Lobos' Long an Aztecs nemesis

By: MICHAEL KLITZING - Staff Writer | Saturday, October 20, 2007 12:04 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Rocky Long is the 28th head coach in the history of the University of New Mexico football team and, in his 10th year, he's the second-longest tenured coach in the Mountain West Conference.

Just don't be surprised if San Diego State knows him by another moniker.

The bogey man, perhaps? It would certainly fit. No one has given the Aztecs more nightmares in recent years than Long ---- a fact that the Lobos coach claims is news to him. 

"I actually didn't know that until you said it," Long said about his success against the Aztecs during a midweek conference call.

"We don't live in the past around here, so it's really not something we think about at all."

Maybe this will refresh your memory, Rock.

New Mexico (4-2, 1-1 Mountain West) faces the Aztecs (2-4, 1-1) tonight for homecoming at Qualcomm Stadium having won six consecutive games in the series and five straight in Mission Valley.

Since the Mountain West was founded in 1999, New Mexico is the only original member San Diego State hasn't beaten more than once. Over the past six seasons of Lobos dominance, the Aztecs have played almost even ---- 18-20 ---- with the rest of the league.

Confronted with the unsightly history, the Aztecs claim no such memory loss.

Not that they have much of an explanation, either.

"Every year we play them, we just don't seem to get it going," said senior guard Brandyn Dombrowski. "I wish I knew. That's the one team that we haven't been able to beat, and it's frustrating because we want to beat them before we leave here."

What makes New Mexico's recent success against the Aztecs all the more perplexing is that the Lobos have been good, but far from great this decade.

They've made four bowl games, but have yet to win one and have never won the conference.

Yet Long's Lobos seem to be widening the divide with the Aztecs further every year, with their margin of victory coming by five, seven, 23, 10, 23 and 27 points, respectively.

"From what I remember, especially two years ago, they were the ones that came out ready to play," said senior defensive end Nick Osborn of a 47-24 loss in 2005 when the Lobos scored on their first five possessions.

"We were not ready for them. I remember they brought out a completely different game package than what we expected and it kind of threw us off our game.

"Whenever they come out to play San Diego State, it's like they're a new team."

Might there be something psychological at play on the Aztecs' end, too? Does losing to New Mexico become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

"I don't think so," Dombrowksi said. "Things just don't work out on those days that we play them. Hopefully this year, we could change that. It would be really nice going out on the positive note of beating New Mexico, because we haven't beaten them here since the '90s. Beating them here would be huge for us to get us right back on track."

Said Osborn: "It's not so much overcoming (New Mexico), it's just realizing what's at stake."

The Aztecs are in desperate need of a victory. They need to go at least 4-2 in the season's second half season to avoid missing a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season.

Tonight's game opens a stretch of three straight at Qualcomm Stadium against three of the conference's top teams ---- New Mexico, Brigham Young and Wyoming, which boast a combined record of 12-6.

To stay in the game, Aztecs must resurrect an offense that struggled to move the chains last week against Utah. On the other side of the ball, they have the unenviable task of stopping junior running back Rodney Ferguson, the MWC's top rusher who spearheads a balanced attack along with accurate quarterback Donovan Porterie.

"They've got mobile guys at every position," Osborn said. "The quarterback, he can run. Ferguson he's always real deceptive; he looks like he's running slow, but he's actually moving quite fast and he's a big guy who's hard to tackle. Their receivers are pretty tall and fast.

"They've always had weapons every year."

Weapons, and the Aztecs' number.

Contact staff writer Michael Klitzing at (760) 740-6643 or mrklitzing@gmail.com.