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All Kasey Carrier needed was a chance to show he could be the starting running back for the New Mexico football team.
For three years under former head coach Mike Locksley, Carrier was denied that opportunity and instead split time with other halfbacks in the backfield. Carrier was never touted as a back who could carry an offense.
“I was never the starting running back here or the number-one back coming out of camp under our old coaching staff,” he said. “It wasn’t until we had a change in coaches that I knew I had a chance to be the back I could be.”
Carrier headed into the 2012 season coming off a year in which he didn’t play a down thanks to a knee and ankle injury that he suffered during fall camp.
Even with a year on the bench due to injury and a new coaching staff, Carrier said he was still confident that one day he would be named the starter.
“I felt like every year I was going to be the starter,” he said. “‘Next year will be my year’ — but I was never named the starter; it didn’t happen until 2012.”
To say that head coach Bob Davie made the right decision last year in naming Carrier the starter would be an understatement. Since being named UNM’s starting running back in 2012, Carrier has rushed for 2,327 yards and scored 24 rushing touchdowns. He also broke UNM’s single-season rushing record with 1,496 yards last season. DonTrell Moore set the old record of 1,450 in 2003.
There weren’t many bright spots in UNM’s 45-10 loss to Utah State on Oct. 19, but Carrier did enter to become the Lobo’s fifth all-time leading rusher, passing Fred Henry, who played from 1970-72.
For his career, Carrier has rushed 2,969 yards and needs only 363 more to pass Winslow Oliver for fourth place.
“That means a lot,” Carrier said. “That definitely wasn’t something that I thought was going to happen in one point of my career here. For it to happen means a lot to me being up there with those guys.”
Davie said Carrier is definitely deserving of having his name up there with the other Lobo greats.
“I feel like Kasey Carrier is a better back than he was last year at this time,” Davie said. “It has been frustrating for Kasey for some games, but he hasn’t shown that frustration. For him to just be in there at the end against Utah State shows what kind of guy Kasey Carrier is.”
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Recruiting
Several recruiting sites show that the Lobos don’t have a commitment for the 2014 season.
Davie said that not having a commit doesn’t bother him.
“You really do have to let the dust settle, and I’ve never been one to offer those early (scholarships),” Davie said. “I’d rather wait and be more conservative. It’s not one bit of a concern.”
All of the coaches went out recruiting between Thursday and Sunday. Davie said the coaches’ main focuses were Texas, California and the Midwest.
Talking about practice
The Lobos had just three days of practice during their bye week.
Davie said some players practiced about 50 minutes if their snap count was over 300 plays for the year. He added that those who were over 300 snaps finished the practice session with strength and conditioning coach Ben Hilgart.
“I just think that you have to be really smart,” Davie said. “Those guys over 300 snaps have to get some rest.”
