Aug. 1, 2013
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
The comfort zone surrounding Bob Davie’s Lobo football program probably is off-the-charts better compared to what Davie was looking at a year ago heading into his first season as a Lobo.
“Night and day,” said Davie referring to the internal process of building a program that is a season stronger.
And while there are not as many unknowns and wrinkles to smooth out in 2013 those elements in Davie’s second-year program are still there and still numerous. There are still great strides to be made.
This is a young New Mexico football team – very young with 80 Lobos in either their first or second year with the program and only three starters returning on a defense that Davie admits was “not very good” in 2012.
“There are a lot of unknowns because we are so young,” said Davie. “It you look at it on paper, there is no reason to think, on paper, that we’ll be better. But I’ll be extremely disappointed if we’re not better.
|
NEED TICKETS? |
“We have some feisty guys. We have more competition at positions. We have better depth. But what happens when these (young) guys get hit in the mouth? What’s going to happen when it gets hard? That’s the unknown.”
For insiders looking at the depleted Lobos heading into the 2012 fall practice, the job that Davie, his staff and his Lobos did last season has to go down as one of the best – if not the best – turnarounds in NCAA football. The 2012 Lobos were a competitive bunch. But a lot of the question marks – and holes – from 2012 are still hanging around.
Davie lost a lot of production from 2012 when 23 seniors and 14 starters graduated. The defense of 2013 might be more of a rebuilding chore than the defense of 2012.
But the numbers, the talent level, the depth, and the attitude continue to rocket upwards. An important point about this program can be made by looking at the number of Lobos who returned to the program in 2013.
All of them!
“We did not lose a player,” said Davie. “Maybe it’s a testimony that guys do want discipline and guys do want toughness and guys want a chance to win and that’s what they have now is a chance to win. We do have some momentum and things are going in the right direction.”
The unofficial curtain opening the 2013 season was raised Wednesday at New Mexico’s Media Day held in the Tow Diehm Complex. It gets real Thursday when 115 Lobos take to the practice fields.
There are things we know about the 2013 Lobos. They are loaded up front on the offensive line. They are loaded in the backfield. The offense that was No. 5 in the nation with a 301.3-yard rushing average will be able to run the ball behind quarterback Cole Gautsche (760 yards in 2012) and Kasey Carrier (1,469 yards). There is depth both on the line and in the backfield.
But can UNM’s “Pistol” offense add diversity through the air to take pressure off the option?
Gautsche improved his throwing touch over the off season and UNM has five other talented quarterbacks on the roster including transfer Clayton Mitchem, who is a weapon both on the land and through the air.
But UNM returns to its offense only one of its top six receivers from 2012 – Carlos Wiggins, who had nine grabs a year ago. There is fresh talent in this unit, but there are questions that can only be answered during games.
An obvious key to the 2013 season is on the defensive side. The Lobos of 2012 played hard, but not always well. They gave up too many big plays and allowed the opposition to convert too many third-down opportunities.
If this unit can cut down on points allowed and give the UNM offense more time on the field that should make a significant difference on the scoreboard.
“I would hope that we’d be the most improved defensive team in the country,” said Davie. “I’m not shying away from saying that. Part of that (expected improvement) is we weren’t very good last year.”
The Lobo program is still short on scholarship players as UNM will go into fall camp with 79 on an athletic ride. “I don’t see that as a big an issue as it was a year ago,” said Davie.
That issue has diminished because of the change in the culture with Lobo football. As Davie said, there are Lobos who appreciate discipline, accept responsibility and want to be pushed to higher levels of commitment, toughness and achievement. If you want to win, you accept these requirements with a high level of work ethic.
And you return to play football for the University of New Mexico and Bob Davie.