Fall Camp Update: All Those Years Ago

Upcoming Fall Camp Practice Schedule
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by Frank Mercogliano, Asst. A.D. for Communications

I’ve always been a pretty big Beatles fan.  It probably stems from the fact that they broke up the month I was born (April of 1970), so I’ve never lived in a world that had the Beatles as an actual band.  My aunt had four Beatles albums, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour and Abbey Road, so now I have those four albums, original pressings and they sound great.
 
At Mountain West Media Days, due to the off day between Monday meetings and Wednesday’s media day commitments (every odd numbered year the West Division goes on Tuesday, giving the Mountain SID’s Tuesday night off), I took my wife to see Cirque du Soliel Love, the Beatles show at The Mirage.  It was equal parts amazing, thrilling and a sing-a-long concert (I’m not sure the guy next to me was thrilled but man I loved singing Octopus’ Garden).
 
As usually happens with me, since then I’ve been on the Youtube rabbit hole of listening to lost Beatles tracks and songs in the general oeuvre of the Beatles, stuff by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr.  That rabbit hole took me back to a great song by George Harrison, and an even better video.
 
“All Those Years Ago” was a 1981 song by George Harrison, and the song is a tribute to John Lennon and the video is a tribute to the Beatles.  It’s a fun rabbit hole to go down if you have the time.
 
How does this pertain to Lobo Football, which kicked off its fall camp with a spirited practice on Friday morning?  It goes back to something Bob Davie said in his press conference on Tuesday, when putting how he is entering the season into perspective.
 

It’s great to be back! pic.twitter.com/fAiCh4XQT2

— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) August 2, 2019

“Let’s not forget when we got here.  This program was three wins and 37 losses in its previous 40 games,” said Davie.  “We won three last year.”  It’s a fair point, and it’s not to say that Davie is happy with a 3-9 record (spoiler alert, he’s not).  But have Lobo fans forgotten what Davie walked into in 2012?
 
2008 end the season: 0-4
2009:    1-11
2010:    1-11
2011:    1-11
 
Fewest scholarships in the country due to NCAA probation.  Seven players on the Mountain West All-Academic list.  And those 1-11 seasons weren’t pretty 1-11 seasons.  How about this four-game stretch from 2011:
 
Nevada 49, UNM 7
TCU 69, UNM 0
Air Force 42, UNM 0
San Diego State 35, UNM 7
 
Four weeks of going 0-4 and getting outscored 195-14.  All those years ago were just not good. 
 
Listen, it’s probably a good thing that Lobo fans have forgotten about that run of games, but while UNM hasn’t been to a bowl in the last two seasons, each 3-9 season in the last two years has had three single-digit losses in each season.  Five of those were one-score games and the one nine-point game was a one-score game until the last minute.  UNM isn’t that far away from four straight seasons of bowl eligibility.  But, as Davie has said many times, in the end, “you are what your record says you are.”  That record also says UNM set program records for the second straight year for Mountain West Academic All-Conference selections with 27, and Mountain West Scholar-Athletes with 14.  That 14 were the most in the league by any football team since BYU in 2006.
 

Day 1 and @UNMLoboMBB head coach Paul Weir and staff came out to see Coach Davie and the squad. Weir’s message? “We are all in this together. You set the tone!” Thanks coach Weir!!! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/JWQFTzJIxp

— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) August 2, 2019

As for wins and losses, right now that record is 0-0, and there is plenty of optimism around the program.  At Friday’s opening practice, Davie stopped practice, gathered the team up and introduced the team to some Lobos who had come to support the program and watch practice: head men’s basketball coach Paul Weir and staff.  “I love football,” said Weir to the team.  “It starts with you guys, you set the tone.”  Weir’s words meant a lot, to the staff and team, and the team restarted practice by gathering up around Weir for a break.
 
Davie commented on his relationship with Weir afterwards.  “He and I talk pretty frequently.  We talked last night at 9:30 at night.  We kind of have a common purpose and some common problems, so it was good to have him out here.”
 
Also out there were plenty of faces that weren’t out there at the end of last season due to injuries, but Alex Hart, Daevon Vigilant, Kentrail Moran, Q Drennan, Ahmari Davis and Trent Sellers all had productive first days after being injured at the end of last year.  You bring all those players back with the crop of incoming JC recruits, plus UCLA transfer Brandon Burton and one can see why Davie hasn’t named captains yet.

“I want to get through pads, I want to get through contact, and I want to get through camp,” said Davie, who has a pretty good idea who will get selected.  “I want to let the leadership go where it goes.  So, when we vote on captains, it’s everybody on this field including the new guys that haven’t seen some of the older guys in pads.”
 
All those years ago really do seem like a long time ago, but it’s a new season and UNM has a shot at a third bowl in the last five years, and only one other time has UNM ever made it to four bowls in five years, let alone three, so certainly Davie and company are looking for that “Ticket to Ride” so to speak.  To get to that bowl game and challenge for a division title, it’s going to take everybody, which has me thinking that the team will be relying on each other more than ever before.
 
Might be time to get back to that rabbit hole and find “With a Little Help from My Friends.”