New Mexico Lobos Football on The Mountain West Road
When/Who: 11:38 a.m., Saturday — New Mexico (3-7, 1-5 MW) at Colorado State (9-1, 5-1 MW)
On The Air: ROOT Sports; 770-AM KKOB/Lobo Radio Network
GoLobos.com: Game Story, Stats Package, LoboTV, Quotes
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
To say Bob Davie’s Lobos have been plagued and beaten too much by quarterbacks in 2014 is a fair statement. However, that also is a statement that can be applied to almost every team.
Quarterbacks win games. That’s kind of their job.
But the quarterback the New Mexico Lobos face Saturday in Fort Collins, Colo., is a special breed of arm. Garret Grayson, the arm CSU is pushing for Heisman consideration, has won a whole lot of games and his aerial bullets are a huge reason for CSU’s gaudy 9-1 record.
The Rams move the football. The Rams score points. CSU is on pace to set a school-record in total offense. So far in 2014, the Ramshave gone over 400 yards of total offense nine times. They have cracked the 500-yard mark four times.
They score touchdowns in 73.3 percent of their drives into the red zone which is good for the No. 3 spot in the nation. They convert 51.5 percent of third-down attempts.
Maybe the amazing thing is that this offense even looks at third downs. These Rams move it. They averaged 10.3 yards per play in their win over Wyoming.
“They have done one heck of a job,” said Davie. “They are impressive. They are 9-1 and a team with a lot to play for.
“The thing that makes them so difficult is their offense. It’s going to be a situation where offensively they are going to be a handful for us to try and contain.”
It’s fair and logical to expect the Rams will put numbers up on the scoreboard. That puts pressure on the New Mexico offense to keep pace. However, you also have to hope the Lobo defense gets more than a few stops. Those stops won’t come easy.
First, the Lobos have to worry about Grayson. He averages 302.4 passing yards per game off 311 attempts. He completes 65.6 percent of his passes and has been picked off only five times. He can be machine-like in his precision. He is CSU’s all-time leading passer with 8,208 yards and the program’s leading TD thrower with 58.
He likes to toss the ball to Rashard Higgins – and who wouldn’t? Higgins has 67 receptions and leads all FBS receivers with 142.2 receiving yards per game. He is second in the nation with 1,280 receiving yards. His 67 grabs matches UNM’s team total. As a team, CSU has 216 receptions.
It will be an interesting contrast in styles Saturday in Fort Collins. The Lobos will try to win on the ground. They average 318.3 yards rushing and UNM’s 246 rushing yards against Utah State last week were the most rushing yards allowed by the Aggies this season. And that came against the top-ranked rushing defense in the Mountain West.
The Lobos should be able to move the football. But they likely need a high level of success inside the red zone and in the second half – late in the game.
“I do see where (the opposition) can put the hammer down on us and we don’t have enough to stay with it,” said Davie referring to more established programs having the depth and experience to win games late.
The Rams will try to beat the Lobos through the air, but CSU has a nice run package. CSU averages 166.1 yards running the ball. UNM averages 87.3 yards passing.
The Rams’ No. 1 running back, Dee Hart, is approaching a 1,000-yard season. He has 909 yards and averages 6.3 yards per carry. He averages 90.9 yards per game. CSU has two other runners averaging more than five yards per carry.
CSU is aerial – but the Rams also are multiple.
“They do a lot of flipping, a lot of shifting, a lot of window dressing,” said Davie of the CSU offense. “They don’t take sacks because they run the ball well. They use the play-action pass and it’s a well-conceived offense.”
The challenge at CSU will hit the Lobos on several levels. It’s a road game. The Lobos have a lot of key injuries. It’s Senior Day in Fort Collins. The No. 22/23 Rams have a shot at the Mountain West title and a big postseason payoff. They are riding an eight-game win streak.
It’s really been an amazing year for the Rams under third-year coach Jim McElwain, a semifinalist for the Maxwell Football Club Collegiate Coach of The Year award. His only hiccup was a loss at Boise State – a loss that could stop CSU from winning the 2014 MW title.
That hiccup, UNM’s option attack, and the chance at going to a major bowl should have the Rams’ attention riveted on Lobos.
Editor’s Note: Richard Stevens is a former Associate Sports Editor and Sports Columnist for The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him atrstevens50@comcast.net.