Joseph connected with Lee Doss on a 2-yard touchdown pass, but Gregory Pittman’s point-after kick failed and the Lobos led 45-6 at the half.
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“That was about the longest football game I’ve ever been in,” Davie said. “That first half I didn’t think would ever end.”
The Lobos scored three more times in the second half. Gautsche added his second touchdown on a 47-yard run three minutes into the third quarter. Freshman cornerback Cranston Jones added a defensive touchdown with a 39-yard interception return to pay dirt.
In the fourth, UNM’s Carlos Wiggins had a 7-yard touchdown run.
Southern’s two second-half scores came from a Lee Mitchell 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a Charles Hawkins 2-yard reception from quarterback J.P. Douglas.
“Offensively, we dropped too many balls,” said Southern coach Lyvonia “Stump” Mitchell, whose team lost practice time last week due to Hurricane Isaac. “We had things going, especially on a couple third downs, but we just weren’t able to capitalize. They (UNM) had a little bit to do with it, but I think we had more to do with it.”
With UNM playing so well in the rushing game, the passing game was limited. The Lobos completed seven of their 10 passing attempts for 70 yards. Starting quarterback Holbrook was 6-for-8 for 57 yards and a touchdown, and Gautsche made one of two attempts for 13 yards.
Pressley had the most receiving yards with one 24-yard catch.
Southern finished the game with 320 total yards, 242 passing and 78 rushing. Through the air, the Jaguars completed 20 of 34 with two interceptions.
