Wyoming Football Preview - Week 6: New Mexico Lobos

What: Wyoming Cowboys @ New Mexico Lobos

When: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, 5:00 pm MT

Where: University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

How to Watch: CBSSN

Line: Wyoming -3.5, O/U 36.5

History: The Wyoming Cowboys hold the advantage over the New Mexico Lobos 38-36 in the all-time series between the two schools. In their last meeting in 2021, the Cowboys defeated the Lobos 14-3 in Laramie.

The Wyoming Cowboys will make their annual trip into Albuquerque on Saturday to face off with the New Mexico Lobos. The Pokes are coming in with a losing streak following an underwhelming performance against a formidable opponent in San Jose State, dropping the contest 33-16. They’ve now lost two consecutive games for the first time this season and are looking to turn that around in what will be their third conference matchup of the year. Meanwhile, the Lobos will be doing pretty much the same as they have lost two of their last three as well, most recently a defeat last week to UNLV 31-20. Both teams will be looking to get some momentum generated heading into the midway point in their seasons and will be looking to do so by getting their respective offenses back in a groove.

Why New Mexico will win:

Well, for starters this isn’t your typical down in the dumps New Mexico Lobo team. The Lobos are 2-3 in the early campaign and have earned some respectable wins against Maine and UTEP. Their defense has proven stout, especially on third downs, and their run game has looked better than it has in years past. The Lobos are also sixth in the nation in takeaways and could benefit from a Wyoming passing attack that has looked wildly inconsistent to start the year. The Lobos will lean heavily on RBs Nathaniel Jones, Sherrod White, and their QB Miles Kendrick, as well as WR Geordan Porter to get them going on offense, and if their defense plays the way it has at home, they could be in for their first conference victory.

Why Wyoming will win:

As for the Pokes, there are some things that should work in their favor in this matchup as well. The Wyoming O-Line has been one of the consistent bright spots for the Pokes this season. They’ve been efficient in most of their games in both the run and pass protection so far, which should take some pressure off of Peasley and allow him to ease himself in. The Pokes have also had the majority of their defensive issues facing off with potent passing offenses, which New Mexico is not. The Lobos like to run the ball and the Cowboys have done a good job against the run so far this year. Additionally, the New Mexico O-Line has been very subpar and players like Godbout, Gibbs, and Omotoshu should be able to have a field day. If the Cowboys can generate a consistent offensive flow, they should be in good shape on Saturday night.

Prediction:

With both teams hungry to get back in the win column, this game could prove closer than some might think. At the end of the day, I think Wyoming will have the physical edge and will beat up the New Mexico offense, allowing minimal success against the run. If the Cowboys can play anything like they did against Tulsa or Air Force, they should be able to earn their second conference win and first road victory.

Final Score:

Wyoming 27

New Mexico 21