Lobo football: Red Rally stokes passions ahead of Rio Grande Rivalry

The chant came first.

“When I say beat, y’all say who?” New Mexico tight end Dorian Thomas called out to the crowd Thursday night.

STATE!

“When I say beat, y’all say who?”

STATE!

Then there was the fire – taken to a 25-foot Aggie made out of float materials.

“Tonight, we’re burning this damn Aggie,” New Mexico head coach Jason Eck said to the crowd, “and on Saturday, we’re burning the rest on the field.”

Like that, another Red Rally was in the books.

UNM’s longstanding pep rally for the Rio Grande Rivalry was held Thursday night at Johnson Field, with hundreds of students in attendance to watch New Mexico State’s mascot burned in effigy.

A few other notes and quotes ahead of UNM’s rivalry tilt:

Back in the day…

Monday, New Mexico State head coach Tony Sanchez shared that he and Eck go back 20 years, when the former was the head coach at California High School in San Ramon, Calif. and the latter was the offensive line coach at Idaho.

Eck shared a few more details: “We were recruiting one of his offensive linemen – we didn’t get him to Idaho, he ended up going to Nevada,” Eck said Tuesday. “But I thought Tony was great. It was one of those things (where) I ended up visiting with the kid after school and after the player left, I hung out with (Sanchez) for an hour and talked football.

“He was like teaching in a classroom, he was like a social studies teacher or something – it was like a social studies classroom. I don’t know what subject he was teaching, but we were drawing up plays on the grease board and things. I always thought he was impressive.”

Eck said he lost track of Sanchez after the latter moved on to a historic run coaching Bishop Gorman (Nev.) High School and UNLV. But the two did reconnect when Eck was hired as the head coach at Idaho in 2021, and ended up talking on the phone right after he was brought on at UNM.

“Kind of one of those, ‘hey, who would’ve thought 20 years ago, when we were drawing up plays on a grease board, that here we’d be coaching in this game,” Eck chuckled. “But (I have) a lot of respect for him, I think he does a good job, think he’s a good recruiter. I think he understands the junior colleges really well having played at a junior college, and does a good job finding talent out of there.

“ … He’s done a good job there. I think the opportunity to be with (former NMSU head coach Jerry Kill) was such a great opportunity for him because coach Kill’s such a great coach. I know he’ll have his boys ready.”

One portal window?

Last week, the NCAA Administrative Committee moved to eliminate college football’s spring transfer window and continue with just one near the end of the season; length and dates for the remaining portal window have not been selected yet.

Eck said he likes the change for a couple reasons. For starters, coaches can set their rosters earlier and not have to worry about retaining starters through the spring window; UNM notably lost an expected starter in tight end Keayen Nead after he entered the portal this spring.

UNM would also have an easier time than others with the change, too: “I think that’s still up for debate a little bit, the timing of the (portal window),” Eck said. “For us, when we start school this January, our classes start Jan. 20. So I think we have plenty of time if it’s Jan. 2 through Jan. 11th to get turned around and get guys in school.

“I’d probably feel different if we were like, a school that started Jan. 6 or something, like some schools,” he chuckled. “I think that can be an issue. But my opinion was getting to one portal window rather than two was worth it, no matter when that one window was.”

Notes and quotes

PLUGGED IN: Wednesday, the Journal observed linebackers Jaxton Eck and Mercury Swaim wearing earplugs during practice. Ahead of what’s expected to be UNM’s biggest crowd in years Saturday, punter Charles Steinkamp posted a unique explanation via X:

“I always try to appreciate the little things,” the redshirt junior wrote. “Now in my (fourth) year as a Lobo, this week was the first time I’ve seen our DEFENSE practicing with ear plugs in. That’s how loud we’re anticipating it being Saturday— mastering communication without being able to hear each other while on DEFENSE!”

COMMITTED: A handful of commits, including a pair of three-stars in quarterback Cade Mitchell and tight end Max Leeper, will be in attendance for Saturday’s game.

The annual burning of the Aggie: Photos