New Mexico Football Report

UNM 66 Southern Univ. 21

New Lobo head coach Bob Davie accomplished in his first game, what Mike Locksley rarely did in three years... lead the Lobos to victory. UNM had not won a season opener since Labor Day, 2005 (a 24-22 win over UNLV) That streak ended on Saturday with a resounding 66-21 romp over Southern Univ. A meager crowd of 28,450 watched as UNM won by the widest margin since a 70-7 stomping of San Diego State in 2008 (how's that for Big East football)

The Lobos, winners of just three of their last forty games, also avoided another Locksley era bugaboo, by beating a team that they were supposed to beat (Southern competes at the FCS level) For Davie it was a triumphant return (of sorts) to college football, as he coached his first game since his Notre Dame Fighting Irish closed out a 5-7 season with a win against Purdue in 2001.  Exit Bob Davie and enter George O'Leary, err! Tyrone Willingham.

O'Leary did not coach a single practice or game, being fired five days after being hired for  misrepresenting his academic credentials. Tyrone Willingham was brought in and the slow decline of Notre Dame football picked up speed.  Fighting Irish fans may disagree, but Davie was the last link with Notre Dame's glorious past. The O'Leary debacle was just the first of many missteps that have dogged the storied program since.

The curse of Bob Davie?.... you better believe it!  For the UNM football program, Bob Davie is like oxygen. His frankness is refreshing after three years of Mike Locksley's  gauche manners and dismissive attitude towards fans and media.  "Not to get ahead of ourselves," Davie said, (while noting that the Lobos must travel to face nationally ranked Texas) "But the potential of this program, is there"

"I'm sure every team we play, they're looking at that schedule and saying, 'We're going to beat New Mexico" Davie said. The Lobos return 16 players on both sides of the ball,"We don't care how many players we have back," Davie added "Because they haven't won, so I don't know that that matters a whole lot. We're really starting over" Under Davie, even if the Lobos don't win another game this season, they'll still be moving in a forward direction.

New Mexico is one of two teams (UNLV is the other) to play 13 consecutive weeks without a bye.  The rebuilding Lobos must play on 13 consecutive Saturdays. This came about with the entry of Hawai'i into The Mountain West Conf. (NCAA rules allow any mainland team that travels to Hawai'i  one extra game on their schedule) That extra game ate up the what would have been a bye week for the Lobos. 

With just 74 players on the roster, the Lobos can ill afford a rash of injuries. Already they're down to two quarterbacks following the suspension of third stringer David Vega (So. Quinton McCown, joined the team in August and is still learning the offense) The schedule could turn into a death march similar to that experienced by the NMSU Aggies last year, when they found themselves down to their third and fourth string Qbs by the end of the season. 

The Lobos don't have the luxury of depth at that position, staying healthy and playing smart is the key "The goal is to put a team out there, let's put it this way, that the Lobos don't beat the Lobos," says Davie. "A team that doesn't have self-inflicted mistakes and a team that can execute. We're going to be careful to try and not do too much. Build a foundation. Find some things we can do first. Then build hopefully as the season goes on."

One thing that the Lobos could do on Saturday against hapless Southern Univ. was score. UNM poured it on and went into the locker room at halftime up 45-6.  After a slow first quarter (Jhurell Pressley scored from 5 yds. out) the Lobos exploded as Ty Kirk, Joseph Harris, Demarcus Rogers, Cole Gautsche all found the end zone. The highlight of the first half was Chase Clayton's 98 yd. kickoff return for a touchdown. 

In the second half, UNM scored three more touchdowns (Southern had two) Cole Gautsche picked up his second td, Carlos Wiggins & Cranston Jones also hit paydirt. The Lobos scored on offense, defense and special teams, a combination that proved too much for the overwhelmed Jaguars.  Gautsche, a true freshman from Cleveland Hs. in Rio Rancho came in to spell B.R. Holbrook (who played well) giving the Lobos a different look at quarterback.

It's early, but alternating Holbrook and Gautsche could work, much like the Florida Gators went with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow during their national title run in  2007.  Demarcus Rogers rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown. Gautsche had 88 yds. on eight carries including a 47 yd. td. run. (he did compete one pass) The Lobos converted four Southern turnovers into touchdowns, three in the second quarter alone. 

The Lobos are switching to a pistol offense and going with a 3-4 defense that Davie used while he was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M.  For the first time ever, the Lobos played a home game on artificial turf.  "Field Turf" was installed at University Stadium, thanks to a $1.5 million donation from Turner and Margaret Branch. The gridiron field will now be known as "Branch Field at University Stadium" 

Lobo Notes:

A walk-on player designated as "The New Mexico Man" will lead the team out onto the field before each home game and at Aggie Memorial Stadium against arch rival NMSU.  He will bear the state flag, Jeric Magnant received the honor against Southern Univ. At the end of the year, one of the walk-ons will be awarded a full scholarship. (Magnant has already received a scholarship for 2012)

Southern University's  award winning marching band performed at halftime Saturday afternoon.  As they usually do, the band showed up the football team. Southern Univ. had trouble getting to Albuquerque, what with Hurricane Isaac bearing down on New Orleans.  Some of the players didn't make it to the Duke City until just four hours before game time. Due to Hurricane Isaac, Southern did not hold full contact drills after Tuesday of last week.

The players who did arrive in Albuquerque on Friday had to work out in street clothes after the rental truck carrying their equipment broke down on I-40 east of Albuquerque.  “Not playing this game for us was never an option,” said A.D. Will Broussard “Even with everything that happened this week (with Isaac), we could not survive as a program financially without playing this game so canceling was never an option. It was a regrettable situation overall.”

Two Lobo football players were declared ineligible for the start of the season by the NCAA. Sr. DL, Rod Davis (two games) and Fatu Ulale (four games) for self reported impermissible benefit violations.  DB Zoey Williams was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules during training camp in Ruidoso. So. Wr. Donnie Duncan quit the team after dropping on the depth chart.  CB Tim Foley was reinstated from a 10 day suspension. 

Jr. Qb. David Vega was suspended from the team indefinitely following an arrest last Sunday. No details of the arrest were released. Vega had just returned from a 10 day suspension for violating team rules during training camp in Ruidoso. Davie stated that Vega's status with the team will be evaluated. DB Devonta Tabannah was suspended following his arrest last Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving

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And last but not least, Crusoe Gongbay, the leading rusher for the Lobos in 2011 has returned to the team. Gongbay had intended to transfer after the spring semester, but showed up at UNM when school started on Aug. 20th.  Gongbay's current status with the team isn't clear.