University of New Mexico football suffered a shutout at the hands of Fresno State over the weekend, and things could be even more difficult as the team prepares to host Colorado State on a short week.
New Mexico (3-3, 1-2 MW) had the same overall record at this point in the season last year—coming off an ugly 49-21 home loss to Boise State. The team responded to win five straight games to right the ship and salvage the season.
But it was Colorado State that put an abrupt end to that win streak — a team that has won the last seven meetings over the Lobos. And although UNM gets to play the game at Dreamstyle Stadium this time around — that doesn’t mean things will be easy.
“They are a power five team,” New Mexico head coach Bob Davie said of the Rams. “No disrespect to Fresno State, but Colorado State, to me, is the best team in this league.”
Davie may think CSU is the best in the Mountain West Conference, but Fresno State improved to a 4-0 record in conference after it destroyed the Lobos by a score of 38-0 on Saturday. Colorado State (5-2, 3-0 MW) might be able to use the Fresno State game as a blueprint to beat UNM.
Last year, CSU crushed New Mexico 49-31 in Fort Collins, Colorado, though the game wasn’t really as close as the final score would suggest. The Rams dominated the Lobos, racing out to a 49-17 advantage through three-quarters of play, before coasting to victory.
Colorado State rushed for a whopping 422 yards, with three players—Marvin Kinsey Jr., Izzy Matthews and Dalyn Dawkins—going over the century mark on the ground. And since all three were underclassmen, that means the Lobos haven’t seen the last of them.
Davie said the game last year was “play after play of explosiveness” and showed the team some clips of the plays the CSU skill-position players made, acknowledging there is a lot of talent the Lobos will have to try to handle.
“There’s one word to describe (the skill position players), and this is an absolute compliment, is violent,” he said. “When their running backs touch it, they’re looking to run you over and hurt you.”
Colorado State quarterback Nick Stevens, who Davie said he considered to a true NFL prospect, has been proficient this season as well. He has thrown for over 350 yards and four touchdowns in two of the last three games.
That could be trouble for a Lobo secondary that was susceptible to the deep ball against Fresno State. But Davie said this isn’t the first time that New Mexico has been outmanned when facing an opponent, and it is up to everyone to put themselves in position to be at their best.
New Mexico could do itself a lot of favors if the team is able to protect the ball and get the running game back on track to sustain drives and chew up the clock. But that is also easier said than done, as injuries have ravaged the offensive line.
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The game will be televised on ESPN2 with an 8:15 p.m. start time at Dreamstyle Stadium on Friday, Oct. 20. It is also the “Lobos Love Pink” game, which is designed to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers basketball, football and tennis. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Robert_Maler.
