New Mexico Game Notes | Air Force Game Notes | Mountain West Notes | LoboPhotoStore.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are teams that are dealing with injuries, as most are when it’s week 13 of the college football season. For the University of New Mexico, the injury thing is on a whole ‘nother level.
The Lobos will go into Saturday’s game with Air Force using duct tape and bailing wire as they battle for a late season win. The game will take place at noon on Saturday in what should be perfect weather at Dreamstyle Stadium. The game is also UNM’s “Heroes Game” and “Cancer Awareness Game”, with plenty of activity in and around the game. Robert Portnoy and DonTrell Moore will have the call on 770 AM/94.5 FM, and the game will be streamed on ESPN3.
The Lobos lost four running backs in its game with Boise State, and of those four, three are out for this week at least. Ahmari Davis, UNM’s leading rusher, it out, as is second-leading rusher Bryson Carroll. Between them, they have totaled 1,306 yards and nine touchdowns. Neither will play this week, and UNM’s third-leading rusher is suspended quarterback Sheriron Jones.
UNM will go into the game with just three healthy running backs in Kentrail Moran (63 yards), Bobby Cole (59 yards) and Micah Gray (20 yards). Chad Alexander is the emergency fourth back, as he has one game left to play before losing his ability to redshirt.
Hey Lobo fans! We need all of your support as we take on Air Force for Heroes Day at Dreamstyle Stadium! We look forward to seeing you there! #GoLobos
🎟: https://t.co/eoWwKUpIQU pic.twitter.com/HRWF76Pe8H
— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) November 19, 2019
All those injuries could drive a coach mad, but Bob Davie is still ready to go against a very good Air Force team, which is just four votes away from the top-25.
“I said it after the game but it’s really been a season of ‘Did That Just Happen'”, said Davie. “We started the season with 83 scholarship players. Right now we have 58 available.”
While that sounds rough, and it is, Davie is ready for the challenge that Air Force provides. “That team is talented,” he said referring to the 8-2 Falcons. “Sometimes they get undervalued from the standpoint of ability. Right away people go to character, discipline, and hard work, but those are talented players.”
The big key for Davie was seeing when transpired at Boise State. It wasn’t the 28-0 deficit in the first quarter, but what he saw from the Lobos afterwards. “Can you imagine at Boise and it’s 28-0 in the first quarter and what kind of effort, kind of mental toughness, what kind of resiliency that takes to stay out there and keep playing.” After that rough start, UNM was toe-to-toe with the Broncos, and probably had the better of play.
Amazingly, UNM is down in other positions as well. Of the 16 players that have caught a pass this year, just six are expected to be active for this game. However, unlike at running back where UNM has its top three rushers out, UNM’s top four receivers are good to go. Marcus Williams has 24 catches for 408 yards, and Jordan Kress has 22 catches for 490 yards, including four catches in each of his last four games.
Defensively, UNM is at least healthier, with 16 of the top 20 tacklers active for the game, led by UNM’s linebacker tandem of Alex Hart and Mo Vainikolo. Hart has 71 tackles on the season, with 9.0 for loss and 4.0 sacks, while Vainikolo has 57 tackles, 10.5 for loss and 3.0 sacks. If you add in Jacobi Hearn, UNM’s linebacker crew has a combined 29.5 for 175 yards in losses, 13 sacks, six pass breakups and an interception.
The game with Air Force is a make-up game from November 9, when that game was postponed due to the death of defensive tackle Nahje Flowers.