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Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Reider: 3 takeaways from New Mexico's wire-to-wire win over Central Michigan
- Story byAlbuquerque Journal, N.M.
- Reider: 3 takeaways from New Mexico's wire-to-wire win over Central Michigan
Three takeaways from New Mexico's 38-7 season-opening win over Central Michigan on Saturday night at University Stadium:
1. It's worth keeping an open mind toward UNM's multi-quarterback offense
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Full disclosure: I don't know if UNM's quarterback by committee approach will be what takes the Lobos to the next level.
For all the things that make sense about it — namely, it's hard to game plan for and gives UNM some insurance against injuries — we're hardwired to believe that great teams have one good quarterback that leads them to their loftiest goals. We're conditioned to crave the lone, heroic signal-caller who bounces back from big hits, makes bigger throws and keys game-winning drives in the final minutes. It's what we expect, and what we know.
It's awkward to imagine those big moments being spread out among two or three guys. And it's just as easy to dismiss the whole system as a gimmick offense — and who wins league titles with those?
What I do know: 38 points against another FBS team is no gimmick.
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One game isn't enough of a sample size to prove that UNM will achieve its goals splitting reps between Luke Moga, Toa Fa'avae and James Laubstein. But it was a good enough data point to warrant keeping an open mind towards the Lobos' multi-quarterback approach, even if it's squarely against our nature.
Moga, a much-ballyhooed Oregon transfer, completed a team-best 13 of 17 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown, an 11-yard fling to freshman receiver Bailen George. But he wasn't as mobile as expected, even finishing with a negative rushing total (minus-1 yard) on the night.
Fa'avae, however, provided that mobility in spades. UNM's unexpected starter ran for 45 yards on seven carries, showcasing the ability that kept him alive in the Lobos' quarterback competition. And he completed 4 of 8 passes, including a game-best 21-yard strike to freshman receiver Massiah Mingo on his second drive of the night.
Laubstein (18 rushing yards) didn't throw a pass Saturday night. Instead, the sixth-year player settled for scoring two touchdowns and converting a few key late downs with his legs. There might not be another player on this roster that provides as much value per play.
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And while the total sum of UNM's quarterback play wasn't perfect — the offense did sputter in the red zone a few times and lacked explosive plays — it wasn't particularly awkward either. You didn't get the sense that the two-drives-here, two-drives-there rotation threw either Moga or Fa'avae out of rhythm. Nor was it super disjointed — the three complemented each other the way they were expected to.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a solid start to the season for UNM's multi-quarterback system.
Promising, even.
"I'd say the quarterback rotation," coach Jason Eck said, "went about kinda how I hoped it would."
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The question of whether a multi-quarterback approach will be enough to achieve UNM's ultimate goals isn't going away. And it won't be answered next week. Coming off 43-10 and 51-14 losses, it's clear Mercyhurst — an FCS program — isn't an opponent that will present a game from which any sweeping conclusions can be made.
(And frankly, Central Michigan might not be either.)
Now, Oklahoma? North Dakota State? UNLV? Some of the other heavies on the schedule?
Those are the games that will matter most in finding out whether UNM's decision to roll with all three quarterbacks was the best approach. But until then, there was enough good on display Saturday night to warrant an open mind going forward.
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2. UNM's defense found a way to raise already-high expectations
If it's still unclear whether UNM's multi-quarterback approach will be what leads it to a near-mythical conference title, there is absolutely zero doubt that this defense is more than good enough to win one.
That in and of itself wasn't a surprise. UNM returned the Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Jaxton Eck and five other starters from a unit that powered a nine-win season. There are loads of reserves back, and most have improved since last season. The Lobos also added a handful of transfers that bolstered depth in key spots and increased this defense's overall athleticism.
It was supposed to look like this. Nobody should be shocked.
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Then again, it was hard to watch what UNM did Saturday night and not think the defense might've raised this team's expectations even higher.
Consider: UNM didn't allow a first down for the first 29 minutes and 14 seconds of game time. It absolutely bullied Central Michigan's rushing attack, holding the Chippewas to 60 yards through the first three quarters. And it only allowed seven completions for 30 yards, rendering a relatively respectable offense completely immobile until the Lobos decided to ease up.
Beyond the stat sheet, there were players that stood out in a big way.
One example: nickel safety Drew Speech set the tone early with two significant plays on third down, sacking Central Michigan quarterback Angel Flores on the Chippewas' first drive and making an open field tackle on their second.
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"He's probably one of the guys who's back, but wasn't a full-time starter," Eck said. "… So to see him step up and make those plays was awesome to see."
As was the revelatory level of dominance UNM's defense put forth. If this group plays similarly the rest of the season — and stays reasonably healthy, too — it's fair to say the already-lofty expectations around this team might not be as high as they should be.
3. UNM's freshman receivers looked up to the task
Of UNM's 159 receiving yards Saturday, freshmen receivers accounted for 77 of them. And of the Lobos' 17 catches, those same freshmen made eight of them.
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Were any of UNM's young receivers — Massiah Mingo, DJ Darling, Bailen George and Dorian Patterson — truly dominant? No. But they all looked ready in their first game, and that should be treated as an encouraging sign.
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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