Will hometown hurt finally subside?

Welcome home, Lobos.

Yet the only thing hitting close to home on south campus after four losses is wondering if the UNM football team will regroup against powerful UTEP (3-1) on Saturday.

The Lobos, who have been beaten by a combined average of 56.3 points, hope to round out UNM’s Homecoming week with their first win.
Lobo head coach Mike Locksley said it’s another opportunity for his young team to grow.

“Every week we have shown some sparks of success,” he said. “What we have to do is become more consistent, and that is in each phase.”
Special teams is one phase of the game that looms over the Lobos’ head, but against the Rebels in Las Vegas, Nev., they showed progress, Locksley said.

“For the first time, we had no major errors,” he said. “No punt returns, kick returns for touchdowns and no blocked punts.”
In reviewing game film, UTEP head coach Mike Price said he hasn’t seen UNM players give up or hang their heads.

“A lot of teams would be 0-3 playing their schedule, and I think they’re disappointed,” he said at his weekly news conference. “I know they have circled the UTEP game in red on their schedule, because coach Locksley refers to it as the soft part of their schedule by playing us and New Mexico State. So we’ll see if that’s true or not.”

Equally as true, UNM’s defense will have to wrap its minds around stopping Miner quarterback Trevor Vittatoe.
Vittatoe passed for 986 yards so far this season. What’s more impressive is his accuracy: The UTEP senior has tossed eight touchdowns compared to two interceptions.

Locksley said Vittatoe has made few mistakes.
“He’s a dual threat,” he said. “The one thing that I like about him is when you watch him, he takes care of the football.”
The last time the Lobos battled UTEP was in 2007, with the Miners squeaking out a 10-6 home victory.

UNM wide receiver Chris Hernandez, a Las Cruces native, knows a little bit about the game’s regional implications — all of them. He said the team isn’t overlooking UTEP in anticipation of another rivalry game against NMSU on Oct. 9.

“We have focused 100 percent on UTEP this whole week,” Hernandez said. “That’s who we’re getting ready for, and that’s who we’re playing on Saturday. It’s a rivalry, and I know that (the UTEP fans) travel well, so it’s going to be a good atmosphere.”
Locksley couldn’t have said it better.
“It’s Homecoming week, but it’s against a regional rival in UTEP,” he said.