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Bobby’s Preview: Hawai’i vs. New Mexico

The New Mexico Lobos are a hard team to figure out. They are 2-5 overall and winless in 3 tries in the Mountain West Conference. At the MWC media days in July, head coach Bob Davie told us they were transitioning away from pure triple option, and while they would keep some elements of that run oriented attack, it would be combined with a wide open passing game that would in theory make the Lobos harder to defend.

They have started 21 different players on offense, including 3 QB’s, 3 RB’s, 2 TE’s, and 6 WR’s so far. While that may confuse opponents, it seems to occasionally also confuse Lobo players. They are still run heavy, having rushed 299 times, and thrown 194 passes. So they are a little more than 60-40 run based. Bryson Carroll leads the MWC in yards per attempt ( min. 100 carries) at 6.3 per. 7 players have 8 or more carries, and 13 of 20 offensive TD’s have come on the ground. 7 receivers have 5 or more catches led by Marcus Williams with 16 grabs for 275 yards, but the big play guy is Jordan Kress has 10 grabs for 3 TD’s for a 30.9 ypc!  On defense UNM surrenders 495 yards per game and 36.6 points. MLB Alex Hart leads the team in tackles with 49, and the Lobos have managed only 1 INT.

Hawaii comes off a 2nd consecutive blow out loss, and badly needs a win to restore confidence. The Rainbow Warriors have been fairly solid on offense, but shaky on defense where they have given up 115 points in the last 2 games. They will have to be way better against the run, and also need to generate some level of pass rush. Hawaii is still 4-3 which anybody would have taken before the start of the season, but the manner and margin of the last 2 losses have shaken some of the fan base.

UH made the decision to move on from Melquise Stovall who is a talented player but one who had attitude problems. His football gifts made this a painful move, but to tolerate some behaviors can become cancerous to the team culture. The staff wishes him well in the future, but will move forward without him. UH needs a good performance to get back on track, and that will be the focus for the rest of the week.

Go Bows!

By Bobby Curran | The Voice of Rainbow Warrior Football


(via The University of Hawai’i – statement regarding the dismissal of Marquise Stovall)