Utes and Lobos mix it up in Mountain West Conference action
Sports Network | October 29, 2008
Albuquerque, NM (Sports Network) - Back in the top-10 for the first time since 2004, the 10th-ranked Utah Utes hit the field again this weekend as they face fellow Mountain West Conference member New Mexico in Albuquerque.
The Utes are still one of the few unbeatens left in college football, off to an 8-0 start for the fourth time in school history. In 2004, the program finished a perfect 12-0 so there's still something significant to shoot for. Ranked 10th in the BCS standings this week as well, the Utes enjoyed last week off after crushing Colorado State in Salt Lake City on October 18th by a score of 49-16. Since giving up a season-high 28 points to Oregon State, the Utes have outscored the last two opponents by a combined 89-23.
As for the Lobos, a team that opened the 2008 campaign with three straight home games but only two wins, they've had their share of ups and downs in recent weeks. The team went from a 21-3 loss to BYU three weeks ago to a commanding 70-7 victory versus San Diego State in the middle of October. More recently the team was handed a 23-10 setback by Air Force on October 23rd, which means UNM is now sixth in the conference standings with a 2-3 league ledger.
Last season Utah, which is currently riding a nine-game win streak, picked up a 28-10 win over UNM to move to 30-17-2 in the all-time series. However, when it comes to games played in Albuquerque, the series is knotted at 12-12-1. Working against the Lobos this time around is the fact that the team is a mere 7-39 versus nationally-ranked opponents all-time.
Since posting 25 points in a narrow win against Michigan in the season opener, Utah has put up no less than 30 points in any one contest, which has led the group to an average of 39 ppg, first among the teams in the Mountain West Conference and 12th in the nation this week.
Although he's been picked off seven times, quarterback Brian Johnson is completing almost 66 percent of his passes for 203.1 ypg and has 13 TDs to show for his efforts. One of the more versatile performers in the conference, Matt Asiata has made a huge return from an injury that all but wiped out the 2007 campaign and is now the leading rusher on the team with 451 yards and nine of the group's 20 rushing scores. Although he doesn't carry as high of an average, Darrell Mack has been a strong chance-of-pace runner for the Utes and has three touchdowns to show for his efforts. The top two receivers on the team, Bradon Godfrey and Freddie Brown, have combined for 62 receptions for 739 yards and seven TDs. Kicker Louie Sakoda has been an integral part of the offense as well, with the two-time MWC Special Teams Player of the Year leading the league in scoring with 10 points per game.
"They are a run-first team," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham notes of New Mexico. "Rodney Ferguson leads the conference in rushing. That is their forte and you have to stop him if you're going to have a chance to beat them." Working in favor of coach Whittingham and the Utes is the fact that they rank second in the conference and ninth in the nation this week in run defense with just 85.9 ypg allowed. The pass defense has been a bit more lenient with 178.1 ypg permitted, yet that is still good enough for second in the Mountain West and 25th nationally. Put it all together and Utah is second in the MWC and sixth in the country with a mere 264 ypg allowed.
Paul Kruger has been one of the main players on this side of the ball for the Utes, placing third in tackles after eight games with 41 stops. More importantly, Kruger leads the group with five and a half sacks and has a team- best 13.5 tackles for loss. As a unit, Utah is second in the league and 14th nationally in TFLs at the moment with close to eight per game.
Ahead by a 10-0 count against Air Force last week, the Lobos appeared poised to be going in for another score, but a hard hit on quarterback Brad Gruner resulted in a fumble, a return of 96 yards for a score and a change in momentum. The shift in the tide meant UNM was destined to go scoreless the rest of the way. Gruner finished the outing 8-of-11 for 83 yards, while backup Tate Smith converted as many passes to the Falcons (one) as he did to his own teammates. Rodney Ferguson recorded 107 yards and a TD in the losing effort as well.
As for the play of his quarterback tandem, head coach Rocky Long noted during his press conference before the meeting with Air Force, "I don't think you will see all year long equal playing time...I think the quarterbacks are used in specific situations. Tate Smith comes in with a specific package that is different from what Gruner runs, but Gruner has a lot more playing experience now so Brad's package is a lot bigger and more varied." As optimistic as that may sound, coach Long can't be happy with the play of his signal-callers the last few weeks, but since losing starter Donovan Porterie to injury there's not much the staff can do but live through the growing pains. If nothing else Ferguson, who leads the league in rushing with 108.1 ypg, is back there to take some of the pressure off their shoulders.
In reality, even though the Lobos bowed to Air Force, the defense for the visitors actually played rather well, allowing just a single offensive touchdown by the Falcons. In fact, UNM forced the academy into three field goals during the contest, picked off one pass and recovered a pair of fumbles. One of those recoveries came from Clint McPeek who also led the Lobos with 15 tackles, one of three players with double-digit stops. Herbert Felder, who had just two tackles on the night, produced the lone sack for the group.
Felder now has a team-best 6.5 sacks and is first with not only nine TFLs but also 21 quarterback hurries. With an average of just under nine tackles per game, McPeek has been essential to the Lobos and their pursuit of victories this season. Zach Arnett checks in with 68 stops, of which eight have come behind the line of scrimmage. Perhaps most impressive of Arnett's efforts has been his five forced fumbles, one-third of the team's total to this point in the season.
