Hoping for first win at Homecoming
UNM interim head coach George Barlow said he is going to do everything in his power to help the UNM football team get the first win of the season against UNLV.
And that could include gambling early.
“I can’t say I won’t go for it on fourth down,” he said. “Let’s just say this: I will definitely be out there trying to play to win if it comes to a situation to do that. If (defensive coordinator) Doug (Mallory) and coach (offensive coordinator Darrell) Dickey feel good about it, then we are going to go with it.”
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The Lobos need to get it done this weekend, because it might be the last chance for a victory this season. Including Saturday’s game against UNLV, UNM has six games left.
UNM (0-6) is winless for the first time since the 1987 season and riding a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season. The Lobos have lost six consecutive Mountain West Conference games since 2008, too.
Enter the Rebels — currently 2-5 and a team that has given up more than 30 points in six of its seven games.
But the Lobos aren’t fooled by the Rebels’ record, Barlow said.
“On paper it looks like a better opportunity, a better chance to win,” he said. “They are a pretty good team when they put it all together. I am sure they are going to come and be ready to play.”
UNLV has some playmakers, specifically wide receiver Ryan Wolfe, who has hauled in 50 receptions for 539 yards and a touchdown this season.
Wolfe, a preseason All-American candidate, is a tremendous route runner and has great hands catching the ball in traffic.
To stop Wolfe and the rest of the Rebels, cornerback Anthony Hooks said the Lobos will have to take the field at full speed.
“He is a big and really physical receiver,” Hooks said. “We are just going to have to come out there with our A-game and see what we do against him. We just got to be on top of our stuff.”
Barlow said the bye week helped the Lobos get back to the basics and shape up for the homecoming game.
“What we tried to do was see what we were doing well on both sides of the ball,” he said. “We tried to stick to that and that’s what we are going to try to stick with against UNLV this week. We also tried to see what we are doing well, especially with young kids who haven’t played a whole lot (this season).”
Barlow’s had double duties this week, coaching the defensive back and the team as a whole because of head coach Mike Locksley’s 10-day suspension. But even with the added pressure, cornerback Nathan Enriquez said Barlow is committed to commanding the secondary’s attention.
“We see what we have to do this week with coach Barlow in charge,” he said. “He is doing a great job keeping us focused and not thinking about other things outside of what we have to do on the field and at practice.”
*Football vs. UNLV
Saturday
6 p.m.
University Stadium *
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MIKE LOCKSLEY IS IN OVER HIS HEAD
• New Mexico finished the season 1-11, its worst record since the 1980’s. Many of those losses were blowouts.
• Coach Locksley admitted striking an assistant coach during a “physical altercation”.
• As of 10-10-09, Locksley had been blown out in 5 out of 6 games.
• Loss at home to undermanned and less talented NMSU squad.
• Poor leadership and example for student athletes — physical violence in the workplace.
• Talented recruiting class not yet in the works, despite Locksley’s supposed expertise as recruiter.
• Rapid decline in football game attendance, and general apathy toward program under Locksley.
• Segment by ESPN Outside the Lines alleges cover up and previous anger management issues.
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Despite big promises and big words, University of New Mexico Lobo head football coach Mike Locksley delivered only a single victory in 2009, at a cost of $750,000 to the taxpayers of New Mexico. That’s right, $750,000 per victory — what a bargain. The Lobos finished near the bottom of the NCAA in most important offensive and defensive statistical categories — so much for Locksley’s bragging assertion that another number would need to be added to the scoreboard — if it was needed, it was needed on the opposing team’s side this year. Coach Locksley was hit with an EEOC complaint earlier in 2009 that has now been settled, with his former employee being given a newly created, higher-paying position, back pay, lifetime season tickets to UNM sporting events, and an undisclosed, behind the scenes settlement. Coach Mike Locksley has admitted to striking assistant coach J.B. Gerald in a “physical altercation”, and it appears possible that this incident may result in a lawsuit against UNM, as Coach Gerald has opted to leave the team, and retain an attorney. Locksley has also failed to land the recruits he could supposedly deliver, losing two of his top three recruits in 2009 to their failure to qualify. Another one of Locksley’s highly touted recruits briefly left the program and returned because of the controversy surrounding the gerald situation.
The University of New Mexico pays Coach Mike Locksley $750,000 annually, or approximately $14,423.08 per week. Has Coach Mike Locksley done anything to demonstrate that he is qualified to be a head football coach at this level? Is Mike Locksley representative of the values of the University of New Mexico Lobos, or the state of New Mexico? Does he really deserve this kind of money, based on performance, or should the University of New Mexico have terminated him for cause when they had the opportunity to do so? We feel the answer is a resounding “yes”, based on his record, performance, and behavior. Mike Locksley was a very bad hire.
The taxpayers of New Mexico and fans of University of New Mexico Lobo football deserve more coaching and more integrity for their money. It is time to recognize the mistake made by Paul Krebs in hiring Coach Locksley, and sever ties with Coach Locksley, before the program suffers irreparable damage. New Mexico Lobo football cannot survive 5 more years of Mike Locksley, and this style of management, or lack of coaching ability. Our student athletes deserve better leadership.
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