Two similar teams will meet tomorrow at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah and New Mexico share the exact same record, both in conference play and overall. They both rely heavily on their respective feature backs, and both teams boast former running quarterbacks who have stepped into a pocket-passing role this season.
There is one big difference between the two teams though. New Mexico comes into the game after narrowly beating lowly Colorado State 26-23 last week and getting thoroughly handled by TCU 37-0 the week before.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Utes are riding a high after posting their sixth consecutive win — a 50-0 waxing of Wyoming last week at home.
“That was probably one of the most complete games we’ve played all season,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “There’s plenty of room for improvement, but overall, I was pleased with how we played in the three phases.”
The blowout win has been helpful for the Utes this week as Whittingham opted to sit his starters for the majority of the fourth quarter.
“This is the best I’ve felt on a Monday after a game,” Utah center Kyle Gunther said. “I think that’s due to the fact that we didn’t play the whole fourth quarter. I feel fresh. I feel like I’ve had nine cups of coffee.”
Even with a caffeine boost, the Utes will need to bring their A-game this weekend as their annual matchup with the Lobos has consistently created problems for Utah.
In 2005, New Mexico overcame four touchdown passes from Utah quarterback Brian Johnson in the first half to win 31-27. Last year, then-freshman Lobo quarterback Donovan Porterie threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns, leading his team back from a 24-3 first-half deficit to win, 34-31.
“We’ve had problems with them in the past, and we know they’re a very talented team coming in,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to come out ready to play on Saturday and execute for 60 minutes.”
Porterie is back at the helm of the offense this season and has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Seniors Marcus Smith and Travis Brown are two of the biggest wide receiving threats in the conference, averaging 84.5 and 83.3 receiving yards per game, respectively. Both Smith (6-foot-2) and Brown (6-foot-3) have legitimate size, and offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin loves fitting the duo into the offense.
“They’ve got some serious weapons,” Whittingham said. “Those two receivers are outstanding. Ranking one and two in the league in both receptions and reception yardage is pretty impressive for two guys on the same team.”
Complementing the Lobo air attack is Rodney Ferguson, who is one of the most talented running backs in the Mountain West Conference. The 6-foot-229-pound tailback has rumbled his way to an average of 101.1 rushing yards per game this season, ranking third in the MWC.
This week, Ferguson won’t be facing his average yardage buffet line though. Utah’s run defense has allowed an average of 70.8 rushing yards per game over the past five contests and is quickly rising to the top of the MWC crop. As a whole, the Utah defense has not allowed a touchdown for the last 10 quarters.
“I really didn’t play well against (New Mexico) last season, so I’m going to be looking to redeem myself this week,” Utah defensive tackle Gabe Long said. “We had a chance to beat them in the second half, but our arrogance took over.”
The recent surge from the Utah defense, combined with the hard-nosed running of Darrell Mack, has catapulted the Utes back into conference contention. The Utes will need to work hard if they are to hoist a share of the title on Nov. 24, as they trail MWC leader BYU by two games with three weeks remaining.
“I still believe that this is a momentum league, and Utah has the most momentum in our league right now,” New Mexico head coach Rocky Long said. “They’re playing really well. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. They’ve got a lot of talent. They’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
Utah will try to continue building on that momentum this week before it faces rival BYU on Nov. 24.
“We’ve got to play at a high level these next two weeks,” Whittingham said. “Not to overlook New Mexico at all, but everybody knows what lies beyond them. That’s self-explanatory.”
Ariana Torrey