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@ThomasRomeroS
It’s been tough for the New Mexico football team to get into gear the past three weeks.
The Lobos stumbled out of the gate at Wyoming, trailing 21-0 before losing 38-31 on Oct. 12. The following week, UNM was routed 45-10 by Utah State, a game that went downhill after the Lobos fumbled on their first possession of the game. At San Diego State last Saturday, UNM fell behind 14-0 and went on to lose 35-30.
UNM will look to avoid its fourth-straight sluggish beginning today when it hosts Air Force.
“It’s kind of odd because we had been fast starters up until a couple games ago,” head coach Bob Davie said. “It’s executing and it’s playing; there’s nothing special about it.”
The teams are almost carbon copies of each other. A quick look at the stats says it all: UNM has the third best rushing offense in the nation, averaging 313.6 yards per game, while Air Force is 11th with an average of 279.2 yards per game.
The defenses have been two of the worst in the country. The Lobos are 116th in total defense just two spots above the Falcons. UNM gives up 481 yards per game and Air Force allows 513.1 yards per game.
Air Force sits at 2-7 which is one more loss than UNM has at 2-6. Neither team has a win in the Mountain West Conference and are a combined 0-9 in conference play. UNM is 0-4 in the MWC.
The Falcons snapped a seven-game losing streak thanks to a 42-28 win over Army last week. The Lobos are on a three-game skid and haven’t beaten Air Force since 2007.
“It’s really two very, very similar teams. That’s probably by design if you look at it schematically,” Davie said. “Its two teams that try to find ways to do things with their personnel that you can do. Air Force is a tremendous example of that.”
Air Force runs a variation of UNM’s triple option offense. The Falcons have four players who have 250 or more rushing yards on the year with running back Anthony Lacoste’s 616 yards leading the group.
It’s been a revolving door at quarterback for Air Force with four signal-callers seeing action this season. Freshman quarterback Nate Romine started the past two games for Air Force. He’s completed 19 of 34 attempts for 274 yards with one score and one interception.
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“It’s almost mirror images from the standpoint that you can do things schematically on offense where you can create an option game, the option play action game,” Davie said of the offenses.
“Its two teams that are going to try to find ways to get off the field, make stop and get the ball back to their offense.”
At halftime of tonight’s game, UNM will officially retire former Lobo Brian Urlacher’s No. 44. Urlacher was named MWC Player of the Year in 1999.
Football vs. Air Force
Tonight
7 p.m.
University Stadium
