by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
When UNM head football coach Rocky Long talks about his defense, the word that pops up the most is experience.
Unfortunately for the Lobos, Long said it is something the defensive unit does not have a lot of.
"We have a lot of inexperience on defense. A lot of guys are going to play for the first time," Long said. "We can't make the same mistakes that we made in the secondary last year and give up big plays."
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Because of the youth on defense, the team will have to rely on the few returning players it has. One of those players is senior Quincy Black. Black, who plays a combination of linebacker and safety, will have the task of grooming the younger players to try to help build a successful defense.
Under Long, UNM has been one of the best defensive teams in the Mountain West Conference. However, last season's unit gave up big plays and points at crucial times.
Black said he is looking forward to turning those fortunes around this season.
"As a defense, we have to step up," Black said. "We have to do a lot better than we did last year. We're expecting some young guys to step up and play like they've played before. The first couple games are going to be crucial for that."
Black said he can't explain what happened to last year's defense, but the unit must play much better at the end of games.
"The team was an enigma," Black said. "It was the tale of two teams. One half, we'd play like we were the conference champions. The next half, we'd play like we were bottom tier."
Black said because of his experience, he is putting pressure on himself to help right the ship.
"I'm a senior, and I want to win," he said. "Kole and (offensive tackle) Robert Turner and all those guys will tell you the same thing. If that means added pressure on myself, then definitely."
Black said although the team is young, the defense has what it takes to be successful this year. One of the keys to having a good year is getting off to a fast start so the younger players develop confidence right away, Black said.
"It's definitely important to come out and get those wins early, because it can help a lot for the psyche of the team - especially because we're a young team," he said. "We'll feel a lot better about ourselves if we can go out and win the first couple games and show that we're a team to be reckoned with."
From what he's seen of the offseason, Black said he is confident the defense has enough talent to help get those early wins. He said it is just a matter of the players being smart on the field.
"There's definitely the talent there to build a good defense," Black said. "It's just a matter of people having their assignments down. Coach Long has done a lot in the offseason to fix that. We have the talent. It's just a matter of playing up to it."
Black said he has no individual goals this season other than contributing to a winning team. He said the success of the team is more important than personal stats.
Black might not worry a lot about individual numbers, but Long said his senior can have an outstanding year as one of the key players on the team.
"He's a very intelligent football player," Long said. "At times, he's made a lot of big plays over the last year or so. We actually expect him to step up and be a much better player this year. We don't have very many experienced players on defense, so we have to have our experienced players step up and make plays."
