The Lobo football team is going to have the biggest challenge of its early season this weekend.
UNM travels to Little Rock, Ark., on Saturday to take on No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks.
“Our team is excited about having a chance to play a team like Arkansas,” head coach Mike Locksley said. “We expect it to be hot, we expect it to be humid and we expect a great atmosphere for football.”
Arkansas is coming off a 51-7 win over Missouri State last week.
Last year the team had the opportunity to play in the Sugar Bowl but lost to Big 10 powerhouse Ohio State.
Even though Arkansas is a ranked team and plays in one of the best conferences in all of college football, the Lobos are preparing for this game like it was any other.
“We’re practicing every day trying to get better. We’re just trying to go down there and get a win,” running back James Wright said.
The defense had a good performance last week against CSU, and senior linebacker Carmen Messina said it needs to have the same performance against the Razorbacks.
“On the defensive side we have to be fundamentally sound,” he said. “We have to play the player and not the decal. I think we’re just as talented as any team in the country.”
The Razorbacks play in the Southeastern Conference. The last five Bowl Championship Series champions that have come from the conference and have some of the best players in the nation.
Despite all the hype, Messina said that the defense is not
targeting a specific playmaker on the opposite side.
“They have a lot of guys that can run fast, but I feel like we have the same kind of talent on this team,” Messina said. “Their passing game is one of the things we need to concentrate on.”
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The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU. It’s been a long time since the Lobos have had a chance to play in the national spotlight, but Wright said being in the nation’s eye won’t faze him or his teammates.
“They’re the ones with the pressure on them,” Wright said. “They’re ranked. We’re not ranked or anything so we’re just trying to go down there and get a win.”
Messina said he is looking forward to getting some national exposure.
“I feel great about this opportunity to play in front of the whole country,” Messina said. “We’re going to go out there and represent the University of New Mexico for everybody. Hopefully when people turn to ESPNU from all the other games, hopefully they’ll see New Mexico up over Arkansas.”
The Lobos have started off the season 0-1.
Quarterback Tarean Austin said he knows how big a win would be for his team.
“We have to go out there and execute and do what our coaches have been teaching us,” Austin said. “We’re trying to go out there and get a win.”
Up Next:
Football vs. Arkansas
Saturday 5 p.m.
ESPNU
