BYU respects dangerous Lobos

PROVO — Over the years under coach Rocky Long, the New Mexico football program has established a reputation for finishing strong.

That's one of the things that concerns BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall as his team prepares to host the Lobos on Saturday.

New Mexico, which can become bowl-eligible for the sixth consecutive year with a victory, is a dangerous opponent, Mendenhall says. And nobody knows that better than Mendenhall, who served as Long's defensive coordinator before he arrived in Provo in 2003.

"This team we're playing is a good football team," said Mendenhall, whose Cougars are looking to clinch the outright Mountain West Conference championship with a win. "They're capable of winning against any team in our conference, including us."

The Lobos tend to start slow, then finish with a flourish. Since 2001, they have started with a combined 13-23 record in the first half of the season, but are a combined 26-6 in the latter-half of the season.

UNM has followed that same pattern this year. The Lobos opened the season with a humiliating 17-6 home loss to Division I-AA Portland State. At one point, they were floundering with a 2-4 mark before reeling off three straight victories, including a 21-point second-half comeback against Utah in October. Last week, they rallied in the second half before falling to TCU, 27-21.

"New Mexico is a young football team. Why did they struggle early? Youth might be the easy answer to that," Mendenhall said. "Youth usually leads to inconsistency. What I think has to happen is maturity and more experience certainly help the way you play. They've not only improved, but they've gained a different resolve. They get stronger as the season goes on. As the team's maturing, they're gaining more confidence. I think (coach Long) probably challenged their will and they're competing with a higher investment level than they were at the beginning of the season, playing like it matters."

"They don't stop. They don't quit," said BYU cornerback Kayle Buchanan. "We've seen that the last two weeks. They've staged major comebacks in the second half, either winning or making it a very close game, like last week at TCU. We can't let off. That's the biggest thing about New Mexico. They'll make us fight the entire game."

What's more, the Lobos have proven to be a solid road team.

New Mexico has a dismal 2-7 record in its last nine games at home, but the Lobos are 8-2 in their last 10 road games and they have won 15 of their last 20 contests on the road. Since 2003, the Lobos boast the 13th-best road record (14-9) in college football.