Three questions about New Mexico Football 2015

Can the Lobos offense be better in 2015?

In 2014 New Mexico was one of the premier rushing teams in the nation. They averaged 310 yards per game which was good for 4th in FBS.  The Lobos triple option is hard for teams to cover because it requires extreme discipline and more often than not defensive breakdowns led to big plays but big plays alone will not score you points. The Lobos who averaged 27.7 points per game were ranked 77th in FBS in scoring per game. 

So can the Lobos offense be better next year? The short answer is yes but a lot of things need to happen. New Mexico will return their two top runners from last year in Jhurell Pressley 1093 yards 12 TD’S and Teriyon Gipson 809 yards 8 TD’S in 2014.They will need a back to fill the role Crusoe Gongbay had last year which was to grind the defense. Romell Jordan did a good job of that at the end of the season in that role but the Lobos have also signed a couple of running back in the offseason to add depth to the position.

If UNM had a weakness last year it was passing the ball, often long drives would stall because the Lobos would get stuck on a third and long. Without the ability to throw the ball more often than not the team would depend on Lamar Jordan and Jhurell Pressley’s legs to make things happen. Defenses caught on to the teams game plan and would just stack the box to suppress the run and for Jordan to beat them with his arm. He did make some big throws but not enough to win games.

So if you’re Bob Davie what do you do? He went out and recruited four receivers to complement offensive weapons Ridge Jones and Carlos Wiggins. Two of those receivers can become instant contributors. Look for 6’2 Anu Somoye and 6’3 Delane Hart to be break out players for the Lobos.

Under the center fan favorite Lamar Jordan returns, but he is locked in a quarterback battle with former Washington State quarterback Austin Apodaca. Jordan who is an offense weapon will still see time on the field in 2015, but look for him to go in to the season as a backup.  Apodaca, who is a gun slinger, is a duel threat and while he does not run the ball as well as Jordan he brings the balance the Lobos need.

With Apodaca under the center look for the Lobos to air out the ball more, they will defiantly average more than 81 yards per game passing, and while the rushing game may suffer, the balance will open up the field and allow the Lobos to score more points per game which at the end of the day is what will help them win more games.

 

Will New Mexico’s defense be better this year?

When you are one of the worst teams in FBS in all defensive statistical categories there is lots of room for improvement.

As a team the Lobos gave up 519 yards per game which was good for 124 out of a 125 teams in FBS. The only team that allowed more yards was Iowa State with 528 YPG.  They gave up 40 touchdowns on the ground and allowed 269 yards per game rushing, which was good for 122 out of 124 giving.

To go along with a weak run defense the team also was 112^th in points against per game and 92^nd in passing giving up 250 yards per game.

So what’s next for the Lobos and can they defense get better? 

They have decided to change defensive schemes to a 3-3-5 defense which is a better fit with the Lobos smaller linebackers. The new defense will allow Kimmie Carson who is a great Blitzer to excel and should generate more pressure.

So what about the run defense?  

With no significant additions in the offseason and Dakota Cox likely to miss a couple of games look for teams to continue to run all over the Lobos, and while they will probably not give up 269 yards per game it could be close.

In 2015 New Mexico’s overall team defense may improve but don’t expect it to be one of the top units in the Mountain West much less the country. Expect UNM to have a bend not break approach to defense and hope that they can out score other opponents to win games.

 

Am I buying or selling the Lobos in 2015?

The Lobos are not far enough along to compete for a championship but I do think that they can win at least six games and make it to the New Mexico bowl.

Regardless of how fans feel rebuilding is a long process and while Bob Davie is going into his fourth season as the Lobos head coach it will still take him a couple more years to build a constant contender. They are taking the right path to building a winner but are still behind the 8-ball in a conference that keeps improving, Mike Locksley really set the team back 5-6 years. 

So while I am buying the Lobos to be better this year I do not see them finishing better than fourth in a stacked Mountain Division in the MWC.  Bob Davie is the right coach for this team. He has changed attitudes and has tried to build a winning culture, it just takes time to build depth, and depth and talent win championships. 

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Ron Carrion of Mountain West Connection provided the information for our New Mexico Football 2015 Spring recap. For more great Lobos football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Ron on Twitter @rjc1810.

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