What do you call a game where your offense rushes
for 317
yards while holding your opposition to 130? What do you call a game
where your
team scores 24 points while your opposition scores zero (The first
conference
shut out in decades)? What do you call it when your punt returner is on
fire? What do you call it when it is
pouring rain and some of the few people left in the stadium are in the
end zone
painted red and going nuts!
Well
some people call it ugly… For Lobo fans it is a thing a
beauty!
Rocky
Long has been here for a decade now and he always
talks about defense! Defense! Rocky is a defensive guy so you know that
he was
smiling with that big goose egg his defense pitched today.
First
offensive play of the game Wyoming QB Karsten Sweed
threw a pass that was tipped by Carmen Messina and Frankie Solomon
snared the
tipped pass and shot right into the end zone for the score. What made
this
score sweet is that the Lobos for the first time this year had the lead
in the
1st quarter! The Lobos didn’t have to play from behind!
The
Lobo defense shut down Wyoming’s offense again (Get used
to that!) but a James Aho who has been on fire missed a FG attempt…
Lobo
defense says no dice Wyo!
The
Lobo offense takes over and Paul Baker who is starting
in place of the injured Rodney Ferguson and one of QB Brad Gruner’s
passes get
the Lobos to the Red Menace Zone! Got Syrup goes up and after 2
unsuccessful
attempts by Baker in comes the big Frosh James Wright. 3rd
and goal
from the 5 Wright rumbles to the 1. Coach Long puts faith in his Hitmen
and
they bust open a hole for James to go into the end zone!
Not
only were the Lobos up at the end of the 1st
quarter, they had a convincing punishing 14 point lead!
The
second quarter started where the 1st left off
as the Lobos brought that special whopping stick out tonight! Zach Arnett went
at the Wyoming offense scoring a career high 16 tackles including a
sack and
fumble recovery! Herbert Felder once again spent time in the opponent’s
backfield picking up a pair of sacks and 3 QB hurries, a forced fumble,
and
recovery to go with his 8 tackles, and Clint McPeek was… Well he was
Clint
McPeek!
In
the second quarter Brad Gruner who still working on the
passing part of the offense showed that his legs work just fine as he
dropped
back for a pass, looked to be trapped in the backfield… Gruner pulls
the ball
down and takes off for a 52 yard run! Two players later Gruner gets
into the
end zone to give the Lobos a 21-0 lead.
Some
great Lobo defense, the heavens pouring forth rain like
we were in Seattle and “Lobo Fan” hits the turnstiles!
The
second half started and the Lobo fans remaining were
dancing and singing in the rain hoping the Lobos could pitch that
shutout! If
you were looking for high-powered offense at that time you were
disappointed as
the field was a soggy mess, it was wet and rainy, and there was a
slight breeze
in the air… I guess I would call it… FOOTBALL WEATHER!
Offensively
the Lobos continued to move the ball but could
only manage James Aho going 1-2 in the second half while Wyoming was
befuddled
by the Lobo defense!
Punt
returner Ian Clark was back in the lineup and gave
those remaining plenty to cheer about nearly breaking a couple of
returns!
In
the end the highlights were the defense working hard to
preserve the first conference shutout in 25 years and their big
highlights were
late in the 4th quarter when Karsten Sweed threw a pass to
Wyoming
receiver David Leonard. Leonard may have secured the pass over DeAndre Wright
and as he was about to come down Lobo safety Frankie Baca obliterated
Leonard
and took out DeAndre as well! It was the type of hit that Lobo safeties
are
quickly becoming known about!
Next
Wyoming possession Herbert Felder scores the
Trifecta…Sack, Fumble, and Recovery!
The
Lobos last possession had them running out the clock
when James Wright busts out the line for a 42 yard run to the Wyoming 2
yard
line! The Lobos had plenty of time to score, in fact, Wyo’s Joe Glenn
called a
timeout. The stage was set for the Lobos to easily go up 31-0 and make
this
media called “ugly victory” even worse.
However,
this is Coach Rocky Long we are talking here. For
those of you that don’t know Coach Long does not embarrass his
opponents. He
isn’t just a coach he is a fan of collegiate football and he does it
with
class… So he had his QB take a knee! One of the few left if you ask me…
Some quick
hits!
Tate
Smith came in and the Lobos tried a couple of trick
plays. Neither worked but Tate looked like he did this spring and fall.
Very
poised and I believe able to lead this team if asked.
RB
Controversy! Who do you feed the ball to? Rodney, Paul,
James… I think I like the idea of all 3!
Ian
Clark was so solid and is a weapon on both the defense
and special team, great to have Ian back!
I
thought Adam Miller has settled down and is having a solid
season!
Where
was everyone going? It wasn’t that cold, just a little
wet!
Offensive
Player of the Game!
Ian
Clark- Ian’s punt returns were spectacular to watch! He
set the Lobos up in great position multiple times and know it is just a
matter
of time until he springs a couple!
Defensive Player of the Game!
Herbert
Felder
Back
to back honors for Mr. Felder as he once again spent
more time in the opposition huddle then his own teams. The trifecta
helped as
well!
Special thanks to DeAndre
Wright and Wesley Beck!
It was a
cold and wet night and the hundred or so
people in The Red Menace stayed for the Lobo Leap! I want to thank
DeAndre and
Wes for making the dash to The Red Menace and showing the love!
Click here to listen to Rocky Long, Ian Clark, Glover Quin, Joshua
Taufalele, and Frankie Solomon!