Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune

Tribune

University of New Mexico defenders Wesley Beck (92), Clint McPeek and Michael Tuohy react after the team recovered its fifth fumble of the game against Air Force to preserve its lead late in the game. The Lobos overcame an early 21-10 deficit to win 34-31 on Thursday night at University Stadium.

Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune

Tribune

Lobo Zach Arnett celebrates after making a tackle on special teams. Arnett said the win over the Falcons kept UNM's hopes alive for a special season "but we had better put in the work first."

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A season of 10-2 or 9-3 is dangling in front of the Lobos now - teasing, taunting, beckoning, like a siren sitting on some jagged rocks.

A 34-31 win over Air Force was notched Thursday night at University Stadium. The University of New Mexico is 6-2, bowl eligible and a special season awaits them down the Mountain West Conference road.

If they are good enough to walk the walk.

But these are Rocky Long's Lobos. Long knows about the rocks, knows about the crash that comes if young heads get turned by foolish thoughts.

Zach Arnett is a good Lobo. He's a good Rocky Long Lobo.

The UNM linebacker knows what to say, what to do: Put a notch on your gun, reload, look for the next target.

"All I know right now is that we're capable of getting ready for next week's game and that's what we better do," said Arnett, a former La Cueva High standout.

But what about a special season, Zach?

What about 10-2, 9-3, maybe catching Brigham Young for the Mountain West Conference title?

"I guess we're going to find out if we can do it, but we had better put in the work first," he says.

The work the Lobos put in Thursday night was good work. Especially in the second half.

UNM rallied from a 21-10 deficit created in part by two Lobos turnovers and out-gutted Air Force to the wire.

It was turnovers that did the Falcons (6-3, 5-2) in. Air Force coughed up the ball on a kickoff with 2:40 to go in the first half that led to a Donovan Porterie 12-yard TD pass to Chris Mark. That tied the game 21-all at the half.

Air Force lost the ball in the third quarter on a UNM punt that hit a Falcons blocker. UNM's Ian Clark recovered at the Air Force 12-yard-line. That led to a Rodney Ferguson 3-yard TD on fourth down that handed UNM a 28-24 lead.

The Lobos got a field goal from John Sullivan in the fourth quarter to tie the game 31-all. That score was not set up by a turnover.

Sullivan's next kick was. Falcons' quarterback Shaun Carney fumbled at his own 28-yard-line leading to Sullivan's game-winning 36-yard field goal with 10:10 to play.

The Falcons weren't finished fumbling. They fumbled at the 3:53 mark and again at 2:04 of the fourth quarter. UNM didn't score off those miscues, but Falcons drives - and hopes - were ended.

"Those turnovers were such an adrenaline rush, a momentum boost for us," said Clark, a Highland High product. "This was a big, big win for us."

It also was a win of perseverance, resilience and, as Long put it, cohesiveness.

Yeah, the Lobos had the right kind of glue.

The Falcons didn't.

The Falcons ended up coughing up the football five times, four times in the second half. The Lobos - opportunistic, too - used those momentum shifts to win a big game.

And how do we know it was a big game. Well, Long smiled.

"His smile sometimes tells us stuff," said UNM noseguard Wesley Beck. "He tries to keep us modest and mellow. He tries to keep us focused and level-headed and then he gives us that smile that tells us it's a big win.

"And I think this was a huge win for us. If we had lost this one, well . . ."

Well, if the Lobos had lost this one, they would have trailed both the BYU Cougars and the Falcons in the MWC standings and a league title would have faded.

It would have been difficult to envision that special season, too.

Which still isn't a guarantee.

The Lobos visit TCU on Nov. 3 and the Horned Frogs are not happy with a season going down the tubes. The Horned Frogs went into the 2007 season talking about a BCS bowl and a win over Texas.

Now, the 4-4 Frogs probably would be jumping after a win over UNM. The Lobos also have to play an improved Utah team in Salt Lake City.

If UNM packages a win over Colorado State between losses to TCU and Utah, the Lobos are 7-4. Not bad, but not special.

"We think this could be a special year for us," said Clark. "But we know what we have to do. We have to keep our heads on straight, not make errors, and keep working to get better."