Lobos get a little pass happy
Davie is pleased with some throws by Jordan
At times during Bob Davie’s tenure as the University of New Mexico’s football coach, a third-and-8 situation has been a running down.
Third and 15? Run the dive, get a few yards, punt the ball away.
That’s been a statement on how effective (or ineffective) UNM’s passing game has been, and how much (or little) confidence Davie and offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse had in it.
Then, Saturday at University Stadium, a remarkable thing happened. Well, OK, “remarkable” might be stretching the point. Nonetheless...
On a third-and-15 play from the UNM 21-yard line, with the Lobos up 14-0 against Louisiana Monroe midway through the first quarter, junior quarterback Lamar Jordan dropped back to pass.
Getting a crucial block from tight end Cole Gautsche, Jordan stepped up in the pocket and threw to redshirt freshman wide receiver Q’ Drennan down the right sideline.
The coverage by ULM cornerback Justin Backus was tight, but the pass was perfect. Drennan made the catch at midfield and advanced to 40 before being pushed out of bounds.
Five plays later, running back Teriyon Gipson eluded a ULM defender and scored from the 6-yard line.
Late in the second quarter, with UNM leading 28-3, the Lobos faced a third-and-8 from their own 16-yard line. Jordan, with blitzing ULM linebacker Cortez Sisco in his face, rifled a pass down the middle of the field. Sophomore wide receiver Patrick Reed, shadowed by Warhawks cornerback Juwon Offray, caught the ball in stride at the UNM 40 and made it to the ULM 39 before Offray dragged him down.
Six plays later, on a first-and-goal play from the ULM 10-yard-line, Jordan dropped a high-arcing pass into the arms of senior wideout Dameon Gamblin for a touchdown. The Lobos led 35-3 and went on to win 59-17, improving their record to 4-3.
After the game, and again Monday during his weekly radio interview on KNML-AM, Davie said he was pleased with his team’s performance in all phases — but especially so with the third-and-long conversions and the touchdown through the air.
“The three passes that Lamar completed were really big,” Davie said on KNML. “The the throw he made to Gamblin in the end zone ... was amazing.”
On the evening, the Lobos were 7-of-11 passing for 146 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Jordan was 5-of-9 for 107, backup JaJuan Lawson 2-of-2 for 39.
Those numbers convert to a passing efficiency rating of 205.3. Toledo, the national leader in that category, has a rating of 201.46 on the season.
Teams that run an option offense often have good passing efficiency numbers because they throw seldom but with great effect. Not New Mexico, which the past four seasons during Davie’s tenure has never ranked higher than 74th nationally. Last year, they were 106th.
Entering the ULM game, the Lobos were 105th in passing efficiency. After their performance against the Warhawks, they jumped to 83rd with a rating of 125.80.
Of course, passing efficiency is not just about the quarterback.
“It’s encouraging to see Lamar get some throws and our receivers step up and make some catches,” Davie said Saturday night. “... We’ve got some explosive wide receivers, and it was good to see those guys get rewarded and get their hands on the ball.”
STAT SHEET: Gipson averaged 10.5 yards per carry against ULM, which actually brought his season average down from 13.5 to 13.0. That figure still would lead the nation by a wide margin, but because of injury he has played in only five of UNM’s seven games, or 71 percent. He needs to have played in 75 percent of his team’s games to qualify. Gipson also lacks the necessary 10 carries per game; he’s at 9.6.
Not to worry. Lobos sophomore Tyrone Owens ranks fourth nationally in average per carry at 7.8 yards after rushing for 171 yards on nine carries — a 19-yard average — against ULM.
NEVER TELL THEM THE ODDS:
Hawaii has been installed by the oddsmakers as an early 3½-point favorite in its game against the Lobos Saturday night in Honolulu.
The Rainbow Warriors are 4-4 on the season, 3-1 in Mountain West play, and have won three of their last four games.