Lobo Football Looking to Bounce Back in San Diego
New Mexico Game Notes | San Diego State Game Notes | Mountain West Notes
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One thing I’ll say about this team, and this coach staff,” said Bob Davie in his opening remarks to the media on Tuesday. “It’s a bounce back group.” While Davie added the caveat that perhaps they haven’t bounced back enough, he and his team are looking forward to the challenge once more time as the Lobos head to San Diego to take on San Diego State at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time on CBS Sports Network.
The Lobos and the Aztecs haven’t faced off together on the gridiron since October 10, 2014 when the Aztecs won in Albuquerque 24-14. That game was notable because it marked the last time that UNM won the turnover battle in a game, but lost as UNM picked up four takeaways in the fourth quarter (amazingly three on three consecutive offensive plays by SDSU). That team had a potential Heisman candidate in Donell Pumphrey, and a seldom-used, unknown running back that had two carries on the season for 22 yards. That man isn’t unknown anymore, as Rashaad Penny leads the nation with 1,824 yards rushing. He also has 22 touchdowns … 17 rushing, two receiving, two on kickoff returns, and one on a punt return. Penny is this year’s Heisman hopeful for SDSU, and a man UNM will have to stop.
“He is a rare talent,” said Davie, speaking about Penny. “He returns punts, he returns kickoffs, and we have some ties with their coaching staff so we know he is a great kid as well. They have always had, at least since I’ve been here, a giant offensive line. They are impressive and we have to rally.”
“They’ve got that tailback thing going pretty good.”
The game in San Diego affords UNM a great opportunity to not only play in California, where 31 UNM student-athletes call home, but a chance to finish in the hometown of former Lobo Markel Byrd, who passed away in a car accident after the 2015 Gildan New Mexico Bowl and would have been playing in his collegiate finale. It also will allow UNM’s coaching staff to fan out into California and get a quick start on a recruiting weekend.
“We have eight mid-year scholarships, and that’s a significant number of new players you can bring into the program,” said Davie. However, that’s after the game. Everything right now is about Friday and kickoff at 12:30 p.m. The team will celebrate Thanksgiving prior to heading to California, with a Thursday turkey-day-and-all-the-trimmings feast prior to boarding the plane to San Diego.
The game will mark the final one for 20 Lobos, most of which have played on two bowl teams, and while there won’t be a bowl game this season, a win would certainly be a welcome remedy for the season finale. “Just win a game,” said Davie. “That’s what this is about.”