Head Coach Rocky Long, RB Jarrod Baxter and DE Brian Johnson will represent the University of New Mexico at the annual Mountain West Conference Football Media Day, July 30-31, in Las Vegas, Nev. The football season is right around the corner, as newcomers report on Sunday, Aug. 5 and begin practice on Monday, Aug. 6. Veterans will report to camp on Wednesday, Aug. 8 and start drills on Thursday, Aug. 9.
LIFT THE LID — The University of New Mexico begins its 103rd season of football on Saturday, Sept. 1, when the UTEP Miners visit an expanded University Stadium in Albuquerque. Kickoff is 6:05 p.m. Mountain Time.
The Lobos were 5-7 a year ago and 3-4 in their second year of the Mountain West Conference, tying San Diego State and Utah for fifth place. UNM was a near-unanimous pick to finish last in the preseason polls.
UTEP SELLOUT COMMITTEE — A group of 10 local business leaders has formed a committee to help the Lobos attract the largest crowd in school history when the UTEP Miners come to University Stadium on Sept. 1. UNM officials estimate more than 28,000 tickets have been committed for the contest based on season ticket sales to date, and anticipated student attendance and game-day sales. The single-game attendance record is 37,156 for Rice in 1997.
STADIUM EXPANSION & LOBOVISION
Seating capacity at University Stadium has been increased to 37,370 with the addition of 5,946 seats in the north end. The $3.5 million project to enclose the stadium will be completed in the next few weeks.
A pavilion will now connect the east and west stands for the first time since the stadium was built 41 years ago. Trees will be planted and lights installed along the pavilion as well.
The highlight of the renovation is a $1.8 million state-of-the-art video scoreboard at the north end. Appropriately named LoboVision, the system has instant replay and live-action capabilities. It is being financed through corporate sponsorships from PNM, Bank of the West, Isleta Casino & Resort, Albuquerque Publishing, Comcast, Creamland Dairies and AT&T Wireless.
Manufactured by Daktronics, Inc., the entire board measures 60 feet high and 61 feet wide while the videoboard is 21 feet high and 28 feet wide. A staff of 10 is needed to operate the system during a game. Personnel from UNM Media Technology Services will handle all game-day production.
The next phase is to renovate the northeast, southeast and southwest corners of the stadium with new entrances, restrooms, concession stands and ticket booths.
SEASON TICKET UPDATE — Through July 27, more than 10,000 season tickets had been sold. UNM sold 12,223 season tickets last year. The school record is 14,254 in 1998.
UNM GRIDIRON HISTORY — The University of New Mexico has a 396-465-31 overall record through 102 seasons, meaning the Lobos are just four victories shy of 400 wins all-time.
UNM was founded in 1889. Three years later, the first football game was played on Oct. 7, 1892, when a team representing UNM played a squad from Albuquerque High School in a vacant lot north of the town’s ice factory. The preps prevailed 5-0. HEAD COACH ROCKY LONG — Former Lobo quarterback Rocky Long begins his fourth year at UNM. Long signed a new five-year contract last December, extending his stay through the 2005 season. The Lobos have increased their win total in each of Long’s first three seasons. Long has a 12-23 record in his first stint as a head coach at any level.
Long was named the Lobos’ 28th head football coach on Dec. 20, 1997, after spending two years as the defensive coordinator at UCLA. Long was a graduate assistant at UNM from 1972-73 and an assistant coach for the Lobos from 1978-80.
The 51-year-old California native and 1974 UNM graduate was a three-time team MVP from 1969-71 and was selected the Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the year following his senior season. He was also named to the academic all-WAC team three straight years.
COACHING STAFF — While Long has the same nine assistant coaches on his staff as last year, a few changes were implemented before spring ball.
Jeff Conway remains special teams coordinator, but now oversees running backs instead of tight ends. Blake Anderson moved from running backs to receivers while Gerald Bradley switched from receivers to tight ends.
PERSONNEL PICTURE — Long and his staff are expected to greet 39 returning lettermen when the veterans report on Wednesday, Aug. 8. UNM returns 13 starters, seven on offense, five on defense and one specialist.
CAPTAINS — The 2001 Lobo captains as chosen by their teammates last spring are RB Jarrod Baxter, QB Rudy Caamano and OG Jeremy Sorenson on offense, and DE Brian Johnson and LB Mohammed Konte on defense. Baxter was also a captain in 2000.
GREAT JOB IN SCHOOL — The University of New Mexico football team combined to post a 2.59 grade-point-average during the 2001 spring semester. That’s the highest semester GPA by the Lobo gridders since the school began charting grades in 1988. Two of the top-three semester GPAs have occurred under current head coach Rocky Long. The Lobos had a 2.52 in the spring of 2000. SUCCESSFUL WALK-ONS — Some of the better-known Lobos began their careers as walk-ons, including three of the Lobos’ five captains. Jarrod Baxter, Brian Johnson and Mohammed Konte all started at UNM without athletics scholarships.
Baxter was a walk-on during the fall semester of 1997 under former head coach Dennis Franchione. He was placed on scholarship in the spring of 1998. Johnson was a 195-pound walk-on running back when he came to Albuquerque in the fall of Œ97. He impressed Rocky Long and his staff so much during Œ98 spring drills that he received a scholarship that fall. Konte, also a redshirt in Œ97, paid his own way for three years before being placed on aid in the fall of 2000.
Newcomers to the rags-to-riches story include junior NT Adrian Terry, sophomore S Terrell Golden, sophomore QB Casey Kelly and sophomore WR Terrence Thomas.
STRONGER EVERYDAY — UNM director of strength and conditioning Mark Paulsen reported in May that 34 players lifted 300 pounds or more in the power clean during spring testing. The total in 1998 was just 13. Such is the trend for New Mexico football in the weight room.
There were six players with a squat of 500 pounds or more in 1998, a figure that increased more than five-fold to 33 in the spring of 2001. Only four Lobos squatted 550 pounds in 2000 compared to 16 this year.
ATTRACTIVE & DEMANDING SCHEDULE — The 2001 Lobo home schedule could arguably be the most attractive in school history. The six visitors to Albuquerque compiled a 44-28 record last year, including a 3-1 ledger in bowl games.
UNM’s two oldest rivals – UTEP and New Mexico State – highlight the non-conference docket in expanded University Stadium. The Miners were 8-4 last year, tied for the Western Athletic Conference title and played in the Humanitarian Bowl.
The top-four teams in the 2000 Mountain West Conference standings – Colorado State, Air Force, UNLV and BYU – all travel to Albuquerque in 2001. CSU finished the year 10-2 and No. 14 in the final AP poll. The Rams edged Louisville in the AXA Liberty Bowl. Air Force was 9-3 and beat Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Classic. UNLV was 8-5 and bounced Arkansas in the EASports Las Vegas Bowl.
On the flip-side is that New Mexico is the only team in the Mountain West Conference that opens league play with consecutive road games (Utah and Wyoming). BYU plays its first two MWC contests on the road as well (at UNLV, at UNM), but the Cougars are home against Utah State between road trips.
WOMEN’S CLINIC HELPS KIDS — The seventh annual UNM Women’s Football Clinic is Thursday, Aug. 2. The clinic assists the UNM Send-A-Kid Program, which provides Lobo football tickets to underpriviliged and disadvantaged youth. Since the Send-A-Kid Program started in 1994, over 6,500 area youngsters have been able to watch the Lobos.
UNM ON RADIO — All New Mexico football games will again be broadcast over 50,000-watt station 770 KKOB-AM. KKOB is the flagship station of the 10-member Lobo Football Radio Network. Veteran sportscaster Mike Roberts begins his 36th season calling New Mexico football and his 51st year in the business overall. UNM director of media relations Greg Remington enters his second season providing analysis.
Lobo Talk, UNM’s weekly call-in show with Mike Roberts, head coach Rocky Long and selected UNM players, airs every Thursday from Spectator Sports Bar and Grill in the Mountain Run Shopping Center at the corner of Eubank and Juan Tabo. The first show is Aug. 30 from 6-9 p.m.
All games and Lobo Talk are available over the internet at golobos.com, the official site of UNM athletics, and 770kkob.com.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UNMs Finish in the Mountain West
Athlon 7th
Lindys 5th
Street & Smiths 7th
The Sporting News 5th
Individual Recognition
DE Brian Johnson (Littleton, Colo.) Lombardi Award Watch List Hon. ment. All-America, Street & Smiths Defensive Player of the Year, Sporting News 1st team all-MWC, Athlon 1st team all-MWC, Lindys 1st team all-MWC, Football News 1st team all-MWC, Sporting News 1st team all-MWC, Street & Smiths
CB Stephen Persley (Fort Worth, Texas) Hon. ment. All-America, Street & Smiths 1st team all-MWC, Athlon 1st team all-MWC, Football News 1st team all-MWC, Sporting News 1st team all-MWC, Street & Smiths 2nd team all-MWC, Lindys
K Vladimir Borombozin (Hollywood, Fla.) 1st team all-MWC, Athlon 1st team all-MWC, Football News 1st team all-MWC, Lindys 1st team all-MWC, Sporting News 1st team all-MWC, Street & Smiths
RB Jarrod Baxter (Albuquerque) No. 6 fullback in the nation, Sporting News
S Brandon Ratcliff (Dallas, Texas) 2nd team all-MWC, Lindys
LOBOS IN THE PROS
An unprecedented number of former Lobos – 14 to be exact – were in NFLtraining camps as of July 23. Nine were on professional rosters last year.
Billy Austin S IndianapolisWalter Bernard CB San DiegoJonathan Burrough TE BaltimoreLarry Davis WR San FranciscoLennox Gordon RB IndianapolisJoe Maese Deep Snap BaltimoreTerance Mathis WR AtlantaScott McGarrahan S Green BayWinslow Oliver RB AtlantaDavid Sloan TE DetroitGermany Thompson WR BaltimoreCasey Tisdale LB Kansas CityBrian Urlacher LB ChicagoMartinez Williams WR Dallas
2001 New Mexico Football Preseason Schedule(as of July 23; all dates/times subject to change)
Thursday, Aug. 2 Womens Football Clinic 5:30 p.m.Diehm Athletics Facility
Sunday, Aug. 5 Newcomers report 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 6 Practice (transfers) 10:30-11:30 a.m.Practice (all newcomers) 9:15-10:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 7 Practice 2:45-3:45 p.m.8:15-9:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 8 Veterans report MorningPractice 9:30-11 a.m.3:15-4:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9 Newcomers practice 10:30-noon
Media Day 12:30-2:30 p.m.Diehm Athletics Facility
Practice (full squad) 7:20-9:20 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 10 Practice 10:15-11:45 a.m.7:20-9:20 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 11 Practice 10:15-11:45 a.m.7:20-9:20 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 12 Practice (offense) 2:15-3:15 p.m.Practice (defense) 3:20-4:20 p.m.Practice (full squad) 7-8:15 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 13 Practice 10:15-11:45 a.m.7:20-9:20 p.m.Tuesday, Aug. 14 Practice 10:45-11:45 a.m.Practice (full pads) 7:20-9:20 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 15 Practice 10:15-11:45 a.m.7:20-9:20 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 Practice 10:45-11:45 a.m.7:20-9:20 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 17 Practice 10:15-11:45 a.m.7:20-9:20 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18 Practice 8:30-10 a.m.5:30-7:30 p.m.
Fan Photo Day 4-8 p.m.University Stadium
Sunday, Aug. 19 Practice 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 20 Fall Semester BeginsPractice 3-5 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 28 MEDIA LUNCHEON Noon-1 p.m.Diehm Athletics Facility
Saturday, Sept. 1 UNM vs. UTEP 6:05 p.m.