Don't let first-year New Mexico coach Jason Eck get a Power Conference job in the coming years, because then Lane Kiffin's going to have massive competition for college football's best personality at the sport's highest level.
As it is, Eck is quite the showman.
The latest for the Head Lobo?
Eck, a former University of Wisconsin lineman who guided Idaho to program-defining success before accepting the New Mexico job last December, gathered several key players and spoofed the "Gone in 60 Seconds" movie, a Hollywood blockbuster that, well, is older than Eck's roster.
Filling the role of star Nicolas Cage character Randal "Memphis" Raines, a renowned car thief who must steal a fleet of high-end cars in order to save his younger brother's life, Eck showcased New Mexico's dazzling turquoise uniforms and set the tone inside the locker room with War's famous "Low Rider" tune from the mid-1970s.
In a nearly three-minute, expertly produced video, Eck drives a classic Chevrolet through the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico, as he hands out some complimentary tickets and drums up support for the Lobos' Saturday matinee against visiting Utah State.
New Mexico, which already served the role of hangman when it bludgeoned host and Big Ten Conference resident UCLA so badly last month that Bruins A.D. Martin Jarmond was forced to fire his hand-picked hire of DeShaun Foster, also has not lost at home.
Eck notes to both players and citizens that the Lobos are 3-0 at home with a chance to improve to 4-0 against Bronco Mendenhall's Utah State Aggies.
Of note: Not only is the "Gone in 60 Seconds" movie, circa 2000, older than the players in this game from both teams, but New Mexico's dazzling, unbeaten home start is the program's best since ... 1962.
Or, 15 years BEFORE Eck was born.
While the community has shown a nice embrace of Eck's first-year program, he's seeking more fans inside the school's University Stadium. New Mexico drew a near-capacity crowd last month for its dominant rivalry win against New Mexico State. More than 37,000 fans poured into the 39,000-seat venue.
It's that type of scene that Eck envisions for this contest, which pits the two Mountain West rivals with first-year coaches against each other.
The series has been dominated by Utah State for the last decade. New Mexico scored 21 fourth-quarter points to win the 2024 edition, but it has not beaten Utah State at home since 2015. Last year's Lobos win snapped USU's seven-game winning streak.