Peerman's Power Rankings: Much crying in UNM football, but rarely tears of joy

It isn’t rare for leaves of all colors to fall on Cherry and Silver sweaters around Albuquerque each October. When the weather cools, the city heats up with anticipation around Lobo basketball.

But, wait. Does the sweater this year have a football sewn on it? Are the kids playing 7-on-7 at the park instead of shooting hoops in the driveway? Is that Bronco’s face on your phone lock-screen?

Let’s not get carried away. The men’s basketball team is coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade and the Pit will be filled with 15,000-plus fans raising howl before too long.

But this UNM football team, they’re … they’re … fun (gasp!) to root for?

Yes, they are.

New Mexico football won its third straight game in a single season for the first time in eight years, scored 50 points in three straight games for the first time in 108 years and is within a game of being .500 seven games into a season for only the third time in the last 17 years.

Valerie, aka @LoyalLobo on X, exclaimed after the team’s 50-45 win over Utah State on Saturday: “WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE THIS EXCITED ABOUT LOBO FOOTBALL!?!?!?!? #GoLobos Man, this feels so good!”

The team’s offense is fire, their defense is improving (if you believe Coach Bronco Mendenhall) and the fans are hyped.

So what was coach’s demeanor at Monday’s press conference? About the same as it was the Monday after the team lost 38-21 to Fresno State to start the year 0-4. He was cool, calm and measured. A true stoic.

That’s why Mendenhall’s outpouring of emotion after Saturday’s game — in which the team mounted a second-half comeback from 16 points down (a program record) — was so notable. In the postgame TV interview on the field, he shed a tear and his voice was cracking.

“Love my team ... nothing’s easy but they keep going and that will serve them well. That’ll serve them all their lives. That’s really what football’s supposed to do at some point — become amazing people,” he stammered.

Later, reflecting on what he was feeling in that moment, Mendenhall used a portmanteau: “Reliefelation.”

Relief. Elation. Valerie (and the rest of Lobo Nation) can relate.

I don’t know if this Lobo football team is “good.” But they are good enough to win the games they are supposed to — and that’s a breath of fresh air and a step in the right direction for this program.

NMSU football

Aggie football fans aren’t quite to “reliefelation” after last week’s thrilling 33-30 double overtime victory at home against Louisiana Tech, but there is a sense of relief that the program hasn’t completely fallen apart.

NMSU is in rebuilding mode after a bevy of players and coaches departed from last season’s remarkable 10-win squad. Fans expected this year’s team to drop a few notches, but 0-5 to FBS teams to start the season?

Aggie message boards were rife with lament and ire, most of it directed at first-year Coach Tony Sanchez, after the team’s first six games.

Whatever Sanchez said to his team before the seventh game last Tuesday worked as the Aggies didn’t back down against a talented Bulldogs team.

Defensive end Kale Edwards had the game of his life, recording four sacks en route a Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week award. And fourth-string quarterback Brandon Nuñez did his best Diego Pavia impression in helping NMSU win a game after a 1-5 start (Pavia did this in 2022 and would end up leading the Aggies to a Quick Lane Bowl victory to end the season).

Nuñez, a 6-foot-5 senior, played better in the second half of the LA Tech game than any Aggie has behind center in any other game this year. Small sample size, mind you.

In Monday’s press conference, Sanchez wouldn’t commit to a starting quarterback for next Tuesday’s game at FIU. Based on last week, Nuñez is a gamer. Maybe not much of a practicer? Hard to understand Nuñez not getting the nod, but hey, coach knows best (just don’t refer to Aggie message boards for an answer to that question).

UNM cross country

The United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association saw the same thing everyone else did on Saturday — two Lobo runners at peak performance. And on Monday, the USTFCCCA recognized Pamela Kosgei and Habtom Samuel as its National Athletes of the Week.

Kosgei (a freshman) and Samuel (a sophomore) not only won the individual titles at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, they also set the Zimmer Championship Course records — the same course where the NCAA Championships will be held next month.

Kosgei became the first collegiate woman to run the 6-kilometer course in under 19 minutes, clocking in at 18:59.1. The previous record (19:17.2) was set by Parker Valby in 2023. Valby competed for the U.S. Olympic Team this summer, placing 11th in the women’s 10,000 meters.

Samuel finished the men’s 8-kilometer race in 22:34.6, shaving more than 30 seconds off Ky Robinson’s previous course record. Samuel crossed the line 6.8 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Graham Blanks. Blanks, who beat Samuel to win the 2023 NCAA cross country championship, was also a member of this year’s US Olympic Team, finishing ninth in the men’s 5,000 meters in Paris.

Are Kosgei and Samuel the favorites to win cross country national titles when they return to Wisconsin in a month? They should be.

And these two exceptional runners are just starting their UNM careers. Lobo fans, get excited.

Honorable mention

UNM and NMSU women’s soccer teams are going streaking. The Lobos haven’t lost in their previous four matches and are now 7-4-4 overall and 3-3-2 and in sixth place in the Mountain West. Only the top six make the MW Tournament, so the Lobos must continue to play as they have as of late in their final three matches of the regular season. The Aggies, unbeaten in their last three matches, are 9-5-2 overall and 4-2-1 and in third place in Conference USA. With two regular-season matches to go, NMSU has nearly wrapped up a spot in the six-team CUSA Tournament. … Gadsden football beat Lovington 32-28 on Saturday, the Panthers’ first victory over the Wildcats in 70 years. Gadsden is 6-2 and will have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the 2000s. … Las Cruces volleyball is 17-0 and hasn’t lost a set this month. The Bulldawgs rolled through all seven opponents in October with 3-0 victories.

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.