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1997 New Mexico Lobos football team

Summary

The 1997 New Mexico Lobos football team represented the University of New Mexico in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Lobos were led by sixth-year head coach Dennis Franchione, in his final year with the team, and played their home games at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They finished the regular season atop the Mountain Division of the Western Athletic Conference with a 6–2 conference record, and lost to Colorado State in the 1997 WAC Championship Game. New Mexico was invited to the 1997 Insight.com Bowl, their first bowl game since 1961, where they lost to Arizona, 14–20.

1997 New Mexico Lobos football
WAC Mountain Division champion
Insight.com Bowl, L 14–20 vs. Arizona
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
DivisionMountain Division
Record9–4 (6–2 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDennis Darnell (4th season)
Defensive coordinatorGary Patterson (2nd season)
Home stadiumUniversity Stadium
Seasons
← 1996
1998 →
1997 Western Athletic Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mountain Division
New Mexico x   6 – 2     9 – 4  
Rice   5 – 3     7 – 4  
SMU   5 – 3     6 – 5  
Utah   5 – 3     6 – 5  
BYU   4 – 4     6 – 5  
UTEP   3 – 5     4 – 7  
Tulsa   2 – 6     2 – 9  
TCU   1 – 7     1 – 10  
Pacific Division
No. 17 Colorado State x$   7 – 1     11 – 2  
Air Force   6 – 2     10 – 3  
Fresno State   5 – 3     6 – 6  
Wyoming   4 – 4     7 – 6  
San Diego State   4 – 4     5 – 7  
San Jose State   4 – 4     4 – 7  
UNLV   2 – 6     3 – 8  
Hawaii   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Championship: Colorado State 41, New Mexico 13
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The season is also notable for the Lobos because their brief appearance in the Coaches' Poll in Week 15 is the last time that the team has been featured in either the Coaches' Poll or the AP Poll, as of 2018.

Schedule edit

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
August 30Northern Arizona*
W 33–1025,643[1][2]
September 6New Mexico State*
W 61–24
September 13at UTEP
W 38–2019,857
September 20at Utah State*
W 25–2215,112
October 4SMU 
  • University Stadium
  • Albuquerque, NM
W 22–1533,128
October 11at San Diego State
W 36–2128,732
October 18Rice
  • University Stadium
  • Albuquerque, NM
L 23–35
October 25at Utah
L 10–1528,129
November 1at TCU
W 40–10
November 15BYU
  • University Stadium
  • Albuquerque, NM
W 38–2830,363
November 22Tulsa
  • University Stadium
  • Albuquerque, NM
W 51–1329,217
December 6vs. No. 20 Colorado State
L 13–4112,706[3]
December 27at Arizona*
L 14–2049,385
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Source:[4]

Rankings edit

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP——————————————————
Coaches——————————————25——

Roster edit

1997 New Mexico Lobos football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
WS 6 Scott McGarrahan Sr
FS 16 Billy Austin Sr
LB 44 Brian Urlacher So
LB 51 Bart Barnard Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

References edit

  1. ^ "Easier Said Than Done: Lobos Begin Season With Victory Over Lumberjacks". Albuquerue Journal. August 31, 1997. pp. E1, E12 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Jason Stone (August 31, 1997). "4th quarter barrage too much for Jacks". Arizona Daily Sun. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Western Athletic Conf. Championship". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. December 7, 1997. p. C9. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "1997 New Mexico Lobos Schedule & Results". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.