Heading to Texas A&M reminds Davie of happier times
You can take the man out of … you get the picture.
Although he has traveled the country and worked in some of the most historic programs and venues college football has to offer, Bob Davie has never really let go of his time in College Station, Texas.
Mention that town’s name to any trueblue football fan and it brings up visions of the fabled 12th Man, of bruising defenses, of overflowing student sections and the Midnight Yell.
Davie will take his University of New Mexico program into College Station on Saturday when the Lobos visit Texas A&M at Kyle Field. It’s the final nonconference game for UNM this season, but it’s a rare chance for Davie to revisit his past in a way that few coaches do.
For nine seasons, he was an assistant coach at A&M, starting as the linebackers coach in 1985 and ending it as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for R.C. Slocum in 1993.
The Aggies lost just three home games in that time, going the final four years Davie was on staff without losing on their turf. It’s one of the greatest home field advantages in college sports, and Davie remembers every detail of his time there.
“It’s one of my fondest memories ever in coaching,” he said during Tuesday’s weekly media luncheon at Dreamstyle Stadium. “Was just that feeling of electricity in that stadium and truly, truly, I don’t even call
it the 12th Man. It’s like a 13th or 14th man. And we thrived off that.”
The Lobos were initially installed as 18-point underdogs, and for good reason. At 3-6 they have lost four straight and are on the verge of being officially eliminated from bowl contention. It’s the program’s longest losing streak in nearly five years, one that’s punctuated by wildly inconsistent play from an offense that ranks near the bottom in turnover margin.
Following four more turnovers in a loss at home to Utah State last weekend, the Lobos are minus-14 in that category. That ranks 127th of 129 teams in major college football.
“And there in lies the reason for our scoring offense not being what it’s been, our red zone offense not being what it’s been, and our scoring defense,” Davie said. “Obviously there’s more things than just the turnovers, you know, but certainly that has been the story of this season.”
Davie chalked it up to a lot of things, ranging from unmet expectations to players pressing too hard, even taking on the blame as the head coach.
“So it’s been frustrating,” Davie said. “But the turnover thing has been absolutely a, you know, the number one storyline to the entire season.”
It’s not exactly the best time for a homecoming, of sorts. The Lobos are in the midst of a string of big-name road trips over the course of the next few years, one that includes a visit to Wisconsin next season, to Notre Dame in 2019, USC in 2020 and UCLA in 2025.
Looking back at his time in College Stadium, Davie recalled the memory of his son’s birth. The Aggies were playing on the road against Southern Mississippi the year Brett Favre was still the Golden Eagles’ quarterback. Davie’s wife, Joanne, was due that night, so he called his the doctor before, during and after the game to check up on things.
After a charter flight home, Davie went straight to the hospital just in time to see his son born. Within five minutes of Davie walking into the College Station hospital, Clay Davie was born.
“I’ll never forget, I had a tie on because we traveled with a tie,” he said. “So I go in and Joanne’s down, ready. She says, ‘Take that damn tie off.’ In other words, it’s time to go to work now.”
Five of his current assistant coaches also have ties to A&M and Davie still has a number of friends and associates who call the place home.
“I owe a lot to Texas A&M, I owe a lot to R.C. Slocum,” Davie said. “He made me a better coach, made me a better person. College Station made me a better coach and a better person.”
And while he’d like to have a better team to show off to the Kyle Field faithful, just getting the chance to take his players into such a unique environment is worth the price it takes to get there.
NOTES
Attendance: Kyle Field seats 102,733, making it the fourthlargest stadium in the NCAA. The single-game record for the facility is 110,631, set on Oct. 11, 2014 against Mississippi.
The Lobos have drawn 112,417 in five home games this season.
Recruiting wars? “Put it this way. There’s not one kid on our team that had a Texas A&M offer. OK, I mean that’s the real world.”
That’s how Davie responded to a question Tuesday about how many players on his UNM roster also had interest from the Aggies. He delivered his answer with a wry smile on his face.
“Let’s all understand what New Mexico football is now,” he said. “Let’s all take a deep breath here. Let’s understand. We have the lowest budget in the Mountain West Conference of all 12 teams. I don’t think we’re going to go blow an SEC stadium out and impress that kid to come here.”