Lobo linemen look to be solution
UNM’s Fountain knows his unit has been labeled as part of the problem
Blaise Fountain has heard the talk.
No, he doesn’t like it.
Yes, he’s listening.
New Mexico football coach Bob Davie and UNM offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse have not hesitated to cite a drop-off in offensive line play as a major factor in the team’s 3-6 record and its current four-game losing streak.
Fountain, UNM’s starting center and a senior team captain, takes this personally — but wants, above all, to be part of the solution.
“Obviously, it’s aggravating whenever your position group is part of the problem,” he said after a practice session this week. “We come out here and we work every day.
“But it is what it is, and you’ve got to come out here and bring it every day and not take days off, and you can only get better.”
Fountain believes progress has been made, despite the injuries and inexperience that have plagued his unit this season.
Last fall, UNM led the nation with an average of 350 yards rushing per game. Two starters from that offensive line, left tackle Reno Henderson and left guard Chris Lewis, exhausted their eligibility. Another versatile contributor and sometime starter, Garrett Adcock, chose not to finish the 2016 season because of recurring concus-
sion symptoms.
The Lobos entered the 2017 season with two returning full-time starters — Fountain and right guard Aaron Jenkins, a preseason All-Mountain West Conference selection — and a part-time returning starter in tackle Avery Jordan, who was moved from the right side to the left, replacing Henderson.
In the season opener against Abilene Christian, redshirt sophomores Charlie Grammel and Izrael Castellanos started at left guard and right tackle, respectively. Senior Ray Baylor III started the next three games (New Mexico State, Boise State, Tulsa) at left guard.
In game No. 5 against Air Force, redshirt freshman Teton Saltes — a converted defensive lineman — stepped in ahead of Castellanos at right tackle. Sophomore Chris Estrella, a junior college transfer, got the start at left guard.
Coincidentally or not, the Lobos rushed for 363 yards, a season best, in a 56-38 victory over the Falcons.
Since then, only Fountain and Jordan have been unaffected by the injury shuffle.
In UNM’s next game at Fresno State, Saltes suffered a season-ending knee injury. That same disastrous night — the Lobos lost 38-0 — Castellanos was sidelined with concussion symptoms.
Against Colorado State, Estrella moved from guard to right tackle. Baylor stepped back in at left guard.
At Wyoming, Grammel got the start at right tackle. During the game, Estrella suffered a knee injury.
Against Utah State, Jenkins moved from guard to start at right tackle, with Grammel at left guard and Baylor at right guard. Later in the game, Estrella returned at right tackle and Jenkins moved back to right guard.
For anyone other than a football coach having studied the film, cause and effect is hard to determine. The Lobos rushed for only 109 yards at Fresno State and 115 at Wyoming, but had 318 against Colorado State and 265 against Utah State. Clearly, game situations, quality of opposition and X’s and O’s were factors.
Even so, Davie has been pointedly frank about his team’s offensive line play.
“The offensive line thing just jumped up and bit us,” Davie said during Tuesday’s weekly news conference.
Those are biting words, for sure. But Fountain defends his group.
“It’s been a tough year all around, trying to get guys out there that haven’t had much experience,” he said. “But I think the guys that we’ve put out there have done a phenomenal job of just using what they’ve had to get out there and do their best for the team, leaving everything out there.
“I’ve been really proud of the group, just to be persistent . ... Regardless of what the outside is saying, just keeping their nose to the grindstone and keep going.”
Saturday at Texas A&M, Fountain & Co. will be facing arguably the most talented, most physical front seven UNM has seen all year. The Aggies (5-4 overall, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) rank third in the nation in sacks per game (3½) and 12th in tackles for loss per game (7.7).
Fountain remains optimistic.
“We have a few guys back (from injury) this week, so it definitely helps when we put guys out there to get some practice reps,” he said.
“As long as we’re not dropping off and we keep getting better every week ... that’s really all you can ask for.”