July 21, 2009
2009 MWC Football Media Day Photo Gallery
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
There are probably several ways the University of New Mexico Lobos football team can look at the preseason Mountain West Conference poll that picked the Lobos to finish in seventh place in the 2009 race.
1. No pressure.
2. No respect.
3. No big deal.
In some ways, the pressure is off first-year coach Mike Locksley, whose Lobos enter the season looking up at six teams picked to fare better this upcoming season: 1- TCU; 2- Brigham Young; 3- Utah; 4- Air Force; 5- UNLV; 6- Colorado State.
The Lobos have a whole lot of MWC teams they can leapfrog during the 2009 turf wars as only San Diego State (8) and Wyoming (9) were picked to finish below the Lobos.But two Lobos – senior Frankie Baca and sophomore Bubba Forrest – look at UNM’s placement as a combination of no respect and no big deal.
“It does kind of get under your skin,” said Forrest, a defensive back from Carlsbad, N.M. “It’s a challenge and it makes you want to prove to the conference that we’re better than that.
“But I think the preseason stuff looks too much at what you did last year. We’re a whole new team with a whole new coaching staff.”
Said Baca. “Like Bubba said, it’s a challenge. I guess we have something to prove to a lot of people, but I know that everyone in our locker room and all the coaches have faith in what we can do. I think we’ll be a lot better than seventh, but we have to go out and do it.”
The TCU Horned Frogs were tabbed to grab the 2009 MWC title in a poll of media members. The Frogs went 11-2 overall in 2008 and finished second in the league race at 7-1. TCU finished ranked No. 7 in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls last year.
|
PRESEASON POLL |
The Frogs will return four starters from a defensive unit that led the nation in rushing defense and was second in scoring defense during the 2008 season.
The BYU Cougars went 10-3 and 6-2 (MWC) last season behind an offense that was Top 20 nationally in scoring, passing and total offense. Utah, the defending MWC champs, posted the nation’s only undefeated team (13-0) last season. The Utes ended the 2008 season ranked No. 2 by The Associated Press and No. 4 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Utah owns the nation’s longest win streak at 14 games.
“Those three teams are tough and they always play well,” said Baca. “But I think we’ll be in the mix, too. I think the changes here (coaching staff, offense and defense) probably influences how people think about us and we didn’t have the greatest year last year.”
Locksley’s first season at UNM marks a dramatic change in offensive philosophy and also a shift to the more traditional 4-3 front on defense. He takes over a UNM program that went 4-8 and 2-6 (MWC) in 2008.
Locksley is going to a no-huddle, multiple offense and is looking at 22 returning lettermen and eight returning starters on offense. The Lobos’ defense is looking at more of a rebuilding chore with 17 returning lettermen and three returning starters.
Baca and Forrest said UNM landing only one player – senior lineman Erik Cook – on the preseason All-MWC team also should be motivation for all Lobos.
“I’m happy for Cook. He’s my roommate and he deserves it,” said Baca. “But we have some other guys who should be on that team. That might be motivation for a few guys to come out of their shells, step up and have big years. We need guys to do that.”
Said Forrest: “We have other guys who hands-on should be on that team. Ian Clark and Clint McPeek for sure should be there.”