PROVO -- With the 21-14 loss, BYU falls to 5-5 on the season. The Cougars will need a victory next week at Utah to become bowl eligible for the first time since the 2001 season when BYU finished the regular season 12-1 and was invited to the Liberty Bowl.
FABULOUS FRESHMAN CLOSE TO ANOTHER RECORD
Already the owner of BYU's freshman record for yards (697) and touchdowns (7), freshman receiver Austin Collie continued his bid for Freshman All-America and MWC Freshman-of-the-Year honors after grabbing four more receptions on Saturday. Collie needs just two more receptions next week against Utah to break Matt Bellini's record of 51 set in 1987.
KING OF PAYNE -- GROZA, GUY CANDIDATE THROWS FIRST-QTR TD
Facing 4-and-11 from the New Mexico 12-yard line, BYU kicker Matt Payne tossed a 12-yard completion to holder Riley Weber to give BYU a 7-0 lead with 3:02 remaining in the first quarter. The play marked Payne's first-career touchdown completion. Payne is the only player in the country listed on the Ray Guy and Lou Groza Award watch lists. Payne also punted the ball four times four, averaging 47.8 yards per kick while pinning the Lobos inside their 20 two times.
FIRST-QUARTER SHUTOUT STREAK ENDS
Marcus Smith's 15-yard run with 2:23 remaining tied the score at 7-7 and ended BYU's streak of five straight games without allowing a single point in the first quarter. New Mexico is only the third BYU opponent to score in the first quarter this season. The Lobos finished the first quarter with 14 points, marking the second highest point total allowed by the Cougars this season. (Boise State posted 16 first-quarter points.)
EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM
With a 10 a.m. (MT) kickoff against New Mexico, the Cougars received a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call at their team hotel. Saturday's early start marks the first time the Cougars have played a 10 a.m. game in Provo since the 1996 season opening victory over Texas A&M (Aug. 24, 1996).
BECK HITS 3,000 YARDS
Sophomore quarterback John Beck entered Saturday's game with 2,967 career yards, needing just 33 yards to reach the 3,000-yard mark. With 4:03 remaining in the first quarter, on a 19 completion to Chris Hale, Beck eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark. On the day, Beck completed 22 of 37 passes for 247 yards and one touchdown.
IN GOOD COMPANY
On pace to reach over 3,300 yards this season John Beck would finish the season as the Cougars' third-ranked sophomore quarterback. Only Ty Detmer (5,812) and John Walsh (4,678) have posted more passing yards during their sophomore campaigns.
GOOD GRIEF CURTIS BROWN
On a four-yard run with 6:06 remaining in the first quarter, sophomore running back Curtis Brown eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for his career. Brown finished the game with 11 rushes for 14 yards, snapping his streak of consecutive 100 yard games at four. Brown has 1,008 career rushing yards, joining only three other players who reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark during their sophomore seasons. (Ronney Jenkins, 2,179; Jamal Willis, 1,524; Jeff Blanc, 1,026).