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As he prepares his New Mexico Lobos to play Nevada on Saturday at University Stadium, UNM coach Bob Davie looks back on last year’s Lobos-Wolf Pack game in much the same way Walter Mondale must recall the 1984 presidential election.

Or, perhaps, how Michael Spinks remembers (if he actually does) his heavyweight title fight against Mike Tyson in 1988.

“Anybody who saw the game last year in Reno realizes what a challenge this is,” Davie said during Tuesday’s weekly UNM fall sports news conference. “Decisively, decisively, they beat us up there. … Soundly, soundly beaten last year in Reno.”

Now, come on, Bob. Was it really that bad? Sure, Nevada won that game comfortably, 35-17. But UNM, trailing 28-17 in the fourth quarter, came within a yard of making it 28-24 when a fumble into the end zone and the resultant touchback scuttled its chances. The Wolf Pack then put the game away.

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Oh, yes, Davie said Tuesday. It really was that bad.

That evening, Nevada outgained the Lobos 517 yards to 273. The New Mexico rushing attack, which came in averaging 290 yards per game, managed only 135.

“They dominated us on both sides of the line of scrimmage last year, if we’re brutally honest,” Davie said.

OK, we get it. But last year was last year. This season, Nevada limps into Albuquerque with a 3-5 record (1-3 in the Mountain West Conference play), having lost their last two. The Lobos (5-3, 3-1) were listed as 15-point favorites as of Tuesday evening. They were six-point underdogs in Reno last season.

Davie cares nothing about such things. He sees a Nevada team that returned nine starters on offense until senior quarterback Tyler Stewart was lost for the season during the Wolf Pack’s 42-34 loss to Wyoming on Oct. 22.

Davie believes Stewart’s replacement, junior college transfer Ty Gangi, might actually be a better fit in the Nevada offense than Stewart, who was 16-of-19 passing against the Lobos last year.

Davie remembers two Nevada running backs, Don Jackson and James Butler, combining for 297 yards rushing against UNM last October. Jackson is gone, but Butler is back and has rushed for 895 yards in eight games. Davie recalls that UNM needed to score 10 points off turnovers last year to have as many as 17.

And if Nevada is coming in on a low note this season, last season’s note was even lower. The Wolf Pack was 2-3 entering the UNM game and reeling from a 23-17 loss to downstate rival UNLV. The Lobos were 3-2 and looking to build on victories over Wyoming and New Mexico State.

This time, UNM is riding a three-game winning streak, its first since 2007. The Lobos haven’t won four in a row since 2004, when they won five straight.

As well, a victory on Saturday would give UNM six wins for the season and make them eligible for a second consecutive bowl bid.

On Tuesday, Davie said he didn’t want to think about four straight, or presumably, bowl eligibility. He just wants to banish the ghost of Wolf Packs past.

“This is a big, big challenge for us to see if we can match up better than we did last year,” he said. “That game is still very, fresh, very vivid in my memory and in our team’s memory.”

THE BURLSWORTH: Lobos junior nickel safety Jake Rothschiller is one of 52 nominees for the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded annually to the player judged most outstanding who entered his program as a walk-on.

Rothschiller has 16 tackles on the season, 10 solo, with two tackles for loss and an interception against Louisiana Monroe. He plays on most of UNM’s special-teams units.

Nevada’s Jeremy Macauley, a starting offensive guard, also is a Burlsworth nominee.

INJURY UPDATE: Cornerback Isaiah “I.B.” Brown (high ankle sprain) and inside linebacker Kimmie Carson (concussion symptoms) likely will play against Nevada, Davie said. Carson missed the Hawaii game. Brown suffered his injury against Boise State on Oct. 7 and hasn’t played since.

Starting offensive left guard Chris Lewis (ankle) probably will not play on Saturday, Davie said.

Saturday

Nevada at New Mexico, 8:15 p.m., ESPNU, 770 AM, 94.5 FM