ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Louie Sakoda kicked two field goals and No. 10 Utah scored its only touchdown off a little trickery to keep its BCS bowl hopes intact with a 13-10 win over New Mexico on Saturday night.
Utah (9-0, 5-0 MWC) struggled on offense as the Utes came into the game averaging a conference best 39 points. The defense made up for it with key stops. The last two stopped Lobo drives at midfield, one on downs with 3:46 left in the game and the other as time ran out.
New Mexico (4-6, 2-4 MWC) gave the heavily favored Utes all they could handle and stayed within upset range late into the game behind a 10-yard touchdown run by Rodney Ferguson and a 38-yard field goal by James Aho.
Sakoda remained perfect on the season making a 43 and 38-yard field goals. He has yet to miss this season (14-for-14) from inside 47 yards.
The Utes got their only touchdown when quarterback Brian Johnson threw a short pass to wide receiver Jereme Brooks, who then lateraled to Brent Casteel to complete the 7-yard scoring play with 3:23 left in the third quarter.
New Mexico came right back with a 9-play, 80-yard drive, with Ferguson and quarterback Brad Gruner taking turns finding holes in Utah’s front line. Ferguson scored on the final play of the third quarter after the Lobos caught a break.
Ferguson fumbled at the Utah 10 and Ute cornerback Sean Smith recovered it. But the officials reversed the initial call, ruling the Lobo halfback was down before the ball came loose.
Utah lost a chance to gain some breathing room when Lobo defensive back DeAndre Wright intercepted a Johnson pass in the end zone on the Utes’ ensuing drive. Wright got inside position on wide receiver Freddie Brown to kill an impressive Utah drive that started on the Utes’ 5-yard and included three plays of 20 yards or more.
Utah is 9-0 for only the second time in school history. The other was the 2004 team that beat Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl and finished 12-0.
New Mexico’s defense repeatedly blitzed Johnson and it kept the Utes offense off stride most of the night. Sakoda’s 38-yarder as time expired gave Utah a 6-3 lead at halftime, the fewest points the Utes have scored in the first half this season.
Aho’s field goal finished off New Mexico’s only sustained drive in the first half as the Lobos drove from their 19 to the Utah 21.
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