With six of University of New Mexico football's best receivers unable to play due to COVID-19 protocol, coach Danny Gonzales still wasn't offering any excuses for the team's 20-13 road loss to UTEP. 

“We had a positive test within the program,” Gonzales told KRQE. “That contract traced some young men. It is what it is, they are not here, we are dealing with COVID and so we put the guys out there to compete and still should have won the game.”

Leading 13-6 at the half, the Lobos seemed to run out of steam over the final two quarters, getting outscored 17-0.

“We didn’t make enough plays on defense,” Gonzales added. “We gave up three big plays in the secondary and then I mean they kicked our tail on offense in the 2nd half. It’s a shame and it’s too bad because we lost a lot of momentum in the community. I mean, now we have lost two and we could have been 3-1. I thought we were content at halftime. We have to get over that so we can finish a ball game.”

Gonzales’ players seem to agree.

“We all think that it’s going to come easy and it’s not,” said safety Jerrick Reed III. “You know, we got to make plays for 60 minutes, four quarters. I just feel like we are not there yet, but we are going to be. We just got to keep practicing and keep getting better.”

At 2-2, the Lobos open Mountain West Conference play on Saturday, hosting Air Force at 4:30 p.m.