Mayor Keller, Las Cruces Mayor Enriquez, set details for annual Rio Grande Rivalry bet
Mayor Keller, Las Cruces Mayor, set details for annual Rio Grande Rivalry bet
ALBUQUERQUE – It’s on. Mayor Tim Keller and Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez have more than bragging rights on the line when the University of New Mexico Lobos take on the New Mexico State University Aggies tomorrow night.
The mayors have placed a friendly bet: the mayor of the city whose team loses must fly the city flag of the winning team in front of their respective City Hall.
“Mayor Enriquez better have his Albuquerque Flag ready to go because this team is brimming with talent, they work their tails off, and they’ve got an experienced coach ready to keep the winning streak in the Rio Grande Rivalry,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This is one of those great New Mexico traditions where we get to talk a little trash, show some pride and have some fun. We know Mayor Enriquez has an Albuquerque flag to fly because we sent him one last year!”
The mayors agreed to the bet during a friendly phone call this week. Both mayors are proud of their home teams, but they also see the rivalry as a chance for Albuquerque and Las Cruces to come together and celebrate what makes New Mexico special.
“I have full confidence in our Aggies to show the Lobos what Las Cruces is all about. We’re ready to defend our home turf and send those Lobos back up I-25 with a reminder of who runs Aggie country,” said Mayor Eric Enriquez. “Let’s go, Aggies.”
This year, the Lobos are coming in strong and are the top half of several NCAA FBS stats. They are tied for first in the nation in both red zone defense and turnovers gained. This year’s defense is ranked third, and has only allowed 152 yards per game.
Saturday’s Rio Grande Rivalry kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces. The matchup marks the 116th meeting between New Mexico’s two Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The Aggies and Lobos first met on the gridiron in 1894 — 18 years before New Mexico became a state.
The Lobos are led by dual quarterbacks Luke Moga and Toa Fa’avae and head coach Jason Eck.