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Throwing the football hasn’t been a necessity for the Lobo football team this season.
On the year, UNM has attempted only 90 passes, and head football coach Bob Davie said the team might not throw a pass against Fresno State on Saturday.
“I’m sure Fresno … is sitting there saying, ‘Are they even going to throw a pass?’” he said. “That’s kind of the reality.”
The Lobos will most likely be without senior starting quarterback B.R. Holbrook, who suffered a concussion last weekend in the first half versus Air Force. Instead, freshman quarterback Cole Gautsche will take the helm in his first career start as signal-caller versus the Bulldogs.
Davie said the coaching staff has to let Gautsche pass at some point to build toward the future of the program. Gautsche has attempted only eight passes this season, but has rushed for 437 yards on 52 attempts with five touchdowns.
“That’s always the issue; I compare this with having some young players that we need to play more and not worry about the results,” Davie said. “It’s the same thing with Cole and the passing game. At some point, we need to have Cole let it rip and throw it for the future.”
The Fresno offense is one of the best in college football, ranked No. 12 in the nation for net total yards. Junior quarterback Derek Carr is 12th in the nation for passing, averaging 293.8 yards per game, while junior running back Robbie Rouse is 21st in the country in rushing, grinding out 109 yards per game.
Davie said the Bulldogs, with an NFL-caliber quarterback manning their offense, pose a tough matchup.
“Fresno State is the most balanced team in this conference,” Davie said. “It’s impressive watching them. They’re heck of an addition to this conference, but they bring a program that we’re going to have to try to catch up with.”
The UNM defense is No. 85 in the nation in passing defense, and Davie said his biggest concern is the team’s secondary because the Bulldogs’ receivers are so dynamic.
“They’re up against the wall — our secondary is backed into a corner,” he said. “This team is a lot like Texas Tech and Texas Tech put up 700 yards on us.”
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New Mexico will counter with the nation’s fifth-ranked rushing offense, churning out an average 296.9 yards per game. Leading the Lobo ground game is current Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week junior tailback Kasey Carrier, who is second in the nation in rushing with an average of 138.3 yards per game.
Davie said the team may implement more of the wildcat formation without the Lobos’ best passer. The wildcat formation is when a halfback or wide receiver lines up at quarterback and takes the snap.
“It adds another blocker up front and it’s low risk,” Davie said. “There’s not option in there, it’s a pretty simple package. That’s been a good weapon for us and you gain a weapon’s advantage.
Football: vs. Fresno State
Saturday
1:30 p.m.
University Stadium
