At a few ticks of the clock past 8:30 on a spectacular autumn Saturday night, Lobo Austin Apodaca received a big hug from fellow quarterback Lamar Jordan.
The embrace was so fervent that Apodaca feared officials would call a penalty for excessive celebration.
UNM had just complete an improbable 28-27 win over a snake-bitten Hawaii bunch. Such defeats in the past have haunted New Mexico and perhaps the officials didn’t have the heart to begrudge the Lobos a little emotion.
At about that same time, another quarterback limped stoically off the fake grass at University Stadium.