TCU, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah have gotten all the ink in the Mountain West Conference championship race, but CSU just sent a friendly reminder to the rest of the league it shouldn't be overlooked.
The Rams picked up a 41-23 win over Air Force in game broadcast by ESPN Thursday night. It's a pretty significant victory considering the Falcons are vastly improved and boast one of the most diverse offenses they've ever had at the Academy. They throw the ball and have to strong quarterbacks.
CSU may be 2-2, but one of those losses was 31-28 heart-breaker to the Big 12's Colorado and the other was a 56-24 whipping by now-nationally ranked Minnesota.

Posted by ilimon at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A lot of people around here love or hate the Irish, but here's a good reason to respect coach Charlie Weis.
Weis grants dying boy's wish

Posted by ilimon at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, they finally lost.
A lot of Lobos fans seem pretty bummed by the weekend loss to UTEP, but the sky is not falling. The team was a little down after the game, mainly because the players considered it a game they could have and should have won.
This team is still capable doing some impressive things during conference play and I wouldn't write them off just yet. Road games at TCU, Wyoming and Utah will be difficult tests, but I wouldn't count the Lobos out of the hunt simply because they didn't realize some people's dreams of an undefeated season.
I think this is still arguably the most confident and talent-rich team New Mexico has fielded in quite awhile.
The conference race will be intriguing and tought to navigate. New Mexico is capable of winning big or losing every weekend.
Time to panic?
No.
A little gut-wrenching for the die-hards?
Yes.
Great college football?
You bet.

Posted by ilimon at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TCU was light on details Monday about the condition of starting quarterback Tye Gunn.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting Gunn's status remains questionable for Saturday's game against the Lobos in Fort Worth, meaning backup Jeff Ballard could get the first start of his career.
Gunn, a senior who had earned quite a bit of pub for his role helping TCU earn wins over then-No. 5 Oklahoma and Utah, injured his right shoulder late in the third quarter against BYU.
Ballard, who had only seen a few snaps in two other games, calmly led the Horned Frogs to a 51-50 overtime win. He went 8-of-12 passing for 150 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His longest pass was for 35 yards and he managed to avoid getting sacked. Ballard's touchdowns were TCU's only passing scores against the Cougars.
Check out the Tribune all this week for daily football coverage and visit the blog for bonus coverage. As always, you're welcome to post any questions about football or women's basketball. I'll do my best to answer them.

Posted by ilimon at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't say enough that this weekend is huge for the Miners and Lobos.
With Utah's loss to TCU, one of these programs will emerge as the top candidate to be the southwest's BCS buster.
New Mexico is, by far, the toughest team on UTEP's schedule. If the Miners keep it together, they could easily go undefeated this season.
The Lobos have a bit tougher run with road games at TCU, Utah and Wyoming, but every one of those teams is beatable. No one boasts better athletes than Missouri, a team New Mexico beat convincingly 45-35.
It appears the Miners and Lobos are destined to do something special this year. I think it's worth the road trip for Lobos fans to catch what should a great college football game. If you are considering going, you better lock in your tickets soon. UTEP coach Mike Price already is predicting a Sun Bowl sellout and a Miner-heavy crowd.
We've got a bonanza of coverage planned this week, so check www.abqtrib.com daily for updates.
Feel free to post any questions you have about either team, and I'll do my best to answer them.

Posted by ilimon at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have New Mexico's vote in this year's AP poll.
Observing a Trib tradition, I asked to have my ballot published weekly and offered a few lines explaining my decisions.
This week's ballot can be found here:
Tribune's Top 25
I got loads of e-mail from people whose thoughts on my ballot range from outraged to elated. It's been so much fun responding to those e-mails, I figured I should invite more conversation about the polls on the blog.
I am open to anyone's opinion, so feel free to take a look at my ballot and post your thoughts in the comments section of this entry.

Posted by ilimon at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This year's rivalry week isn't quite as dramatic as year's past, but the Lobos and Aggies are still talking it up with all their might.
New Mexico coach Rocky Long and his veteran players are all on the same page, repeating the mantra that the Aggies always play their best against the Lobos and the games are always close.
Not quite true -- recall the 38-3 score in Las Cruces last year and the blowout 53-0 win in Albuquerque during the 2001 season.
Still, the Aggies do truly hate the Lobos. Senior linebacker Jimmy Cottrell said the game is the only way New Mexico State can avoid being "the bastard stepchildren" of New Mexico colleges.
Rocky also has been quick to say Aggies are better than their 0-2 record. That sounds an awful lot like a coach trying to make sure his players don't overlook a team and throw away an easy win.
I see New Mexico State at the start of a tough rebuilding process under first-year coach Hal Mumme.
He says the team is a couple of key plays and mistakes away from being competitive. He also blames former coach Tony Samuel for a brutal schedule that could potentially demoralize his young team.
I watched the NMSU-UTEP, and I can definitely say the Aggies do have some talent and potential. However, I think they are at least a year away from being truly competitive against New Mexico unless the Lobos play terribly.
The Lobos should enjoy this week because it just might the last time this game could be counted as such an easy win for a long time. Mumme is too fierce a competitor and too good of a recruiter to let the Aggies stay down for long.

Posted by ilimon at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, I predicted the Lobos would lose something like 38-21 to Missouri.
And, as we all know, I couldn't have been more wrong.
In my defense, the Lobos didn't look so good the final three quarters against UNLV and have never fared well against BCS teams on the road. I knew they could win, I just thought Missouri was a little too loaded and the crowd too imposing.
But the Lobos obviously stepped up.
I think this was a huge Lobo win for all kinds of reasons. Here's a few:
-- They finally beat a BCS team on the road for the first time in school history.
-- They finally picked up a major non-conference road win, the first during Rocky's tenure
-- The offense scored 45 points. Hello, 45 points. This not Dan Dodd's score just enough points to win offense anymore. It's fun, innovative and exciting to watch.
-- Above all, they didn't give up when their backs were against the wall. They made big plays to win the game, which was something you just couldn't count on before.

Posted by ilimon at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Senior nose tackle Marcus Parker suffered what trainer Dave Binder said was likely a fractured hand during Wednesday's practice.
Trainers already put a cast on Parker and expect him to be able to play Saturday against Missouri with wrapped.
Parker was grabbing another player's jersey coming off the line during Wednesday's practice and got his hand caught while twisting the jersey.
Doctors were examining Parker after practice Wednesday, and we'll know more after Thursday's practice.

Posted by ilimon at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coach Rocky Long admits the weather played more of a factor in Monday's game against UNLV than he would have liked.
Going into the matchup, he said it was no big deal that the Lobos would be playing a day game.
He didn't count on the 80-degree temperatures and 40 percent humidity at game time.
"I never imagined five guys would be getting IVs at halftime," Long said during Wednesday's media lunch.
Throw in other guys feeling sluggish and guys throwing up on the sidelines, and you've got an ugly recipe.
Trainer Dave Binder works to keep the team hydrated, but several equipment failures hurt the Lobos. Fans and misters on the New Mexico sideline were broken and were not available to keep Lobos cool on the sidelines. UNLV, however, brought their equipment and had fans and misters going on its sideline. Fans in the New Mexico lockerroom, which does not have air conditioning, also were broken.
Trainers serve players as much water as they can consume, but Long said a lot of players pass it up and don't drink enough.
Hank Baskett, who suffered cramps and had to have an IV after the game, isn't one of them. Long said Baskett drinks something like two gallons during the game, and he was suffering.
"It was probably one of the hottest and most humid games I've ever seen here," Long said.
Missouri will be humid, but Long said the 6 p.m. kickoff should help the Lobos fight off more dehydration trouble. Long said playing under the blazing New Mexico sun made a huge difference and won't be a problem Saturday.
And yes, the staff has fixed the sideline fans so the Lobos should be able to stay cool.

Posted by ilimon at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been a pretty interesting opening weekend in college football.
I'll do a quick run-down of games of note, starting of course with the Lobos.
Coach Rocky Long said this morning on the Mountain West Conference media conference call that he figured the second, third and fourth quarter near-meltdown by the Lobos was caused by a combination of UNLV adjustments and an emotion letdown by New Mexico. He said he sensed on the sidelines that the team lacked the intensity and focus it needed to close the door on the Rebels.
Clearly, that translated to some problems on the field.
He said he felt lucky to walk away with a 24-22 win, while UNLV coach Mike Sanford said his guys felt robbed.
They play Idaho this week on a short turnaround, like the Lobos and Missouri, and Sanford said it will be tough helping his players get over how close they came to upsetting New Mexico.
Both coaches praised the atmosphere and fan support at University Stadium, especially considering the holiday and heat. It was the fifth largest crowd in school history at 37,533.
Speaking of heat, it did take a toll on the Lobos but Long said no one showed long-term ill effects this morning. The temperature hit somewhere around 80 degrees and humidity was around 40 percent during the game.
Four guys -- Hank Baskett, Quincy Black, Gabriel Fulbright and Mike Mohoric -- had to get two bags of IVs after the game. All four suffered cramps during the game. Baskett said he was sweating so profusely that trainers had a hard time wiping his arm and keeping it dry long enough to insert the IV. He also mentioned taking more than a dozen hydration tablets during the game, but it just wasn't enough.
The guys all returned to the locker room about half an hour after the game to change and meet with the media. They looked fine and said the IVs did the trick, although the saline felt "a little icky," according to Baskett.
Long said none of the guys showed ill effects this morning after reporting to trainers. He also said DonTrell Moore was a little sore, as is normal after a game, but did not show any knee problems following his big debut.
Elsewhere in the Mountain West Conference
TCU announced it is for real with its 17-10 win at Oklahoma.
I don't care who you ask, nobody really believed that the Horned Frogs were capable of this kind of upset. Those loyal to the program figured they might be able to play them close, but TCU did what Texas hasn't been able to do in years.
Coach Gary Patterson, who once was an assistant here, was immensely proud of his team. He called it a great win for the program and a major confidence boost, but he is now trying to focus the team on its next game against cross-town rival SMU. After that, TCU faces Utah in what could be a very interesting game among early conference title contenders.
Utah hung onto its undefeated status by the skin of its teeth, beating Arizona 27-24. I think the Utes are still working out some kinks and it remains to be seen whether they will be anywhere close to the team they were last year.
Air Force pulled off a 20-17 win over Washington State in Seattle, an impressive feat as the conference tries to pad its resume against Bowl Championship Series schools. The Falcons don't typically boast a heavy non-conference schedule, so this was a big game.
Wyoming battled Florida in The Swamp but lost 32-14. It could have been much worse. Coach Joe Glenn said he was proud of his team's effort and tipped his hat to former Utah coach Urban Meyer for the job he already has done at Florida.
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said he was thrilled to get his first game over with, but he wasn't happy that it ended up being a 20-3 loss. The Cougars were playing one of the best Boston College teams in years, so it's not really an indication of how good his team can be this season.

We've got a lot of great stuff planned this week leading up to the Lobos' game Saturday at Missouri. Check out the Tribune and this blog daily for updates.

Posted by ilimon at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, this blog is dedicated to football and women's basketball, but I happened to be on the same flight back from El Paso as Roman Martinez.
Pure coincidence.
I got a chance to talk with him at the airport before our flight left, and he was really nice.
He is wide-eyed and excited about the recruiting process. He said he had one good tournament with the New Mexico Force and his life really changed. All sorts of recruiters started checking him out.
As a reporter, I'm not really supposed to steer him any way. I answered questions about Albuquerque and UNM, where I also went to school, as much as I could. Then I suggested he ask coaches to put him in touch with fellow El Pasoan Abbie Letz. She'll be able to give him a better perspective of what it's like moving from El Paso and being an athlete here. Her older brother used to play on the baseball team, so she's about as good a resource as you can get on what it's like to be a student athlete.
Roman already is really familiar with Albuquerque thanks to a lifetime of playing in tournaments here. He said The Pit is awesome and caught the Texas Tech-West Viriginia game here during March Madness. He has seen several games and understands the enormity of fan support.
Of course, he wasn't expecting the attention he got from fans when he arrived at the airport and was impressed by those from Wolf Bytes eager to get out and welcome him. He also was startled by the idea that reporters would even acknowledge him before coaches had even offered him a scholarship.
Roman doesn't seem to be near a decision on his favorite school yet, and my only advice to him was to have fun. When else are schools really going to roll out the carpet for a player? The rest is all work.
He comes from a solid high school program with a coach, Tony Harper, I really admired while growing up in El Paso. I went to a lot of his basketball camps and have to say I learned quite a bit from him. I was a camp junkie as a kid, hitting the higher profile Don Haskins and Tim Hardaway camps. But Coach Harper gave the most individual attention and really cared about helping kids develop. His was also the most economical camp around. I have the utmost respect for him and what he has done for his high school program.
Roman also spoke with reverence about his coach. He is nice, funny and respectful. He knows he's pretty lean and lanky. We're not talking Sean Phaler skinny, but he's relatively thin and roughly 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. He said he realized Division I basketball is a big deal and will be a major jump for him. He didn't seem to mind the idea of redshirting, giving him time to hit the weight room hard to put meat on his bones and adjust to the speed of the game.
That's all I know, thanks to my hometown ties.
Check out the Tribune for more recruiting news at www.abqtrib.com. Most of the stories obviously come from Jeff Carlton, our ace Lobo men's beat writer, but we'll have plenty of folks to cover for him while he's on vacation this coming week.

Posted by ilimon at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I caught the Aggie-Miner game while visiting family in El Paso for the weekend.
It looks like New Mexico State has a long way to go before getting a handle on the Hal Mumme system. UTEP, on the other hand, is impressive. I'm not just saying that because I grew up watching the Miners.
All is not lost for Aggie fans or those who prefer close rivalry games.
Aggie quarterback Royal Gil does have potential and it turns out converting Paul Dombrosky from quarterback to receiver was a great idea. He was the only one making any progress for the Aggies most of the game.
The Aggies show signs of the trademark Mumme / Mike Leach attack. A lot of trick plays, a lot of four and even five receiver sets. They line up four receivers and Dombrowsky in the backfield on punting formations, and there seems to be a 50-50 chance they'll go for it on a ridiculous fourth-and-way-long or punt. You don't have a lot to loose when you're already down big. And Mumme has proven to be a gambler, much like Leach.
The problem is, his guys can't quite execute his elaborate plans yet. That, however, may change with more practice.
Plus, UTEP just plain looked good.
Yea, the Aggies helped their cause a whole lot but NMSU wasn't exactly a pushover team. They came out prepared but it wasn't enough. The Miners are loaded.
You can see their potential from the way they run onto the field. Coach Mike Price marches out with a pick axe and holds it up near the end zone. His players all rally around him and jump as their fans shout "UTEP, UTEP." They do a little bouncing around in a huddle, then charge onto the field with Price jogging with them.
By kickoff, Price has them bursting with energy and confidence.
These are the Miners, remember. Football and success aren't exactly synonyms in El Paso, so this is a really big deal to the fans and their program. They also happen to be dedicating their season to the trips stationed at and deployed from Fort Bliss, so they have unprecedented support. Those fans were loud and proud, taking over Aggie Memorial. I'm a little ashamed to admit the Miner fans got out of hand, drinking a little too much and going too far jeering Aggie fans. Could be a bad mix in El Paso when the Lobos visit if security isn't there and fans on both sides don't let the players do the talking.
On the field, UTEP is loaded at wide receiver and running back. Their star running back, UCLA transfer Tyler Ebell, is cat-quick and strong. He's tough to knock down. He's a combination of DonTrell Moore and Rodney Ferguson -- impressive.
Jordan Palmer seems to have settled down at QB following the some of the problems he had with turnovers last year.
And their top linebacker, Thomas Howard, is a monster on the field. His stats were: 10 tackles, including five solo; two tackles for a loss of 12 yards; one fumble recovered; one interception for 20 yards; two passes broken up; and one sack for a nine-year loss.
I know the Aggies rallied a little in the second half, but Price pretty much called off the dogs. He spoke all week about sportsmanship, as though he was aware the Aggies might not be able to keep up with his boys. It might be a theme for the Miners for the year because their schedule is so incredibly light. If they can get past the Lobos, there's a good chance they'll go undefeated.
It should be a tough, but good game when the Miners and Lobos play in El Paso. The game will be on TV, but it's definitely worth the trip if you can make it. The Sun Bowl is beautiful (it's a stadium carved out of a mountain with great views), the city has great food (I'll post some great restaurant choices on here closer to game day) and it should be an awesome matchup.

Posted by ilimon at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Wendell posted the first question on the blog, looking for some women's basketball news.
To answer your question, the Lobos have five scholarships to give for next year. They graduate Abbie Letz, Judy Vogt and Jana Francis. They also lost Fatima Maddox last season, never handing out her scholarship, and simply decided to hang onto another scholarship at the end of the last recruiting season.
So far, Amy Beggin, a point guard from Minnesota, and Valerie Kast, a center originally from Estonia who now plays in Gallup, N.M., already have given oral commitments to the Lobos. After talking with both, it seems highly unlikely they'll jump ship before signing day.
Kelly Kohn, a point guard from Michigan, is scheduled to make an official visit during the weekend of Sept. 10-12. Brittany Blackmon from Clovis also has been offered a scholarship and lists New Mexico among her top five schools.
The early signing period is in the first few weeks of November. I don't have my NCAA calendar with me but promise to update that information as soon as possible.
Hope that answers your question. Feel free to write back if you have any others.

Posted by ilimon at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Chris Nelson entered a guilty plea in Metro Court this morning, accepting the typical first-offender sentence. He is slated to go to drunken driving school, attend victims' impact panel sessions, do 48 hours of community service and be screened for a substance abuse problem. If the court determines he has an alcohol problem, it would then order counseling it deems appropriate.
Chris told the judge he wanted to accept responsibility for his action, apologize to the family, friends, teammates and Lobo fans, accept his punishment and move on with his life.
To read more details about the case, check out the evening edition of the Tribune or vist our Web site, www.abqtrib.com, in about an hour (around 1 p.m. MST).

Posted by ilimon at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rocky Long has said it probably will take the Lobos at least one quarter to adjust to what UNLV is doing on both sides of the ball. He has compiled the most conservative game plan in his time with the Lobos because New Mexico doesn't know what schemes first-year and first-time coach Mike Sanford will be running.
They are guessing it will be spread offense, a form of the Lobos' 3-3-5 defense and some wild, Utah-esque special teams plays. Rocky said it's the first time he has faced someone who he has absolutely no film on before a game. He has played other new coaches in their first game, but he always could get tape from their last school. Since Sanford is new and closed practice three days into camp, Rocky and his staff are basing their guesses on Internet chatter and the coaching rumor mill. One of the rumors Rocky heard is that UNLV might be preparing to run some sort of 4-2 formation on defense, so the Lobos offense is preparing for both the 4-2 and 3-3-5 defenses.
Watch for some very focused and animated conversations on the New Mexico sidelines as coaches adjust.
Rocky also said Wednesday at the weekly media lunch that he isn't necessarily married to the Lobos revamped spread offense. If it doesn't work, he promised New Mexico will go back to it's bread and butter running game -- pure smashmouth football.

Posted by ilimon at 01:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)