The New Mexico Lobos (0-1) look to put a pounding on Division I-AA opponent Weber State University this Saturday when they open their home football season at University Stadium.
Weber State was 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big Sky Conference last year. They are 2-14 all-time versus teams that make up the MWC with both wins coming against UNLV. Saturday's game is the first ever meeting between the two teams.
"Weber State is gonna come in and this is their Super Bowl. Their shot at a D-I team and they're going to play hard, so we gotta match their intensity," junior offensive lineman Jason Lenzmeier said.
In the past few years, the Lobos have learned not to take Division I-AA teams lightly - including a narrow 35-28 win over Northern Arizona University.
"We played Northern Arizona (Division I-AA) here twice and the first year was easy and in the second year we were hanging on by our toenails," head coach Rocky Long said.
Fifth-year head coach Jerry Graybeal leads the Wildcats. Graybeal has a 20-24 record in his five seasons at Weber State.
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"The biggest difference in playing a I-A school is depth. They go two, three or four deep, while it's usually hard to get a solid two-deep at I-AA," Graybeal said in a press release. Weber State will be showcasing a new starting quarterback in 6-foot-6-inch 230-pound Tate Bennet. He is replacing Tyler Gladwell who threw for 2,733 yards and 22 TD's last year. Bennet was 40-85 for 473 yards and 3 TD's in six games last season.
The Wildcats also will have a hole to fill with the vacancy of tailback Johnnie Gray III. Gray III rushed for 1,571 yards and 15 TD's as a senior last year. Replacing Gray will be 6-foot 200-pound sophomore Nick Chournos and 5-foot 7-inch 190-pound sophomore Gavin Brooks.
On defense, middle linebacker Matt McFadden leads Weber State. McFadden had 123 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a 41-yard interception return while earning First Team All-Big Sky Conference honors.
Last week, UNM lost to 25th ranked North Carolina State University 34-14 in the Black Coaches Association Bowl at Raleigh, NC. The Lobos have not started a season 0-2 since 2000.
UNM did show some good signs in their season opening loss to N.C. State last week. For one thing, the offensive line stood its ground holding off the Wolfpack defense. Lobo quarterback Casey Kelly was sacked only one time and running back Quincy Wright was repeatedly able to get off the line before being hit.
"A lot of times when I was running the ball, I wasn't getting touched until the secondary," Wright said. "Each one of them gave 110 percent in run blocking and pass blocking."
Unfortunately for UNM, strong play out of the offensive line is not the only thing they will need in order to win this week. Last week, Lobo receivers had a tough time getting open against a fast N.C. State defense.
"The receivers gotta get open," Long said. "It's hard to be a quarterback and throw the ball if nobody's open back there."
On the defensive side of the ball, the Lobos made some key mistakes last week that cost them several big plays. You won't hear junior safety Terrell Golden making any excuses though.
"I got caught slipping on a couple plays and I just wanted to kick myself," Golden said. "You can believe that we're going to learn from those mistakes and get everything ironed out."
Last year, the Lobos finished a bowl eligible 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the Mountain West Conference. This year, New Mexico looks to build on last season's strong 5-2 finish.
UNM has increased its win total by one game every year since 1999.
Due to the addition of the BCA Bowl, UNM will play 13 games in a season for only the second time in school history. In their only other 13-game season, the Lobos won the Mountain Division of the Western Athletic Conference and played in the Insight.com Bowl.
Kickoff for Saturday's game is 6:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KKOB, 770 AM. The game will not be televised.
