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Giving up big plays isn’t the Achilles’ heel of the New Mexico football team’s defense anymore. Now it’s bad tackling that plagues the Lobos’ defense.
Through three games, UNM’s tackling has been the key reason for why opponents are averaging 440 yards of total offense and 32 points per game.
At Pittsburgh on Sept. 14, the Lobos were gashed for 527 yards of total offense. A majority of those yards came after the Panthers broke a Lobo tackle or two.
“The last two games we kind of took it for granted,” senior nose tackle Jacori Greer said. “Football is tackling and we understand that, but in the game there are different situations and it’s hard to simulate. This week, Coach (Bob Davie) has done a good job of simulating those situations and understanding what they need to do.”
Senior linebacker Dallas Bollema said the defense has had trouble finishing tackles.
“It’s an issue,” he said. “It’s not the hitting aspect of it — it’s wrapping up. These guys are bringing their pads but they’re slipping off at the end.”
Another problem the defense has is stopping the run. Opposing rushing offenses are averaging 240 yards per game with a 6.4 yards-per-carry mark.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Mills said the only game so far in which the Lobos were able to consistently stop the run was against the University of Texas-San Antonio on Aug. 31. UNM’s run defense held the Roadrunners to 157 yards on 33 attempts for a 4.8 yards per carry average.
“We’re learning and growing. We just need to become more consistent, and that starts with stopping the run,” he said. “The first game we got them into third downs quite a bit and played good third-down defense. It’s always going to start with us stopping the run.”
Bollema said the Lobos have done a good job of stuffing the run up the gut, but they need to work on stopping the run to the outside.
“It’s not the run up the middle,” he said. “We have to set up the edge a little better. Once we get that set we’re going to be rolling.”
As for the pass defense, UNM is allowing 200 yards per game but is also allowing quarterbacks to complete almost 70 percent of their passes.
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Mills said the pass defense did well versus UTSA and UTEP, but allowed one too many big plays down the field at Pitt. Against the Panthers, the Lobos gave up their longest passing play of the year, a 51-yard completion to freshman wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who torched UNM for 134 yards on six catches with one touchdown.
“I think, in general, our guys are understanding where we need to be on the back end, especially the first couple of games,” Mills said. “It’s always going to come down to deep-ball situations.
First two games we made quite a few and the last game we didn’t.”
Greer said some of the problems the defense has faced are because of how youthful the Lobos are.
“I think we’re young and when you’re young you don’t quite see things as fast and that’s really hurt us,” he said. “At the same time, we’ve shown tremendous strides. The guys understand the defense and they understand what they’re supposed to do.”
