After leading the University of New Mexico soccer team to two unlikely wins to close the 2020 shortened season, Isaiah Chavez reappeared Saturday afternoon in Laramie, Wyoming, leading the Lobos to a 14-3 win over rivals Mountain West Conference, Wyoming.
It makes Chavez the 3-0 primary quarterback for UNM, who, in what head coach Danny Gonzales said was his team’s best defensive performance of the season, resulted in a five-game losing streak.
“They showed a fight,” he said. “They show up to fight and that’s the best we have.”
The Lobos improve to 3-5 overall, 1-3 in the conference. This leaves Wyoming (4-3, 0-3) only one of two teams without a win in the league game.
The UNM’s victory also ended the country’s longest active road at 16.
Chavez set the school record for graduation percentage by hitting 10 of his 11 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. His only miss came at the beginning of the fourth quarter with an incomplete pass from the rear end zone.
Chavez, a rookie redshirt from Rio Rancho, was also the team’s lead rusher with 51 yards over 16 carries. It was a product of the UNM’s adapted offensive approach that employed the triple option to acclimate Chavez, leave Wyoming’s defense in the dark, and launch a Lobos offensive that came into play as the statistically worst unit in the country.
Chavez constructed a nine-game, 77-yard drive towards the end of the first quarter to give the Lobos the ultimate lead. They converted twice after the fourth down, including a brilliant play call that produced a 43-yard touchdown pass to receiver Trace Bruckler for a 7-0 win.
Chavez said the decisions to finish fourth twice on that drive were “game changers.”
“These large conversions have been amazing,” he said. “You set the tone because, as coach G said, we are a die-hard football team. We try to be. We’re not quite there yet. “
The Lobos forced a fumble and four punts, stopping Wyoming in fourth place twice. More importantly, the offense was on the field for more than 34 minutes, compared to 26 for the Cowboys.
“We didn’t do that many reps, which means we were healthier during the game and didn’t get as tired,” said Cody Moon, Redshirt newbie linebacker. “If the offense can control the clock throughout the game, as they did tonight, we will have a great rest of the season.”
Moon bounced back from a fumble in Wyoming with Cowboys 19 early in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with a sack and five tackles. He, Bruckler, Chavez and receiver Luke Wysong were among a number of newbies to have breakout performances, including the first career touchdown from a true freshman who brought Aaron Dumas back. His 2-yard jump into the middle in the last minute of the first half set the stage for a goalless second half in which UNM’s defense had grown again and again.
Afterward, Gonzales said the Lobos have reached a point where they are trying to establish an identity of fearless play from a team based on physical, high-impact players who trust the process. That culture, he said, made it an easy decision to take risks in fourth place.
“We’re a 2-5 football team,” he said. “I thought we were playing well in defense, I thought we had a good plan.”
Gonzales said he made the decision to start Chavez on Friday after the swelling of senior Terry Wilson’s non-throwing left elbow hadn’t decreased enough to play him. Wilson dislocated his elbow two weeks ago in San Diego state.
Chavez had missed the first six weeks of the season when struggling with symptoms of concussion. He was evicted prior to last week’s game against Colorado State and was part of a series towards the end of the game. Given the success he had last season, he had gained enough confidence from Gonzales and the coaching staff to take the reins in hand against Wyoming.
“Football is like riding a bike,” said Chavez. “Maybe add the training wheels again to get a groove, but when you jump back in it feels good to win a huddle again, especially the first time.”
The Lobos finished with an overall offensive of 259 yards, just four yards more than their nationally worst season average. They were held for 12 first downs but came down to 147 yards on the ground largely thanks to the option. They managed to control the time by burning a large part of the music box before each snap.
The launch of the triple option clearly unbalanced Wyoming’s defense.
“I’m sure they didn’t prepare for this,” said Gonzales. “I mean, we haven’t shown five or six triple-option games all year, and all we played for the most part was triple-option stuff and some game action.”
REMARKS
Unicorn sighting: Until their first touchdown drive, the Lobos hadn’t scored an offensive TD since losing to the Air Force on October 2. Of their 45 offensive possession of the ball, they stabbed 29 times, turned 10 times, failed to convert three times in the fourth round, expired once at the end of half, scored a field goal once and scored a touchdown.
Next: The Lobos go into their farewell week with the chance to rest and recover. Their next game will be played at home on November 6th against UNLV, the only other team in the MWC without a win in the league game.
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