UNM Lobos head to Oklahoma for biggest test of season

The University of New Mexico football team hits the road this weekend for its biggest test of the season, facing a nationally ranked Oklahoma squad on Saturday. The Lobos enter the matchup at 2-0 after outscoring opponents 108 to 14 through the first two weeks of the 2026 season.

Second-year UNM coach Jason Eck acknowledged the jump in competition. “They’re going to be a challenge,” Eck said. “We’re definitely stepping up in class.”

Eck compared the matchup to a shift in dining plans. “It’s kind of like we’ve been going to fast food restaurants to eat and now, all of a sudden, we got an invite to the nicest steakhouse in town, and you’re checking your wallet to make sure you have enough to cover it because you don’t want to be embarrassed because this is certainly a team that can embarrass you,” he said.

Oklahoma comes in hungry after a loss to Michigan last week. The Lobos won nine games in 2025 and are looking to prove they belong against a ranked opponent.

Eck pointed to handling adversity as a key focus for his team. “I think the big thing we got to be ready for, we got to be ready to respond to adversity,” Eck said. “Oklahoma is going to create some adversity for us. We got to respond the right way when that happens and not flinch if the momentum swings against you because if you flinch, you know, those games can become ugly really quick.”

“You got to make sure you respond the right way. You hang in there, and you weather those storms and come back. So, I think that’s going to be a critical message for our team this week,” Eck said.

Oklahoma enters the game ranked 21st in one top 25 poll and 24th in the other.

The game has a 5:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time start and will be televised on ESPN2.