New Mexico

Fresno State Football Wants 'Payback' When Facing New Mexico

Published

1 year ago

September 19, 2024

Press Room

Fresno State Football Wants 'Payback' When Facing New Mexico

Steven Sanchez

Sports

Fresno State football head coach Tim Skipper praised his team’s performance after their 48-0 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday at Valley Children’s Stadium during a news conference on Monday.

With that game now behind them, the team’s focus shifts to their upcoming Mountain West Conference opener against the University of New Mexico.

Skipper emphasized that the team’s goal is to “play Bulldog football.”

Related Story: Fresno State Football vs New Mexico State: Players of the Game

Fresno State Bulldogs vs. New Mexico Lobos

Time/Date: 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Location: University Stadium

Records: Fresno State 2-1, 0-0 MW; New Mexico State 0-3, 0-0 MW

Watch Live: truTV/MAX

Listen Live: 1340 AM and other Bulldog Sports Network stations

Betting Odds: Fresno State favored by 15.5 points

Series History: Fresno State (15-6)

A Mission for Payback

The Bulldogs made a strong statement with their performance against the Aggies. Their games against Michigan and Sac State highlighted their ability to compete with top teams and overcome adversity. Against New Mexico State, they showcased their full potential. This weekend in Albuquerque, the focus is clear: “payback” against the Lobos of the University of New Mexico.

In their previous encounter on Nov. 18, 2023, Fresno State lost to New Mexico 25-17. The Bulldogs are determined to avenge that defeat and settle the score.

“We got embarrassed at home and I took it personally,” said senior defensive lineman and team captain Devo Bridges. “It motivates me. Having the mindset that we can’t be denied. We got to get them back for last year.”

Advantages and Preparation for the Lobos

Fresno State is poised to secure a victory at University Stadium, holding a 15-6 series lead over New Mexico. In four of their last six matchups, the Bulldogs have limited the Lobos to fewer than 10 points. Despite New Mexico’s new head coach, Bronco Mendenhall, and the addition of 42 transfers — second-most in the nation — the Bulldogs are not underestimating their opponents. Fresno State’s preparation remains focused and thorough, regardless of the Lobos’ revamped roster.

“The transfers have put in their time. Doesn’t make a difference. They’ve been working together and practicing. I can’t knock them just because it’s a team of transfers,” said Bridges.

Wide receiver Raylen Sharpe, left, and running back Bryson Donelson at practice on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (GV Wire/Steven Sanchez)

Junior wide receiver Raylen Sharpe agrees: “They’re transfers, but in the end they’re there to play football. I’m a transfer myself. It’s just football at the end of the day. They’re going to come out and play and so are we.”

Bulldogs’ Momentum on Both Sides of the Ball

The Bulldogs are entering the game with significant momentum on both offense and defense, eliminating the need to identify weaknesses in their opponents.

Fresno State’s offense has exceeded 500 yards in recent games against Sacramento State and New Mexico State. The defense’s shutout of New Mexico State was its first since Sept. 16, 2023, when it defeated Arizona State 29-0. Over the past three weeks, the defense has maintained strong performances.

Offensively, concerns about the unit’s explosiveness have been addressed as the Bulldogs scored 46 points against the Hornets and 48 against the Aggies. Much of this success is attributed to the wide receivers. Mac Dalena has emerged as a deep ball threat, while Jalen Moss has demonstrated exceptional abilities in route running and special teams.

Related Story: Fresno State Football vs New Mexico State: Players to Watch; Mountain West …

Running Game Steps Up

The running game made a significant impact against New Mexico State, with senior running back Malik Sherrod finally showcasing his potential. His production has been limited while rehabbing an injury. Sherrod had a standout game, rushing for 113 yards on 15 carries and scoring a touchdown. This marked his first 100-yard game, following a two-touchdown game against Sacramento State the previous week.

Sherrod demonstrated full health and speed, using stiff arms effectively and running with power. Based on that game he may see increased carries and playing time moving forward.

Offensive coordinator Pat McCann is eager to utilize Sherrod now that he is fully healthy. “This is the healthiest he’s been. He’s practicing and playing at a different rate. He played his best game and finished runs better than in the previous two games. He’s producing and showing up.”

Sherrod’s influence extends beyond the field, positively impacting the running back room. His leadership has been particularly inspiring for younger players like freshman Bryson Donelson, a Visalia native and Central Valley Christian graduate.

“Sherrod helps me out every day at practice. He critiques me to help me out. He’s been really great at helping me out while adjusting to the playbook,” said Donelson.

Defensive Dominance and Preparation for New Mexico

The unity and communication within the Bulldogs’ defense have been evident throughout the early part of the season. They have played exceptionally well, allowing just 138 yards of total offense against New Mexico State. The defense effectively contained both the run and passing games, with the Aggies gaining less than 100 yards in each category and the defense nabbing three interceptions.

In their game against Sacramento State, the defense recorded two fumble recoveries and an interception. During the season opener against Michigan, they limited the Wolverines to 269 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing their strong performance across multiple games.

Defensive lineman Devo Bridges at practice on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (GV Wire/Steven Sanchez)

On paper it may seem the Lobos may not present that much of a challenge, but defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle isn’t chalking this up as an easy game. “We have to stop the run game. They’re averaging 173 yards a game on the ground. We have to contain their quarterback. When he gets outside on the perimeter, he’s a real threat. He’s a great athlete and hasn’t been sacked so far this season.”

The Lobos are 0-3 but have faced tough opponents, including Auburn and Arizona. On the Bulldogs’ scouting report, two key figures stand out: sophomore quarterback Devon Dampier and head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

Dampier had a standout performance against Arizona, passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing with 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Mendenhall is known for his ability to revitalize programs. He led BYU to Mountain West Conference championships, BCS rankings, and victories over Power 5 teams. At Virginia, he earned respect with a couple of winning seasons. With the right talent and support, Mendenhall has the potential to make a significant impact in Albuquerque.

Related Story: Mindset of the Bulldog Football Matchup With New Mexico State: …

Focus on the Present, Not the Future

On Saturday, it was announced that Fresno State, along with other Mountain West schools, will be joining the Pac-12 in 2026. Despite this upcoming change, the Mountain West is currently showcasing its strength, with UNLV and San Jose State both at 3-0.

Head coach Tim Skipper and his team are focused on the present, disregarding future conference shifts and the records of other teams. The Bulldogs are aware of the strong performance from MW programs but are concentrating on their immediate goal: avenging their previous defeat.

Fresno State faces this challenge during New Mexico’s Homecoming, adding extra motivation to the matchup. The prospect of turning the tables on the team that handed them a crushing loss makes this game even sweeter for the Bulldogs.

“When people see us play, they’re going to say, ‘wow, these guys are good.’ We’re going to prove that last week wasn’t a fluke or a one-time thing. We’re going to show up to play,” said Bridges.

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New Mexico

Timothy Busfield Charged With Child Sex Abuse On ‘The Cleaning Lady’s New Mexico Set; WBTV Will “Cooperate With Law Enforcement”

Published

52 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Timothy Busfield Charged With Child Sex Abuse On ‘The Cleaning Lady’s New Mexico Set; WBTV Will “Cooperate With Law Enforcement”

A 10-year-old New Mexico boy says Timothy Busfield “touched his ‘poop’ and ‘pee’ area” during production on The Cleaning Lady, an Albuquerque District Attorney–approved arrest warrant issued today says.

“In my training and experience, pedophiles often infiltrate families under a trusted role, like Timothy, who, as a producer, exploited the hectic film sets to tickle and touch SL on his penis and buttocks, masking it as play,” the warrant from Albuquerque Police Officer Marvin Brown asserts. “He would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making SL feel special and dependent—classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy.”

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Filled with accounts from two brothers of their alleged repeated experiences with the Thirtysomething alum, who was a director on the now shuttered Élodie Yung-led Fox drama from Warner Bros TV, the document charges Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. It is unclear at this point if the Emmy winner has been arrested and booked by Albuquerque Police Department.

If found guilty of the charges, Busfield could face a minimum of three years behind bars.

In fact, the 68-year-old, who was accused but never charged in two previous sexual assault allegations in 1994 and 2012, could be looking at a lot longer sentence in the Land of Enchantment.

Under New Mexico statutes, prison time in sex crimes against minors leans heavily on context and circumstances in the degrees of punishment they hand out. That time and felony class can go up substantially if the crime involves children under 13 years of age — as it allegedly does here.

Named as “SL” and “VL” in the warrant, the two 2014-born boys appeared on The Cleaning Lady over multiple seasons before being let go for having aged out of the role, I hear. However, in a Nov. 3, 2025 phone interview with Busfield in the warrant, The West Wing vet told investigating Officer Brown that he “the lead actress, Elodie Young” informed him over a year ago that “the mother of SL and VL (sic) that she wanted revenge, and I’m going to get my revenge on Tim Busfield for not bringing her kids back for the final season.”

Courtesy of Fox

In interviews conducted with SL and VL on Halloween last year by a “forensic child interviewer,” and observed by Officer Brown, today’s arrest warrant says that the former told them the alleged abuse by Busfield started when he was 7 years old and on The Cleaning Lady.

“SL said that Tim touched him three to four times on his ‘poop’ and ‘pee’ area over his clothing,” the 12-page arrest warrant states of what is cited as a second incident with Busfield, very similar to a previous incident. “SL said he was very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set. SL said he was afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him. SL did advise that Tim touched him while he was only on set filming in Albuquerque.”

SL now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, the warrant says. SL disclosing having nightmares about the director touching him and waking up scared,” the document adds.

It goes on: “VL explained that Mr. Tim started touching them for the first two years, and he did not want to say anything, because he did not want to be mean to him. Therefore, VL did not say anything. VL said Mr. Tim would start touching him with his hands about his body while they were filming in the ‘house’. VL advised that it was about his body, but did not disclose that he was touched on his buttocks or penis area. VL said he did not like being touched, but did not say anything because he did not want to get in trouble.”

The matter actually first came to the cops’ attention in late 2024 when a doctor from University of New Mexico Hospital contacted the Albuquerque Police Department in regards to a “sexual abuse investigation.”

Noting that the boys’ father had been advised to go to the hospital by a local law firm, today’s warrant details: Officer Osborn talked with both VL and SL, who did not disclose any sexual contact at this time. However, both boys advised that Timothy Busfield, whom they referred to as ‘Uncle Tim’, would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Neither boy cared for the tickling. Officer Osborn contacted Detective Michael Brown with the Crimes Against Children Unit and determined that the case did not meet their acceptance criteria at this time.”

The matter came back to the police’s attention and became a much greater priority after the boys’ mother “advised that on 09/02/2025, SL reported to his counselor that Timothy Busfield touched his penis and bottom.”

In that same telephone conversation with Busfield in the weeks before Thanksgiving last year, the NYC-based filmmaker also dropped to Officer Brown that producers Warner Bros TV had conducted its own probe into allegations against him after SAG-AFTRA received an anonymous complaint in early 2025 of an incident on The Cleaning Lady set in December 2024. After writing up a search warrant for WB (which today’s warrant seems to mistakenly say occurred on “10/03/2025”) and several correspondences with WB attorney Richard Wessling at law firm Proskauer, Officer Brown on NYE last year got his hands on the March 31, 2025 external report put together by the LA office of Solomon Law.

Specifically the report, which saw Busfield suspended during the probe, looked into claims from the hotline caller that there was evidence of Busfield “tickling and caressing the head and body of minor boys” while working on the Albuquerque-filmed Cleaning Lady. Upon his own reading of the document, Officer Brown says in Friday’s warrant that Solomon investigator “Christina McGovern was not able to talk with anyone who would support evidence that Timothy Busfield engaged in this behavior.”

Working from what now seems to be limited accusations, the WBTV investigation viewed Busfield as “exonerated,” sources tell me.

In a statement to Deadline tonight, the Channing Dungey-led WBTV said: “The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”

As well as speaking to the boys’ mother and father (who seem to have instigated and then ceased a civil suit on this), plus some Cleaning Lady production assistants and Make-up and Hair department staffers, today’s warrant also details a brief back-and-forth between Officer Brown and the series star Yung, who was a producer too.

“On 11/5/2025, I contacted Elodie Yung to set up an interview. Elodie agreed to meet with me at the Northwest Substation on 11/7/2025,” Officer Brown notes in his fairly comprehensive affidavit that e Albuquerque Assistant DA Savannah Brandenburg-Koch signed off on today. “I did initially advise Elodie that Tim Busfield gave me her name and said that she may have information about this case. On 11/06/2025, Elodie left me a voicemail declining to speak with me and said that she does not want to be involved with the investigation and that she would not have any information that could assist in this case.”

Busfield’s agents at Innovative Artists did not respond late Friday to Deadline’s request for comment on the arrest warrant and the charges against their client.

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New Mexico

New Mexico Public Education Department faces $35 million shortfall

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico Public Education Department faces million shortfall

The New Mexico Public Education Department is facing a $35 million deficit, which it attributes to overpayments made to Gallup-McKinley County Schools, a claim the district disputes, arguing they are being wrongly blamed for the state’s funding mismanagement.

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