Letter: Lobo football team must tackle problems to win

Editor,

This year, the UNM football team has failed to live up to its fans and its own preseason expectations. The Lobos, who are 5-4 and 3-3 in the Mountain West Conference - and tied for fourth place in the MWC, go to Salt Lake City this weekend to face the other fourth-place team in the conference, the Utah Utes, in a game that could decide the postseason fates of both teams.

The Lobos' mediocre defense and non-effective offense in the second half of the game against Colorado State two weeks ago caused the team to suffer another crucial conference loss. Unfortunately, the stagnation of the Lobos has cost them more than just one conference win. The teams' inability to score and the defenses' inability to stop opponents from scoring in the third and fourth quarters has left the Lobos with only two games to become bowl eligible.

If the Lobos want to have any chance of going to a bowl game for the fourth consecutive year, the team will have to have another signature Rocky Long post-bye-week run. However, the Lobos, with only two games remaining in the 2005 season, will have to fix problems on both the offense and the defense, if they don't want their season to end in November. The defense, which has improved greatly since the beginning of the season, still needs a solid outing from both the safeties and the cornerbacks who, up to this point, have looked like wide receivers without hands or speed.

Although the defense needs to make improvements in the secondary and in tackling at every position before this Saturday, it is the offense that will have to prove to itself and the Lobo Nation that it can gain a lead in the first half and not allow it to slip away after halftime.

This task may be more difficult because Kole McKamey is not going to play due to an injury. His absence and the inexperience of the backup may force the offense to rely on its running game, which was not utilized in the second half of the loss against Colorado State. If the Lobos are initially successful in running the ball on the Utes, it might allow the junior college transfer, Chris Nelson, to become comfortable in his role and spread the ball to different receivers.

If the Lobos are effective on both sides of the ball for four complete quarters, the team might just earn a much-needed victory, and give Rocky Long another chance to win an elusive bowl game victory as the head coach of the Lobos.

Henry Parker

Parent of UNM student