There is a lot to be said about what took place in Fort Collins in the matchup between UNM and CSU. As a quick summary, The Lobos fought hard after CSU took a 14-3 lead at the half, outscoring CSU 15-6 in the second half. Unfortunately, three of CSU’s points came as time expired, as they kicked a 26-yard field goal to win the game 20-18. Here’s what was on my mind as I was leaving the press box:

Lobos had their chances: The Lobos had a 4th and 1 at the 4-yard line in the second quarter with a chance to make it a 7-7 game. That didn’t happen though. Instead, the Lobos were unable to convert and didn’t score on the drive that went 75 yards. On the next series for CSU, they had a 4th and 1 from the 3 and were able to convert, setting up a touchdown to take a 14-0 lead. At the end of the first half, the Lobos had another solid drive, going 65 yards before stalling and having to settle for a field goal. That left the Lobos looking at a 14-3 CSU lead at the half. On the first drive of the second half for CSU, the Lobos had an interception that was taken back due to a penalty. CSU didn’t score on the drive, but that could have been a game-changing play. The Lobos had a 3rd and 5 with just over a minute left and could have sealed the 18-17 win if they had converted on the play, but a dropped pass gave CSU the ball back with a chance to win the game. In a game that ends on a field goal, there are always a number of moments that could have changed the outcome. This one was no exception.

What went right: The Lobos were able to find big plays in the passing game, with Umeh having a 52-yard reception and Lilly with a 23-yard TD reception. The Lobos should be able to find those plays more consistently in the last six games of the regular season. Aside from his fumble on the second play of the game, Tyrone Owens was able to break off a few really nice runs The Lobos will need to find a way to find Owens more space throughout the remaining schedule. Marcus Hayes again showed how special of a player he can be for the Lobos when he broke for a 53-yard punt return that set up the TD by Delane Hart-Johnson.  Hayes also provided great play in the secondary, as he had 8 tackles and a pass break up. Hart-Johnson also showed great ball skills with multiple big catches on 3rd downs and a huge TD catch that gave the Lobos the lead. Sheriron Jones has taken off with the quarterback position and has shown great growth since being thrown into the fire against Wisconsin, leaving me excited to see his continued growth during the rest of the season.

What went wrong: It didn’t take long for the first miscue to show up in the game, when Owens fumbled the ball on the second play of the game to set up a quick TD for CSU. It was a play that was circled as soon as it happened and came back to bite the Lobos. I thought it was the right call to go for it when it was 4th and 1 at the 4, as if the Lobos convert they probably score a TD and momentum would have been on their side after the bad start to the game. But, as we saw, it didn’t pan out. A huge difference in the game was 3rd and 4th down conversions. On the game, the Lobos were 3 for 11 on 3rd and 0 for 1 on 4th while CSU was 7 for 18 on 3rd and 1 for 1 on 4th down. The Lobos will need to find a way to convert these situations to win these close games.

Bowl Chances: With the loss today the Lobos fall to 3-3 and 1-1 in MW play. The Lobos will need to win 3 of the final 6 games to become bowl eligible. The remaining schedule for the Lobos is Fresno State, at Utah State, SDSU, at AFA, Boise State, and Wyoming. They will play 4 of the top 5 teams in the MW during these 6 games, so finding 3 wins is going to be difficult. This team has a chance to get there, but have to think they are well below 50% at this point. Would have been nice to have this one (and Liberty, while we’re at it.)

Up next: The Lobos will return to Albuquerque to host Fresno State (4-1, 1-0 they play Wyoming tonight) next Saturday, the Lobos will have to find ways to get their big playmakers the ball and limit the opportunities Fresno State gets. It should be a good day for Lobo sports, so make sure to get a $2 ticket to the Cherry vs. Silver Men’s Basketball event on October 19th (Friday) and get a ticket for the Football game.