by David J. Chavez
Daily Lobo
The UNM football team is in a bowl game, but it's unclear which quarterback will take the reins.
Senior Chris Nelson and freshman Donovan Porterie are competing for the starting job against San Jose State in the New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium on Dec. 23.
Head coach Rocky Long said with both quarterbacks healthy, they have to battle it out at practice.
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"We're letting the quarterbacks compete, and on Monday, the week of the game, we'll name the starter so they can get most of the reps in the game preparation," he said.
The two quarterbacks came into the picture when senior Kole McKamey injured his knee in the second game of the season against New Mexico State. Nelson took over and led the Lobos to a 34-28 win.
Nelson played the entire game against Missouri in a 27-17 loss. He started against the University of Texas-El Paso and gave UNM a cushion that allowed Porterie to take the field for some experience in a 26-13 victory.
After losing to Air Force and Wyoming in consecutive games, Nelson was benched for Porterie.
Porterie said that keeping a mental edge is crucial, because either quarterback could be called on at anytime.
"It's been a learning experience," he said. "Coach (Bob) Toledo tells us to stay prepared, because you're only one play away from going in, so I always prepare as if I'm going to be the starter."
Porterie got injured against Texas Christian, and Nelson once again was thrust into the starting job, this time against Brigham Young.
Long said the team overcame misfortune from the quarterback swaps to emerge as a bowl
contender.
"It's tough on the team, and it's tough on the coaches, but I thought our offensive coaches did a nice job of adjusting to the different styles," he said. "Our team rallied around whichever quarterback was in the game, and our team won enough games to get in a bowl game."
Nelson went 2-4 in starts for the Lobos. He finished the regular season with 1,247 passing yards, completing 95-of-190 with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. He averaged 155.9 passing yards
per game.
Porterie finished the regular season with a 3-1 record when starting and completed 64-of-116 passes for 906 yards. He had two interceptions and six touchdowns in the games he played in.
He averaged 129.4 passing yards per game and had an efficiency
rating of 134.4, compared to Nelson's 117.9.
Porterie said the team should always be ready to perform at a high level no matter who is in at quarterback.
"Everybody has their own specific job, and as a quarterback, we're taught to go in there and execute no matter what the circumstance is," he said.
Nelson left practice early on Friday and was unavailable for comment.
The Lobos are facing a San Jose State team that has a lot of momentum coming into the bowl, Porterie said.
The bowl game is a great opportunity to get more experience for the players that will be around next year, he said.
"It's a blessing to be able to play in a bowl game my freshman year, and I'm going to take this as a learning experience," he said. "It's going to be a test for us, so all we can do is prepare
for them."
New Mexico Bowl
Football vs.
San Jose State
Dec. 23, 2:30 p.m.
University Stadium
Televised by ESPN
