by Phil Parker
Daily Lobo
The Lobos have been chewing the fat for six weeks now, but after this weekend's bye it will be time to get to the real meat of the football schedule.
UNM is exactly halfway through the season - let's take some stock in what we know, and what we don't know, about this year's Lobo football team.
We know UNM can run the ball. Tailback DonTrell Moore is a leading rusher in Division I football and he leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring with nine rushing touchdowns.
Moore's backup, D.D. Cox, is the No. 10 rusher in the MWC and helps round out a powerful Lobo ground attack.
Cox and Moore have combined for 827 yards in the first six games. The top rushers for No. 1 Oklahoma, Kejuan Jones and Renaldo Works, combine for a total of 561 rushing yards in five games.
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Moore's been nursing a sore ankle since the second game of the season. He said it has improved every game and he should come off the bye week feeling better.
We also know the Lobos can run pass plays. Starting quarterback Casey Kelly is nationally ranked 74th in passing and 3rd in the MWC with 1,165 yards.
He has had an up-and-down year so far. When the Lobos traveled to Texas Tech on Sept. 6 for a matchup against the Red Raiders, Kelly put up big numbers with 349 yards and two scores. But was also picked off three times.
Wide receiver Dwight Counter has been a key deep-threat in the Lobo passing game. Counter has three touchdowns and is averaging 22.7 yards per reception. Counter is the eighth leading receiver in the MWC.
Adrian Boyd is the No. 7 receiver in the conference, leading the Lobos with 24 catches and 344 yards this season.
We also know the Lobos have a dependable second string quarterback. Kelly was benched in the game against NMSU after throwing two interceptions in the first half. He was replaced by freshman redshirt Kole McKamey who went three for three in the game with one touchdown.
Head coach Rocky Long has never wavered on Kelly's status as starter.
We know the Lobo defense can stop the run, but we also know that their defense can't stop the pass.
The Lobos are 12th in the country in rushing defense. They give up only 80.2 yards a game on the ground, by far the best in the MWC. However, in passing defense, the Lobos are nearly in the cellar, coming in at No. 105 in the nation.
Considering these key components, UNM can be considered a threat in the MWC and should make a mark on the national scene by making another bowl-game appearance this season.
