2008 New Mexico Lobos football team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 New Mexico Lobos football team represented the University of New Mexico
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football
during the 2008 season
. New Mexico competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference
(MWC), and played their home games in the University Stadium. The Lobos were led by 11th-year head coach Rocky Long
.
The Lobos upset ten-point favorites Arizona
, 36–28. Against ninth-ranked BYU
, New Mexico had a fourth quarter touchdown
overturned due to a controversial penalty call. On fourth down with 21 yards to go, the Lobos then failed to convert for a first down. BYU scored on their next possession to clinch the victory, 21–3. New Mexico also played a close game against 10th-ranked Utah
, which finished the season undefeated and ranked second in the nation. The Lobos were stopped at the Utes' goal line on fourth down, and eventually lost by a three-point margin.
New Mexico finished the season with a 4–8 record (MWC: 2–6). It was the Lobos' first losing season in conference play since 2000. After the season, Rocky Long resigned as head coach. He was replaced by former Illinois
offensive coordinator
, Mike Locksley
.
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
during the 2008 season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
. New Mexico competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
(MWC), and played their home games in the University Stadium. The Lobos were led by 11th-year head coach Rocky Long
Rocky Long
-External links:*...
.
The Lobos upset ten-point favorites Arizona
2008 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 2008 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach is Mike Stoops, in his fifth year at Arizona. They play their home games at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona and compete in the Pacific-10 Conference...
, 36–28. Against ninth-ranked BYU
2008 BYU Cougars football team
The 2008 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2008 college football season.Prior to the 2008 season, BYU had won consecutive Mountain West Conference championship titles without losing a conference game. It had also finished with an 11-2 overall record for...
, New Mexico had a fourth quarter touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
overturned due to a controversial penalty call. On fourth down with 21 yards to go, the Lobos then failed to convert for a first down. BYU scored on their next possession to clinch the victory, 21–3. New Mexico also played a close game against 10th-ranked Utah
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
, which finished the season undefeated and ranked second in the nation. The Lobos were stopped at the Utes' goal line on fourth down, and eventually lost by a three-point margin.
New Mexico finished the season with a 4–8 record (MWC: 2–6). It was the Lobos' first losing season in conference play since 2000. After the season, Rocky Long resigned as head coach. He was replaced by former Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
, Mike Locksley
Mike Locksley
Mike Locksley is an American football coach. After serving as an assistant coach for several college football squads, he became the 29th head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos football team in 2009...
.