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Lobo quarterback Austin Apodaca prepares to pass as he is chased down by Tulsa’s defensive line. The Lobos play the Sun Devils this Friday in Tempe, Arizona.

Lobo quarterback Austin Apodaca prepares to pass as he is chased down by Tulsa’s defensive line. The Lobos play the Sun Devils this Friday in Tempe, Arizona.

Football: Tempe a traditionally tough place for Lobos

The city of Tempe, Arizona hasn’t been kind to New Mexico. In the history between UNM and Arizona State, the Lobos are 1-12-1 all-time in Tempe, with that lone victory coming in 1934.

If UNM is able to eke out a win in Sun Devil Stadium this Friday, it will be a big upset. The Sun Devils are a 28-point favorite over the visiting Lobos.

“We’re still a team that’s fighting to get to a bowl game, a team that is still fighting to win more than we lose,” head coach Bob Davie said. “That would definitely be huge for us from a confidence standpoint and from an energy standpoint.”

If the Lobos (1-1) want to pull off the upset, they’re going to have to fix their offensive line issues. UNM managed just 224 rushing yards on 47 attempts in a 40-21 loss to Tulsa last week, but most of that came from rushing outside. The Golden Hurricane stuffed most of the Lobos’ attempts up the middle, which took away the most important part of the triple option.

The offensive line has been in a state of flux since the beginning of the year because center Toye Adewon suffered an undisclosed injury during practice a month ago. With Adewon out, Davie has shifted around the offensive line, which has caused chemistry issues for the unit.

“There’s really no consistency on the offensive line,” Davie said. “Right now there’s no question we’re a little wobbly.”

ASU did struggle against Cal Poly’s triple option in the first half of a 35-21 win in Tempe. However, the Mustangs run a more traditional version of the triple option with the quarterback under center. UNM runs its triple option from the pistol formation, so that it gives the running back more room to cut.

The success of Cal Poly’s offense wasn’t sustainable. The Mustangs flamed out in the fourth quarter, gaining just 31 total yards of offense. Overall, Cal Poly ran 72 times for 284 yards for an average of 4 yards per carry.

“We’re both triple option at the core, but there’s not a whole lot of similarities between us and Cal Poly,” Davie said.

The high-octane offense that the Sun Devils have been known for hasn’t shown up much this season. In the Sun Devils’ season opening loss against Texas A&M, they scored just 17 points and gained 291 yards of total offense. ASU struggled at times against Cal Poly, but did manage 531 total yards of offense.

UNM had a hard time stopping Tulsa’s up-tempo offense as the team allowed 600 yards of offense on 89 plays.

“I’m fully expecting tempo. They want to get some rhythm going,” Davie said. “They want to score some more points. They’re a little frustrated, and I expect them to go full-speed tempo. That’s just what the game has become.”

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Thomas Romero-Salas is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.

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