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Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Practice report: Notes, quotes as Lobos prepare for No. 24 Oklahoma
- Story byAlbuquerque Journal, N.M.
- Practice report: Notes, quotes as Lobos prepare for No. 24 Oklahoma
Practice notes and quotes ahead of New Mexico's game against No. 24 Oklahoma (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.):
In the pocket
With 26 attempted passes this season, no UNM quarterback has thrown the ball more than Luke Moga. And with a sack-adjusted zero rushing yards on four carries, no UNM quarterback has run the ball less than the former Oregon transfer.
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That twist hasn't been lost on Moga, who was recruited out of Sunnyslope (Arizona) High School exclusively as a dual-threat quarterback — not a traditional pocket passer.
"It's kind of wild," he admitted Tuesday. " … I didn't go to the best football high school at all, and I think I didn't necessarily have the best players around me. I had a terrible completion percentage, a bunch of drops on tape — I was kinda running for my life.
"And then I got to Oregon and it's like, 'holy cow! I don't even know anything that's going on.' So I sat and learned for two years, and relied on my legs. And (people) were like, 'oh, he doesn't throw' … So, to hear pocket passer, I'm like, 'oh shoot – I'm throwing the ball well.'"
To this point, Moga largely has — even if there's a few plays he wanted back against Mercyhurst.
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"I had one (pass to receiver Zhaiel Smith) and then I took a deep shot to (receiver Bailen George) that should have been checked down … But that's a good thing in a way, because I can learn from that. I can grow from that."
Toa Fa'avae admitted much of the same. A handful of early overthrows from the sophomore quarterback largely blemished a day that saw him account for two touchdowns, including a 64-yard strike to wide receiver Troy Omeire.
When asked about a few of the overthrows, Fa'avae said the plays were "maybe" a mix of nerves and excitement.
"I'm not gonna make any excuses — just gotta make those throws," he added. "I've been practicing them all week and I'm gonna hit them all week, but when it comes to the game, I just gotta make them."
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But if there's opportunities for either Moga or Fa'avae to run against Oklahoma?
Both quarterbacks will gladly take advantage.
"It's a good thing they call me a pocket passer — let them say whatever they want to say," Moga said. "A quarterback's responsibility is to throw the ball, but I can extend plays, too. I just haven't needed to show that yet."
"(It's) pass first, run second," Fa'avae said. "But when the time (comes), I'll run."
On the line
Monday, head coach Jason Eck said he was optimistic right guard Jaymar Tasi could possibly return after missing UNM's 70-7 win over Mercyhurst with an undisclosed injury. If he doesn't, the Lobos are expected to roll out the same starting offensive line they did against Mercyhurst: left tackle Danzel Newell, left guard Malik Aliane, center Kaden Robnett, right guard Cole Millward and right tackle Tyler Lawrence.
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However the lineup shakes out, UNM's front has its toughest test of the season in front of them. Headlined by projected NFL Draft pick David Stone, Oklahoma's defensive line is loaded with the type of high-end talent that can wreck games against Power Four opponents, much less those from the Group of Six.
Robnett believes UNM's line is ready for them.
"We're hungry," Robnett said Tuesday. "I think we want this game. For us, we have everything to gain. So we're hungry, we wanna show out, we wanna play hard."
Notes and quotes
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Does Eck feel there's been any meaningful separation between Moga and Fa'avae through two games? Not really: "If you looked at completion percentage, you might say, 'well heck, Luke's ahead of (Fa'avae),'" he said. "But I still think we completed some balls against teams that we played that might not be completed against Oklahoma … So I don't think there's a great separation right now. I do think we gotta keep playing to each guy's strengths and putting them in the best (positions) to be successful."
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After seeing Fa'avae's overthrows, Eck half-jokingly suggested his quarterback should sit out one part of UNM's pregame routine: "You probably don't wanna listen to (defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky's) fiery pregame talks," he said. "Because they can get you like, too jacked up as a quarterback. And his early throws were all long."
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UNM is working to cut down on special teams penalties, especially after a few hurt some otherwise promising punt returns from Marco Beltran. To Eck, the fix is relatively simple: "On all three of those (punt return) penalties we had last week, we had guys on the ground," he said. "And when (referees) see guys on the ground on (a) punt return, you're going to get a penalty. So we gotta do a good job of holding guys up."
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Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.
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