[November 23, 2009] Lobos Realize They Haven't Yet Turned the Corner Tweet Nov 23, 2009 (Albuquerque Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A1-4 second half to the football season compared to an 0-6 start doesn't exactly differentiate night from day, but the University of New Mexico finally has concrete proof of improvement on the field. The Lobos (1-10, 1-6 Mountain West Conference) beat Colorado State 29-27 on Saturday night on James Aho's 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining. The win was the first in Mike Locksley's head-coaching career. He denied the lone win -- over a CSU team now on an eight-game losing streak -- signified a turning of a corner. "We're close but by no means are we there," Locksley said. "I think this win, what I'm hoping our team gets out of it is now we have proof of the things we talked about all year long -- making plays in critical situations, giving yourself a chance, getting the game to the fourth quarter. It helps your confidence, but we've still got a lot of work to do." UNM won for the first this season in a game that was a onepossession affair in the fourth quarter. Four of those opportunities have come in the last five games. The Lobos had scored a combined 87 points in the first six games while giving up 227, losing games by an average of 23.3 points per game. In the last five games, UNM has scored 99 points combined and allowed 153. The margin of defeat has been reduced to 10.8 points per game. Locksley says the Lobo offense met his 12-percent rule for the first time against Colorado State. The rule states that the number of dropped passes, penalties, turnovers and sacks must total fewer than 12 percent of the total number of plays the offense runs in order for the team to get a win. The Lobos came in at 11 percent against the Rams. Defensively, UNM intercepted a pass in the end zone and recovered a fumble at its own five. The effort came one week after the defense forced a fumble against Brigham Young to give its offense one last chance to march for the game-winning score. "You've got to play defense anywhere on the field," Locksley said, "and though we were giving up drives, we were able to stop two potential scoring drives by making plays that we hadn't made (during the first half of the season)." Locksley says UNM's true measure of its progress as a program will come this weekend when it travels to No. 4 TCU (11-0, 7-0), which has clinched the MWC championship, is in line for a Bowl Championship Series berth and has an outside chance to play for a national title. Of course, TCU also must get past UNM to stay in the BCS picture. STOP SPEEDING: Locksley says the Horned Frogs' speed on defense is evident as usual. TCU ranks fourth in the nation in total defense at 238.8 yards. Speed on offense and special teams is what separates this team from past Frogs teams. "They used to pound ball on you," Locksley said of the TCU offense that is fifth in the country at 472.6 yards per game. "Now, they spread you out, expose you, get their great athletes in one-on-one situations in space, which is scary." The best way to combat the speed, Locksley said, is a straight-forward approach. "One of the things that's been shown over test of time to be effective is to run right at speed, rather than trying to get in a track meet with the ball out on the perimeter," Locksley said. FIRST-HALF FOLLY: The Lobos' final drive of the first half short-circuited because of a dropped pass and poor execution after a first down. UNM wasted six seconds after getting a first down at the 36, even though it had two timeouts. Locksley said Porterie and the line took too long to get set and get the ball snapped. Lobo recap Flashback: James Aho's 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds left gave the Lobos their first victory of the season, a 29-27 seesaw affair against Colorado State. Linebacker Joe Stoner forced and recovered a CSU fumble at the UNM 5 earlier in the fourth quarter that prevented the Rams from extending a 27-26 lead. What went right: The Lobos finally answered every moment of adversity. The defense made two stops to give the offense a chance to win the game, and quarterback Donovan Porterie converted a fourth-and-3 with a 5-yard run to the CSU 33 on the last-minute drive. What went wrong: Porterie threw an interception at the Ram 3 that cornerback Nick Oppenneer returned 97 yards for a touchdown and a 27-23 CSU lead early in the fourth quarter. CSU running back John Mosure rushed for 177 yards and two TDs. Quoting Locks, when asked about UNM committing only one penalty Saturday (two were declined): "They're growing up a little." Saturday UNM at No. 4 TCU, 11 a.m. TV: The mtn. Radio: KKOBAM (770) To see more of the Albuquerque Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.abqjournal.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. 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