New Mexico won’t be the only team playing “multiple quarterbacks” Saturday night.
Central Michigan’s Angel Flores and Jadyn Glasser are both expected to take snaps at quarterback for the Chippewas according to Head Coach Matt Drinkall, meaning five total quarterbacks seeing the field between both teams isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
What does UNM need to accomplish in order to walk out of University Stadium 1-0?
Win the game on early downs
Defensive tackle Brian Booker said it without hesitation: “We love their physicality.”
“They're a very big physical team up front,” Booker said of Central Michigan. “It’s something we love playing against. It’s a challenge for us…we love challenges.”
The challenge UNM is presented with is an offense built on their ability to run the ball. CMU returns seven offensive lineman who saw playing time last season, including four starters. It’s a much more seasoned offensive line heading into week 1 than a season ago.
“Stopping the run and forcing them into a bunch of third and longs where they have to drop back and pass (is important),” Eck emphasized Monday.
Defensive tackles Brian Booker, Xavier Slayton and Jalen McIver’s ability to control the line of scrimmage will pay dividends. CMU’s offensive line relies heavily on their heavy hands and ability to move players off the line of scrimmage. It will be strength against strength in the trenches Saturday night.
“They’re heavy on their double teams,” Booker said of the opposing offensive line. “When they climb (to the second level) they’re very effective, they want to throw us off the ball and create gaps off of that.”
CMU could utilize both quarterbacks on the ground, but the bulk of the carries could come through running backs Brock Townsend and Vaughn Blue.
“They run hard,” McIver said. “If they see a hole they’re gonna (hit) it, but it starts up front. If we stop (them), (they) won’t be a factor.”
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Stop the ground and pound on early downs, and UNM puts themselves in a favorable position defensively by allowing their defensive line to pin their ears back and rush a team that doesn’t want to live in drop-back situations.
Keep the quarterbacks in the pocket
“They’re very athletic at quarterback,” Head Coach Jason Eck said. “I think as much as trying (to) get sacks in this game, it’s gonna be (to) keep the quarterback in the pocket and don’t let (them) beat us with (their) legs.”
The Lobos know it’ll be a tall task.
“(Flores) is an excellent runner,” Booker said. “Once he gets out of the pocket it’s hard to stop him, he’s a physical runner too. When he wants to get downhill, he can run somebody over.”
The senior was indeed an excellent runner last season. He led the team with eight rushing touchdowns, paired with 527 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry. Over nine games, Flores averaged 3.1 pass attempts per game, so the evaluation as a passer is murky.
“He’s somebody who can throw the ball well enough, but he’s really a threat with his legs,” defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky said. “We got a good team coming in here.”
Flores has shown the ability to throw the ball at a high level, just not on a consistent one. Though he very well should improve in that area this season, making him even more of a threat outside the pocket.
Glasser, on the other hand, saw minimal playing time last season prior to missing the last 11 games due to a knee injury. Central Michigan’s staff said that they’d be “foolish” not to put the junior quarterback in a position to help them win games, though it’s unclear how CMU will deploy him.
Protect the football
The best way to allow the Chippewas to stay in the game is to give them short fields to work with.
Quarterbacks Luke Moga and James Laubstein rarely turned the ball over throughout camp, but the absence of evidence isn’t the evidence of absence.
“Those guys understand they have to take great care of the football,” Offensive Coordinator Luke Schleusner said. “When we call shots down the field, they have to see when we have one-on-one opportunities and give our guys an opportunity to make plays.”
Schleusner also emphasized the importance of committing to the run game to ease the burden on the quarterbacks, though he wants them to find explosives through the air as well.
UNM’s path to 1-0 consists of winning at the line of scrimmage and avoiding stepping on their own feet. The best way to keep an underdog in the game — a double digit underdog, according to two ESPN projections — is through self-inflicted mistakes.
“This is gonna be a tough matchup, we (have to) play very well to get this win,” Eck said.
Edge Garcia is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @ByEdgeGarcia
