For UNM, no safeties net
Lobos are left only to play for pride in their final two games of 2017
The twin story lines of this disappointing season, University of New Mexico football coach Bob Davie said last week, are turnovers and lack of “oomph” in the offensive line.
Actually, as the Texas A&M Aggies so emphatically demonstrated Saturday night during a 55-14 rout of the Lobos at Kyle Field, we’re talking triplets here: turnovers, the O-line and big pass plays given up far too often.
Throughout a first half during which the Lobos gave up six defensive touchdowns and 416 yards through the air, the Aggies relentlessly went after UNM’s safeties in the passing game.
“We had a hard time matching up,” Davie said afterward. “We had a hard time making one-on-one plays. That was obvious to everyone.” It wasn’t the first time. On Sept. 9, New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers threw for 401 yards against the Lobos during a 30-28 NMSU victory.
On Oct. 14, Fresno State quarterback Marcus McMariyon threw for 299 yards on just 13 completions in a 38-0 Fresno State rout. Completions of 75 and 70 yards went for touchdowns.
Then, Saturday, A&M quarterback Nick Starkel completed passes of 60, 46, 38 and 36 yards in the first half. Mercifully, Starkel and most of the Aggies’ starters on both sides of the ball watched the second half from the sidelines.
In those three games, most
of the damage was done against UNM’s safeties. The game plan, shared by New Mexico State, Fresno State and Texas A&M: go deep early and often.
After the game, Davie noted that Bijon Parker, UNM’s starting free safety, is out for the year after breaking his arm during the Lobos’ 27-24 loss to Colorado State. Stanley Barnwell Jr., Parker’s backup, missed the A&M game with a lower leg injury.
Sophomore Willie Hobdy, who was a cornerback until Parker went down, started at free safety. Starkel and his receivers went hard after Hobdy, but he wasn’t alone. Strong safety Jacob Girgle and nickel safety Jake Rothschiller got worked over, as well.
It’s not as if UNM’s cornerbacks had the night off. The Aggies did throw at them, but mostly underneath. Junior cornerback D’Angelo Ross gave up a 36-yard touchdown pass, though his coverage on the play was good.
The Lobos are at their core a blitzing, man-coverage defense, but they did mix things up against the Aggies. It didn’t matter.
Texas A&M, Davie said, too often was able to get the matchups it wanted.
“They did a good job of formations,” he said. “... They isolated their guys on our guys.
“We had a hard time. We had a hard time, period.”
ALL THAT’S LEFT: The Lobos (3-7 overall, 1-5 in Mountain West Conference play) return to league action at 7:30 Friday night with a home game against UNLV (4-6, 3-3). The following Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, they finish the season at San Diego State (8-2, 4-2).
With no chance for a winning season or a bowl bid, riding a five-game losing streak, Davie said these final two games are about pride.
“No one wants to be in this situation , (but) we are in this situation,” he said. “This tests everyone’s character.
“We’ve got to finish this out. No one wants to end this season with the taste we have in our mouth right now.” Sophomore cornerback Elijah Lilly, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown Saturday, said the final two games are about his senior teammates, 21 of whom will play their final home game on Friday.
“I know the seniors are pretty disappointed in the season, especially after the season (9-4, a New Mexico Bowl victory) we had last year,” Lilly said.
“So I think it’s important that we go out there and try to get these last two wins for them so they can go out with a bang instead of having a down season.” HELP ON THE WAY: Jarred Sylvester, a 6-foot4, 315-pound offensive lineman from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, announced on Twitter that he has committed to UNM.
Sylvester, a native of Clayton, N.J., is a “bounceback” who played at Pace University, an NCAA Division II school in Pleasantville, N.Y., as a freshman.
Commitments are nonbinding until a signed letter of intent is received by the school in question.