Before SEC games we typically provide a few Reasons to Hate the upcoming opponent, but since cupcakes like New Mexico don't warrant a lot of ire we've instead decided to bring back an old friend from the early days of the Petrino Era.
Biggs Barker is a convicted cybercriminal and former domestic wiretapper who also happens to be an enormous Razorbacks fan. He's been kind enough to take a break from his day job of stealing online credit card data to dig up some dirt on behalf of the Hogs. Enjoy his findings, but be sure to keep your computer passwords far away from his prying eyes.
Team: University of New Mexico
Location: Albuquerque
Mascot: Lobos
Conference: Mountain West
2010 Record: 1-11
2011 Record: 0-1 (14-10 loss to Colorado State)
A Tale of Heroic Survival Against All Odds: It's possible that no coach has ever failed more successfully than the Lobos' Mike Locksley, a Ron Zook protegé who managed to keep his job after posting consecutive 1-11 seasons AND being hit with a nasty sexual discrimination suit AND punching an assistant coach in the face. The reason? Thanks to a large buyout clause, firing him would simply be too expensive for the cash-strapped school. College athletics at its finest!
Strengths: On the field, not so much. Their coach is said to have a vicious right cross, though, so Bobby Petrino would be well-advised to keep his guard up during the post-game handshake.
Weaknesses: Well, pretty much everything. Of particular note (as called out by the RazorBloggers), is the fact that no one on New Mexico's defensive line weighs more than 280 lbs...might be a good time to get that running game on track.
A Rank Odor: UNM doesn't exactly have a strong recent track record against ranked opponents. Last year they were able to keep with 42 points of #14 Utah in a hard-fought 56-14 loss and were edged by #4 TCU 66-17. The true triumph, though, was a 72-0 squeaker against #7 Oregon. Yikes.
True Story: UNM's mascot was the Bears until 1980 when the school president, a huge Claude Akins fan, decided to change it in honor of this fine television show. The name stuck, and Akins was feted at every homecoming game until his death in 1994.
Bowl Trivia: New Mexico has won the exact same number of bowl games as Arkansas in the last five years: one (a 23-0 win over Nevada in the 2007 New Mexico Bowl).
Worth Mentioning Again: Mere weeks into his first season as the Lobos' head coach, Mike Locksley punched receivers coach J.B. Gerald in the face. Locksley is still employed by UNM, Gerald is not. Amazing!