ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It was supposed to be August 29 and then it wasn’t. It was then going to be sometime in February, and then it wasn’t. It was then going to be October 24, and then it wasn’t. But now? It’s October 31, and no ghost, goblin or spooky entity looks to be standing in UNM’s way of finally and officially getting the Danny Gonzales era off as UNM will travel to San José State to take on the Spartans in the season opener for UNM at 5 p.m. Mountain Time in a game broadcast nationally on FS1. The game will also be available via the Lobo Radio Network with Robert Portnoy on the call.
Even the opener had it’s hiccups and challenges, as the game was originally scheduled to be played at University Stadium but is now going to be played at CEFCU Stadium in San José, California, giving UNM back-to-back trips to San José in back-to-back seasons. However, head coach Danny Gonzales will never be deterred, and while Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” isn’t really the proper anaology, Gonzales has a way of well, looking at the bright side.
“Effort and flying around, that’s been the from the very beginning,” said Gonzales. “Our expectation is to play hard. On both sides of the ball I want to see 11 guys … flying around. We’ve done a lot of things to instill that whether it’s in the weight room or wherever. We are going to be really rusty (due to the small group only workouts). We’ve made due but it might be sloppy.”
When UNM goes through that door on Saturday, the guy leading the team won’t actually lead them out onto the field. Much like his mentor Rocky Long, Coach G isn’t looking for his own glory. Said Gonzales, “As long as I’m here, it’s about them. It’ll never be about me. When we take the field, I won’t run out in front of them. I don’t play, it’s their football team. I’m going to stand in the back and clap and cheer them on.”
The Lobos will enter the 2020 season opener with a different quarterback under center than last year’s season opener. Tevaka Tuioti, the 2018 opening game starter, is slated for the opening snap (Brandt Hughes was UNM’s opening day quarterback in 2019). Tuioti is just a junior but entering his fifth season with the program. “I remember being at San Diego State in 2017 when he was a freshman and he came in at the end of the game and went up and down the field on us. It feels like he has been here forever.” Tuioti, who could be here forever with potentially a sixth and seventh year in 2021 and 2022, is really for the challenge that San José State presents.
“They are all returning guy from last year and they have a dominant front seven, front three really,” said Tuioti. “They are a great defense and lining up against them on Saturday will be quite exciting.”