UNM not ready to change identity
Passing game under three quarterbacks has been a pleasant surprise
Just because you can throw the football doesn’t mean you should.
That’s especially true when your team’s entire identity is built around running the ball with a vengeance.
The University of New Mexico football team heads to Fresno State on Saturday night with a tiny bit of momentum and a growing issue at quarterback. The Lobos (3-2 overall, 1-1
in the Mountain West) led the country in rushing last season but are on pace to pass for more than 700 yards than they did a year ago.
Part of that has to do with a surprising inability to consistently run the ball as Tyrone Owens, Richard McQuarley and Romell Jordan have yet to produce as expected. Owens was a preseason all MWC selection but has averaged fewer
than 50 yards a game.
McQuarley has been fumble prone and, until the last game, was largely absent from the mix. He had five touchdowns and 179 yards against Air Force but just 122 yards and no scores in the first four games.
The other factor is an improved receiving corps led by Delaney Hart-
Johnson, Jay Griffin IV and Chris Davis. The trio has developed into a reliable threat for the revolving door at quarterback.
“But, I go back to this,” begins UNM head coach Bob Davie, “The games we’ve won and the best games we’ve played here offensively are when we’ve thrown it about eight to 10 times. So, again, that kid in the candy store, you know, we’ve been very careful not to become something that hasn’t been our best formula to win. That’s kind of what we are when we’re at our best.”
So regardless of who lines up at QB to start against Fresno State — Davie has been noncommittal about going with senior Lamar Jordan over freshman Tevaka Tuioti or senior Coltin Gerhart — the emphasis will be on keeping the ball on the ground, running between the tackles.
“I don’t want to get out there with any strong statements,” Davie said about his QB situation. “But I guess I kind of have by even waffling a little bit right here.”
The Lobos have won two straight games as their running attack has gotten better. In wins over Tulsa and Air Force they have rushed for at least 330 yards. They hadn’t gone over 260 in their first three games.
Davie lauds the work done by his offensive line and says the potential of throwing the ball exists more now than perhaps ever before. But, he cautions, now is not the time to hail UNM as a passing offense. Not even close.
“If at some point we do become more balanced, great, but we’re not out there selling that to try to recruit guys,” Davie says. “We’ve had a lot of success doing what we do and we’re proud of it.”
GAME NOTES
Turnovers: Davie said the key to beating Air Force two weeks ago was forcing a pair of turnovers early in the second half, each of which led to scores. He said there really is no secret to creating loose footballs.
In that regard, there aren’t many teams better at hanging on to it than Fresno State. The are 12th in the country in fewest turnovers, with five. They rank 30th in the country in miscues forced with 11, meaning they are plus-six in the turnover category. The Dogs have already passed their season total from a year ago for forced turnovers.