Lobos throw down

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. >> There was 8:27 left in the game when Austin Apodaca — the throwing quarterback in a University of New Mexico offense that doesn’t throw — got the nod.

Following a fourth-quarter punt to Hawaii with the Lobos trailing 27-21, the UNM coaching staff told the 6-foot-3 junior college transfer that when they got the ball back, regardless of the score, the Lobos needed him to put points on the board in a hurry — something the team’s trademark pistol-based, triple-option running attack isn’t designed to do.

Then he waited.

A clock-eating 6:13 later, and thanks to an almost inexplicably missed chip-shot field goal — the first missed field goal against UNM all season — Apodaca took the field for the first time Saturday night with the Lobos down six and 2:14 left in the game.

"I had no doubt from the first play (of that drive) in the huddle that we were going to go down and score because of the look in all the guys’ eyes," said Apodaca.

UNM’s first 69 plays of the game under the direction of run-first starting quarterback Lamar Jordan included 53 rushes, 16 passes. On the Lobos’ final drive, Apodaca completed six of 10 for 70 yards, moving his team 80 yards (aided in part by a 10-yard Hawaii penalty), capped by a 28-yard strike to Dameon Gamblin for the game-winning touchdown with 55 seconds left in the game.

"He’s got some gunslinger in him," said fourth-year UNM coach Bob Davie of the quarterback he first recruited out of Longmont, Colo., in December 2011, shortly after taking the Lobos job.

Apodaca didn’t choose the run-dominated Lobos then, and almost picked Vanderbilt this past offseason coming out of Mesa (Ariz.) Community College.

Now, seven games into the season for the Lobos (4-3, 2-1 MWC), he may be forcing the hand of his head coach in a quarterback controversy that Davie, at least on Saturday night, didn’t seem to mind having to deal with.

"Austin’s a weapon. Austin’s a weapon," Davie said. "Us being able to spread it out a little bit and throw it a little bit is definitely something that we’re going to have to talk about and try to figure it out a little better."

Apodaca appeared in four of UNM’s first five games, completing 16 of 37 passes for 183 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. His few appearances often came in predictable passing situations — much like Saturday night.

But he knows his role. He’s the two-minute-drill quarterback in an offense that, at least so far, doesn’t turn to him very often.

"We do that stuff every day," Apodaca said. "We throw it and go through those two-minute situations a lot."

On the game-winner, Gamblin was his second option on the play after outside receiver Carlos Wiggins couldn’t break free on a double move.

"Then I look on the inside and Gambo ran a great route and kind of beat him," Apodaca said. "Right when I threw it, I knew it."

So did Jordan, the first guy 20 yards out onto Brach Field celebrating with Apodaca after the throw.

"He was hugging me pretty tight," Apodaca said. "I joked with him I hoped we didn’t get a penalty because we were celebrating out there for what felt like four minutes."

As for whether he should be the Lobos’ starter moving forward, he knows his role in that regard, too.

"That’s not for me to decide," Apodaca said. "So I can’t really give my opinion on that. I’m going to be ready whenever my number is called."