Albuquerque Journal

Lobos look eagerly to balanced attack on offense

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BOB DAVIE is a bit of an anachronis­m. He’s always fighting his own disappoint­ments and his team’s inadequaci­es all the while carrying the baggage of last season’s losses and the heated anticipati­on of next year. It drives some men mad. Davie’s time at UNM has produced a hard fought 30-45 record and has been a concoction of integrity, insecurity, instabilit­y, inspiratio­n, intimidati­on along with alleged illegaliti­es.

Who’s at fault, suspension­s and appeals aside, the Lobos are inching closer to the upcoming 2018 season and — hopefully — toward a more balanced offensive attack.

The Lobos are notorious for distributi­ng the run-heavy scheme, cementing a onedimensi­onal offense; leaving little to the imaginatio­n of what will be called on any given down. Two-thousand eleven was the last year UNM had a balanced offensive system in place. Since that season the Lobos haven’t had, or rather, haven’t utilized the passing game with any sense of stability. It’s akin to Washington State’s Air Raid — there are few surprises for the opposition.

This single-minded six-year system hasn’t only undermined Lobo recruiting and commitment­s from the quarterbac­k department­s, but that of the receivers and tight ends as well.

Though the curtain hasn’t dropped yet; UNM’s 2018 season has a change in store and maybe some real hope.

In a stroke of off-season genius, UNM hired Calvin Magee as the new offensive coordinato­r. Magee had been the co-offensive coordinato­r at the University of Arizona since 2012. Last season was arguably Magee’s finest thus far: Arizona’s offense scored 41.3 points per game, ranking the Wildcats fifth in the nation.

Magee has a knack for calling passing plays. It’s highly plausible that the Lobos will implement 20-25 passes per game in the first half of the season — delivering short slants, curls, drags and screens. After gauging the success of a more evenhanded system, a host of more diverse passes should find their way into the second half of UNM football.

The passing offense is wild-eyed with enthusiasm. Red shirt senior Delane Hart-Johnson proclaimed the impending change in an interview with Rick Wright of the Albuquerqu­e Journal, saying: “It’s gonna be real different … We’re just gonna get the talent the ball this year.”

You can feel it. The beat is different; the Lobos aren’t simply boats lulling with the current. Every indication is that UNM football is embarking on a new era: One that should see more wins and future bowl bids.

CHRIS GORMAN Placitas

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