ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- New Mexico opens the 2010 home schedule Saturday against Texas Tech (1-0) inside University Stadium. Saturday will mark the 43rd all-time meeting between the Red Raiders and the Lobos. UNM is in its 51st year playing at University Stadium and brings a 144-136-3 home record into the game.

The home opener will be broadcast nationally on The MountainWest Sports Network (The mtn.). James Bates will call the action along with Todd Christensen and Toby Christensen. The mtn., can be found on Comcast channel 276, DirecTV channel 616 and Cable One channel 329. The game will also be broadcast on the Lobo Radio Network and Sirius/XM Radio channel 126.

Texas Tech leads the all-time series with UNM, 34-6-3, and holds a 12-4-2 series advantage when the game has been played in Albuquerque. However, New Mexico did win the last game with Texas Tech in University Stadium on Sept. 11, 2004, 27-24. The Red Raiders have won 11 of the last 12 meetings dating back to 1985.

Saturday will be Heroes Day in University Stadium. Route 66 Casino and Hotel is the official game sponsor. The first 5,000 fans will receive a red New Mexico jersey. Route 66 Skydivers will entertain the halftime crowd.

51ST SEASON AT UNIVERSITY STADIUM
The 2010 season is the 51st for the Lobos at University Stadium. The first game was played Sept. 17, 1960, when UNM ripped the University of Mexico, 77-6.

UNM is 144-136-3 all-time at University Stadium.

HOME OPENERS
UNM is 72-35-4 (.667) in home openers, including 9-6 in its past 15. New Mexico is 28-22 in lid-lifters at University Stadium. The first game on Sept. 17, 1960, resulted in a 77-6 pasting of the University of Mexico, the Lobos' largest margin of victory at the stadium.

New Mexico's second-largest home crowd came in the 2001 season opener as 41,771 fans shoehorned into the stadium to witness a 26-6 triumph over UTEP. That was the first game following the seating addition in the north end zone.

LOBO FOOTBALL TAILGATE CHALLENGE
OK, almost everybody loves to eat and is good at it. Often, too much and too often. But can you cook? Can you bring it with the special spices, the unique additives, the secret sauces and place your entry in front of some starving Lobo-type judges and see if you got what it takes?

The Lobos have a deal for you, and, no, this is not our way of getting a free lunch. We love our Lobo Dogs. The University of New Mexico athletics department has teamed up with Albertsons, Pepsi and Route 66 Casino to bring you "The Lobo Football Tailgate Challenge."

It's not really an eating thing. It's a cooking thing. But the cooked things have to be edible and we'll produce some highly-qualified judges to see whether you can bring it on your grill.

Of course, the dishes mostly will be judged by palates and stomachs. We'll have some time-tested culinary experts (of sorts) who will sample your wares on a 100-point scale and give out points according to: 1- taste (70 points) and 2- ambience (30 points).

Here are a few contest details.
1. It's free.
2. The contest begins three hours prior to kickoff.
3. A tent will be set up next to the Lobo Football Pre-Game shows at Gate 8 (Stadium Lot North). That's where you bring the food.
4. There will be prizes and GoLobos.com will announce them next week. Stay tuned.

Of course, there also are specific dishes set for specific games. The scheduled Lobo opponent that week has little to do with the scheduled dish, but it does look suspicious that the first week is chili and a team from chili-famous Texas is coming to University Stadium. Anyway, here's the order:

1. Sept. 11 vs. Texas Tech -- chili
2. Sept. 18 vs. Utah -- hamburgers & brats
3. Oct. 2 vs. UTEP -- Ribs
4. Oct. 23 vs. San Diego State -- brisket
5. Nov. 6 vs. Wyoming -- green chili stew
6. Nov. 27 vs. TCU -- chicken/turkey or any poultry.
<> YOUNG GUNS The Lobos had 16 players make their first collegiate debut Saturday against No. 11 Oregon. UNM has 31 underclassmen on the 55-man depth chart. Sophomore QB B.R. Holbrook, made his first career start Saturday and will manage the offense against Texas Tech. The Lobos have two talented sophomores in the backfield in RBs Demond Dennis and Kasey Carrier. Sophomore WR Ty Kirk is back after leading all MWC freshmen in receiving last year. Sophomore TE Lucas Reed was a Freshman All-American last year and is much improved. Defensively, sophomore DBs DeShawn Mills and Emmanuel McPhearson have had strong camps and will compete on Saturdays. Sophomore Freddy Young has earned a starting spot at safety. Illinois transfers Ugo Uzodinma and Reggie Ellis are sophomores on the D-Line along with freshman Calvin Smith.

SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech is 1-0 after beating SMU Sunday, 35-27 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The Red Raiders, who are coached by first-year head coach Tommy Tuberville, rolled up 341 yards of total offense. Taylor Potts handled the QB duties Sunday and went 34-of-53 for 359 yards. The Red Raiders only rushed for 72 yards on 31 carries. Defensively, TTU had three interceptions and accounted for five sacks and six tackles for loss.

LOBOS OPEN THE SEASON WITH TOUGH LOSS AT NO. 11 OREGON
Oregon running back Kenjon Barner replaced suspended running back LaMichael James for the 11th-ranked Ducks and ran for a career-high 147 yards and four touchdowns before catching another score as Oregon opened the season with a 72-0 rout of New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 4.

B.R. Holbrook made his debut as New Mexico's starter, and completed 11 of 24 passes for 70 yards with two interceptions. The Lobos managed 25 yards on the ground and 82 total passing yards.

Cliff Harris scored on punt returns of 61 and 64 yards as Oregon built a 59-0 halftime lead. No Duck has ever had two punt returns for touchdowns in a single game.

But Barner was the star with 225 all-purpose yards. His one catch was a 60-yard scoring strike from Thomas in the second quarter.

The Lobos were hit in the first half when defensive lineman Carmen Messina, who led the nation with 162 tackles last season, got hit hard in the first half and injured his left ankle.

UP NEXT FOR THE LOBOS
New Mexico opens Mountain West Conference action next week against nationally-ranked Utah at home. It will be the final game between UNM and Utah as members of the MWC. Utah leads the all-time series 32-17-2 and has won the last three meetings. The game will be broadcast live on The mtn. starting at 6 p.m. MDT.

SERIES HISTORY / NOTES
• 43rd meeting, and the Red Raiders have a 34-6-2 lead
• First meeting - 1931 when both schools were in the Border Conference
• Last Meeting: 2009, a 48-28 Texas Tech win in Lubbock
• Last Meeting in Albuquerque: 2004, a 27-24 New Mexico victory
• Albuquerque: Texas Tech leads 12-4-2
• UNM's last win in Albuquerque: 27-24 in 2004
• Lubbock: Texas Tech leads 22-2 and has won 8 straight
• UNM's last win in Lubbock: 30-10 in 1983
• Tommy Tuberville at Texas Tech vs. New Mexico: First Meeting

THE LAST MEETING IN ALBUQUERUE: 2004
Wes Zunker's 43-yard FG as time expired gave the Lobos a gritty 27-24 victory, ending their 10-game, 20-year losing skid to the Red Raiders. New Mexico had not beaten TTU since a 29-24 decision in Albuquerque on Sept. 22, 1984.

The dramatic game-ending drive was beautifully engineered by sophomore QB Kole McKamey (now the Lobos' radio analyst). With the score tied at 24, the Lobos took over on their own 20 with 1:47 remaining. McKamey opened the march with a 10-yard option keeper and capped it by completing a 14-yard pass to freshman WR Marcus Smith that advanced the ball to the Texas Tech 25. Two plays and two Texas Tech timeouts later, Zunker coolly nailed the game-winner.

Junior TB DonTrell Moore - with an assist from the offensive line - came up big on the drive as well, rushing for 30 yards on 4 carries. The Lobos gained just 142 yards on the ground, but 40 yards came in the final 107 seconds.

McKamey showed all the poise of a veteran against the team he rooted for as a youngster. He totaled 222 yards of total offense and had a hand in all three of the team's TDs. McKamey completing 12 of 24 passes for 173 yards with no interceptions and 1 TD to WR Hank Baskett. He rushed 10 times for 49 yards and a pair of TDs.

Zunker connected on 2 fourth-quarter FGs. He also made a 44-yarder on the first play of the quarter to tie the game at 24.

Texas Tech QB Sonny Cumbie completed 44 of 70 passes for 449 yards.

THE LAST MEETING IN LUBBOCK: 2009
Backup quarterback Steven Sheffield threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns to help lead Texas Tech to a 48-28 win over New Mexico on Saturday.

Taylor Potts, the nation's leading passer, left the game before halftime after two hard sacks appeared to affect his balance. Officials from Texas Tech (3-2) declined to comment on his injury.

Sheffield threw scoring passes of 25, 20 and 62 yards. He was 16 of 23 with one interception. Alex Torres, Detron Lewis and Harrison Jeffers caught the touchdowns.

Potts was intercepted twice, both by cornerback Nathan Enriquez.

The Lobos (0-5) got their only first-half score off Potts' second interception. Donovan Porterie threw a 7-yard TD pass to Josh Fussell in the second quarter.

Porterie completed 30 of 56 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns.

On TTU's first possession, Potts threw a 79-yard pass to Tremain Swindall, who outran Lobos defenders to the 1 on the Red Raiders' longest play from scrimmage this season. Jeffers took the ball in on the next play to put the Texas Tech up 7-0.

Potts, who was without a touchdown pass, was not on the sideline after halftime. He got sacked hard twice late in the second quarter.

Lobos linebacker Carmen Messina sacked Potts on a first-down play and Johnathan Rainey threw him to the ground on third-and-9 after Potts scrambled toward the far sideline late in the second quarter.

Sheffield replaced Potts and led the Red Raiders on an 86-yard drive to a touchdown, finding Torres on a 25-yard score with 1 second remaining in the half for a 14-7 lead.

LOBOS FROM TEXAS
UNM has 17 Texas natives on its current roster, second only to New Mexico for highest representation from one state. The list with high schools:

LB Terel Anyaibe DeSoto / DeSoto HS
DB Chance Aven Plainview / Plainview HS
LB Toby Ball Wylie / Wylie HS
OT Byron Bell Greenville / Greenville HS
TB Kasey Carrier Pearland / Pearland HS
LB Julian Conley Houston / North Shore HS
QB Stump Godfrey Gilmer / Gilmer HS
DE Jacori Greer North Richland Hills / Newman Smith HS
FB Andrew Gutierrez Texas City / Texas City HS
DE Mark Hunter Spring / Klein Oak HS
RB Brandon Lewis Plano / Plano East HS
OG J.V. Mason Sachse / Namaan Forest HS
DT Mat McBain El Paso / Burgess HS
TE Brad Miller Sealy / Sealy HS
DE Johnathan Rainey Houston / Northbrook HS
WR Quintell Solomon Dallas / Roosevelt HS
TB James Wright Dallas / South Oak Cliff HS

UNM-texas tech TIES
• UNM President David Schmidly is a native of Levelland, Texas, about 30 minutes due west of Lubbock...Schmidly earned his bachelor's (1966) and master's (1968) degrees from Tech in zoology...he was a member of the Texas Tech faculty from 1996-200 and served as the school's President from 2000-02

NEW MEXICO VS. THE BIG 12
The Lobos have a 17-60-2 record against current members of the Big 12.