Peerman's Power Rankings: Did New Mexico sports have the best night ever?

How ’bout them apples?

Moments after New Mexico’s football team surprised the sporting world with a 38-35 win over No. 19 Washington State (hailing from the Apple State) Saturday night, Albuquerque’s Jon Jones assured the sporting world he’s still the cage master with a dominating UFC performance in the Big Apple.

If only the UNM basketball team could have followed through Sunday with a victory over a ranked St. John’s team in the same venue (Madison Square Garden) where Jones retained his heavyweight crown, the seeds would have been planted for the “is this the best weekend in New Mexico sports history?” conversation.

Saturday night did reignite memories of Nov. 14, 2015 when the UNM football team and a cage fighter from Albuquerque both came up big.

Nearly nine years ago to the day, Albuquerque’s Holly Holm shocked the sporting world with a rousing UFC victory over previously unbeaten Ronda Rousey and UNM football pulled off a stunner in Boise, beating the Broncos (a 30½-point favorite, though unranked) 31-24.

Both Holm and the 2015 football team were bigger betting underdogs than the Lobos were to Washington State (10½-point dogs), so it retains the belt as Best Night Ever in recent New Mexico sports history. Still, this past Saturday night was special and thus it resides atop Peerman’s Power Rankings.

As a 15-1 favorite, Jones did whatever everyone expected him to do — retire Stipe Miocic — and he did so with authority (a leg kick to the ribs).

Jones (28-1-0; 1 no contest) is widely considered the best mixed martial artist in the world, though as Mike Tyson proved ever so disappointingly this weekend, Father Time’s never lost a match. At 37 years old, how much longer does Jones have before FT decides to enter the fray?

“As far as my future in the octagon, I decided that maybe I will not retire,” Jones said after the Saturday’s Massacre in Square Garden. “I know that we have options.”

The UNM football team also performed as expected Saturday night — for a half. Washington State and quarterback John Mateer (who completed his first 11 passes for 221 yards) were exceptional to start, executing their game plan to near perfection en route to a 28-14 lead at the break.

Lobos coach Bronco Mendenhall cooked up a recipe for an upset at halftime, however; the main dish being a Lobos defense that hit all the right notes, with quarterback Devon Dampier adding the necessary spiciness to a finish no one expected.

“We don’t win without him,” Mendenhall said of Dampier, who rushed for 192 yards on 28 carries, including calling his own number for the go-ahead score with 23 seconds to go.

“And when your quarterback (can) run the ball like that, that tough and that physical … That’s what winning and really good football teams do, right? They run when they need to, and (they) stop the run when (they) have to,” coach Mendenhall added.

Dampier, a dual-threat quarterback if there ever was one, broke Stoney Case’s previous program record for total offense in a season, surging to 3,657 yards in his sophomore (and first starting) campaign.

FS1 showed a graphic during the broadcast of “Notable QBs with 2,500+ pass yards and 1,000+ rush yards in a season since 2016.” They list Lamar Jackson (2016 and 2017), Kyler Murray (2018), Jalen Hurts (2019), Jayden Daniels (2023) and Devon Dampier (2024).

That’s some company.

UNM is now 5-6 and, after a bye week, will head to the islands to play Hawaii on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for a chance to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016.

Back to Saturday, though. How improbable was the Lobos win over a ranked team? These numbers are from UNM Sports Information Director Frank Mercogliano:

“(Saturday’s victory) marked UNM’s first win over any kind over a ranked team after 26 straight losses. UNM’s last win over a ranked team was on Oct. 25, 2003 when it beat Utah in Salt Lake City 47-35. It was UNM’s first win over a top 20 team since Nov. 5, 1994 when UNM beat No. 8 Utah 23-21 at University Stadium. As for the last non-conference Top-20 win? You have to go back 84 years, to Nov. 30, 1940 when UNM beat Texas Tech at Zimmerman Field 19-14.”

Competing for a natty

Both the UNM men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete for a national title this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday. Do they have a chance to come home with some hardware? Absolutely.

The men’s team is ranked fifth nationally. Sophomore Habtom Samuel came in second place in the national championships last season and should be one of the favorites to cross the finish line first this year.

The women’s team is ranked 10th nationally. Freshman Pamela Kosgei is doing her best Samuel impersonation, having not yet lost a race in her collegiate career. It would be a surprise if Kosgei didn’t finish in the top three.

Best of the best

The Las Cruces High volleyball team is without question the most dominant high school sports team in any fall sport this year.

The Bulldawgs, who won the 5A crown (again) on Saturday, finished the year 27-0 and lost just four out of 85 sets played this season. They were never taken to five sets.

“We were just unstoppable, to be honest,” said Addison Massey, the Bulldawgs’ most potent outside arm and the state’s top outside hitter.

Addison, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Honorable mention

It’s not often Journal prep sports editor James Yodice — who’s been covering high school sports in the state for nearly 40 years — has to look up the name of a New Mexico school’s mascot. He is the encyclopedia on that subject. But on Saturday, Yodice said he had to confirm whether tiny Quemado — which claimed its first volleyball title in 47 years — were the Eagles (which they are). Third-seeded Quemado took down No. 1 Logan in straight sets for the 1A crown. Congrats to the Eagles and the winners of the other state volleyball titles — St. Pius (4A), St. Michael’s (3A) and Texico (2A). … Bernalillo and Española Valley advanced to the 4A football semifinals, setting up a potential gridiron championship between those two basketball powers. … The New Mexico Junior College basketball teams have both won their first seven games of the season. The women’s team is ranked third in the nation and the men’s team is 13th nationally. … LSU recruit Bella Hines, the best hoops prospect out of New Mexico (girls or boys), ever, notched another, “Whoa!” moment this past week. She’s “the only active high school player (boy or girl) to have an NIL Deal with Jordan,” according to a Forbes story. Jordan Brand knows hoopers and this is further confirmation that Bella’s star will shine bright.

Peerman’s Power Rankings capture the athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman’s attention. Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or find me on X, @LucasPeerman.