Rio Grande Rivalry (football)
The New Mexico–New Mexico State football rivalry,[2] known as the Battle of I-25 and the Rio Grande Rivalry in all sports, is an annual football game between the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. It is called the Battle of I-25 because the two universities are located along Interstate 25 connecting Albuquerque and Las Cruces. In the entire history of the rivalry, the game has never been contested anywhere beside those two cities.
Sport | Football |
---|---|
First meeting | January 1, 1894 New Mexico 18, New Mexico A&M 6 |
Latest meeting | September 16, 2023 New Mexico State 27, New Mexico 17 |
Next meeting | September 28, 2024 in Las Cruces |
Stadiums | University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Aggie Memorial Stadium Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S. |
Trophy | None (1894–1992 and 2001–present) Maloof Trophy (1993–2000) |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 113 |
All-time series | New Mexico leads 73–35–5 (.668)[1] |
Largest victory | New Mexico A&M, 110–3 (1917) |
Longest win streak | New Mexico, 18 (1938–1958) |
Current win streak | New Mexico State, 2 (2022–present) |
Series history
The rivalry between New Mexico's only two NCAA Division I institutions dates back to January 1, 1894 – eighteen years before New Mexico achieved statehood – when the schools met in a football contest in Albuquerque. While it is clear that New Mexico won that first game, school records seem to disagree on the score. According to New Mexico media guides the final score was 25–5 but according to New Mexico State media guides the score was 18–6. By the time New Mexico entered the union in 1912 UNM and New Mexico A&M (as NMSU was known prior to 1959) had already met on the gridiron six times. Until 1937, the series was competitive with the Aggies holding a 15–12–4 lead over the Lobos. Starting in 1938 the Lobos began to dominate the series, starting with a streak of 18 straight wins over the Aggies from 1938–1958 (including a three year stretch during World War II when the game was not played). From 1959–1968, however, the Aggies would win 7 of 10 meetings, mostly during the tenure of College Football Hall of Fame head coach Warren B. Woodson. Although the Aggies would defeat the Lobos in their first meeting after Woodson's departure in 1968, the Lobos would resume their dominance in the series the following year, winning 16 of the next 18 meetings (including a tie in 1971). Beginning in 1993, the two universities played for the Maloof Trophy, but it was short-lived; the trophy was retired in 2000.
The Lobos all-time advantage is 73–35–5, however the rivalry remains spirited, with the series even at seven wins each over the past 14 games dating back to the 100th meeting between the schools in 2009. Most recently the Aggies defeated the Lobos 27–17 on September 16, 2023.[3]
In August 2020, New Mexico State postponed football and fall sports due to COVID-19 with consideration for a spring football season.[4] The Mountain West Conference initially postponed fall sports for New Mexico and other member schools as well, but New Mexico and other member schools began a conference-only schedule beginning in late October.[5][6] The 2020 season was the first since 1945 without the rivalry game.
Game results
New Mexico victories | New Mexico State victories | Tie games |
|
- Non-conference games (95: 1894–1930 and 1951–present)
- Not played in 17 seasons (1895–1904, 1907, 1910, 1918, 1943–1945 and 2020)
Coaching records
Since first game on January 1, 1894
New Mexico
Head Coach | Team | Games | Seasons | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No coach | New Mexico | 1 | 1892–1893 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
W. A. Zimmer | New Mexico | 0 | 1894 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
No team (1895–1898) | |||||||
No coach | New Mexico | 0 | 1899 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
No team (1900) | |||||||
Joe Napier | New Mexico | 0 | 1901 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
No team (1902) | |||||||
Walter McEwan | New Mexico | 0 | 1903–1904 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Martin F. Angell | New Mexico | 2 | 1905–1907 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
Hermon H. Conwell | New Mexico | 1 | 1908 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Sam P. McBirney | New Mexico | 1 | 1909 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Carl Hamilton | New Mexico | 0 | 1910 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Ralph Hutchinson | New Mexico | 6 | 1911–1916 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .417 |
Frank E. Wood | New Mexico | 1 | 1917 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
No team (1918) | |||||||
John F. McGough | New Mexico | 1 | 1919 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Roy W. Johnson | New Mexico | 11 | 1920–1930 | 4 | 5 | 2 | .455 |
Chuck Riley | New Mexico | 3 | 1931–1933 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
Gwinn Henry | New Mexico | 3 | 1934–1936 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 |
Ted Shipkey | New Mexico | 5 | 1937–1941 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 |
Willis Barnes | New Mexico | 2 | 1942–1946 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Berl Huffman | New Mexico | 3 | 1947–1949 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Dudley DeGroot | New Mexico | 3 | 1950–1952 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Bob Titchenal | New Mexico | 3 | 1953–1955 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Dick Clausen | New Mexico | 2 | 1956–1957 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Marv Levy | New Mexico | 2 | 1958–1959 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
Bill Weeks | New Mexico | 8 | 1960–1967 | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 |
Rudy Feldman | New Mexico | 6 | 1968–1973 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .750 |
Bill Mondt | New Mexico | 6 | 1974–1979 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
Joe Morrison | New Mexico | 3 | 1980–1982 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Joe Lee Dunn | New Mexico | 4 | 1983–1986 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Mike Sheppard | New Mexico | 5 | 1987–1991 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 |
Dennis Franchione | New Mexico | 6 | 1992–1997 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
Rocky Long | New Mexico | 11 | 1998–2008 | 8 | 3 | .727 | |
Mike Locksley | New Mexico | 2 | 2009–2011 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |
George Barlow | New Mexico | 1 | 2011 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |
Bob Davie | New Mexico | 8 | 2012–2019 | 6 | 2 | .750 | |
Danny Gonzales | New Mexico | 3 | 2020–present | 1 | 2 | .333 |
New Mexico State
Head Coach | Team | Games | Seasons | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W. M. Clutte | New Mexico A&M | 1 | 1893 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
Alfred Holt | New Mexico A&M | 0 | 1894 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
No coach | New Mexico A&M | 0 | 1895–1896 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Charles M. Barber | New Mexico A&M | 0 | 1897–1898 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
John O. Miller (a) | New Mexico A&M | 0 | 1899 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
William A. Sutherland | New Mexico A&M | 0 | 1900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
John O. Miller (b) | New Mexico A&M | 2 | 1901–1907 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
William G. Hummell | New Mexico A&M | 1 | 1908 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
J. H. Squires | New Mexico A&M | 1 | 1909 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
Art Badenoch | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1910–1913 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Clarence W. Russell | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1914–1916 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .167 |
John G. Griffith | New Mexico A&M | 1 | 1917 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
No team (1918) | |||||||
Anthony Savage | New Mexico A&M | 1 | 1919 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
Dutch Bergman | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1920–1922 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 |
R. R. Brown | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1923–1925 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 |
Arthur Burkholder | New Mexico A&M | 1 | 1926 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 |
Ted Coffman | New Mexico A&M | 2 | 1927–1928 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
Jerry Hines | New Mexico A&M | 11 | 1929–1939 | 5 | 4 | 2 | .545 |
Julius H. Johnston | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1940–1942 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
Maurice Moulder | New Mexico A&M | 0 | 1943 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
No team (1944–1945) | |||||||
Raymond A. Curfman | New Mexico A&M | 2 | 1946–1947 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
Vaughn Corley | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1948–1950 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
Joseph T. Coleman | New Mexico A&M | 2 | 1951–1952 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
James Patton | New Mexico A&M | 2 | 1953–1954 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
Tony Cavallo | New Mexico A&M | 3 | 1955–1957 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
Warren B. Woodson | New Mexico A&M / State | 10 | 1958–1967 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 |
Jim Wood | New Mexico State | 5 | 1968–1972 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .300 |
Jim Bradley | New Mexico State | 5 | 1973–1977 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 |
Gil Krueger | New Mexico State | 5 | 1978–1982 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 |
Fred Zechman | New Mexico State | 3 | 1983–1985 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 |
Mike Knoll | New Mexico State | 4 | 1986–1989 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 |
Jim Hess | New Mexico State | 8 | 1990–1996 | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 |
Tony Samuel | New Mexico State | 8 | 1997–2004 | 3 | 5 | .375 | |
Hal Mumme | New Mexico State | 4 | 2005–2008 | 0 | 4 | .000 | |
DeWayne Walker | New Mexico State | 4 | 2009–2012 | 3 | 1 | .750 | |
Doug Martin | New Mexico State | 8 | 2013–2021 | 2 | 6 | .250 | |
Jerry Kill | New Mexico State | 2 | 2022–present | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
- John O. Miller's overall record in series was 2–0–0 (1.000)
See also
References
- "Winsipedia - New Mexico Lobos vs. New Mexico State Aggies football series history". Winsipedia.
- "New Mexico State looks for second straight rivalry win over New Mexico". Las Cruces Sun News. September 8, 2017.
The New Mexico State football team hasn't beaten rival New Mexico in consecutive years since DeWayne Walker beat the Lobos three straight times from 2009-2011.
- Reider, Sean (September 16, 2023). "Aggies corral Lobos for second straight win in Rio Grande Rivalry". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- Groves, Jason (August 13, 2020). "New Mexico State will not play football in fall due to COVID-19 concerns". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- "Lobo Football 2020 Football Schedule Released". University of New Mexico. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- "Mountain West Postpones 2020 Fall Sports". University of New Mexico. August 10, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.