March 18, 2004
Head coach Rocky Long and the University of New Mexico football team open the 2004 spring practice season on Monday, March 18 with a two-hour workout on the lush new UNM practice fields. New Mexico returns 38 letterwinners and 11 starters from last year’s squad, which posted an 8-5 record en route to its second straight bowl game appearance. Monday’s practice is the first of 15 UNM will conduct over the next three weeks, concluding with the annual Cherry-Silver game on Saturday, April 10 at University Stadium. All practices are open to the media and the public.
Despite losing a solid group of experienced players from the 2003 team, the Lobos return three All-Americans in offensive guard Claude Terrell, running back DonTrell Moore and offensive guard Robert Turner, as well as Rimington Trophy (top center) watch list selection Ryan Cook and Lou Groza Award (top kicker) candidate Wes Zunker. All-Mountain West Conference honorees Nick Speegle (LB) and Gabriel Fulbright (CB) also return to lead Long’s tenacious defense.
The Lobos will practice for approximately two hours on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week. Every Saturday practice will feature a scrimmage in a game simulation setting. Spectators are asked to remain on the perimeter of the practice fields, outside of the endzones or far sidelines. Numerical practice rosters will be available on www.golobos.com for download in PDF format during the first week of spring practice.
THE COACH
Rocky Long (New Mexico ’74) begins his seventh year at the helm of his alma mater’s football program. After UNM won just three games in Long’s inaugural season of 1998, the team has increased its victory total each of the last five years, bringing Long’s career record to 33-40 (six years) as head coach. Long’s career record does little justice in explaining the vast improvement made under his watch. New Mexico had bowl talk in 2000, inched closer in 2001, got over the hump in 2002 with a second-place finish in the Mountain West Conference and an appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. In 2003, UNM produced one of its best teams ever with an 8-5 mark, including wins in seven of its last eight regular-season games, and consecutive bowl games for only the second time in school history. A 10-4 league record the past two years has been equaled only by Colorado State among MWC teams. Last season, New Mexico won five of its last six league games to finish second in the Mountain West Conference, earning a berth in the 2002 SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl. The accomplishment earned Long MWC Coach of the Year honors by his peers in the conference and members of the media. He is the fourth Lobo coach to ever earn the award, joining Dudley DeGroot (1952 – Skyline), Marv Levy (1957 – Skyline) and Dennis Franchione (1993, 1997 – Western Athletic).
LONG APPROACHING RECORD FOR GAMES COACHED
* Head coach Rocky Long begins his seventh season at his alma mater. In terms of number of seasons and when you include the 2004 campaign, only Roy Johnson (11) and Bill Weeks (8) have been at UNM longer than Long.
* However, with 73 games spent on the sidelines entering the ’04 season, Long should become the school’s career leader in games coached when the Lobos host Wyoming in the regular-season finale on Nov. 20. That will be Long’s 83rd game at UNM, surpassing Weeks’ total of 82 from 1960-67.
* Long is tied with Dennis Franchione for third place on the school’s all-time win list. Long is 33-40 after six seasons. Franchione went 33-36 from 1992-97. Johnson is the all-time victory leader at 41-32-6 from 1920-30, followed by Weeks, who was 40-41-1 from 1960-67.
CHANGES ON THE STAFF
* Troy Reffett was named the Lobos’ cornerbacks coach on Feb. 17. Reffett fills the vacancy left by Jeff Conway, who was special teams coordinator and receivers coach. Reffett spent the past 14 years on the staff at UTEP, including the past two seasons as the Miners’ defensive coordinator.
* Everett Todd, UNM’s cornerbacks coach the past two years, will now oversee all special teams and coordinate the Lobos’ recruiting. Receivers will report to Jason Strauss, who will continue his duties as tight ends coach.
SPRING COMPETITION TO KEEP AN EYE ON
* Quarterback: For the first time in nearly three years a new quarterback will lead the New Mexico offense. Fortunately, the coaching staff has the luxury of picking between two tremendously talented, if not experienced, players in senior Tali Ena and sophomore Kole McKamey. McKamey boasts tremendous athleticism and a surprisingly strong arm, while the 6-5 Ena brings an imposing pocket presence and rocket for an arm to the competition. McKamey was the top backup last fall, making appearances in six games under center. Ena, meanwhile, should be much improved with a full year of experience in the UNM offense.
* Offensive Tackle: With the loss of stalwarts Jason Lenzmeier and Justin Colburn, New Mexico will be looking for two new “Hitmen” to step into the starting lineup on both ends of the offensive line this spring. The top candidates entering the spring are junior Terrance Pennington and sophomore Fred Tucker. According to Long, however, several other lineman, including sophomore transfer Nate Weber and senior Bryan Humphreys, will audition for the open starting jobs in what will be a critical spring. Long said the coaching staff would like the starting five on the offensive line to be established entering fall practice.
* Wide Receiver: The biggest changes in the UNM offense this season will be seen in the wide receiver, where the Lobos lost both starters and five veteran lettermen from 2003. Junior Hank Baskett is the team’s top returning receiver, but several players will use the spring to vie for their first significant Division I action, including: redshirt freshmen Marcus Smith and Major Mosley, veteran scout team receivers Mart’n Romero and Mike Powdrell, and junior college transfer Chris Brawley.
* Defensive Line: After losing three all-conference players to graduation, UNM will need all of its preseason practices to groom a new rotation of defensive linemen. Junior Marcus Parker and senior Kyle Coulter are the top returnees, but Coulter will likely miss the spring with a back injury. Redshirt junior Bryan Easterly and Adam Garday, the lone junior college transfer competing in spring practice, could be impact players, but will need to prove themselves during the preseason. Junior Evroy Thompson, sophomore Billy Brittain and redshirt freshmen Michael Tuohy and David Dorcey will also look to make their mark this spring.
IMPRESSIVE FACTS
* The Lobos have the distinction of being the only school in the nation to increase their win total every year since 1999: New Mexico was 3-9 in 1998, 4-7 in 1999, 5-7 in 2000, 6-5 in 2001, 7-7 in 2002 and 8-5 in 2003.
* New Mexico guns for its fourth straight non-losing season in 2004. That hasn’t happened in the Lobo program since a seven-year run between 1958-64.* The Lobos have never played in three straight bowl games, but they will be aiming for that this fall. UNM participated in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2002 and ’03. The only other time for back-to-back bowl appearances was the 1946 Sun Bowl and the 1947 Harbor Bowl in San Diego.
* UNM has actually been bowl eligible for three consecutive years. The Lobos were 6-5 in 2001, but were not selected.
* The Lobos are 8-2 in their last 10 contests at University Stadium, although they were 5-2 in 2003. New Mexico was 3-0 at home against MWC teams in 2002 and it has won eight of its past 11 league games in Albuquerque. UNM has captured eight of its last nine home games against non-conference competition.
* While winning seven of its last eight regular-season games in 2003, UNM put together the school’s first four-game winning streak since a 6-0 start in 1997 and completed its first unbeaten October (3-0) since the 1959 team went 5-0.
* UNM is 9-3 in November games the past three years, going 3-1 each season. The Lobos are 16-5 the past three years in games played in October and November.
* New Mexico went undefeated in conference road games (3-0) last year for the first time since a 4-0 mark in 1982. The three MWC road wins came by a combined total of 58 points. The Lobos are 5-1 in their last six road games against MWC competition.
* The Lobos have blocked 13 punts since the start of the 2000 season. Four of the rejections have been returned for scores. After having gone 21 straight games during most of 1998 and all of ’99 without blocking a punt, the Lobos established a school record with five blocks in 2000.
MOORE MOVIN’ UP THE CHARTS
* Tailback DonTrell Moore begins his junior season No. 4 all-time at UNM with 2,584 career rushing yards. He needs 1,279 yards to overtake career leader Mike Williams, who totaled 3,862 in four years from 1975-78. The two-time first-team all-conference performer, Moore galloped for a school-record 1,450 yards in 13 games last season for a league-leading average of 111.5 yards.
* Moore led the MWC and finished 15th nationally in rushing average last year (111.5 ypg). The last Lobo to lead the league in rushing was Williams in 1978, who led the Western Athletic Conference with an average of 84.5 ypg. Moore was also 1st in the league in all-purpose yards (125.1 ypg) and scoring (9.7 ppg).
* Moore scored 21 TDs in 2003, tying for fourth-most in the country. His scoring average of 9.7 ppg ranked No. 8 in the NCAA final stats.
* Moore eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a school-record five straight games in 2003 and has done so 13 times in his career. He has hit 100 nine of his last 10 home games, including eight straight. Moore is the second Lobo to record consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Mike Williams did it three straight from 1976-78.
DEMANDING SCHEDULE
* The 2004 New Mexico football schedule is highlighted by five games against opponents that played in bowl games a year ago, and three of those teams will visit University Stadium in the first five weeks of the season.
* The Lobos and Washington State kick off the season in Albuquerque on Friday, Sept. 3, in a game televised nationally by ESPN. The Cougars, 23-13 victors over UNM last year in Pullman, are coming off a 10-3 season, which included a 28-20 victory over Texas in the Holiday Bowl. WSU was 6-2 in the Pac-10.
* The four-year home-and-home series with Texas Tech comes to a close on Sept. 11, when the Red Raiders come to University Stadium. TTU was 8-5 last year and whipped Navy 38-14 in the Houston Bowl.
* A rematch of the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl will be played Sept. 18 in Corvallis, Ore., as the Lobos travel to Oregon State. The Beavers were 8-5 overall, 4-4 in the Pac-10. OSU is ranked No. 16 in the nation in a preseason poll by ESPN.com.
* The 95th meeting between New Mexico and New Mexico State is Sept. 25 in Las Cruces. That’s followed by the Mountain West Conference opener against defending league champion Utah on Oct. 2 at University Stadium. The Utes were 10-2 last season and finished No. 23 in the final AP poll after beating Southern Mississippi 17-0 in the Liberty Bowl. ESPN.com has Utah No. 14 in its preseason poll.
* “There’s no doubt that this is a very challenging schedule for what will be a young football team,” said head coach Rocky Long. “The first month will be extremely demanding, but it will also be very exciting for our team and especially our fans. It’s a real thrill to start the season at home on national television against a quality opponent like Washington State. We’ve been trying to get recognition for our program and I believe our success the past few years is being rewarded. Hopefully, we’ll get a few more games on (national television) as the season progresses.”
* New Mexico also has home conference games against San Diego State on Oct. 23 and Wyoming on Nov. 20. League road games are at Air Force (Oct. 9), at UNLV (Oct. 16), at Colorado State (Oct. 30) and at BYU (Nov. 13).
COOK, TERRELL ON WATCH LIST
* A pair of Lobo offensive linemen have already been placed on the Rotary Lombardi Watch List for 2004.
* Senior OG Claude Terrell (LaMarque, Texas), a third team AP All-American last year, makes a repeat appearance while junior C Ryan Cook (Albuquerque) is on the list for the first time. Cook, a first team all-MWC selection last year, was on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy in 2003. That award is given to the nation’s top center.
STADIUM IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE
* Thanks to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and members of the State Legislature, UNM received $2 million to complete the next phase in the renovation of University Stadium. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Kiki Saavedra. Construction has begun on the northeast corner of the stadium and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2004 season. New restrooms, concession stands, ticket booths and storage will be built.
* The next phase is to renovate the remaining two corners of the stadium with new entrances, ticket booths, restrooms and concession stands. The final phase is to expand and renovate the south of the stadium. Another 5,000 seats will be added, increasing capacity to 42,000.
* University Stadium was expanded prior to the start of the 2001 season. Capacity was increased to 37,370 as 5,700 seats were added at the north end. The east and west stands were connected by a pavilion and LoboVision, a state-of-the-art videoboard and scoreboard, was added.
* The northwest corner of the stadium was completed prior to the 2001 season and features a revamped entrance with new ticket booths, concession stands, restrooms, novelty stands and landscaping.
PRACTICE FIELDS GET A FACE LIFT
* Over the past several years, New Mexico has played its home games on one of the top natural grass surfaces in the country, thanks to the UNM turf management staff. This season the Lobos will enjoy the same luxury on practice days as well. During the offseason, the UNM practice fields were stripped, regraded and leveled. A new irrigation system was installed and the field was resodded with turf type tall fescue grass. The winter blankets were removed two weeks ago to reveal the lush new surface which will make its debut for the spring season.
DEFENSIVE DATA
* Only five teams have finished in the top-30 in the nation in total defense each of the past four seasons: Kansas State, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee. UNM finished 28th in 2003, allowing 334.3 yards a game. The Lobos were 83rd nationally after the first five games, allowing 388.2 yards.
* New Mexico allowed a league-best 86.1 rushing yards a game, good for 5th nationally behind Southern Cal (60.2 ypg), Ohio State (62.3), LSU (67.0) and Oregon State (84.4). Only Air Force (158), BYU (136), New Mexico State (106), Colorado State (111) and Oregon State (154) reached 100 yards against UNM.
* The 86.1-yard allowance is the lowest by a Lobo team since stats became official in 1946. It’s only the second time New Mexico has held opponents under 100 yards rushing for an entire season. The 2001 defensive unit allowed 87.4 yards a game to also finish No. 5 in the final NCAA stats.
* Since the start of the 2001 season – a span of 38 games – opponents have been held to less than 100 yards rushing 19 times.
* Only three times in the past 47 games has an opponent reached 200 yards on the ground, and it’s been 68 games since UNM allowed 300 rushing yards.* In MWC games only in 2003, the Lobos finished 1st in the league in rushing defense (88.6 ypg) and total defense (278.9 ypg).
* UNM has led the MWC in sacks for four straight seasons. The Lobos had 39 dumps, 10 more than UNLV and Colorado State.
* In 2000, New Mexico ranked second nationally with 50 sacks, the third-highest total in school history. UNM registered 26 dumps in 2001 and 38 in ’02.
INTERVIEWS — All interviews with Lobo players must be coordinated through the UNM media relations office. Contacts are Greg Remington (505.925.5520) or Alfredo Moreno (505.925.5524). Players and coaches are usually available before or after practice. The coaches can be reached by calling the football office at (505) 925-5700.