Davie says his commitment to program is not wavering
Small crowds haven’t cut into coach’s spirit to build winner
The question submitted to coach Bob Davie, from Dana Childs of Albuquerque’s KYNM-TV, was this: “How married are you to New Mexico?”
It was a question about commitment, and Davie — his focus on preparing his New Mexico Lobos for their game Saturday at Hawaii — at first seemed reluctant to go there.
“I’m trying to figure out how to cover (Hawaii wide receiver Marcus Kemp) on the deep ball right now,” he said.
In the next breath, though, the fifth-year UNM coach began an introspective and wide-ranging reply. That answer touched on lagging attendance at Lobos home games, an issue he generally has sought to avoid.
Regarding his level of commitment, Davie did not say “Till death do us part.” He did say: “I’ve given everything I’ve had. I’ve given every minute to this job.
“My family is here.
My son (Clay, Lobos tight ends coach) is here. My daughter
(Audra, who is married to Brian DeSpain, UNM’s assistant athletic director for football operations) is here . ... I’ve given everything I had to this, given every ounce I had to this. That’s what it should be.”
Through four home games, UNM is averaging slightly under 20,000 in attendance in a stadium that seats almost 40,000.
“I’ve heard a lot about, ‘Coach, if you win they’ll come,’ ” Davie said. “I mean, we’re 9-3 in our last 12 home games. So if that means we have to be 10-2 in our next 12 home games, or 11-1 in our next games before they’ll come, let’s keep working and keep plugging.”
In 2012, Davie took over a program that had won just seven games in the previous four seasons combined. He’s now 22-35 at UNM. If that’s not where the fans want the program to be, he said, it’s not his destination, either.
Not for the first time, he noted that in 117 years of football UNM has won as many as seven games
just 19 times.
“Last year was one of them,” he said. “So I think if we really want (college football success) here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, then let’s collectively all work together to try to make it as good as we can make it.
“It’s not perfect. It’s not there yet. But it’s hard to have expectations for anybody without commitment. ... I think all of us ought to keep that in mind as we move forward.”
ON THE BEACH: Davie wants no distractions in Hawaii, so he’s planning to lodge the team in pup tents on the deserted island of Kaho’olawe . ...
Just kidding. The Lobos will stay at a beachside hotel in the heart of Waikiki.
He trusts his players, he said, not to be distracted. “We’re gonna go enjoy this trip, and we’re gonna try to play our best football Saturday night,” he said. “... There’s so much invested in this, so much invested that I don’t think we would go over there and sabotage our chances of playing our best football.
“Sometimes you count on the maturity of guys and the total commitment of guys.”
THE LATE SHOW: The Lobos’ Nov. 5 home game with Nevada will have an 8:15 p.m. kickoff, it was announced Monday. The game will be televised on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
An ESPN2 telecast Saturday triggers a $500,000 bonus for the participating teams as per the Mountain West’s TV bonus plan. A game on ESPNU does not.
If the game winds up on ESPNU, UNM will get an “inconvenience fee” of $50,000 for the late kickoff time.
INJURY REPORT: Starting “will” linebacker Kimmie Carson is in concussion protocol and will not play at Hawaii, Davie said. Carson took a blow to the head during the Louisiana Monroe game last week.
Junior Austin Ocasio is expected to start in Carson’s place. Ocasio has seen considerable action this season and returned a pass interception for a touchdown in UNM’s 48-40 victory over San Jose State on Oct. 1.
Cornerback Isaiah “I.B.” Brown (high ankle sprain) and safety Ryan Santos (concussion symptoms), who missed the Louisiana Monroe game, practiced Tuesday morning and are expected to play at Hawaii.
Davie added, “In I.B.’s case, it’s how does he come back (today), how does (the ankle) respond, does it swell up. But so far, so good on both those guys.”