New Mexico Lobos football

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2007 New Mexico Lobos football team
The Lobos in action against Navy
The Lobos in action against Navy

The New Mexico Lobos football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of New Mexico. The Lobos compete as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They have a cumulative record of 430-492-31, with a winning percentage of 45.1%. Their official colors are cherry and silver. The Lobos current head coach is Rocky Long, who has guided the Lobos to four bowl games in the last five seasons. The Lobos play their home games at University Stadium.

Contents

[edit] Conference affiliation history

[edit] Championships

[edit] Conference championships

New Mexico has won four conference championships in two different conferences, yet has not won a conference title in over 40 years.

Year Conference Coach Record
1938 BIAA Ted Shipkey 8-3
1962 WAC Bill Weeks 7-2-1
1963 WAC Bill Weeks 6-4
1964 WAC Bill Weeks 9-2
Total conference championships 4


[edit] Division championships

New Mexico made one appearance in the Western Athletic Conference Championship Game as the winner of the WAC Pacific Division.

Year Division Championship Coach Result Opponent
1997 WAC Pacific Dennis Franchione L, 13-41 Colorado State

[edit] Bowl games

Date Bowl W/L Opponent PF PA
January 2, 1939 Sun Bowl L Utah 0 26
January 1, 1944 Sun Bowl L Southwestern University 0 7
January 1, 1946 Sun Bowl W University of Denver 34 24
January 1, 1947 Harbor Bowl T Montana State 13 13
December 9, 1961 Aviation Bowl W Western Michigan 28 12
December 27, 1997 Insight.com Bowl L Arizona 14 20
December 25, 2002 Las Vegas Bowl L UCLA 13 27
December 24, 2003 Las Vegas Bowl L Oregon State 14 55
December 30, 2004 Emerald Bowl L Navy 19 34
December 23, 2006 New Mexico Bowl L San José State 12 20
December 22, 2007 New Mexico Bowl W Nevada 23 0
Total 11 bowl games 3-7-1

[edit] 2007 Annual team awards

Each year members of the Lobos football team who distinguished themselves during the football season are honored at the Lobos Annual Football Awards Banquet. For the 2007 football season, the following team members were honored: Bill Brannin Award (Most Valuable Player), Rodney Ferguson, RB; Reese Leroy Hill Memorial Award (Offensive Player of the Year), Travis Brown, WR; Clyde Horace Hill Memorial Award (Most Improved Player), Ian Clark, S; Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Devin Clark, OT; Colonel H.J. Golightly Award (Top Defensive Player), OJ Swift, S and Michael Tuohy, DE; Chuck Cummins Memorial Award (Morale and Spirit), Marcus Smith, WR; Lobo Club Award (Unselfish Devotion to the Team), Bryan Clampitt, QB; Outstanding Special Teams Player(s), John Sullivan, K and Frankie Baca, DB.

About the Clyde and Reese Hill memorial awards: The Hill brothers were members of the Lobos football team prior to WWII (Clyde, 1941; Reese, 1939-1941). Both men were described by UNM coaches as extraordinary athletes. Clyde came to UNM after serving in the U.S. Marines where he was a boxing champion. At UNM, he was a member of the university boxing team and made the football team as a walk-on. Reese came to UNM as a highly touted recruit. A "legend" in northern New Mexico high school sports, he lettered in four sports at St. Michael's High School in Santa Fe. While at UNM, he was a member of the university's track, basketball and football teams. The Hill brothers were described by a contemporary as being "He-Men -- the kind of men who could throw you across a room." After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clyde and Reese left UNM to enlist in the military. Clyde died as a U.S. Marine F4U fighter pilot at Okinawa with the rank of Captain, while Reese -- a U.S. Army 1st Lt. and glider pilot -- survived the invasion of Normandy only to be killed when his glider was shot down over Holland.

[edit] External links