Lobos Open MW Play at San Jose State on Friday

New Mexico Game Notes | San Jose State Game Notes | Mountain West Notes | LoboPhotoStore.com
 

Weekly Media Schedule:
MONDAY
Bob Davie Weekly Press Conference: 12:30 MT via Facebook Live
TUESDAY
Lobo Talk: 7-8 pm, 610 AM/95.9 FM The Sports Animal Listen Live
THURSDAY
The Opening Drive: 7:30 am, Jeff Siembieda and J.J. Buck Player Interview Listen Live

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico football team, players and staff should be very thankful that most 2019 watches and phones automatically change time zones based on satellite connections, because quite frankly, the group has been bouncing around all over the country.

UNM will do it again this week, as for the fourth straight game, UNM will play in a time zone that is two hours different minimum than the previous game as the Lobos will travel to take on the San Jose State Spartans on Friday night, October 4 at 7:02 p.m. Pacific Time, 8:02 pm Mountain Time in a national showcase game on CBS Sports Network.  Jason Horowitz and Malik Zaire will have the call for CBS Sports Netowrk, which is broadcasting the next two UNM games, both on Friday night.

The game can also be heard on the Lobo Radio Network, flagshipped on the 50,000-watt juggernaut KKOB with Robert Portnoy and DonTrell Moore on the call.  

The matchup is the first meeting between the two teams since 2016, when UNM won 48-41 in Albuquerque in a wild game that saw the Lobos take a 48-27 lead in the fourth quarter and then have to get a few big defensive plays down the stretch to seal the win.  UNM last played San Jose State in California the year prior in 2015, with the Spartans winning 31-21.  It will be UNM’s first trip to CEFCU Stadium in it’s current configuration, as the East stands have been removed as a part of a massive $40 million renovation that will auditorium, offices, spectator seating on the 50-yard line and a Hall of Champions event space. The total project would be a rebuild on the stadium’s east side and also provide support to the Spartans’ men’s and women’s soccer programs.

Friday night’s game will come down to a pair of 2-2 football teams looking to stay above .500, and UNM head coach Bob Davie is looking forward to it, especially as he celebrates his 65th birthday on Monday.  “I talked to our team about that today.  I told them the message if you really want to get me a present, you can get me that present on Friday.”

In back-to-back weeks, UNM combined for 107 points (in a 55-52 win over New Mexico State) and then 27 points (in a 17-10 loss to Liberty, the fourth largest one-game swing of combined points in school history.  That 80-point swing was only the second such swing since the 1923 season.  Certainly UNM’s defense looked much improved from two weeks ago, and Davie hopes that UNM can continue to build on that as it faces another top quarterback in Jordan Love, who was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week just seven days ago.

“The defense showed some improvement in that we have a lot of young players out there, particularly in the secondary,” said Davie.  That’s a very true statement as entering the 2019 season, UNM’s entire secondary had four starts, De’John Rogers three and Patrick Peek with one.  The amazing thing with UNM’s secondary is the guy with the second-most starts in the secondary on the team was a wide receiver in Elijah Lilly.  

UNM allowed 306 yards passing, but the defense held Liberty to its lowest passing total of the season, and lowest yards per attempt as well.  Freshman Donte Martin continues to shine, as opposing QBs are completing just 43.2% of passes when targeting him.  UNM’s offense moved the ball at times, but came up a half a yard short near the goal line, and had a red zone interception, crucial mistakes and lost points in what turned out to be a seven point game.