Battles on The Blue: The three best games in UNM-Boise State history

Five Mountain West member schools — Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State — are set to leave the conference after this season, ending multiple longstanding series with UNM until further notice.

In light of that change, the Journal is revisiting the top three games in the history of each series, from the Lobos’ decades-long rivalries with Wyoming and Colorado State to a relatively new one with Boise State.

This week: UNM vs. Boise State:

Sept. 29, 2012: No. 24 Boise State 32, UNM 29

Why it’s here: A loss, but a significant sign of early progress under former head coach Bob Davie. After stomping UNM 45-0 in 2011, Boise State jumped out to a 25-0 halftime lead at University Stadium before the Lobos — triple option and all — clambered back to trail by only three points late in a major bright spot from Davie’s 4-9 debut season.

What the Journal wrote: The Boise State Broncos might be getting out of the Mountain West Conference just in time.

The 24th-ranked Broncos, who next year will be playing football in the Big East*, escaped University Stadium with a 32-29 Mountain West victory over the upstart New Mexico Lobos on Saturday.

At the final gun, a crowd announced at 28,270 cheered the Lobos (2-3, 0-1) in conference play as if they’d won.

They almost did, as 26-point underdog — despite fumbling the ball away three times in the first half and giving up 514 yards to the Boise State offense.

The Lobos, running their option-based offense to near-perfection in the second half with true freshman quarterback Cole Gautsche at the controls, finished with 380 yards rushing.

–Rick Wright, Journal staff writer

*(Boise State did not leave for the Big East.)

Nov. 8, 2014: Boise State 60, UNM 49

Why it’s here: This is the wildest game on the list. The teams combined for 1,301 yards of total offense (UNM ran for 505) as the Lobos took two separate 14-point leads in an astonishing 42-point first half. UNM’s hopes were dashed, however, when quarterback Lamar Jordan’s apparent fourth-and-2 conversion with 4:09 left was reversed, opening the door for the Broncos to extend their lead and win the game.

What the Journal wrote: Even for a football team and a football program all too accustomed to reversals, this one might have been the cruelest of all.

Saturday at University Stadium, a reversal of an apparent New Mexico first down on a fourth-and-2 play in the fourth quarter effectively ended the Lobos’ hopes of springing a monumental upset.

Boise State’s wild and crazy 60-49 victory dropped UNM to 3-6 on the season, 1-4 in Mountain West play. The Broncos are 7-2 and 4-1.

Afterward, Lobos coach Bob Davie didn’t cite the reversal of the apparent first-down run by quarterback Lamar Jordan as the sole reason for the defeat.

There was the little matter of the 60 points and 674 total yards rung up, as well as a blocked punt and a couple of crucial penalties.

The Lobos, who scored 42 of their points in a remarkable first half, also were hampered by the loss to an ankle injury of running back Jhurell Preelsey late in the second quarter.

–Rick Wright, Journal staff writer

Nov. 14, 2015: UNM 31, Boise State 24

Why it’s here: The high point of the Davie era and one of the best wins in program history. A 30.5-point underdog, UNM rode fourth quarter touchdowns from running backs Richard McQuarley and Teriyon Gipson to one of the finest results in recent memory.

That it happened the same night Holly Holm beat Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 has made it an even more memorable night among Lobo fans.

What the Journal wrote: Maybe it was only the second-biggest upset Saturday involving an Albuquerque sports entity, but the New Mexico Lobos will take it.

Joyously.

The Lobos, never trailing, constantly threatened and never caving, defeated Rocky Mountain power Boise State 31-24 Saturday night at Albertsons Stadium.

The Lobos are now bowl-eligible at 6-4 and are 4-2 in Mountain West play. The thoroughly stunned, 30.5-point favorite Broncos are 7-3 and 4-2.

The Lobos appeared to be running on fumes when the Broncos, having never led, tied the game at 17 early in the fourth quarter.

But the Lobos, it turned out, had plenty left in the tank.

–Rick Wright, Journal staff writer