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1999 New Mexico Season in Review
Lobos show marked improvement as they claim wins over San Diego State and Air Force.
Dec. 13, 1999 A YEAR IMPROVED FROM A YEAR REMOVED One indicator of New Mexico’s improved performance in 1999 comes when taking a look at the teams it beat. In 1998, the Lobos three wins (Idaho State, Utah State and Hawaii) came against teams that were a combined 6-28 (.176). This season, UNM’s wins (Northern Arizona, San Diego State, UNLV and Air Force) were against teams that were a combined 22-22 (.500) and included two (San Diego State, Air Force) that went to bowl games in ’98.
THIRD QUARTER BLUES
FOR URL On a conference call Tuesday, November 30, the Lovington, N.M., native was named the Mountain West Conferences first-ever player of the year. The conference honor was the first in school history that a New Mexico football player earned the honor from his respective conference. As would be expected, Urlacher also earned a spot on the conference’s first team and was the only Lobo in 1999 to do so. The next step for Urlacher is to see how much more national recognition he will receive. To date, he has been named a first team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, and Collegefootballnews.com. He was also named a second team All-America by the Football News and The Sporting News.
URLACHER AGAIN AMONG NATION’S ELITE
Keith Adams, Clemson 176
RUNNING GAME WORTH LOOKING FORWARD TO UNM ran for 112 yards in the season finale against Air Force and finished out with 900 yards in its last five games. In the previous three games (Boise State, San Diego State, BYU), the Lobos were only able to run for a total of 131 yards. In its first six games, New Mexico averaged 112 yards per game on the ground. With the big back attack in the last five, it averaged 180 yards rushing. In the season’s final five games, Wiggins and Baxter alternated who was going to have the big game on the ground.
RECORD-SETTING RECEIVERS CLOSE CAREER In typical fashion, both players closed their careers with strong games in their final performance against Air Force on November 27. Williams led all receivers with six catches and had 70 yards. Thompson was just one shy of Williams with five catches, but he had 77 yards receiving and threw his first touchdown pass since junior college, a 26-yarder to Ted Iacenda on a trick play. The tandem of Williams and Thompson were the top overall receiving tandem returning to the Mountain West Conference in 1999 and they lived up to their reputation as they combined to be the top tandem from any school this season in terms of receptions per game (9.78). The next best duo, BYU’s Margin Hooks and Ben Horton, combined for 9.36 catches per game and did so in the MWC’s top passing offense. Williams 116 career receptions places him sixth on the New Mexico all-time list. He finished his career with 1,402 career receiving yards, a total that places him 10th on the school list. At 5.45 receptions per game, the Albuquerque native finished the 1999 season tied for first in the Mountain West Conference. He also finished ninth in receiving yards per game with 55.4. Williams achievements on the UNM career receiving charts are amazing when considering he only had seven catches in his first two years as a Lobo and he started in just 12 games in his career. Despite missing a good portion of two games with an ankle injury this year, Thompson remained the Lobo’s deep threat and one of the top receivers in the conference. His 4.33 receptions per game were good for fifth in the conference standings as were his 61.3 receiving yards per contest. In just two years at New Mexico, the transfer from Holmes CC caught 82 passes for 1,153 yards, a total that puts him 14th on the Lobo career list for receiving yards. His 82 receptions leave him just two receptions shy of the 10th spot on the school career list.
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