Ranking Every Game of the Mike Bobo Era: #17 2017 New Mexico

Final Score: Colorado State 27, New Mexico 24
Line: Colorado State -10
Venue: Dreamstyle Stadium

Knowing what we know now, this game should have served as a “canary in a coal mine”. (I think I’m using that term right.) The Rams were 6-2, 4-0 in the Mountain West, but only beat this putrid Lobo team by a field goal. (They also struggled with a crap Nevada team the week before.)

It should have served as a signal that the worst three-game stretch of the Mike Bobo era were right around the bend. The Air Force/Wyoming/Boise losses were brutal and we should have seen it coming!

This Lobo team, like most Lobo teams, was crap. They were 3-9 with wins coming against Abilene Christian, a 2-10 Tulsa team, and Air Force somehow.

Game starts with the Lobos driving down the field and getting stopped on a 4th down. They ran an option play on 4th and short and Shun Johnson was able to knock the runner out of bounds right at the sticks. Big play by Johnson, basically forcing a turnover. This will not be the last time we hear from him.

Rams offense takes over and their first play of the game:

Nick Stevens misses a wide open Michael Gallup on a deep ball, foreshadowing the New Mexico Bowl later that year.

If you read this blog you know I love nothing more than boners in the kicking game. I especially love the subtle ones, like not fielding a punt:

Lost about 15 yards worth of field position by not catching what would turn out to be a 78 yard punt.

Luckily, the Rams offense was humming at this point and they’d go into halftime up 21-10.

Fast forward to the 4th quarter, Rams up 24-17 and things are a little dicey. New Mexico’s apparently super human punter pinned the Rams to the 1-yard line. Rams go 3-and-out and New Mexico takes over in Ram territory. Lobos first play:

Shun Johnson again!

I loved Shun Johnson, as I love all Colorado Recruits^TM, but the way he’d tackle with his head down always scared the shit out of me. It worked out well for him here, but I was always afraid he was going to hurt himself.

Rams drive the ball a little bit, then Wyatt Bryan nailed a 52(!) yard field goal to go up 10, 27-17.

Next drive, New Mexico coach Bob Davie completely butchers the clock. Honestly, one of the worst coaching performances I’ve ever seen. Hey Davie, you’re down 10, you need a touchdown and field goal. The order in which you get those two scores is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the clock, you dipshit.

Lobos start the drive with nearly five minutes left in the game. It takes them three minutes to drive to the CSU 28. Kick a field goal you morons! Instead, they manage to run ten more plays (TEN PLAYS!) and burn almost all the time off the clock before they score a touchdown on 4th and goal. Thanks, you fuckin idiots.

Just look at this drive chart:

The Lobos would recover the onside kick, but were left with little chance to win because there were only 20 seconds left in the game. Legendary stuff from Bob Davie.

The game was over when… four seconds left in the game, Evan Colorito with the monster bull rush and walk off sack:

Good god, Colorito was a beast his senior year.

Behind Enemy Lines:

These Lobo fans are lame. If Coach Bobo managed to butcher the clock like Coach Davie did, there would be a 40-page thread about it on Ramnation.com. But this is all we get from Lobo fan: