Lobos have laser focus for home finale
Just. Win. The. Game. OK?
?Narrow the focus? is one of University of New Mexico football coach Bob Davie?s favorite sayings.
This week, as the Lobos prepared for tonight?s home game against UNLV in hopes of snapping a troubling five-game losing streak, the focus has never been narrower.
?We need to go win a game,? Davie said this week. ?There?s no sense philosophizing. There?s no sense trying to be creative in how you approach things or do things. ? It?s just about winning a football game.?
As of the close of business Thursday, some 14,000 tickets have been sold for 20 UNM seniors? final game at Dreamstyle Stadium. As of Thursday, oddsmakers have made the Lobos a 2- to 2?-point favorite.
Any five-game losing streak, of course, would be troubling. But this one includes losses by margins of 38, 39 and 41 points. Last week, in a 55-14 loss at Texas A&M, UNM trailed 48-0 in the first half before the Aggies subbed in their backups.
?It hasn?t been going our way this season, and we want to win this for the seniors,? said junior linebacker Alex Hart, a team captain. ?? We?re playing for these guys. We?ve been brothers with these guys for the past couple of years, and we?ll miss all of them.?
Yet, if either team has a motivational edge, it would appear to be UNLV. The Rebels (4-6 overall, 3-3 in Mountain West Conference play) can become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013 by winning tonight and beating upstate rival Nevada in Reno on Nov. 25.
Lobo senior quarterback Lamar Jordan doesn?t see it that way. New Mexico (3-7, 1-5) can?t get the necessary six wins for bowl eligibility, but Senior Night and a chance to simply win a game are motivation enough.
As for UNLV, the Lobos owe the Rebels no favors.
?I don?t want to help anyone get to a bowl game,? Jordan said.
To say the Lobos? dip in Davie?s sixth year was unexpected wouldn?t be totally accurate. In July, even on the heels of UNM winning seasons and bowl appearances the past two years, the Lobos were picked by the news media to finish fifth in the six-team Mountain West Mountain Division.
Expectations on UNM?s South Campus, though, were far higher. And after a 56-38 home-field victory over Air Force on Sept. 30 that improved the Lobos? record to 3-2, followed by a bye week, it was difficult to imagine they?d not win a game in October.
November, so far, has been no more hospitable.
It has been, Davie said, an unusual season ? and, clearly not in a good way.
Those who believe in karma might point to ?the knee-down controversy? as the key element in the Lobos? fade. At halftime of the Air Force game, an unexpected playing of the national anthem prompted five UNM players to kneel. The incident created a stir that has yet to completely go away.
As well, UNM is investigating accusations of player abuse and drug-test irregularities in the athletic department. According to published reports, Davie is a target of the investigation.
?We?ve had some distractions as a team,? Hart said, ?but it hasn?t affected our performance. We just need to go out there and do our job.
?The past weeks happened, and we?ve just got to learn from it and move on and get ready to win this football game this week. ? That?s all we?re focused on.?
Davie, while not denying there have been distractions, points to football-specific factors: turnovers and injuries.
In a 42-3 loss to Wyoming on Oct. 28, the Lobos threw five interceptions and muffed two punts. The following week, four lost UNM fumbles helped Utah State beat the Lobos 24-10.
Injuries, meanwhile, have thinned the roster in crucial position groups: offensive line, running back, safety. Having their Nos. 1 and 2 free safeties unavailable last week at Texas A&M no doubt helped the Aggies throw for a staggering 416 yards in the first half.
?It?s been a unique season,? Davie said. ?There?s a lot of adjectives to describe it. But right now, man, it?s just trying to win (tonight). It really is.?
HUGHES OUT: Senior defensive end Garrett Hughes will not play in tonight?s game, Davie said.
?Coach?s decision,? Davie said. ?Not academics, not a legal issue, nothing like that. Just something between Garrett and myself.?
Davie said Hughes will be on the sideline and will participate in Senior Night activities. He expects Hughes to play next week in the season finale at San Diego State.
Hughes has started every game this season and has 30 career starts.
Just. Win. The. Game. OK?
?Narrow the focus? is one of University of New Mexico football coach Bob Davie?s favorite sayings.
This week, as the Lobos prepared for tonight?s home game against UNLV in hopes of snapping a troubling five-game losing streak, the focus has never been narrower.
?We need to go win a game,? Davie said this week. ?There?s no sense philosophizing. There?s no sense trying to be creative in how you approach things or do things. ? It?s just about winning a football game.?
As of the close of business Thursday, some 14,000 tickets have been sold for 20 UNM seniors? final game at Dreamstyle Stadium. As of Thursday, oddsmakers have made the Lobos a 2- to 2?-point favorite.
Any five-game losing streak, of course, would be troubling. But this one includes losses by margins of 38, 39 and 41 points. Last week, in a 55-14 loss at Texas A&M, UNM trailed 48-0 in the first half before the Aggies subbed in their backups.
?It hasn?t been going our way this season, and we want to win this for the seniors,? said junior linebacker Alex Hart, a team captain. ?? We?re playing for these guys. We?ve been brothers with these guys for the past couple of years, and we?ll miss all of them.?
Yet, if either team has a motivational edge, it would appear to be UNLV. The Rebels (4-6 overall, 3-3 in Mountain West Conference play) can become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013 by winning tonight and beating upstate rival Nevada in Reno on Nov. 25.
Lobo senior quarterback Lamar Jordan doesn?t see it that way. New Mexico (3-7, 1-5) can?t get the necessary six wins for bowl eligibility, but Senior Night and a chance to simply win a game are motivation enough.
As for UNLV, the Lobos owe the Rebels no favors.
?I don?t want to help anyone get to a bowl game,? Jordan said.
To say the Lobos? dip in Davie?s sixth year was unexpected wouldn?t be totally accurate. In July, even on the heels of UNM winning seasons and bowl appearances the past two years, the Lobos were picked by the news media to finish fifth in the six-team Mountain West Mountain Division.
Expectations on UNM?s South Campus, though, were far higher. And after a 56-38 home-field victory over Air Force on Sept. 30 that improved the Lobos? record to 3-2, followed by a bye week, it was difficult to imagine they?d not win a game in October.
November, so far, has been no more hospitable.
It has been, Davie said, an unusual season ? and, clearly not in a good way.
Those who believe in karma might point to ?the knee-down controversy? as the key element in the Lobos? fade. At halftime of the Air Force game, an unexpected playing of the national anthem prompted five UNM players to kneel. The incident created a stir that has yet to completely go away.
As well, UNM is investigating accusations of player abuse and drug-test irregularities in the athletic department. According to published reports, Davie is a target of the investigation.
?We?ve had some distractions as a team,? Hart said, ?but it hasn?t affected our performance. We just need to go out there and do our job.
?The past weeks happened, and we?ve just got to learn from it and move on and get ready to win this football game this week. ? That?s all we?re focused on.?
Davie, while not denying there have been distractions, points to football-specific factors: turnovers and injuries.
In a 42-3 loss to Wyoming on Oct. 28, the Lobos threw five interceptions and muffed two punts. The following week, four lost UNM fumbles helped Utah State beat the Lobos 24-10.
Injuries, meanwhile, have thinned the roster in crucial position groups: offensive line, running back, safety. Having their Nos. 1 and 2 free safeties unavailable last week at Texas A&M no doubt helped the Aggies throw for a staggering 416 yards in the first half.
?It?s been a unique season,? Davie said. ?There?s a lot of adjectives to describe it. But right now, man, it?s just trying to win (tonight). It really is.?
HUGHES OUT: Senior defensive end Garrett Hughes will not play in tonight?s game, Davie said.
?Coach?s decision,? Davie said. ?Not academics, not a legal issue, nothing like that. Just something between Garrett and myself.?
Davie said Hughes will be on the sideline and will participate in Senior Night activities. He expects Hughes to play next week in the season finale at San Diego State.
Hughes has started every game this season and has 30 career starts.
