The score was 13-7 when the Volunteers had first-and-10 on the Cowboy 39-yard line on Tennessee's final drive of the game. Dobbs sacked Vol quarterback Jason Crompton for an 8-yard loss and three plays later, Tennessee turned the ball over on downs to seal the Wyoming win.

ROCKY SEASON: One team that will not be bowl-eligible this season is New Mexico. The Lobos conclude their regular season this weekend at Colorado State.

UNM and Purdue were the only teams not to have a bye week in 2008 and the Lobos will be the first team in the country to conclude their season. UNM was beset by injuries, most notably the one sustained by quarterback Donovan Porterie that forced him to miss most of the year. Long is confident his team will play well in the season-finale.

"I'm counting on their competitive spirit. We have a team that hasn't been in this situation for a long time, not being bowl-eligible," he said. "Our team is very, very disappointed. But there are some factors that have lent to us having a rough season this year. We have a special group of kids who have played through more injuries than I've ever seen."

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E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com