Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

FACTS & STATS: Site: War Memorial Stadium (29,181) -- Laramie, Wyoming. Television: The Mountain. Home Record: UNM 1-5, Wyoming 3-2. Away Record: UNM 0-4, Wyoming 3-1. Neutral Record: UNM 0-0, Wyoming 0-0. Conference Record: UNM 1-4, Wyoming 3-1. Series Record: Wyoming leads 32-31.

GAME NOTES: No longer authors of the longest losing streak in the nation, the New Mexico Lobos now try for an unprecedented two wins in a row as they clash with the Wyoming Cowboys in Mountain West Conference action in Laramie on Saturday afternoon.

New Mexico, which is already onto its second head coach for this season, caught the UNLV Rebels at just the right time last weekend as it delivered a 21-14 win in Albuquerque. The victory snapped a 12-game slide overall and halted a six-game home skid. Even though the win was certainly good news for the Lobos, the team is still tied for last place in the conference standings with Air Force at just 1-4.

As for the Cowboys, their outlook is much brighter these days now that they are tied with 10th-ranked Boise State for second place in the league standings at 3-1. Last weekend, the team took down Air Force on the road with a 25-17 triumph which was their third win in the last four outings. At 6-3, the Cowboys are on the cusp of becoming bowl eligible, needing a total of seven victories this year because two of their earlier wins came against members of the Football Championship Subdivision (Weber State and Texas State).

Wyoming lost last year's meeting by a score of 34-31, but still the Pokes are ahead in the all-time series, 32-31. The win for UNM a season ago had been the most recent victory for the program prior to defeating UNLV last week.

It wasn't easy by any means, but the Lobos finally got their first elusive win of the season on Saturday thanks to Demarcus Rogers who scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner with just 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rogers finished with just 47 yards rushing, second to Crusoe Gongbay who was good for 93 yards on 13 attempts. B.R. Holbrook converted 15- of-23 passes for 274 yards and a score. Holbrook has had decent passing accuracy this season at 59.4 percent, but his yardage (131.4 per game) is just uninspiring, as is the fact that he has just four passing TDs on 180 attempts and has thrown six interceptions. Gongbay and Rogers have now combined for 653 yards and eight TDs on the ground, but still this is a unit that ranks 119th in the country in scoring with just 13.4 ppg.

The Lobos benefited greatly from UNLV not having its regular starting quarterback in the lineup, instead being able to go up against guys like Sean Reilly and Taylor Barnhill who were held to just 61 total passing yards. Now, the run defense for the Lobos was more unstable as it allowed 268 yards and a couple of TDs, but the bottom line is that the final score leaned in favor of New Mexico and that's all that really counts. As they showed against the Rebels, the run defense for the Lobos has been simply atrocious this entire season, giving up 256.4 ypg which is not only worst in the MWC, it is also dead last in college football right now. Unfortunately, as one would imagine for one of the weakest teams in the nation, UNM also has a pass efficiency defense ranking of 170.85 which is also last in the country right now, so don't expect to see the Lobos make huge leaps all of a sudden.

Brett Smith carried the load for the Cowboys against Air Force, completing a modest 17-of-30 passes for 139 yards and a score, while also running the ball 16 times for 75 yards and two more touchdowns as he avoided being sacked even once. Chris McNeill had a very strong game as a receiver for the Pokes with his nine catches for 67 yards and a score. McNeill leads the team in receptions after nine games with 42, leading to 504 yards and four scores, so Smith knows exactly who to go to when he needs a clutch reception. Smith has been huge for the Wyoming offense, not only as a passer who has completed 60.7 percent of his attempts for 223.8 ypg and 14 touchdowns, against just five interceptions, but also on the ground with his 378 yards and team-best eight scores. Needless to say, being a double-threat for the Cowboys means Smith is not easily contained.

The Cowboys, like every other team that lines up against Air Force, faced a heavy dose of running plays as they permitted 312 yards and two touchdowns on 63 attempts, but at least the visitors didn't have to worry about the Falcons all of a sudden getting airborne and giving the Wyoming secondary any problems. Gabe Knapton was responsible for a team-best 12 tackles, but it was Marqueston Huff who was far more influential for the unit with an interception and a fumble recovery, the latter being taken back 48 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Nevertheless, Knapton has been a steady performer over the years for the Pokes and is now sixth on both the school's all-time tackles list and also the MWC charts with 347 stops. Unfortunately, as consistent as Knapton may be, the fact remains that the run defense for the Cowboys is still seventh in the conference and 115th in the nation at the moment, allowing 240.4 ypg.

Finally back into the win column, the Lobos have to be pleased with their recent good fortune because they won't be nearly as lucky when they land in Laramie this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Wyoming 35, New Mexico 17