In home opener, key is defensive discipline

Guns up!

But for a moment, forget the Red Raiders.

While the UNM football team hosts Texas Tech Saturday at University Stadium in its 2010 home opener, the real question lingers: How will the Lobos respond to that 72-0 pounding in Oregon, in which the Ducks racked up 720 yards?
Simply put, head coach Mike Locksley said the missing an ingredient is discipline.?

“For us right now, it’s playing with the discipline that we need to play with as a team,” Locksley said. “The turnovers and being efficient in all three phases of our team — that is the missing link for us, and that is something that we need to get corrected.”

Oregon might not be correctable, but at least the Lobos have seen this Red Raider team recently. UNM scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, but eventually lost 48-28 to the Red Raiders last season in Lubbock, Texas. It was the first time the Lobos looked competitive against a noteworthy opponent in 2009.

TTU, now under first-year head coach Tommy Tuberville after former head coach Mike Leach was fired, has taken a new look at the way Texas Tech runs its football program in west Texas.

“They are quite a bit different (from last years team),” Locksley said. “With Tommy’s background and what he has done as a defensive guy, offensively, I don’t see them throwing the ball around like they did under Mike Leach. I think there has been a little bit more of a run-game emphasis that they have implemented on the offensive side of the ball.”
Instead of a pass-happy approach, the former Auburn front man has instilled running the ball a little bit more and a defensive mindset, Locksley said.

“Defensively, they are a little similar to last year’s defense. There is also the guess factor for us, because their defensive coordinator (James Willis) is coming from Alabama,” he said. “We have had to spend some time studying on what Alabama did on defense and compare it against what we saw in their game against SMU last weekend.”

On Sunday against SMU, TTU quarterback Taylor Potts completed 34 passes for 359 yards.
But defensive end Jaymar Latchison said the Lobos are primed to stunt TTU’s passing attack, even if injured linebacker Carmen Messina, who is day-to-day, doesn’t play.

“We know that they are trying to establish the run a little more,” Latchison said. “They are still predominantly a passing team. A lot of people know that one of our team’s strength — it’s the defensive line. (Defensive line) coach (Rubin) Carter has basically said ‘This one is on us.’”

That said, UNM’s offensive line still has to block for its quarterback.
B.R. Holbrook had a rough outing against the Ducks, throwing two interceptions.

Holbrook said he all but forgot about his performance at Oregon, a And is ready for the Texas Tech attack.
“They are going to be fast, and they are going to be good,” Holbrook said. “But I think we have a good game plan.”