Steve Alford’s return to the Pit headlined an emotional Throwback Night as UNM held off his Nevada Wolfpack 80–73 before a season-high crowd of 14,639. Alford, once the face of Lobo basketball, was greeted with loud boos as Nevada briefly seized control with a 9–0 run to open the second half. UNM responded behind freshman Jake Hall, who scored 16 of his 19 points after halftime and stretched the defense with five three-pointers. That surge opened the floor for the Lobos to rally. Deyton Albury delivered the late dagger, sealing UNM’s 23rd straight home win.

He’s heard the roars that shook the grounds in Albuquerque, and he’s heard the boos that burned with the sting of betrayal. On Saturday night, Steve Alford—the most successful coach in University of New Mexico history—descends the famous ramp into The Pit once more.

But this isn’t just another game on the schedule. It’s a high-stakes Mountain West collision draped in the nostalgia of "Retro Night." As the Lobos don their throwback threads, the atmosphere will be a volatile mix of reverence for the man who put UNM back on the national map and the lingering resentment over his midnight exit for UCLA.

Forget perfection. For the New Mexico Lobo football team, "winning ugly" isn't just a phrase—it's quickly becoming their defining, albeit messy, strategy. Their recent 24-22 victory over Nevada was a microcosm of their season: a dramatic, error-filled battle where the beauty of the game was a beast they narrowly tamed. The Lobos lost the turnover battle, missed a field goal, racked up eight penalties, and even had a touchdown wiped out. And yet, they led wire-to-wire. As Eck himself put it, “It’s awesome when you can overcome things... We’re a tough-minded team. We battle and we compete, no matter what the situation.”

The UNM Lobos are standing at the tipping point of their 2025 season. At 3-3, this Saturday's home clash against the struggling Nevada Wolfpack isn't just another game—it's a definitive must-win for any realistic shot at a bowl berth. Favored by over a touchdown, the Lobos must capitalize on this golden opportunity to "defend our home field," as Coach Jason Eck emphasized.