New Mexico
New Mexico expert previews the Arizona football game, makes a score prediction
After one of the most tumultuous offseasons in school history, Arizona is finally ready to return to some level of normalcy when the 2024 campaign begins Saturday night at home against New Mexico.
The game will mark the UA coaching debut of Brent Brennan, who spent the previous seven years at San Jose State in the Mountain West. And his first game with the Wildcats just so happens to be against one of his former MWC rivals.
New Mexico is also breaking in a new coach, former BYU and Virginia head man Bronco Mendenhall, and has also played a game. The Lobos led FCS Montana State 31-14 in the second half and were up 10 with six minutes left but ended up falling at home last Saturday.
That result, as well as what is expected of Arizona this season, has resulted in the highest spread for the UA as a favorite since 2016.
To better understand New Mexico, we reached out to Adam Evarts of SB Nation sister site Mountain West Connection. Here are his feisty answers to our lifeless questions:
AZ Desert Swarm: New Mexico certainly didn’t look like a two-score home underdog to an FCS team, that late collapse notwithstanding. Still, what were the biggest surprises from the Lobos in your opinion?
Adam Evarts: “Honestly the biggest surprise was the defense itself. New Mexico had six starters back from last season, and it was supposed to be its most experienced group, yet they allowed 567 yards of offense, including two ball carriers near 200 yards rushing each. That was a surprise that wasn’t a good one.”
Quarterback Devon Dampier, an Arizona native, had a heck of a start to his sophomore year with a couple touchdowns and solid poise. What makes him most effective in this offense?
“Honestly, everything. Dampier can beat you with his arm and legs and he doesn’t turn the ball over at all. He has seen action now in 10 games at UNM and has yet to turn the ball over. When you think you have his receivers covered, he will take off running. Very versatile, he will remind Arizona fans of a light version of Khalil Tate. Khalil Tate-lite if you will. Smaller than Tate, but same abilities.”
New Mexico’s defense was all over the place, returning two fumbles for TDs but also giving up a ton of yards on the ground. Is that going to be an issue all season, and who on that side of the ball should Arizona be most concerned with?
“This was supposed to be the side of the ball with the least amount of worry, and yet they’re the ones who looked inexperienced and young. So, honestly, it may be a big problem stopping the run this season, I am not too sure. With Arizona’s passing attack, Arizona fans will hear a lot of Noah Avinger, the 6-foot corner who will probably take on the Wildcats’ top receivers. Christian Ellis is playing free safety and the Lobo-back position, he will be around the ball a ton as well.”
Being able to solve Montana State’s offense is one thing, but how do you expect the Lobos to deal with the combo of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan?
“The 3-3-5 defense that the Lobos run has a lot of plays where the blitzes come late, they come from everywhere, and they come fast. New Mexico ended up with three sacks, four tackles for loss, and of course, as you mentioned, the two fumble returns for touchdowns that were both hits on the quarterback. Expect a lot of blitzing on Fifita and for McMillan to go up against Avinger like mentioned above. That will be a fun battle to watch.”
What are your first impressions of Bronco Mendenhall? Is he capable of turning around one of the worst programs in FBS?
“So, I remember when Bronco was the defensive coordinator here (1998-2002). I liked him then, and I still like him now. His coaching style is making the players earn their way. He took the numbers away from them in fall camp and made them earn them throughout camp, and left it up to the players to figure out who worked the hardest week-to-week to earn those numbers back. I like that it allows the players to take control of their own work and makes everyone dig harder. He is definitely capable of turning around the program, but the one downside about New Mexico will be NIL. Not a lot of NIL money is rolling through the school, so it will be difficult to keep players around for many years here. However, while here, he will get the most out of his players.”
Prediction time. Can New Mexico shock the world and upset a ranked team on the road or will Arizona win as expected? Give us a score prediction.
“If one were to take away the two defensive touchdowns that the Lobos scored, that means the offense only put up 17 points. Not good in this day and age of explosive offenses in college football. The Lobos are very young on offense. Talented, but very young. Arizona’s defense is experienced and that spells doom for this Lobo offense taking a step back this season. I think the Lobos defense can keep it close for a half, but then the Wildcats take over in the second half and get a 45-10 victory.”
New Mexico
New Mexico hammers Boise State: 5 takeaways from Friday’s Mountain West Conference men’s basketball game
The good vibes from Boise State’s 41-point victory over Wyoming quickly abated during a Mountain West Conference men’s basketball game at The Pit.
New Mexico (15-4, 7-1) opened Friday’s showdown with eight straight points and closed the opening half on a 23-2 run in an 84-65 dismantling of the Broncos (13-6, 5-3).
Here are five takeaways from Boise State’s second straight MWC road loss.
Head coach Leon Rice has tinkered with Boise State’s starting lineup throughout the 2024-25 season.
Rice went with a new fivesome of Alvaro Cardenas, Chris Lockett Jr., Tyson Degenhart, Emmanuel Ugbo and Andrew Meadow Tuesday night against Wyoming, and the group staked the Broncos to an early lead in a runaway 96-55 victory.
The Broncos trotted out the same starting lineup against New Mexico with much different results.
Coming off a surprising loss to San Jose State, the Lobos jumped out to a 10-2 lead by the first TV timeout while Boise State started 1 of 7 from the floor with two turnovers. The Broncos found a brief rhythm when O’Mar Stanley, Javan Buchanan and Julian Bowie checked in to play with Cardenas and Degenhart, but the poor start was too much for Boise State to overcome in front of a capacity crowd.
Trailing just 25-19 after a Meadow layup, Boise State appeared to have settled in at The Pit.
New Mexico proceeded to close the first half on a 23-2 run, capped by a last-second Donovan Dent jumper that put the Lobos up 48-21.
It was an all-around disaster of a half for the Broncos, who shot 1 of 12 from 3-point range with nine turnovers. New Mexico went 21 of 34 from the field and shredded Boise State’s transition defense for 20 fast-break points.
Rice did all he could to stop the bleeding by burning three first-half timeouts, but nothing worked. Coming out of a timeout late in the period, Dent intercepted a lazy Cardenas pass and finished a transition and-one for a 44-21 lead.
It was that kind of night for the Broncos.
Boise State was the worst 3-point shooting team in the MWC until making a combined 27 of 52 attempts (51.9 percent) over its last two games.
The Broncos reverted to the mean Friday with a 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) performance from long range. Boise State started 1 of 19 before hitting four late triples.
At 32.1 percent for the season, the Broncos remain an inconsistent-at-best 3-point shooting team.
The officials whistled just two total fouls in the first 15-plus minutes of action — both on Boise State.
New Mexico was finally called for its first foul with 4:55 remaining in the half.
Boise State, a strong free throw shooting team at 77.6 percent entering Friday, would’ve preferred a tighter whistle at The Pit. But the officials allowed plenty of contact at both ends of the court, and New Mexico took advantage to seize first place in the MWC standings.
Boise State began the day on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble at No. 43 in the NCAA Net Rankings.
Friday’s result drops the Broncos to 2-5 overall against Quad 1 and 2 opponents, including losses to the MWC’s top three teams in New Mexico, San Diego State (11-4, 4-2) and No. 22 Utah State (16-2, 6-1).
Boise State will need some magic down the stretch to qualify for a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man has pleaded guilty to killing New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare on Interstate 40 near Tucumcari back in March.
Jaremy Smith pleaded guilty during a hearing in federal court Friday. As a part of the plea agreement, Smith admitted to shooting and killing Hare and taking off in his vehicle.
Investigators said this happened while Hare was trying to help Smith deal with what appeared to be a flat tire. For more than two days after the deadly shooting, law enforcement agencies in New Mexico and surrounding areas looked for him. Then, a Murphy’s gas station employee offered a tip to law enforcement that ultimately led to them capturing Smith in Albuquerque.
A month later, a federal grand jury indicted Smith on a plethora of charges for the alleged murder. Smith subsequently pleaded not guilty before changing his plea Friday.
As a part of Smith’s plea agreement, he also admitted to stealing a car and kidnapping Hare.
Smith was also charged with murder in South Carolina for allegedly killing a paramedic. He is currently behind bars.
MORE:
The New Mexico Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 16, 2025, results for each game:
Pick 3
Day: 8-1-1
Evening: 0-3-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 6-0-3-8
Day: 2-1-0-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Roadrunner Cash
03-10-15-27-32
Check Roadrunner Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Las Cruces Sun-News editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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