I wrote a story for today's paper with a few notes on the UNM football team. The main topic I covered was the replays UNM chooses to display on game day at University Stadium. I get a lot of complaints from fans who are frustrated they don't get to see more replays. UNM coach Rocky Long said it would help if he got to see more replays too. I'm curious whether more fans would like to see more replays during Lobo football games.

During his weekly media lunch Tuesday, Long also talked about his decision not to use a special teams coordinator. He said he thinks he gets more energetic work out of several assistant coaches dividing up the special teams duties than one person handling the job year after year. He said the same is true for any coordinating job. Long said after a few years of going against an offensive coordinator, he could probably call the plays for that coach as a defensive specialist unless that offensive coordinator happened to be really, really good at his job. Several fans have e-mailed me and posted on fan sites, including The Red Menace, that having a special teams coordinator would solve many of the problems that plagued UNM against BYU.

I don't necessarily agree. The Lobos had a coordinator system, with Dan Dodd the last man to handle the duties full time. And I don't think going back to that format would have changed the outcome of Saturday's game. The Lobos played hard but they made mistakes. They weren't lucky enough to recover well from those mistakes. It happens.

Posted by at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So most of Lobo nation is still smarting from Saturday's loss to BYU. It hurts. This was undoubtedly the one that got away, and every member of the University of New Mexico football team knows it. That's not to dismiss the play of BYU. The Cougars made the right decisions, took better care of the ball and earned the win. The Lobos, however, were in a rare position to take the upper hand against bigger, badder BYU. And it didn't happen.

One thing I was curious about and did not include in my story today centered on BYU's final first down. UNM coach Rocky Long said he called for zone coverage and felt the team had every possible deep threat covered. The linebackers were supposed to stop at 10 yards out so that they could stop BYU quarterback Max Hall for a seven or eight yard gain, which would have been short of a first down and the Cougars would have punted given how close they were to their own end zone. The problem is the UNM linebackers kept creeping forward, trying to keep pressure on Hall and possibly sack him. He ducked and ran for the final first down BYU needed to run time off the clock. Long said he probably should have blitzed instead, but at the time he thought it was a good call. I think it was a good call too. I just think it was one of those days. The Lobos weren't as sharp as they were against Arizona. I think they knew it was a big game and tried a little too hard to make big things happen. And as a result, it just slipped away.

If you're looking for a silver lining, it has to be that everyone in the Mountain West Conference championship race is vulnerable. Who would really have expected TCU to losing to Air Force or Utah being 0-2 to start the season. Wyoming is hot, but I think the Lobos are still very much in this conference championship and bowl invitation race. I think the big game to watch Saturday while the Lobos are idle this weekend is TCU at Wyoming. It will say an awful lot about the Lobos.

Posted by at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fans have responded in a big way, and the Sheila M. Smith Memorial Fund is now closed. UNM wide receiver Marcus Smith was responsible for his mother's funeral expenses. Fans donated more than $6,000 he needed to pay for the service and the account is closed.

Posted by at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marcus Smith's mother, Sheila, died after UNM's game at Arizona. Due to his family situation, Marcus is personally responsible for the funeral expenses. He does not have money to pay for the funeral, but friends are allowed to contribute to a memorial fund in his mother's name. Under NCAA rules, the fund has to be set up outside of Lobo athletics and the school is not allowed to receive any donations directly.

Donations can be made at any First Community Bank branch. Deposits should be made to the Sheila M. Smith Memorial Fund. Any money contributed to the memorial fund above and beyond the memorial expenses will be donated to a local charity.

Posted by at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos spent part of last night's practice working out in the steady drizzle, then headed for the Indoor Practice Facility when it started pouring and the lightening moved in to the area. It was a pretty quick and impressive transition, with the team resuming practice within five minutes of leaving the practice field.

Last word Thursday night was Marcus Smith will play Saturday. UNM coach Rocky Long said he thinks memorial services for Smith's mom will be Thursday in San Diego. No official word on whether he will be back in time for the BYU game, but I would guess that he'll be in the lineup.

Sylvester Hatten and Jerome Jenkins, the two starters who started the week with injuries, should play with no problems.

Glover Quin was running during workouts. UNM head trainer Dave Binder said team doctors haven't figured out what caused Quin's problem. They reported he had a blood clot, but Binder said that just meant Quin suffered a deep, deep bruise. The trainers are hoping to get Quin back in shape to play in two weeks against BYU, but it's too early to tell whether it he will recover in time.

The players indulged in a little fun as they left the practice facility. The big, white bubble doesn't have a good drainage system around it, so there are lots of puddles around the practice fields. Several players, including Zach Arnett, dove into one of the long, narrow puddles Slip 'n Slide style. The whole team cheered and tried to get more players and coaches to take a swan dive into the muddy water. A handful of players got soaked, the headed in to shower.

Posted by at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM will no longer sell standing-room only tickets for Lobo football games after a slew of crowd control problems during the home opener against New Mexico State. The policy change goes into effect Saturday, when the Lobos face Sacramento State.

"We certainly want to encourage fans to attend all of our events and cheer on the Lobos," UNM athletics director Paul Krebs said in a statement issued by the university. "Coach (Rocky) Long has an exciting team and we want University Stadium to be an intimidating venue for our opponents, however, we also want it to be a safe and comfortable environment for fans of all ages. We also want our fans to display proper sportsmanship. The safety of everyone who enters University Stadium for a Lobo football game is paramount."

Capacity at University Stadium will now be listed at 40,094, which is 38,768 seats and 1,326 game-day workers.

I'm not sure if this decision will solve all the problems on the east side of the stadium, where there always has been an intimidating mix of rowdy college students and other intoxicated fans, but it should help a little bit. Somehow, I think there will be plenty of room for fans with the big-time showdown against Sacramento State. The bigger test obviously will be in two weeks during homecoming against BYU.

Posted by at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm joining in a long list of people offering their condolences to senior wide receiver Marcus Smith, whose mother died this week. I've spoken with Smith many times in the past about his family and know that he was close to his mom.

He is still practicing with the team, attending team meetings and going to class, although he did miss a few classes on Monday when he heard the news. UNM coach Rocky Long said he isn't sure if Smith will play Saturday. His uncles in San Diego are still making funeral arrangements and aren't sure when they will hold the service. If the service conflicts with the game, Marcus won't be playing. If it doesn't, he is scheduled to play against Sacramento State.

I'm sure it will be a tough day, but I wouldn't be surprised if Smith dedicates the game to his mother and unloads like Michael Jordan did when honoring the memory of his slain dad on Father's Day. This has to be awful for Smith, one of the friendliest people on the team, and I wish him all the best coping with the loss.

Posted by at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos had a relatively short, but good practice tonight. I didn't see a ton of running, which usually happens when the team fails to meet all it's goals (the bar is usually set pretty high) and has a lot of penalties (it had had nine against Arizona). I've seen the team run for half of practice on Sundays or Mondays in the past, so just a few minutes of sprints in the beginning is nice. I would guess that means the coaches were pleased with the team's effort against Arizona.

Instead of extra running, the team focused on installing the game plan for Sacramento State.

Everyone except Glover Quin practiced today. Sylvester Hatten had some tests after he suffered a back injury against the Wildcats and was cleared to workout. He did bang up his ankle and knee, but he should be in good shape by Saturday. Jerome Jenkins was cleared to work out too, but team trainers will evaluate him daily to make sure he doesn't have any trouble. Jenkins suffered a minor concussion during the fourth quarter against Arizona and left the game. UNM head trainer Dave Binder said it's really easy to get another concussion right after you suffer one, so they will be very cautious with Jenkins.

Binder isn't sure what happened, but Quin did not see a specialist today about his groin injury. Quin swelled up after the second half against New Mexico State and was taken to the hospital when doctors found a lump they thought was a hernia. They performed surgery but couldn't find it, so they closed him back up and are still trying to figure out what caused the swelling and pain. Right now Quin is limited to doing upper body work lifting weights. He can't ride a stationary bike, run or do anything involving his lower body. The swelling has gone down since his surgery for the phantom hernia, but he still does have some swelling remaining. Binder said he will make sure Quin sees the specialist as soon as possible and will find out whether he can play with any swelling or if it will cause more harm. Binder said he is eager to figure out what is wrong and obviously help Quin get back on the field. He said Quin has been in good spirits, but the little bit of swelling left is painful. As I said before, this sounds like the worst injury ever.

Posted by at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobo football team is still feeling mighty good about its 29-27 win at Arizona the morning after the big win. I don't think it's a monumental upset. The Wildcats are a struggling Pac-10 team, and the Lobos are a very competitive Mountain West Conference team. And I don't like to brag, but I was the only Tribune pollster to pick the Lobos to uspet Arizona. It's not because I'm a homer, as many have suggested. I just have seen the Lobos play up to and beyond their potential on the road an awful lot. I saw them win at Missouri and they're undefeated at BYU since I've been covering the team. In fact, a lot of UNM teams I covered have owned Utah trips on my watch.

I'm always amused listening to reaction of local fans and media after the Lobos pull off a road upset. The Lobos don't get much love, and it's always rock bottom for every program they knock off along the way. I think the UNM win at BYU was the straw that broke the camel's back for Gary Crowton. And to hear Arizona fans moan and groan, this loss could finally end the awful Mike Stoops era. We'll have to wait and see what happens next, but I doubt he'll do well in the Pac-10 this season.

It appears the Lobos didn't suffer any significant injuries at Arizona. Sylvester Hatten suffered a back injury during the game, but UNM coach Rocky Long said Hatten felt a lot better by the team got on the plane after the game. Jerome Jenkins had his bell rung late in the game, and Frankie Baca substituted him on Arizona's last drive. Baca, by the way, had a great game on special teams. Long suspects trainers will say Jenkins suffered a concussion, but Jenkins also seemed to fine on the plane ride home. Of course, the side effects from concussions can linger. Those were the only two Lobos who seemed to have trouble after the game, but some can always pop up the next day. Long jokes that players who know they will be running for various assignment errors often come up with bumps and bruises they didn't have right after the game so they don't have to endure the sprints. A more detailed medical report will be available at Monday night's practice.

Long gave the offense high marks in the first half, and the defense high marks in the first half for weathering some seriously bad field position. He liked the man pressure but wasn't too happy with the zone up front. He still wants better pass coverage, but UNM did break up 11 passes broken Arizona compared to none against the Aggies (Long's stats, not mine if you want to quibble with them). He also gave punter Jordan Scott and kicker John Sullivan high marks for their performances.

That's all for now. I have much to write for Monday's edition of the Tribune.

Posted by at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

There was a brief lull, but the rain has started up again. More important, the lightening seems to have passed so the game will likely start on time.

The Arizona band marched down a street near the stadium with a police escort, then ran onto the field to start the pregame music. I give them low marks for ugly uniforms, but high marks for formation, execution and what little I can hear of the sound in the filtered press box. We do have our first New Mexico snub of the night. The Arizona band formed an outline of the continental United States, then made a rectangle in the shape of Arizona. The problem is the formation is placed roughly where New Mexico would be on their band-made map. So we start this game with Arizona swallowing New Mexico. Nice.

We're just a few minutes away from kickoff. Can the Lobos follow Utah's lead? The ailing Utes walloped visiting UCLA. I know it doesn't count now, but Tribune editor Phill Casaus predicted a UCLA meltdown. He also picked a UNM win over the Wildcats -- and he follows Arizona football very closely.

Posted by at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The floodgates have opened here in Tucson, while both teams are warming up for the game. I don't see any lightening, which would delay the game.

Loads of Arizona students decked in red are getting soaked, but most of the other fans are ducking for cover on the concourse of the stadium.

Like New Mexico rain, I doubt Arizona rain will last very long.

But what does this mini field soaking mean for the game? I think the Lobos have a reliable runner and can handle a slick field, but their defensive backs will face one more test trying to stand their ground against the big, bad spread offense.

Posted by at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We have all hands on deck at the Tribune working on a developing news story about the NCAA alleging rules violations by the UNM football program. Here's a link to our latest story about it. Keep checking this blog and Lobo Zone for more details.

Posted by at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't believe your channel guides, which indicate the Lobos-Arizona game will be tape delayed. I confirmed with UNM and Fox Sports Network this morning that the Lobos-Arizona game will be broadcast live on Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network. The game will air on Comcast's Channel 10, DirecTV's Channel 660 and Dish Network Channel 446. The satellite companies are putting the game on alternate channels instead of the regular Fox Sports Network spot so that they can air both the Arizona State and Arizona games kicking off at the same time. Comcast is just bumping Arizona State for its New Mexico customers.

FSN officials aren't sure why the channel guides are wrong, but they are trying to fix it. For those of you using DVRs or Tivo to record the game, I suggest setting it manually to record the time slot instead of the programming. I also encourage you to record at least an extra half hour more than is recommended because nothing stinks worse than missing a stirring overtime or last five minutes of the fourth quarter because your recorder stopped early. I've been there. It's awful.

Posted by at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Lobos football game at Arizona Saturday will be broadcast on Fox Sports Arizona, a channel most people should be able to find on their respective television cable and satellite plans. Here's where FSN is on most lineups Channel 10 on Comcast in Albuquerque, Channel 660 nationally on DirecTV and Channel 446 on DISH Network. Greg Remington with UNM media relations sorted out the channel mess for us. It's much better than trying to read a grid.

Posted by at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It appears junior college transfer Tyler Boyett, a junior offensive lineman from Mississippi Delta Community College, has left the UNM football program. Boyett didn't have a problem with redshirting this year, but coaches have heard he did not get accepted into UNM's X-ray technician school because of his junior college grades so he decided to head home to Mississippi and do his X-ray technician work there. He could have majored in something else at UNM and earned his certification back home later, but his mom encouraged him to come back and get it done now instead of wasting time. This is second-hand information, or third-hand for our purposes, because the player has not met with UNM coach Rocky Long. The assistant coach who recruited Boyett did, however, talk with his mother to find out why the player wasn't at practice Monday or today. Long said he hopes to sort it all out soon and get the official story, but he doesn't think he'll see Boyett back on the team.

I'm losing count of how many Lobos have left the program this year, but I think we're at five now. None of the reasons cited have anything to do with the football program or the coaching staff, but those five still count against UNM's Academic Progress Rate. And it puts the program in danger of losing scholarships.

At practice, Mike Roberts joked Long should only recruit Albuquerque kids. They may not be as talented some out-of-staters, but it's a lot easier to go knock on their doors and talk to their parents when they don't show up for practice. And if they have to go home for a family emergency, it's just down the street.

In other news, head trainer Dave Binder gave Major Mosley a big thumbs up after his workout. Mosley was coming off a sprained ankle and Binder was watching him closely during his first major workout, but it all went smoothly.

I'll hit Long's media lunch in about an hour and try to post some updates later this afternoon.

Posted by at 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos had a light practice tonight. Major Mosley is back in the rotation. He had an MRI that showed he only had a sprained ankle and no major ligament damage.

Glover Quin was not as lucky.

He had been battling a groin injury, but he appeared to have recovered. He told UNM trainer Dave Binder he felt the best he had this fall in the first half against the Aggies. Then something happened in the second half, and his groin felt awful. Quin came out of the game and there was this massive swelling. So he was taken to the hospital, evaluated, iced down and they prepped for surgery. And then the doctors couldn't find the hernia they thought caused the problem. So Quin has to let the swelling go down before they can do MRIs and other scans to figure out exactly what is wrong.

Binder said he is confident the doctors will figure it out soon. He also said it's a really a good thing Quin didn't have a hernia because the recovery should be faster. Binder said Quin should be out less than the six weeks needed to bounce back from hernia surgery.

You can put an optimistic spin on it, but that sounds like the ickiest and most painful injury I've heard about in a long time.

Posted by at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM quarterback Donovan Porterie and kicker John Sullivan were named Mountain West Conference offensive and special teams players of the week. It was actually a pretty tough week for the Mountain West, but Porterie and Sullivan did plenty of heavy lifting to earn the honors.

Porterie completed 17-of-24 passes for 342 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions during the Lobos' 44-34 win over in-state rival New Mexico State. Porterie completed 13 of his last 14 attempts in the game and was 5-of-5 for 149 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Sullivan scored 14 points in New Mexico’s win over New Mexico State. He hit field goals from 30, 38 and 21 yards and was five-of-five on extra points.

It should be another wacky year in Mountain West Conference. I never thought I'd see Air Force beat Utah or UNLV almost upset Wisconsin. I think that means the conference's bowl bids are totally up for grabs.

Posted by at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No one can relate to a lame-duck journalist like college football coaches. The Tribune will be closing very soon, a dead-man-walking experience coaches go through often during their careers. Rocky Long cheered me up this morning with this hilarious tale I absolutely had to share on my blog:

Long was coaching at Wyoming, and the staff was fired before a bowl game in Australia. The coaches were allowed to coach the bowl game, and took off with the team. About half-way through bowl week, the bowl went bankrupt but organizers agreed to play the game anyway. The only problem is the teams did not get any return tickets home. So the schools had to start booking flights from anywhere they could in Australia. Long and his wife traveled on commercial flights with about seven to 10 players they had to corral home. They stopped in Fiji, Hawaii, San Francisco and Denver en route to Laramie. When the coaches finally got back to the Wyoming campus, they noticed all the courtesy cars from the school they had left parked in front of the football offices were gone. They headed inside the building to call for rides, but their keys to the offices did not work. The school had changed the locks while they were gone. Then they noticed a bunch of boxes in the hallway labeled with each coach's name. The school had packed up their offices and left their personal items in boxes in the hallway. Nice.

So at least the E.W. Scripps Co. gave us one to three months notice and a severance package. Leave it to a football coach to help me find the silver lining.

Posted by at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The UNM football team practiced in the Indoor Practice Facility Monday night because a thunderstorm was brewing and the artificial turf will help prepare the team for the turf in the Sun Bowl. The coaches also set up speakers and played some crowd noise loudly to give the players a sense of what it will be like to play in front of 50,000 rowdy UTEP fans. It wasn't anywhere near as loud as the Sun Bowl was two years ago when the Miners beat the Lobos, but it was loud enough to cause some trouble for the offense.

"It was definitely loud," UNM quarterback Donovan Porterie said. "I think it's really good for us because it reminds us that this is what college football is like. You're going to be playing in front of some loud fans on the road."

UTEP coach Mike Price said during a Conference USA teleconference that he is expecting a sellout. If you haven't gotten your tickets and are planning to make the trip south, you better hurry up. There aren't many left and the ones that remain are getting pricey.

I wonder if teams dread playing the Lobos as much as the Lobos dreaded facing Air Force's old triple-option offense. Price has talked extensively about how hard it is to prepare for Rocky Long's defense and how the Lobos have gotten the upper hand against the Miners thanks to the unconventional attack. He said he was grateful to have extra time to prepare for the Lobos' defense instead of just two or three days. UNM's defense, which thrives when it keeps opponents guessing, may lose a slight edge during the first two weeks of the season. The Miners had extra prep time in fall camp and the Aggies play Southeastern Louisiana Thursday night, giving New Mexico State a few extra days to get ready for the Lobos. You can't say Hal Mumme didn't do a good job lining up his schedule.

Posted by at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Trib is bringing back a feature we introduced last year called Ask the Coach. We invite fans to submit questions they have for any of the University of New Mexico football coaches. We will get the answer to at least one question each week online and in the print edition of Lobo Zone.

You can use this submission form we set up at LoboZone.com, post your questions in the comments section of this blog or send me an e-mail ilimon@abqtrib.com.

Posted by at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

UNM football coach Rocky Long surprised his team with a day off from practice Saturday. Instead the Lobos took a ride on three charter buses and went bowling. They also had a team meal together. Rudy Garcia, the team's equipment manager, got to tell the players they didn't have to dress out for practice and needed to wait for Long for more information. "As soon as they heard that, they were whooping and hollering," Garcia said. "It was great." The players were still smiling a few hours later when they filed off the team buses and headed for their cars instead of the sunny practice fields. Long has organized fun days for the team before, but it has been a few years since the players went out as one big group instead of with their position coaches.

On Thursday, Long had said the Lobos had a rough workout and it was obvious the team was tired of just practicing. On Friday, he gave them higher marks. It didn't hurt that the team was installing its game plan for UTEP.

The team is scheduled to have Sunday off, then the Lobos begin game-week workouts for UTEP Monday. If you are still jonzin' Lobo football news, I did have a story in today's paper about Brad Gruner, who has earned the third-string quarterback job.

Posted by at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been juggling an awful lot of stories this week, and I'm starting to run out of steam. So that's why I'm barely getting around to my blog Thursday night when practice was early this morning. Thanks for being patient.

I'm thrilled to be finished with our series on Rookie Life, a spotlight on UNM and Albuquerque-area NFL rookies. (James Staley is writing the final installment on Alan Branch for Friday's paper.)

Today's story was about Kenny Byrd, who had an awesome training camp. Unfortunately, he just hurt his ankle and probably has a long way to go before he gets to really stick with an NFL team. He's very nice and obviously really talented, so it's tough to see him deal with setbacks. At the same time, he's really upbeat and seems to be in this for the long haul. Everyone tells him it takes two to four years to make in the NFL as a kicker, and he's willing to wait. Even if he gets cut after training camp and doesn't kick competitively again all year, next year teams will say he has one year of experience under his belt and take a closer look at him. It's a strange process, but kickers always have been the red-headed stepchildren of football.

The first four players in our series were former Lobos, and it was interesting because Robert Turner, Quincy Black and Byrd were all really eager to hear about their old team. During the interviews, they wanted to know how the team was doing and what was going on at practice. They're all fans who are following the team as closely as they can while their lives are consumed by making it in the NFL.

In UNM football news, the Lobos took a bit of hit on the depth chart. Sophomore cornerback Aaron Lenard, who was missing from yesterday's practice, told coach Rocky Long he was leaving the team to go home and take care of his 60-year-old mother. He was the strongest backup corner, so his departure hurts in terms of depth. And it hurts the APR, the academic bottom line the football team always has to watch carefully.

The team worked out in the practice facility this morning. The bubble is still really nice and it wasn't that hot inside the facility, which was nice. Construction crews are still putting on some finishing touches, including big fans that will help even more with the temperature.

That's all for now. Check out Friday's Trib for more on the Lobos.

Posted by at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've been doing a series this week on Rookie Life in the NFL, and former Lobos are four of the players we are highlighting this week. Today we profiled Quincy Black, who seems to be fitting in really well with the Bucs.

I actually got to go to the Bucs game against the Patriots right before I went to my online conference. I didn't blog about it live because we wanted to keep the series under wraps until this week. Here are some of the things I saw that didn't make it into the story:

Black was getting ready for his welcome-to-the-NFL moment. The rookies were responsible for taking all the other defensive players out to dinner. Black said he had to take care of the limos. "I gotta find the right place and make sure we have plenty of room for everyone," he said. "It's going to be expensive." Then he added it could have been worse. "At least I'm not one of the guys who has to pay the restaurant bill," he said. "You know the limos are going to be bad, but that check is going to be huge."

In my story, I mentioned Black had befriended Adam Hayward, who played for Portland State and Colorado State. I asked Hayward if he ever teased Black about Portland State upsetting the Lobos. "Yeah, I have mentioned it a few times," Hayward said, grinning. "Then he always tells me it doesn't count. He said it was early in the season and they still had a good year. I can't really argue with him there because they went to a bowl game."

The Tampa Bay stadium is pretty cool. I had never been to the stadium before, but I had seen it on TV. I thought it was actually on the bay, perhaps because of the city name and the giant pirate ship you always see in stadium shots. Alas, not. It's in the middle of the city with no water around. And it's right next to Legends Field, where the hated Yankees hold spring training. Reporters are allowed to walk onto the field as soon as the game ends. I had absolutely no reason to be out there since they don't allow print folks to interview players until they open up the locker room, but I took a stroll anyway. It's really cool. Think University Stadium but about 10 times bigger. Plus fans happened to be really happy because the Bucs beat the Patriots.

You can look out for a story tomorrow on Kenny Byrd, the last Lobo in our series. Friday's story is about Alan Branch.

Posted by at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos went back to practicing bright and early today. The only injury news was that George Carter left practice with a groin injury. UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he still hasn't had a chance to assess the severity of the injury.

Donovan Porterie continues to run hot and cold leading the offense, but by all accounts is much improved from Saturday's scrimmage. I talked with Donovan after practice about moving on from one of his worst performances ever as a Lobo. "I wasn't happy with it, but I have to focus and work hard every day out here," Porterie said. "Everyone's going to have bad days, but I don't want them to hurt the team."

Porterie said while the interception-fest was inspiration to work harder, he has pretty much put the day behind him. "When you're the quarterback, the game doesn't just end because you had an interception," he said. "They don't let you off the hook once you start playing bad. You have to keep fighting to get your team back in the game. I have to forget things like that pretty fast and find ways to be a good team leader. Right now, I'm focused on being that leader."

I also wanted to pass along some information about The Red Menace's annual fund-raiser to send YAFL teams to UNM games. The group is asking fans for donations that will allow them to buy enough season tickets to send 24 YAFL teams to football games this season. They explain it as season tickets for two YAFL teams, but that really adds up to 24 teams getting to see a Lobo football game this year and that's a little easier for me to understand. If you want to help, you can e-mail admin@theredmenace.com or call 505-239-4584. The deadline is the Wednesday before the first home game (Sept. 5), but the group can take a few late donations to get some extra kids tickets.

Posted by at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight was my first practice back with the team after spending about 10 days at a multimedia and online workshop.

I heard the offense performed pretty badly during the fall scrimmage, but the group had a little better luck today. There were still some mistakes, but we're not talking about Donovan Porterie forgetting how to throw or anything that drastic. UNM coach Rocky Long said he wasn't happy with the offense, but he also wasn't ecstatic about the defense. He said he didn't think either unit played with the type of energy he needs out of the team -- and he wasn't accepting blistering heat as an excuse. While he said the offensive line provided good protection, he noted the defense wasn't blitzing.

Like I said, I don't think the sky is falling. And I don't think the defense is unbelievable. It really won't be sorted out until we see the Lobos play a few games.

Ivan Hernandez returned to full pads practice today after missing several workouts with a torn medial collateral ligament. Head trainer Dave Binder said Hernandez should have no problem playing with the injury. Ian Clark, who dislocated his shoulder, was cleared to jog and Binder said Clark should be cleared to practice in a few days.

The walk-ons still have to get academic clearance, physicals and prove they are in good enough shape physically not to get hurt during workouts.

That's all for now but look for more football coverage in Tuesday's Trib. We will continue our series on former Lobos and Albuquerque area athletes in their rookie seasons with the NFL. The next player featured in the series is DonTrell Moore.

Posted by at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's late, so I'll keep this Tuesday night post-practice report brief.

I never expected John Sullivan to have strong fall camp after tearing his ACL in spring football. Sullivan opted not to have surgery to repair the injury because he didn't qualify for a medical redshirt and end up missing his senior year recovering from surgery. So the trainers treated his injury aggressively and sent him back onto the field in a knee brace. Sullivan, who is called Sulli by several coaches and teammates, was jogging by June. But I still wondered if he could overcome such a severe injury on the leg he plants on during kickoffs and field goals.

Much to my surprise, Sullivan's kicks have been among the strongest and most precise during fall camp. He missed a kick to open Tuesday night's practice, but he closed it by booting a 49-yard field goal. It was pretty.

No news on freshman Mike Love. UNM coach Rocky Long said he had not talked with Love today. Love left the team indefinitely to deal with a personal issue. Long said Love is welcome to rejoin the Lobos at any time. Today was not that day.

That's all for now. I'll post a few more notes tomorrow.

Posted by at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Rodney Ferguson is smart. On the field, he talks smack and brags about his big plays. He has swagger and a lot of confidence in himself. A lot of his teammates call him one of the funniest Lobos. But stick a microphone in his face, and Ferguson is savvy enough to clam up. He says he is doing OK but has a lot of work left to do. He praises his teammates and says a ton of work must be done before the Lobos can claim success.

After Tuesday morning's practice, Ferguson and his teammates had a lot to brag about. The defense didn't just roll over and have a bad day. This was a day when the offense was clicking. There were crisp passes, great catches in traffic and break-away running plays.

Ferguson had a particularly good day after sitting out with an cold and allergy symptoms earlier this week. On one play, he turned the corner and burst forward for a long touchdown run. It's great for the Lobos that Ferguson may be faster than last year, but there was another play he made that is an even better sign for UNM. Donovoan Porterie was under pressure and was about to be sacked, but Ferguson stepped up for a strong block that allowed Porterie to connect with Travis Brown for a long touchdown pass. Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin and several players came over to congratulate Ferguson for saving the play. Those were the kind of moves Ferguson hadn't mastered last season. Since it's pretty safe to say the Lobos need Porterie to stay healthy, Ferguson's blocking skills have become especially important.

Receivers Chris Hernandez and Marcus Smith also caught some balls in traffic, making it an all-around good day for the offense. The team did break down a few times at the end of the workout, but it wasn't too bad. Baldwin left the practice field with a smile on his face, saying "We're getting there."

I'll have more notes after tonight's practice.

Posted by at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today marked the final midday practice until the Fan Photo Day scrimmage that marks the end of fall camp. The Lobos tackle two-a-days the rest of camp.

Today also was the first day of practice with full pads. UNM coach Rocky Long said he thought the team looked a little ragged, with the hard hits and heat impacting how sharp the team looked. I thought the offensive looked better than it did than the first day fall camp, opening holes for the running backs early in practice. The offense always has had a hard time getting many runs off against the defense because the defense knows a lot of what to expect in practice. There were also some nice passes. On the flip side, the defense also had some good, big plays. One of my favorites was when Frankie Baca intercepted a pass by Bryan Clampitt. Baca returned it for a touchdown, but Clampitt ran back trying to take him out and prevent the touchdown. He was the only offensive player anywhere near Baca around the four-yard line, but Baca did a quick fake and sliced the other direction into the end zone. Props to Clampitt for trying, but he just wasn't going to save this play.

Mike Love missed practice due to personal reasons. Long said he was not sure how long Love would miss practice, but the coach did say Love was not absent due to a rules violation. Long said Love will be welcome back to the team any time he is able to resolve those personal issues. If he misses a lot of fall camp, Long said Love probably won't play much during the first part of the season.

Zayn Bin-Bilal hurt his knee toward the end of practice and limped off the field. Team trainers were going to examine him afterward.

That's all for now. Check out tomorrow's Trib for more UNM football coverage.

Posted by at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was scheduled to have a Lobo football story today, but a guy named Barry Bonds stole a big chunk of our paper. One more reason why I really don't like him. I know it hurts that the Journal and Trib didn't have big Lobo football coverage today, but that just means there will be more tomorrow.

Here are a few tidbits before I head off for today's very exciting practice, the first in full pads. That means lots of good hitting, and we finally get a real taste of how much everyone has learned. I hope they scrimmage a lot.

Sunday night was probably the nicest practice the Lobos have enjoyed in terms of weather. Very cool and with a nice little breeze. The lights on the practice field seem to be a little dimmer, which could make those early morning practices interesting.

Former Lobo clutch kicker Wes Zunker watched practice. He said he was there to watch his brother, who is walking on as a kicker, and just check out the team.

While most of the drills seemed to run smoothly, the team had a hard time closing out practice. I've never really asked, but I suspect the coaches -- like all coaches at any level -- like to end workouts with a good play. In basketball, it's usually a made basket. It's about superstition and positive momentum. Well, the Lobos struggled during their final scrimmage to end practice. Lots of fumbles and unforced errors for the offense. So they kept going at it until they got it right.

Today should be much more interesting. I'll have notes from the midday practice up later today.

Posted by at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry for the delayed updates. I'll be blogging after every practice this week, which includes the one from 7-9 p.m. tonight.

First of all, here's a link to my past story with notes on how the team is approaching the season and C.J. Oakley's official decision to leave the team for this semester. So far the Lobos have been doing very well in the injury department, with guys just sitting out because of the heat more than anything else. It will be more challenging to keep them all on their feet once the team goes all in full pads Monday.

Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin told me he is pleased with the team's progress on offense. He said the team is much farther along than it was during spring football, and he is comfortable with its progress. While Baldwin said he would always like to be sharper and better, he thinks the team's unsupervised workouts and time watching game film this summer paid off.

That's all for now, but I'll have more notes after tonight's practice.

Posted by at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man, today was a really long day.

The long, dark summer for Lobo football fans is finally over. Sure, the first game isn't until Sept. 1, but the Lobos officially began practice today. UNM also hosted a media lunch and the women's football clinic.

I'll have full coverage in Friday's Trib, but here are a few highlights:

Six freshmen playing in the Class-5A North-South All-Star game missed the first practice of fall camp. Those players will practice with their all-star teams this week and join the Lobos on Saturday. Will CJ Oakley join the Lobos after his all-star appearance representing Alamgordo? UNM coach Rocky Long said he doesn't know yet. Long spoke with Oakley and his parents two weeks ago and thought Oakley was slated to be with the team for camp, but rumors have surfaced in several places, including The Red Menace, that Oakley will transfer to New Mexico Military Institute. Long said Oakley is dealing with an illness in the family and hasn't been comfortable living in Albuquerque. There were some rumors Oakley also wanted to leave because he was unhappy about playing on defense instead of at running back, but Long said that was highly unlikely. "We let all our freshmen try any position they want, so he could try working out for us at any spot," Long said. "Eventually, we might ask them to change positions based on our needs, but that really wasn't going to be an issue for him this year."

The Lobos also will have to do without Jerrell Miller, a Highland High grad and redshirt freshman, and Matt Streid, a junior offensive tackle from California. Miller and Streid are academically ineligible, so they cannot play for UNM this fall. They have to miss fall camp, but they will be allowed to play on the scout team this year while they work on getting their academics in order. Miller and Streid lose a year of eligibility as a result of their academic problems.

The first practice ran smoothly, with no one injured. All the players who sat out the spring due to injuries were back in action.

NCAA rules mandate that the team wear helmets only for the first two days and shoulder shells and helmets the next two days. So Monday will be the first workout with full pads. So it's hard to get a great sense of how much the team improved from the spring, but the players did seem to have a better grasp of the offense.

That's all for tonight, but check back tomorrow for more blog updates. Practice is from noon to 2 p.m., so I'll try to post an update pretty quickly afterward.

Posted by at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall, who previously was a defensive coordinator at UNM, has made a lot of Cougars fans happy. Bronco is 17-8 entering his third season, leading the Cougars to an 11-2 record and a Mountain West Conference title last year.
BYU officials rewarded Mendenhall by extending his contract through the 2011 season. Terms of the deal were not released.

Posted by at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has called off this year's Lobo Garage Sale, which was scheduled for Aug. 18 before the Fan Photo Day / Fall Cherry-Silver scrimmage. It turns out fans simply cleaned UNM out last year. The equipment staff took inventory of its surplus items and reported the Lobos didn't have enough to sell to make the garage sale worthwhile.

Posted by at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wrote a story for today's Trib with five questions I think the Lobos need to address during fall camp, which begins Thursday.

My five questions in much more condensed form were:
Can the Lobos learn the new offense?
Can the offensive line rally from the spring injuries and learn their roles in the new offense?
Can Donovan Porterie stay healthy, especially since the backups are really inexperienced?
Can John Sullivan or anyone else step up to fill ace kicker Kenny Byrd's shoes?
And can the Lobos find enough playmakers on defense to offset the monster number of tackles Quincy Black racked up last season?

So those are my questions. What are yours? Is there anything you want me to address during fall camp? Any stories you want me to tackle? Fire away in the comments section or shoot me an e-mail at ilimon@abqtrib.com

Posted by at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brian Urlacher didn't win the Super Bowl, but his ex-teammate Brian Johnson just won a different pro football championship. Johnson and the San Jose SaberCats rode strong defense (sound familiar?) to beat the Columbus Destroyers 55-33 in Arena Bowl XXI Sunday in New Orleans. It was San Jose's third title in six years and Johnson's second championship. He plays fullback and linebacker for the team. Johnson's contract with San Jose runs through next season.

Posted by at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Former Lobo Quincy Black, who was selected in the third round of the 2007 draft by Tampa Bay, has agreed to a four-year contract with the Bucs, according to a Tampa Bay fan site on the Scout.com network. The deal allows Black to join the rest of the Bucs at training camp, which begins in two days at the Wide World of Sports in Orlando.

Posted by at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

New Mexico State may be moving up, but the Aggies still have a way to go before they are seen on the same level as Hawaii and Boise State. NMSU was picked to finish sixth in two Western Athletics Conference preseason polls released today. Here's the rankings:

COACHES POLL
Hawaii
Boise State
Fresno State
Nevada
San Jose State
AGGIES
Louisiana Tech
Utah State
Idaho

MEDIA POLL
Hawaii
Boise State
Nevada
Fresno State
San Jose State
AGGIES
Louisiana Tech
Utah State
Idaho

The only awards I've seen released so far name Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan as the offensive player of the year and San Jose State defensive back Dwight Lowery as the defensive player of the year.

Should the Aggies be ranked higher or are they doomed to finish in the bottom half of the WAC standings?

Posted by at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here's the big list of Mountain West Conference rankings and awards. What do you think? Did the Lobos get a fair shake?

The Mountain West Conference released the following preseason rankings and awards voted on by select members of the media:
SCHOOL (1st place votes)
1. TCU (18)
2. BYU (3)
3. Utah (2)
4. LOBOS
5. Wyoming
6. Colorado State
7. Air Force
8. San Diego State
9. UNLV

And here are the awards. Three Lobos were recognized, while TCU dominated the following list:

AWARDS - OFFENSE
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Aaron Brown, TCU
WR Travis Brown Sr. LOBOS
WR Ryan Wolfe So. UNLV
OL Seth Aulai Sr. BYU
OL Dallas Reynolds Jr. BYU
OL Matty Lindner Sr. TCU
OL Jason Boone Sr. Utah
OL Robert Conley Jr. Utah
TE Wade Betschart Sr. Wyoming
QB Brian Johnson Jr. Utah
RB Rodney Ferguson Jr. LOBOS
RB Aaron Brown Jr. TCU
AWARDS - DEFENSE
Defensive player of the year: DE Tommy Blake, TCU
DL Jesse Nading Sr. Colorado State
DL Tommy Blake Sr. TCU
DL Chase Ortiz Sr. TCU
DL/LB Beau Bell Sr. UNLV
DL/LB Ward Dobbs Jr. Wyoming
LB Drew Fowler Sr. Air Force
LB Bryan Kehl Sr. BYU
LB Jason Phillips Jr. TCU
DB Quinn Gooch Sr. BYU
DB DeAndre Wright Jr. LOBOS
DB Brian Bonner Sr. TCU
DB Julius Stinson Sr. Wyoming
AWARDS - SPECIALISTS
Special teams player of the year: PK Louie Sakoda, Utah
P Jim Kaylor Sr. Colorado State
PK Louie Sakoda Jr. Utah
KR Brian Bonner Sr. TCU
Freshman of the year: LB Ricky Brewer, Colorado State

Posted by at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM head football coach Rocky Long has cracked the Top 25, but not in a good way. Coacheshotseat.com, which tracks college football coaches in danger of losing their jobs, ranked Long No. 25 on its list of coaches likely to get the axe. The site notes Long's record at UNM is 52-57, with a winning percentage of 45.8. The site stated it has cost UNM $71,863 per win during Long's tenure.

Long isn't the only familiar name on the list. It seems former Lobos coach Dennis Franchione will always own a spot on the hot seat. He ranks No. 23 on this list despite a solid surge at Texas A&M last season that likely saved his job. New season, new demands.

Five coaches UNM will face this season also are in the Top 25. Wyoming coach Joe Glenn ranks No. 4, UNLV coach Mike Sanford is No. 18, Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick is No. 19, Arizona's Mike Stoops is No. 21 and UTEP's Mike Price is No. 22.

New Mexico State's Hal Mumme is ranked No. 34.

The No. 1 coach on the list is Arkansas' Houston Nutt, while the one with the most job security is Florida's Urban Meyer.

I think there are some problems with the list. Long certainly is under pressure to win a bowl game. A conference championship would be better, but the bowl losses are adding up and becoming a problem. So I suppose I can see how he would slip into Top 25.

But I think Colorado State's Sonny Lubick should be ranked the highest among Mountain West Conference coaches. He was supposed to be one of those untouchables, but if they can force out Fisher DeBerry, Sonny Lubick shouldn't be safe.

Posted by at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

UTEP football coach Mike Price went in for a checkup Thursday and doctors discovered a major blockage in one of his arteries. Doctors implanted a stent to relieve the blocked artery and Price is expected to be released today, according to the Associated Press.

I know you have to put background information in stories, but I wonder if a national story ever will be written about Price without referencing Sports Illustrated and strippers.

Posted by at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A judge ordered former Lobo star Brian Urlacher and the mother of his toddler to take three-hour parenting classes. It's part of a bitter custody battle over their 2-year-old son, Kennedy. Here's a pretty detailed account from the Chicago Sun-Times about the latest chapter in the ugly mess.

Posted by at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The same night a New Mexico State football player was charged with battery, five UTEP football players were arrested in connection with a fight in Downtown El Paso, the El Paso Times reported. One player recently kicked off the football team also was involved in the fracas.

Police responded to a call about a crowd of men and women in the street by Club Blu night club in the 200 block of South El Paso Street.

The Times reported: Isaiah Carter, 17, a freshman linebacker from Converse, Texas, was charged with public intoxication; Damon Cromartie, 20, a sophomore defensive back from Riverside, Calif., was charged with disorderly conduct; Tufick Shadrawy, 20, a sophomore wide receiver from Arlington, was charged with assault on a public servant, attempt to take weapon from peace officer and interference with public duties; Brandon Thigpen, 17, a freshman defensive back from Moreno Valley, Calif., was charged with public intoxication; and Brian Wilkins, 20, a sophomore linebacker from Tustin, Calif., was charged with assault on public servant, resisting arrest, search or transport and interference with public duties. Also arrested was Emeri Spence, 22, who UTEP officials said was recently dismissed from the team. Spence, who was listed as a junior linebacker from Garland, Texas, in last year's football media guide, was charged with interference with public duties and resisting arrest, search or transport.

UTEP coach Mike Price said he is investigating the players' involvement in the incident and take any disciplinary action necessary once he has all the facts.

None of the players stand out as athletes expected to make a major impact on the team during the 2007 season, but I'm not sure if any of them were young up-and-comers the Miners were hoping to lean on more this year. The charges don't sound so good. Public intoxication is bad enough for underage athletes, but trying to take a police officer's weapon is really bad. We'll see what happens.

Posted by at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

New Mexico State wide receiver A.J. Harris was arrested and charged with battery against a household member Sunday, the Las Cruces-Sun News reported on its Web site. Las Cruces police responded to a call by a woman who said her house was damaged. When police questioned Harris, he said he slapped the woman, according to the Sun-News story.

Harris played in 12 games for the Aggies in 2006, finishing with 71 catches for 789 yards, seven touchdowns and 817 all-purpose yards.

Posted by at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I did a story for today's Tribune and included a note about two players leaving the team. Luke Higgins, a junior defensive end, and Mike Vandenberg, a sophomore wide receiver, are looking to transfer, UNM coach Rocky Long said. Higgins needs to pass summer classes before he is eligible to transfer. Vandenberg already is set to transfer to Montana.

Both players had potential, but they had a lot of talented players ahead of them on depth chart. The bigger question is how it could impact the football team's Academic Progress Rate, which already is dangerously closed to costing the team scholarships. I have heard rumors the NCAA may not penalize schools anymore for transfers who leave in good academic standing, but I haven't gotten any confirmation on it. Long said that kind of rule change would be great news for the program, but he hasn't heard about it. And he reads every news item released by the NCAA, so it's hard to imagine he'd miss any change in policy. If you have any more details on a potential rule change, please post a comment on the blog or e-mail me. I'd love to hear about it.

Posted by at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wrote a story for today's Tribune about the preseason college football rankings in six magazines. The Lobos were picked an average of fourth by the magazines. UNM coach Rocky Long said once again he does not put any stock in preseason rankings.

The Trib spent a good chunk of change to let me review these magazines. Now I'll offer my ratings, so that you can chose the best one if you opt for just one college football magazine this year.

1. The Sporting News / $6.99
It picked the Lobos finished third and TCU to win the conference.
These ratings are compiled by regional writers who actually have seen the teams they discuss. It doesn't offer a ton of extra frills or trivia, but it definitely has the most credibility.

2. Phil Steele's / $8.95
It picked the Lobos to finish fourth and TCU to win the conference.
If you are a stat geek, this is the magazine with you, but I have to warn you the layout is absolutely terrible. I've never seen a magazine harder on the eye. It's bad. There aren't any cute rankings, but there's all the information and stats you could ask for previewing every college football team in the country.

3. Anthlon Sports: Western Editon / $6.99
It picked the Lobos to finished fourth and TCU to win the conference.
Since this is the Western edition, it has a lot more space devoted to the Lobos and other Western teams. There are a few interesting lists at the start of the magazine, but UNM just gets routine game notes. So it has a nice layout but not much meat.

4. Lindy's / $6.99
It picked the Lobos to finish fifth and TCU to win the conference.
This magazine has some fun awards up front, including one calling QB Donovan Porterie coolest in the clutch. When it comes to the actual school preview, UNM only gets half a page and it's a very limited preview.

5. Street and Smith's / $6.99
It picked the Lobos to finish fifth and TCU to win the conference.
There is a solid overall preview and some fun awards by Las Vegas Review-Journal writer Steve Carp, but the UNM preview is once again very thin. It simply lists the basics about the team. It has even fewer of the basic facts included in other magazines.

6. Scout.com / $5.95
It picked the Lobos to finish tied for fourth and TCU to win the conference.
Scout's strengths are its message boards and army of writers covering recruiting, not its preseason magazine. I know it's tough to evaluate the Mountain West, but it's a little weak to pick three teams to finish fourth and another three to finish seventh -- make a decision. I also don't see picking Air Force among the crew to finish fourth when it has far more questions than any other program this year. The Lobos only get half of one page in this magazine, which probably is a dealbreaker for most diehard UNM fans.

Posted by at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Former Lobo and Chicago Bears star Brian Urlacher is nothing if not loyal.

During the off-season, Urlacher has shown his support for two controversial teammates. First, he was among several Bears to visit Tank Johnson in jail. Johnson had to serve time for a probation violation and faced charges in connection with a slew of weapons found at his home. Now he's backing up embattled teammate Lance Briggs.

Urlacher wore the No. 55 to the final Chicago Bears' pre-training camp workouts Wednesday instead of his usual No. 54. Briggs normally wears No. 55, but he sat out the practices and has threatened to skip the entire season following a protracted contract dispute with the Bears management. Urlacher has vocally supported Briggs throughout the off-season, although he did not shed any light on his jersey choice following practice this week.

Posted by at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

St. Michael's standout Kevin Chavez signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, passing up a chance to play for the Lobos. Chavez signed a letter of intent to play baseball at UNM and was supposed to play football as well as a redshirt walk-on next season. When he signed with UNM, I talked with coach Rocky Long and he said the coaches were well aware this was a possibility and were planning for it.

Joey Fernandez, Chavez's coach at St. Michael's High, said the departure of UNM baseball coach Rich Alday played a role in Chavez's decision. Fernandez said Chavez wasn't sure whether he could play baseball and football at UNM with the coaching change, so it seemed better to pursue his Major League Baseball dreams.

I had heard that Chavez was a much stronger pitcher than quarterback and he was sticking with football because he loved the game. He had a much more lucrative future in baseball, so it's hard to knock his departure. It's better for both baseball and football Academic Progress Rates that he chose to go pro now rather than after his junior year, his next window of eligibility.

Current Lobo baseball star Jordan Pacheco, who was drafted in the ninth round by the Colorado Rockies, is going to sign a contract Thursday. He won't be returning for his senior season, a move that will hurt the already poor APR rates for the baseball program.

Here's a story from today's Tribune about all the New Mexico athletes who signed MLB contracts.

Posted by at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM offered Cibola quarterback Jonathan Mader a scholarship following the Lobos' football camp during the weekend. He told me Monday night that he likes the idea of an Albuquerque kid taking over the reigns of UNM's offense. He doesn't blame the UNM coaches for the lack of Duke City quarterbacks, he just thinks there haven't been many athletes in the area strong enough to the lead the offense. Despite his love for the Lobos, Mader isn't jumping at the Lobos offer and is keeping his options open.

Mader said he could make a decision before his senior year if he feels like he's got the best possible options before him, or he could wait until after his senior season and make a commitment in December. I reached Mader while he was at the Texas Tech camp. He'll be headed to BYU and a Nike camp hosted by UNLV soon. And he might head to LSU in July. The Lobos were the first team to offer Mader a scholarship. UNM coach Rocky Long met with Mader and his parents after the camp to make the big offer.

I think it's better for guys like Mader to make the rounds of summer camps, see what is offered and make a decision heading into their senior year. It takes the pressure off and, at least with some schools, you get to keep your scholarship if you are injured. Then again, I'm not in their shoes and don't have to make a decision that will dictate my life for the next five years.

Posted by at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I stopped by Lobo football camp today, and got to see a lot of high school guys really excited about working out in from the UNM coaches. There are quite a few guys UNM is recruiting at the camp, with a lot of them coming from in-state schools.

The camp drew about 380 players. I would guess about 100 of them are staying overnight in tents set up along the side the fence of the practice field. The tents allow out-of-town guys to stay at the camp for less money.

This is the time when a lot of guys who aren't on UNM's radar get to distinguish themselves as viable prospects or walk-on candidates, while others who are recruits they are watching can prove they deserve scholarship offers.

If you want a breakdown of the guys I met and some of the hotter prospects attending the camp, check out Friday's Tribune.

Posted by at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While I was working on a story about UNM sprinter Jarrin Solomon, I stumbled on to some good football news for Lobo fans.

Senior kicker John Sullivan was jogging pretty steadily around the UNM track, and all signs of a limp seem to be gone. Sullivan also did sprints up the steep hill between the football stadium and the track.

Sullivan was the kicker who tore his ACL during spring football but chose not to have surgery because there was no way he could obtain a medical redshirt. His plan was to simply treat the injury by bringing down the swelling, go through rehab and try to play on the injured leg with a brace. The injury is on his plant leg, not his kicking leg. He seems to be making very good progress, considering the last time I saw him he was walking with a significant limp.

Posted by at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

NCAA president Myles Brand told reporters during the Women's College World Series he isn't necessarily opposed to a fifth year of eligibility for football players as long as a redshirt year is eliminated. Brand said it takes most the average student 4.7 years to graduate and most football players redshirt, so it makes sense to give them five years to complete their degree and eligibility.

Brand also said the APR, the academic progress plan that already has seen programs lose scholarships this season for poor performance, "is not going anywhere."

Finally, he is the latest to stomp all over the idea of a playoff system in college football. I'm not real clear on what the NCAA gets out of endorsing the BCS so much. You would think the NCAA would like to be back in control of the bowl games and crowning a national champion, a system now controlled by the BCS membership.

Posted by at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wondered how well Florida president Bernie Machen would fare pushing for a playoff system in lieu of the current BCS mess during the annual SEC football meetings. It turns out, not well at all if you were hoping for major change.

Machen backed off his campaign for playoff system, instead pushing for changes within the current BCS format. Not the kind of changes that would likely help the little guys from non-BCS schools.

"What we learned today from my colleagues is that we see the world pretty much the same way," Machen said Friday on the final day of the annual meeting. "We see the problems in the current system. They are persuaded, and I am now persuaded, that the best way to proceed is to try to work within the BCS structure, to make some changes to make it better. That seems to me to be a very good way to go."

I didn't actually expect major change, but it stinks to lose a person on the inside actually complaining about the system.

Posted by at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Florida president Bernie Machen has figured out what all the little guys in college football have been complaining about for years.

Machen was stunned the Gators had won the SEC championship, but he was worried they would be shut out of the national championship game. Florida won the national title but Machen hasn't forgotten the experience and is campaigning for a playoff system during the SEC football meetings being held this week in Florida.

Some might think this is no big deal, given how many people complain about the Bowl Championship Series system every year, but Machen's support definitely matters. The only way the BCS will change and little guys like Boise State and New Mexico ever will have a chance to compete for a national championship is if members of the BCS push for change. Even powerful BYU, the school that wields the most clout in the Mountain West Conference, would be hard-pressed to make it to a national championship game.

If Machen gets support from the rest of the SEC, that would be a huge step forward in changing the system. Of course there are a lot of other conferences that would have to jump on board, but I'm curious to see how much support Machen can get this week.

I should tack on a friendly disclaimer that I cast a ballot in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine the BCS standings. I choose to participate because I would rather turn in what I believe to be a fair ballot than just sit on the sidelines and complain about the broken system.

Posted by at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OK sports fans, I have been asked to point out a poll running on CBS Sportsline to name the Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth. The Web site is doing the showdowns NCAA tourney style with seedings brackets. The No. 7 New Mexico Lobos have rolled to the regional finals but are losing a grudge match against No. 8 BYU Cougars.

How can you, as New Mexicans who naturally loathe all things BYU, correct this problem? Vote for the Lobos at this Web site. You UTEP fans who read my blog, because you know me, feel free to vote as well. Aggies feel free to join in as well. You know you don't like Lobos or Cougars, but you truly hate Cougars a lot more than anyone else out there.

The deadline is Friday, so get to work. There isn't much time to catch and pass pesky BYU.

And to any BYU fans who read this blog, ummm ... sorry. I grew up in El Paso and attended UNM. Just chalk it up to a friendly rivalry and know I have nothing respect for your teams during the football and women's basketball seasons.

Posted by at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

You'll get a lot more details in Wednesday's Tribune and in future blog entries, but here are a few of my quick thoughts on the spring game.

The game was delayed quite a bit due to rain, but a surprising number of fans braved the bad weather and cheered on the team anyway.

The new scoring system was great, but the scoreboard operator or someone in the press box wanted the offense to win. It seemed like Adam Miller hit a game-winning field goal for the offense, but the official tally UNM coach Rocky Long took gave the defense a 38-35 win, And the defense definitely deserved it. Glover Quin, Frankie Solomon, Major Mosley and Cody Kase had especially good games. You can visit this link to a page on golobos.com to get final game stats.

It was a much better game for the offense, although it's clear the team could still use some work getting the hang of offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin's attack. When I asked Donovan Porterie a sort of fun question about what he looked forward to doing this summer during the short break between finals next and the start of summer school and summer workouts, he said football. He's taking the playbook home and using every second he can to learn the offense. Baldwin said he wanted Porterie to learn more so that he can be a more commanding leader of the offense, and Porterie said he very much wants the same thing.

Marcus Smith had a good night, catching six passes for 170 yards and a touchdown, although he had one turnover after a catch and long run He broke away for what should have been a touchdown but didn't keep the ball tucked in and was surprised when the Major Mosley caught up with him and stripped the ball. It was a great play for Mosley, who you would not guess had the speed to catch Smith.

"I thought it was a really good spring," Long said. "I like going straight through (having 15 practices in 17 days). I liked working in the mornings. We didn't have too many serious injuries."

Long added, "I think we're going to be a pretty good football team and we're going to be one from the start."

That's all for now. Good night.

Posted by at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today's practice was interrupted for about 25 minutes by lightening. Insert your complaints that the indoor practice facility is not ready yet here.

There was no major injury news today, which is always good news.

This wasn't a full-contact workout because of the big scrimmage. The guys seem pretty excited about it. This year's game pits the offense against the defense in an approach used by other schools, including Oklahoma. The defensive players were lobbying UNM coach Rocky Long for a scoring system that would be fair to them. They're definitely competitive.

The offense continues to be erratic, and I think some fans may panic if it isn't perfect during the scrimmage. The guys have made progress, but it takes time to adjust to a new offensive coordinator and offense. They are going against a veteran, aggressive defense with a simpler scheme. It also hurts being short so many starting offensive linemen due to injuries. Those linemen will be back by the summer and fall. I know a lot of people will say didn't we hear this last year and then fall flat on our face against Portland State? Yes, but this year's offensive lineup has more experience, better leadership as a result of that experience and knows how hard they have to work to adapt to a new offense after being pretty humiliated last season.

Here's some details about how the scrimmage will run Wednesday afternoon:

The scrimmage will run for four 15-minute quarters. The clock will start and stop as it would during a normal game in the first and fourth quarters, but will run continuously during the second and third quarters. There only will be live kickoffs at the start of first and third quarters. The practice begins at 6 p.m., but the team will need to warm up and the actual scrimmage isn't slated to begin until 6:30 p.m. It ought to be done somewhere around 7:45 p.m., then players will be available for autographs. The latest weather forecast I saw calls for rain in the morning, but a clear Wednesday evening.

Here's how points will be awarded:
Offense
First Down - 1 point
Extra Point - 1 point
Play Over 30 Yards - 2 points
Field Goal - 3 points
Touchdown - 6 points

Defense
Three-and-out on first offensive possession of each drive - 2 points
Any Defensive Stop - 1 point
Fourth Down Stop - 2 points
Turnover Forced - 3 points
Turnover Returned For Touchdown - 9 points

Alfredo Moreno in UNM's media relations office put together a pretty extensive overview of the spring workouts that you can find at golobos.com.

If you can't make it to the scrimmage, audio and video will be streamed live online at golobos.com Mike Roberts will do the play-by-play and former Lobo and current media relations intern D.J. Renteria will do color commentary. Long also will tape a postgame recap of spring football that eventually will be broadcast on The Mountain.

That's all for today. Check out Wednesday's Tribune for my Cherry-Silver scrimmage preview.

Posted by at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry for the delay posting this practice report, but I had some errands to run and work to do before I could get down to blog business.

First, an update on senior kicker John Sullivan. He officially has a torn ACL in his left leg, which is the leg he plants on to kick. He is going to try some rehab and a brace instead of surgery because it turns out he doesn't meet the requirements for a medical redshirt season. He spent one season at San Jose State before coming to UNM and is a fifth-year senior. You have to miss substantial parts of two seasons due to injury in order to qualify for the medical redshirts and that isn't the case for Sullivan. UNM head trainer Dave Binder has had a few athletes under his care pull off the return from an ACL surgery with a brace and no surgery. I suspect it will be painful, but it could work. Long said he didn't have anyone use the no surgery approach, but the UNLV starting kicker did it last season and was effective. "I think he has a better chance because it's the plant foot that's injured," Long said.

Eric Garrison, who now owns the starting kicker job, sat out practice Monday and will see a doctor to make sure the hit he took during Saturday's scrimmage didn't cause any trouble. But Binder said it is merely a precaution and he thinks Garrison is fine.

OJ Swift had his knee scoped yesterday, and Binder said the surgery was very successful. Swift tried to play through a torn miniscus during spring ball, but it hurt too much and he wasn't mobile enough to be effective. So he had the surgery and should be back in good shape in three to six weeks, with most guys coming back in three weeks.

Sylvester Hatten was officially back in the lineup today, giving the offensive line a bit of a boost. At this point, bodies help the line that just has nine healthy players. The line is struggling because the guys are young and learning a new offense O-line coach Jason Lenzmeier seems to be doing everything he can to help the guys, and he can demonstrate form and technique better than any other coach on the field. The other coaches are close, but Lenzmeier is so much younger and in great physical shape to push guys around and show them the ropes. Despite struggling, they seem to be listening and I think they have a much better relationship with Lenzmeier than the line did last year with Bob Stanley.

The defense continues to dominate every drill, but UNM coach Rocky Long was happy to see the offense focus a little more and receivers catch more passes. "I think the offense was more focused and did a better job today," Long said. "They showed a little more effort, and had some success because of it."

I don't know that the passing game was especially sharp, but there were two flashy plays to end practice. Donovan Porterie went deep to Marcus Smith, who outran a second or third-string defensive back for a pretty touchdown that had to be for somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 yards. But the best play that drew applause and ended practice on a high note was Porterie's pass to Daryl Jones that went for a touchdowns. The pass was behind Jones, but he reached out with one arm, tipped it to himself, tucked it under his arm and ran for the touchdown. I think it was about 10-yard pass that turned into something like 50-yard touchdown.

That's all for now. Check out Tuesday's Trib for more spring football coverage.

Posted by at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I could have said the offense looked terrible in Saturday scrimmage, but I'll go with the nicer headline.

It was not a good day for the offense and the defense had a pretty good time taking advantage of it. Since UNM only has nine healthy offensive linemen, the team can't do a real scrimmage. So the Lobos operated on a points system that gave the defense points for stops and the offense points for first downs and scoring. The team also used a regulation field instead of field that was only 50 yards long like they did last week. The longer field made it harder for the offense to score.

The final score was Silver, the defensive team, 33 and Cherry, the offensive team, 13.

The offense had a very hard time moving the football. The team didn't pick up a first down until the 30-minute mark, making the score 20-1 in favor of the Silver team.

The biggest problem clearly was the Lobos' inexperienced offensive line. Losing three potential starters for the season, along with the two seniors who departed, made it pretty brutal.

"The problem definitely was that we only have nine healthy offensive lineman," UNM coach Rocky Long said. "We have an experienced defensive line that was motivated today and took advantage of the mismatch. The defensive line was young and had the same problem last year. It's just something you have to work though in the spring."

There were a few times when quarterback Donovan Porterie did have protection but passes were dropped or he was picked off in the end zone making a receiver on the other side clearly was open. And those problems bothered Long far more than the score.

"I'm not disappointed with the offense, I'm just bothered that we dropped some passes early in the scrimmages we should have caught that could have changed the whole momentum of the scrimmage," Long said.

The coach said he expects the Wednesday scrimmage to either have a much closer score or for the offense to dominate. "It's funny, but in spring football it always changes with each scrimmage," he said. "The thing is you never win unless you have a tie with this kind of scoring system. The most important thing is that the guys work hard and improve."

There didn't appear to be any major injuries, although they got a brief scare when senior kicker Eric Garrison limped off the field. He made his field goal but the protection quickly collapsed and he hit the ground. He got up slowly and limped off but seemed fine later.

I got a chance to catch up with Vicki Cook, mother of Ryan and Erik Cook. Erik Cook has gotten a ton of playing time out the shortage of lineman. He was competing for a starting job at left tackle and right guard, but he got bumped over to center for spring workouts. His mom said Erik has been really excited about his chance to play, working out hard and watching his diet to do everything he can to get better. Erik also talks with his big brother Ryan, a former Lobo now with the Minnesota Vikings, every day. Erik takes in all the tips and advice he can get from Ryan. After he is done with finals, Erik is scheduled to go visit Ryan in Minnesota. Former Lobo Brian Ramsay playing in the Canadian Football League also will be joining them for awhile. The guys should have a lot of fun and squeeze in serious workouts since it will be training camp time soon for Ryan.

That's all for now. Back to live blog updates on the draft.

Posted by at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos had a good practice, rebounding from the sluggish workout that got them in trouble Thursday, but it wasn't a good day for kicker John Sullivan.

Sullivan, a senior who has been biding his time behind Kenny Byrd, was having the strongest performance of the spring among kickers. He was poised to steal a starting job but those plans evaporated when he tried to tackle Marcus Parker on a kickoff return and crumbled to the ground Thursday. UNM head trainer Dave Binder is still awaiting an MRI, but after examining Sullivan again Friday morning he thinks it's a torn ACL. The quickest a UNM player has returned from a torn ACL is six months. DonTrell Moore pulled off that recovery, but he had a pretty remarkable physique.

UNM coach Rocky Long wasn't sure if Sullivan had redshirted, but he thinks he had burned it already. The kicker would, however, still be a strong candidate for a medical redshirt if he chooses to make a comeback. We never saw much of Sullivan with so many talented kickers entrenched ahead of him, but he had the best hair among all Lobos. When he grew out his hair, he resembled The Flying Tomato -- snowboarding and skateboarding star Shawn White.

As I mentioned, the rest of the team turned in a much better workout Friday.

"I thought it was better," Long said. "I think they were sharper and more focused. They weren't even slow during the first part, so maybe they're starting to get used to practicing in the morning."

The guys were just in shorts and helmets, so there was no serious contact. But they flew around during skills drills and displayed the proper technique and fundamentals coaches have been demanding.

The team will practice from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday in University Stadium, with a scrimmage running from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It's free and open to the public, so feel free to go check it out.

That's all for now. Check back later for more football news.

Posted by at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Tribune's Richard Stevens and Jeremy Fowler will join Joe O'Neill guest hosting the afternoon sports talk show from 4-5:50 p.m. on KNML-AM (610) The Sports Animal. You can call in at 246-0610.

They are going to be the last guest hosts before Erik Gee takes over the afternoon show. Ian Martin has moved his show to 8-10 a.m. to fill the void left by Don Imus. I wrote a story for today's Trib about the programming changes.

Posted by at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry for the delay in posting my blog notes following this morning's early practice. I had a really busy day and didn't get a chance to do this as early as I would have liked but better late than never.

First the good news. It was a full-contact hitting day and no one got hurt. And no one who was hurt got worse. The guys who are missing spring football are in what is known as the play pen with the assistant strength coach, Joaquin. They do a ton of conditioning on the sidelines and wear their shorts and jerseys, so they remain very much part of the team through the whole rehab process. The kind of new thing they are doing this spring is that the coaches have the injured guys take a break and go over to watch some of the scrimmage so that they get to see important concepts of the new offense and the defense.

Today was an early-morning practice and I was told the team would start scrimmaging right away at 5:50 a.m. I got up time, but I guess I was a little slow getting ready for whatever reason. I ended up rolling into the parking lot right at 5:50 a.m. and was worried I would miss the good stuff. It would be my first full pads, full contact scrimmage. Fortunately they were still stretching. I actually like the early practice time because it freed up the rest of my day to do a whole bunch of other things. Anthony Kilby got to the field about two minutes after I did, which meant he was late and had to run after practice. Travis Brown got there a little later, so he sat out today's practice and did conditioning drills. UNM coach Rocky Long said Brown may miss Thursday's practice and do more conditioning depending on exactly how late he was for practice. As I mentioned, I ran late so I can relate to these guys running late too. But I also had 5:30 a.m. basketball practices in high school and was never late for those for fear of painful punishment like tons of sprints and loss of playing time. The coaches got to go home today at 5 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. thanks to the early start, so that's nice for them.

I mentioned yesterday I was looking forward to this scrimmage and thought the offense was doing a great job and showing signs of improvement in just the one day span I had witnessed. Maybe I built it up a little too much. The guys were sluggish and the early scrimmage wasn't very pretty. Long agreed when I talked to him and said they got better in the last few minutes.

The guys did a lot of position work, and I've noticed the coaches are continuing their campaign to spice things up and do unconventional or competitive drills to teach skills whenever possible. Most of the defense did a funny one Tuesday with defensive coordinator Osia Lewis and linebackers coach Lenny Rodriguez diving to throw pylons at players as they moved through an obstacle course. The players went through the gauntlet in two groups, with two guys competing against the course and each other. I definitely think that creativity makes a big difference for the guys.

The the offense did better during some seven-on-seven drills. Cornerbacks coach Troy Reffett did and safeties coach Danny Gonzales jumped up and down a lot, pleading with the guys to tighten up the pass coverage. It was pretty funny to watch them react physically to every pass, leaning forward or backward as if that would somehow get one of their players in the right position. And they cheered whenever the guys made the right play.

Later in the week, I will be ready to share some thoughts on the quarterbacks. Donovan Porterie is getting better at running the offense. And we've all seen his athletic ability, but I wanted to watch the backups a little more before sharing some thoughts on how they are throwing the ball.

The team did some goal line work, and it didn't go very well for the offense. "They worked hard and showed some aggression, but we've got a long ways to go there," Long said. The offense did score a few times and get out of trouble when the offense was stacked against its own goal line, but it wasn't the type of execution I was expecting. I can't help but think the injuries on the offensive line contributed to the offense's struggle on the goal line drills. There was one bad snap and Donovan Porterie fell on the ball in the end zone. He was in the shot gun and and had enough time to grab the ball and throw it out of bounds, the preferred option in that situation since falling on the ball is safety. I'm not saying the offense was terrible today, but you have to think there is a reason when you can't get the ball into the end zone from close range. Long once told that you have a 55 percent chance of scoring if you get possession of the ball inside the 50-yard line, so I think getting the ball inside the 20-yard line should generate more touchdowns than the offense scored.

That's all for now. Sorry about the false advertising on the last blog promoting a story in today's paper. We ran out of space, so the story will run in tomorrow's Trib.

Posted by at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a pretty interesting day of practice despite the windy conditions.

First I'll share injury news. No one was hurt today, but it looks like OJ Swift will be having his knee scoped next week. He entered spring ball with a torn miniscus but wanted to try to make it through the workouts because he couldn't cause further damage. But the pain ended up being too much and he hasn't been able to practice. So UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he decided to sideline Swift and proceed with the surgery. It's a very minor surgery and Swift should be back working out in 10 days.

As previously mentioned, I missed the first week of practice, but I am basing my comments on the observations I have made and interviews with players and coaches. I think the defense is showing the first signs it is up to the challenge of keeping up with the defense, which already knew its assignments and was flying around the field aggressively during week one. Now on day two of week two, the guys were just in shoulder pads. But the quarterbacks were threading some nice passes on routes in traffic despite the wind. UNM coach Rocky Long said he thought the offense definitely improved and he was happy to see the plays the offense made, but he said the offense still has a long way to go.

I think it's always very hard during spring football to evaluate a team. Is the offense doing well or the defense having a bad day? In this case, I think both sides worked really hard and the offense made some nice plays that illustrate growth.

We get a much better picture of the team's develop Wednesday morning. Early Wednesday morning. The team works out in full pads with everyone up to be hit except starting quarterback Donovan Porterie. They will open practice with a scrimmage at 5:50 a.m.

So I'll leave my Tuesday practice notes a little short because I'll have tons more to offer Wednesday morning after practice. If you have any questions, feel free to post them any time in the comments section or e-mail them to ilimon@abqtrib.com.

Posted by at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Although it was a really windy afternoon, it was great to be back for my first spring football practice. I hated missing the first week due to illness and death in the family. I think those tough experiences actually make me appreciate football a whole lot more right now.

So here's what I learned today. I know some of it is old news to the diehards who have a constant pulse on the team, but I have to get myself and everyone else caught up.

Devin Clark is scheduled to have surgery Thursday to repair his ankle. He didn't suffer a fracture, but head trainer Dave Binder said it's unstable and needs the surgery to help strengthen it. He expects Clark to rehab and be back at full strength by August. I talked to Clark, who is on crutches, and he's pretty frustrated but hopeful he will be back by August. Some guys fell on him when he was blocking one day at practice, a pretty routine situation that just went wrong. Clark was pretty excited about spring ball. He's a weightlifting fiend and actually did lifting competitions in his down time, so he definitely was physically improving during the long layoff before spring ball. As I said before, Clark is bummed but seems ready to fight his way back to the field.

So that leaves the Lobos pretty decimated on the offensive line for spring football. They lost two senior starters, plus Vince Natali is gone due to off-season surgery and Clark is hurt. Erik Cook also jammed his fingers pretty badly today, but he stepped up and handled snaps at center despite some serious pain. It obviously would be nice to have veteran guys in the lineup when you're learning a new offense, but offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin and coach Rocky Long both said it could be a blessing in disguise. Now the backups get valuable experience and have a chance to show what they are capable of doing. Someone is bound to get hurt during the regular season, so these guys will be more adept at stepping in if they don't manage to steal starting jobs. Starting quarterback Donovan Porterie also spent a lot of time as a backup and taking snaps from Cook, so he says he's happy to have him as his center for spring ball. And he said the backups aren't bad, so they aren't hurting the rest of the team's ability to learn.

Baldwin and Long had a lot of optimism for this week. They have installed the biggest things they needed and feel like the guys should start getting sharper. They really slow down when they think about what they're doing instead of just doing it. The offense is about 75 to 80 percent installed, and what's left is apparently very minor.

Baldwin is a vocal guy, but he said he doesn't want to ignore mistakes or placate players. He also wants them to feel no intimidation in front of 40,000 screaming fans on the road. The players seem fine with his style and he does pepper in the praise to make sure they get a balanced diet critique. Porterie said it helps to get both criticism on the field and in the film room the next day because it stays fresh and is reinforced, allowing the players to fix problems faster.

On defense, Long said he has kept the simplified approach he used during the bowl game preparation. The difference is the guys don't have to worry about game planning. So the defense is really set and the guys have a clear understanding of what they need to do. As a result, they fly around the field a little more aggressively. And Long wants that aggression back more than anything else, so he said he is happy with the way the first week of practice went for the team.

That's all for now. Check out tomorrow's Trib for a full report.

Posted by at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I haven't had a blog update in weeks because I had a whole bunch of personal emergencies pop up that have taken me away from work.

I was scheduled for vacation last week when my grandmother in El Paso was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and suddenly took a grave turn. I am grateful most of my extended family could drop everything and made it to El Paso in time to say goodbye before her death. She was very supportive of my newspaper career and an inspiring woman who I will miss. My family is especially grateful to the staff at Thomason Hospital for keeping her comfortable and also tending to all of our needs.

At the same time, I got pretty sick and was briefly hospitalized in El Paso for a problem with my immune system. I am on the mend now thanks to great medical care. I have to thank Dr. Augustine Eleje, who took a personal interest in making sure I got better quickly. I've seen a lot of doctors over the years and understand just how special it is to find one who takes good care of you when you are in need.

In my absence, several other Trib sports reporters have stepped up to help cover spring football. I wish I could have been out there from day one providing tons of blog updates and stories. The good news is that I'll be back at work Monday and will be able to resume my normal coverage of the team.

I know this is more personal than my usual blog posts, but I wanted readers to understand I wasn't just taking a strangely-timed vacation. I also wanted a chance to thank all the people who helped me out during the past few weeks.

Posted by at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It stinks writing these stories, but I can't ignore it when two former UNM football players get in trouble with the law. I know a lot of people already heard about former quarterback Chris Nelson, a senior who started seven games during the 2006 season, was charged with shoplifting a bottle of liquor. But it turns out John Mulchrone, also a senior starter during the 2006 season at tight end, was charged with drunken driving. It's impossible to regulate behavior of athletes who are no longer in the football program, but it still stings to see them arrested.

Posted by at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This information has been out for a few days, but I still wanted to post that UNM senior linebacker Cody Kase is one of 42 athletes named to the 2007 Lott Trophy watch list. The trophy honors the top defensive player in country, factoring performance on the field and in the community. The award is named after former San Francisco 49ers star Ronnie Lott. Players are evaluated based on integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. As a result, the winner is called the defensive IMPACT player of the year. The award is voted on by select members of the media, previous finalists, the board of directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation and advisers to the foundation that include retired college coaches.

Kase is a no-brainer for this type of award. He suffered an injury that limited him for several games last season, but Kase was still a strong defensive player. And he was one of two athletes on the list who were academic All-Americans last season. Kase got his first B of his academic career last season but still has an unbelievable academic record considering all the work he juggles. And he told me he does it without pulling all-nighters because he thinks nine hours of sleep a night is really valuable and what makes him so successful.

Tommy Blake from TCU is the only other Mountain West Conference player on the watch list. Here's the complete watch list:

Continue reading "Kase makes Lott watch list" »

Posted by at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A few television stations in Oklahoma are reporting Artesia star quarterback Landry Jones orally committed to Oklahoma. Jones, a 6-foot-5 junior who led the Bulldogs to a state championship, is one of the hottest QB prospects nationally. He was getting serious attention from big-name schools and obligatory offers from little fish like New Mexico and New Mexico State.

The Sooners apparently won Jones' heart. I don't really fault the Lobos for losing out on this recruit, although I'm sure there will be tons of people who will argue the UNM football staff wasn't aggressive enough going after Jones. I do think it's fair to say that fellow Artestia grad Kole McKamey's career didn't go as well as many had hoped and that easily could have steered Jones away from the Lobos. McKamey had to deal with constantly changing offenses that didn't always protect him and a heavy rotation of new coaches.

Ultimately, I think it would have been a huge longshot for UNM or New Mexico State to land Jones. He had a chance to make a bigger splash at a bigger school and decided to chase his dreams. Good for him. I know it's hard for UNM fans to cheer on hometown heroes who spurn the Lobos, but Jones could bring a lot of love to New Mexico if he lives up to expectations.

Jones' commitment is not binding, but I wouldn't look for him to change his mind. Cooper Henderson, the Artesia football coach, is one of the greatest New Mexico high school coaches in any sport I have ever met. He values honesty and integrity in his athletes, and I'd be shocked if Jones backed out of his commitment after giving his word.

Posted by at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

UNM football coach Rocky Long never talks much about this, but he usually gets hit up by other coaches to talk about his defense. It kind of goes with the business, with guys swapping stories to get better every summer.

During the weekend, Long was scheduled to speak at USC's annual coaches clinic. He joined Mike Stoops of Ariziona, Mike Price of UTEP, Greg Robinson of Syracuse and Green Bay Packers special teams coach Shawn Slocum as the non-USC guest speakers. Here's the news release from USC with the details about the camp.

Posted by at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

UNM coach Rocky Long has changed his spring football schedule.

The practices will start on Monday April 16 and run for two and a half weeks instead of being spread out over a longer period of time. The team will practice Monday through Saturday, Monday through Saturday and Monday through Wednesday. The spring football game will be on Wednesday, May 2.

Long said he made the changes to give players more time to bulk up in the pre-spring football conditioning program and allow his new assistant coaches to get on the same page before practices begin.

Posted by at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UNM football schedule was released today, with the Lobos playing four games on national television. Three games will be on CSTV and one will be on Versus. UNM coach Rocky Long said there also is a good chance the Arizona game will be broadcast on a Pac-10-related network, most likely Fox Sports-Southwest. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 1 at UTEP 8 p.m. CSTV
Saturday, Sept. 8 New Mexico State 7:30 p.m. The Mtn.
Saturday, Sept. 15 at Arizona TBA TBA
Saturday, Sept. 22 Sacramento State 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 29 BYU 6:30 p.m. CSTV
Saturday, Oct. 6 Open
Saturday, Oct. 13 at Wyoming 12:00 p.m. The Mtn.
Saturday, Oct. 20 at San Diego State 6:30 p.m. CSTV
Thursday, Oct. 25 Air Force 7 p.m. VERSUS
Saturday, Nov. 3 at TCU 3:30 p.m. The Mtn.
Saturday, Nov. 10 Colorado State 1 p.m. The Mtn.
Saturday, Nov. 17 at Utah 3:30 p.m. The Mtn.
Saturday, Nov. 24 UNLV 3:30 p.m. The Mtn.

What do you think of the schedule?

Posted by at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For such a hyped event, it's been hard to get straight numbers from the NFL Combine. We've seen two different 40-yard dash times from Quincy Black, but both are good so it's not too bad. He led linebackers in the shuttle drill times updated today. And, as far as I can tell, he had the best vertical leap of anyone at the combine at 41 and 1/2. That's really impressive and should finally turn some heads for Black, who I think was stuck in the shadow of Utah's Eric Weddle way too much his senior year. That's not to say Weddle isn't a very good player, it's just that Black didn't get the recognition he deserved nationally. That should change very, very soon.

Posted by at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former Lobo Quincy Black seems to be doing well at the 2007 NFL Combine.

NFL Network is reporting Black had the top vertical leap among all linebackers at the draft, leaping higher than the measuring stick being used. He also ranked was among the fastest linebackers in the 40-yard dash. Black was credited with a 41.5" vertical leap, a 10-foot, four-inch broad jump and posted an official time of 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash.

I'll post an update as soon as the NFL Network releases his results on other tests.

Posted by at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Running backs coach Cornell Jackson is leaving UNM to take a job as an assistant coach at Baylor. Jackson has been with UNM for the past two years, although he had a previous stint as the Lobos' linebackers coach in 1995. He coached a pair of 1,000-yard rushers during his time at UNM -- DonTrell Moore and Rodney Ferguson. No word yet on a potential replacement for Jackson, who interviewed for the Lobos' offensive coordinator job before it was awarded to Dave Baldwin.

The Lobos filled their offensive line coach vacancy, hiring former Lobo offensive lineman Jason Lenzmeier to coach the line. Lenzmeier, a graduate assistant for UNM last season, replaces Bob Stanley, who spent one season at UNM before moving on to Western Michigan.

Posted by at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Rocky Long made it official today, hiring Tulsa tight ends coach Matt Wells to take over as the Lobos' wide receivers coach. Wells is expected to start work with the Lobos Feb. 19.

Now Long and offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin will look to replace offensive line coach Bob Stanley, who took a job last week at Western Michigan. Long said he hopes the hiring process will move more quickly to replace Stanley because he interviewed so many candidates for other coaching vacancies who would be qualified for the offensive line position. Graduate assistant and former Lobo offensive lineman Jason Lenzmeier is still a candidate for the position.

Posted by at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It looks like the UNM football team may have caught a break, with former recruit Ervin "Una" Smiley signing a letter of intent to play for Oregon State. Smiley was shot during his official UNM recruiting visit while leaving a strip club with three UNM football players. He suffered severe nerve damage in his right leg and is still awaiting surgery to repair the damage.

Now that he has signed with Oregon State, it seems unlikely UNM would have to foot the bill for his education. There is still a chance Smiley's relationship with the Lobos could be messy because he may not ever be able to walk normally or play football again following the surgery. If Oregon State decides at that point to withdraw the scholarship, then UNM may have to pay for Smiley's education at another school or face a lawsuit.

I still think it's a good sign for the Lobos that another school is taking Smiley in and sharing the burden of caring for him in the future. What do you think?

Posted by at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobos offensive lineman Bo Greer, who was a senior on the 2006 team, was a last-minute replacement to represent Texas during the Texas versus the Nation game Saturday in El Paso. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live on CSTV. Greer has never lived in or played in Texas, but he still got the invitation to play for the Lone Star Team.

Posted by at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it's really the Chicago Bears versus the New England Patriots squaring off in the Super Bowl, but those are the big names the NFL and CBS already are promoting in a commercial that aired about one minute after the game ended.

What do you think of the matchup? I thought the Bears might have had a bigger advantage over the Patriots, but New England surprised me with its performance today.

Posted by at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Brian Urlacher and the Bears defense shut down the New Orleans Saints to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. We posted an Associated Press story with the latest from Chicago on the Trib's Web site.

I think it's safe to say there's celebrations going on all over New Mexico, especially in Urlacher's hometown of Lovington and college home, Albuquerque. And I'm not sure UNM freshman guard Eileen Weissmann, a Chicago native, has much of a voice left. She told me she screams at the TV during every Bears game and just goes crazy. Today is a day a special amount of craziness.

Right now it looks like he'll be facing Tom Brady and the Patriots, who seem to have the upper hand on Colts for the first time in all their meetings this season. Go figure. A lot of people were convinced it would be the Saints and Colts in the Super Bowl.

Posted by at 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Unless the Saints pull off an miracle comeback in the snow, big Brian Urlacher and the Bears are headed to the Super Bowl.

Posted by at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A lot of fans grumbled and wondered when offfensive coordinator Bob Toledo left to UNM to take over as Tulane's coach whether he would raid the Lobos' recruiting list.

Toledo has steered clear of UNM's path. I'm sure that's because he is friends with Rocky Long and Tulane recruits athletes from different areas.

Without the Lobos' springboard and a late start, Toledo is using all his charm to woo recruits to build his program. Most people see the Tulane program as a pile of rubble in New Orleans, but he has leveraged the Saints comeback story as the road map to his future.

Here's one snapshot from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that updates Toledo's latest commitments:

"The New Orleans Saints' storybook season is becoming a valuable recruiting tool for Tulane. With the Saints hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at the Superdome, new Green Wave head coach Bob Toledo brought in a large group of recruits over the weekend. The playoff atmosphere helped land commitments from a pair of Gwinnett County players.

On Sunday, Duluth offensive lineman Andrew Higgins and Norcross defensive end Brooks Cunningham each committed to the Green Wave.

"It was crazy down there," said Higgins, who was born in Metarie, La., a suburb of New Orleans. "It was awesome. The city itself is getting better, and the Saints have really picked up the morale."

"It would be great if the energy that's surrounding the Saints can translate to Tulane," said Cunningham, who chose the Green Wave over Alabama-Birmingham, Navy and Air Force.

— David Purdum"

Posted by at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have a story in today's Tribune about the Lobos' new offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin. He already has a leg up on Bob Toledo because he takes a group that's young but has a lot of talent and experience.

Baldwin seems pretty excited about the job. Quarterback Donovan Porterie said he had them all fired up in their first team meeting Tuesday. It was as much pep rally as introduction. Then Baldwin had a lot of individual meetings with players.

I don't know what it is about offensive coordinators, but they always seem to give me some interesting lines. I guess it's because they think about their jobs and philosophy so much. When I asked about the how Toledo developed and honed his offense, he told me "It's like an amoeba. It keeps growing." When I asked Baldwin to define his offense, since it's been called both the spread and a multiple formation, he responded with this gem, "I run a lot of formations to do the same thing. I like to compare it to a layer cake. You can like chocolate cake, vanilla cake or strawberry cake. I don't change the cake, I just change the frosting for you."

It's going to be very interesting to see how this new offense develops. It certainly adds more drama to spring football. Although Baldwin spoke of a quarterback competition, Porterie pretty much has the job. The question is how well the team adapts to it. We'll find out soon.

Posted by at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Although we'll track his baseball career, I did want to add one last note on Kole McKamey.

It's really tough to see a player with a lot of potential get tripped up by outside factors, including what seemed like a never-ending stream of injuries. Kole always understood what it meant to be a team leader and never ducked questions when things weren't going well for the team or when he wasn't performing his best. He understood the responsibilities that went with his job and handled them well.

I can recall when I was first working on a story about him three years ago and set up an interview with him. I left him my card, which I often do with players, but few ever use it. McKamey called to let me know he couldn't make our appointment and rescheduled. That may seem pretty minor to a lot of people, but it is a big deal for an athlete with a lot on his plate and a lot of other things on his mind.

Baseball is a tough sport and pitching at the Division I-A level will be immensely challenging, but I wish Kole the best.

Posted by at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another former New Mexico State football player has joined the civil lawsuit claiming religious descrimination of Muslims by Aggies football coach Hal Mumme, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Jacob Wallace, a New Mexico State running back from the 2002-05 seasons, asked to join former Aggies Mu'Ammar Ali, Anthony Thompson and Vincent Thompson launching the complain. New Mexico State attorney Lawrence R. White told the Sun-News he plans to contest adding Wallace to the complaint.

Posted by at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I don't gloat too often, but I'd just like to point out that I feel quite good about selecting voting for Ohio State to play Florida in the national championship game. I took a ton of heat, as did a lot of other Harris poll voters who agreed with me.

I still think we need a playoff. Not convinced? Just ask Boise State whether the Broncos could have beaten Florida this year.

Posted by at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Horned Frogs are making the Mountain West Conference look good, with a 14-0 halftime lead over Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl. TCU was favored to win this game, which could draw a decent amount of TV viewers because there isn't a whole lot on TV right now and it's the first bowl game of the season.

Posted by at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UNM football team practiced for an hour this morning despite steady snowfall.

It was freezing, with winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour and the temperature hovering around 32 degrees. Most of the players danced to stay warm, but UNM coach Rocky Long said they made the most of their practice time. Long did cut the practice half an hour short, but he said he only had eliminate one-on-one drills and UNM was still able to get most of its game plan work in during the hour. He said most coaches would have called off practice with so many bowl workouts under their belt, but he previously was an assistant coach at Wyoming and said the weather was relatively mild.

"They were focused and did a good job out here," he said. "This is good for us. It could be like this on game day, so we'll be ready."

Even if UNM's pending indoor practice facility was open, Long said the Lobos would have spent about 25 minutes outside just in case game day conditions were just as blustery.

The forecast calls for the Lobos to battle snow and cold temperatures most of the week.

"It was so cold out there, but it makes us tougher," junior wide receiver Marcus Smith said.

San Jose State gets to town Wednesday and only practices here Thursday afternoon and does a walk-through Friday, so they will only get a limited taste of the winter weather.

No one missed today's practice. Junior linebacker Major Mosley was back and giddy. His wife gave birth to a baby boy at 4:57 p.m. Monday. His name is Major Mosley IV and he weighs six pounds and four ounces. Bo Greer's girlfriend is due with their son Wednesday.

That's all for now. Check out Wednesday's Tribune for more UNM football and New Mexico Bowl news.

Posted by at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I haven't had many blog updates lately because it's been, umm, busy on the football beat.

Today was probably the last warm football practice the Lobos will see this week. When I talked with UNM coach Rocky Long, though, we did figure UNM is 1-0 playing in snow during his tenure.

The Lobos were a little sloppy after having the weekend off, but it's natural rust as they begin putting together their game plan.

Junior Major Mosley missed practice today because his was wife was having a baby. He is expecting a son and plans to name him Major Mosley III. Bo Greer's girlfiend also is expecting a baby this week. Long said he thinks it's the first two players have had babies on the way the same week. Greer's given name is Royce Greer. His grandfather's name was Bo, and he has been nicknamed Bo since he was a kid. He said he will name his son Royce Greer and make sure he goes by Royce. "I want someone to get to use that name," he said.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Donovan Porterie said his ankle is still feeling good, and he felt comfortable running the Lobos' game plan Monday. "We made some mistakes, but I think we had some good moments and things will start clicking as we practice it more and more," Porterie said.

I also caught up with San Jose State quarterback Adam Tafralis, who said things have been going well for the Spartans. The team took some time off after its last game, which landed one week later than the Lobos' finale against San Diego State. He said he is preparing for a pretty intense UNM defense. "I think we're going to have to cut down on the mistakes we made all year to win this game," he said. "But I think we've made a lot of progress and we'll be ready."

That's all for now. Check out Tuesday's Tribune for more football and New Mexico Bowl news.

Posted by at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just got back from the UNM football banquet, which, as always, was a nice night for the team to recognize a season worth of accomplishments. The following awards were voted on by the players, with the exception of the Red Menace Fan Appreciation:

Most Valuable Offensive Scouts:
WR Chris Hernandez (Las Cruces) and QB Bryan Clampitt (Dallas)

Most Valuable Defensive Scout:
LB Beau Hightower (Albuquerque)

Red Menace Fan Appreciation Award:
TE Curtis Pino (Albuquerque)

Chuck Cummings Award - Most Inspirational Player:
TE Curtis Pino

Outstanding Offensive Lineman:
OG Robert Turner (Austin, Texas)

Zia Award - Most Valuable New Mexico Player:
K Kenny Byrd (Albuquerque)

Clyde Hill Award - Most Improved Player:
WR Marcus Smith (San Diego) and QB Donovan Porterie (Port Arthur, Texas)

Outstanding Special Teams Player:
K Kenny Byrd

Lobo Club Award - Unselfish Devotion to Team:
Lobo Ben Wysong (Tijeras)

Col. HJ Golightly Award - Most Valuable Defensive Player:
Lobo Quincy Black (Chicago)

Reese Hill Award - Most Valuable Offensive Player:
TB Rodney Ferguson (Albuquerque)

Bill Brannin Award - MVP:
TB Rodney Ferguson (Albuquerque)

Check out the Tribune and this blog for more about the banquet and the team.

Posted by at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, Bob Toledo will be back to coach the bowl game but the Lobos practiced without him today. I have a story with the latest details on Toledo's move to Tulane from coach Rocky Long, which you can find at this link. And here's the latest Associated Press story from New Orleans, where Toledo was introduced this afternoon as the newest leader of the Green Wave.

Senior quarterback Kole McKamey, who is petitioning for a sixth year of eligibility and obviously will be hardest hit by working for yet another new offensive coordinator, was not at practice today. I can't say that I blame him for taking some time to mull over his future. Long asked that the returning guys not give any interviews until Wednesday, giving them some time to let Toledo's departure sink in a little bit.

Practice went on as usual. Chris Mark left early with a concussion, but otherwise there was a full regular lineup of players. Rocky Long, Dan Dodd and Bob Stanley took turns calling the plays for the UNM offense. This is the only practice Toledo is expected to miss leading up to the bowl game.

The seniors leave each bowl practice 45 minutes to an hour early, then the returning players get to do some heavy hitting and scrimmaging. The scout team members get to work on the UNM offense and defense instead of studying what opposing teams are doing. The guys get real excited about the chance to play so much, and that didn't change with today's news.

Off on a separate practice field, the kickers and punters finished their workouts and decided to indulge in a game of touch football. "Normally we have to come and watch practice, but it was way too cold to just stand around," senior kicker Kenny Byrd said. "We decided to just play around since no one needed us. It was good exercise." No one kept score and Byrd was the quarterback the whole time, assuring UNM's top kicker wasn't hurt during the game.

That's all for today. Check out Tuesday's Tribune for more UNM football news.

Posted by at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An official in the Tulane athletics department just confirmed UNM offensive coordinator Bob Toledo will be taking the Tulane head coaching job. Toledo will be introduced at press conference at 5:30 tonight.

UNM athletics director Paul Krebs confirmed Toledo interviewed at Tulane this weekend but would not say whether Toledo was offered the job.

ESPN.com also is reporting Toledo was hired to take over the Tulane football program, citing anonymous sources.

It is unclear whether Toledo will coach the Lobos during the bowl game.

I'll have a full story posted shortly at Lobo Zone. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the day.

Posted by at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I was on the road returning from the UNM women's basketball team's game at Arizona Wednesday, so I missed the football team's practice. I'll have more UNM and New Mexico Bowl news and notes tomorrow, so check back soon.

Posted by at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mountain West Conference postseason awards were announced today. Here's the Trib's story on the awards and the complete list from the conference.

Kenny Byrd won special teams co-player of the year and first team all conference honors. Wide receiver Travis Brown, running back Rodney Ferguson, offensive lineman Robert Turner and defensive back Quincy Black joined him on the first team.

Defensive lineman Tyler Donaldson and defensive back DeAndre Wright earned second team honors. Defensive back Glover Quin and wide receiver Marcus Smith earned honorable mention honors.

It took me a few hours to compile my ballot. It's always tough to decide these awards. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of the blog. Here's my list:

Continue reading "My Mountain West Conference ballot" »

Posted by at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am finally thawing out from watching a truly freezing practice. It was crazy cold.

All the UNM quarterbacks were back at practice, including a guy wearing No. 12. Kole McKamey worked out with the team for the first time since he was injured against New Mexico State during the second game of the season. He said he was doing all the passing and running in rehab, so he asked if could go to practice. Everyone agreed, and he participated in drills where he wouldn't get hit. He also insisted that he would not take away any reps from other players.

Donovan Porterie was back and looks to be at full strength, although everyone was a little rusty with time off and the bitter cold weather.

Bo Greer was the only player who missed practice. He was out sick but should be back soon.

The seniors worked out for an hour and a half, while the rest of the team stayed a full two hours. As practice wore on, the guys were allowed to hit and they hammered each other pretty hard. I think it was more about their eagerness to keep warm rather than desire to hit hard. Either way, it was a pretty tough practice.

That's all for now. Check out Tuesday's Tribune for more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UPDATE: Here' s the link to my column from Monday's Tribune explaining my vote.

Florida is facing Ohio State in the national championship, and I suppose I helped the Gators. It was a tough choice, and I'm not necessarily happy with the way it all went down. The Harris poll is one of three factors used to determine which determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are final picks:

1. Ohio State
2. Florida
3. Michigan
4. Louisville
5. Boise State
6. LSU
7. Wisconsin
8. USC
9. Auburn
10. Notre Dame
11. Oklahoma
12. West Virginia
13. Arkansas
14. Virginia Tech
15. BYU
16. Wake Forest
17. Rutgers
18. Tennessee
19. Texas
20. Cal
21. Texas A&M
22. Boston College
23. TCU
24. Georgia
25. Oregon State

Disagree? I'm sure a lot of Michigan fans have a bone to pick with me. You can post your thoughts on the comments section of my blog. And check out Monday's Tribune to see the rationale behind my picks.

Posted by at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cody Kase, who many of his teammates refer to as the smartest guy on the UNM football team, earned was named second team academic all American by ESPN the Magazine. Kase, a starting linebacker and team captain, is the fifth player in school history to be named an academic all American and the first since Chad Smith earned the award in 1998. Kase is studying general management and his 4.01 GPA is the highest of all academic all American honorees.

Posted by at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I talked with Katie Hnida tonight after her Larry King interview, and she said she enjoyed doing the show. It was her longest interview yet, spanning the second half hour of his show.

King did try to bait her a bit into naming or revealing details about the person who raped her, but Hnida tactfully dodged the questions.

While much of it rehashed what happened in Colorado and Hnida's reactions to it, she did get a decent chunk of time to promote her experiences at UNM.

I'll have a story in Wednesday's Tribune based on my interview with Hnida.She's pretty excited about speaking at Book Works on Rio Grande Wednesday night and the UNM bookstore Thursday.

Posted by at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's just about time for me to turn in my Heisman Trophy ballot.

I'm pretty sure I'll vote for Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, so the more exciting part is what I do with my second and third place vote on the ballot.

Do I go with running backs Darren McFadden, of Arkansas, and Steve Slaton, of West Virginia, or snub them because they're sophomores?

Does Notre Dame's Brady Quinn deserve to be in the top three?

Does BYU's John Beck deserve one of my votes? How about Colt Brennan from Hawaii or Ian Johnson from Boise State. I'm all about the little guy, but did these underdogs earn it?

Decisions, decisions.

Help me out here. Share you thoughts in the comments section of my blog.

Posted by at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Katie Hnida was on the Today show this morning promoting her book, "Still Kicking: My Journey as the First Woman to Play Division I Football."

Almost all the footage was of UNM at the Emerald Bowl and some practice film, which they had from the last time she was on following the bowl game. Most of the segment was recounting her story as a star high school kicker, her tumultous time at CU and the second chance she got at UNM.

She was interviewed by host Meredith Viera, who asked a few questions after giving all the background information. The first question was why write the book when the topic is so painful. Hnida responded, "Well on one hand it never completely goes away. This I something I will have to deal with the rest of my life. ... It was really important for me to share this story. There are so many women and men who suffer from sexual assault ..."

Then she was asked whether she wished she had come forward when the rape first happened and if she thought it would have changed anything. That could be a pretty controversial question second-guessing the response of sex assault victim, but Hnida handled it pretty smoothly. She said " That is a very hard question to answer. I really don’t know if it would have made a difference .... I was 18 years old and in a very terrible situation."

Viera asked Hnida why she chose to speak out back in 2004 when she granted her interview to Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly. Hnida responded she didn't think Colorado officials were taking the rape allegations by other women very seriously.

The Today show also played the infamous clip of ex-Colorado coach Gary Barnett saying she wasn't just a girl but a terrible kicker. Hnida was asked how she felt about his remarks years later. She said, "Actually the same as when that first came out. I think that that was a classless remark, but I was not that surprised because that was the coach that I knew."

Hnida was asked if she ever considered quitting, and she said she only entertained the idea for one really bad night and kept pushing herself to overcome the obstacles.

Then she was asked what it felt like to finally score. Hnida said it was wonderful, but it was even better the next day when she found out it was her teammates who pushed for her to get into the game.

And finally she was asked if she would recommend other girls take up kicking. She said, "Yeah absolutely. I think there are tons of great programs. And if it’s something you love to do, you should go for it."

Hnida will be on Larry King Live tonight.

She will be in Albuquerque Wednesday and Thursday. Hnida will speak and sign copies of her memoir at Book Works, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. N.W., at 7 p.m. Wednesday and the UNM Bookstore at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Posted by at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think this might the first time in UNM history when a two football players (Cody Kase and Kenny Byrd), a men's basketball player (JR Giddens) and a women's basketball player (Dionne Marsh) all were named Mountain West Conference players of the week at the same time.

Not a bad week for the Lobos.

Posted by at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Everyone's still pretty happy over at the UNM football complex the day after their big win over San Diego State to earn a spot in the New Mexico Bowl.

The team will take this week off, then practice for three days the following week, four the next week and treat the week before the bowl game as a regular practice week. It looks like UNM will face San Jose State, but the Lobos won't know for sure until the final BCS standings come out and it is clear Boise State is going to a BCS game. Boise State has moved up so high in the polls, its highly unlikely the Broncos would fall out of big-money bowl. That moves everyone in the WAC up a bowl spot and lets San Jose come here.

UNM coach Rocky Long said the Lobos will spend half the practice running against the scout team in bowl preparation, then the players returning next year will use the second half of practice like a spring football workout. He said the seniors will do some form of conditioning but likely will finish workouts early.

Long said the Lobos won't pick a starting quarterback until the coaches get a chance to see how both backup senior Chris Nelson and injured starter Donovan Porterie perform in practice. Porterie still is not back at full strength after spraining his ankle against TCU two weeks ago. Long also raised the possibility of starting all the UNM seniors for one play.

The next weeks will be pretty big for UNM recruiting. The Lobos only have 15 seniors on scholarship to replace, but they need to sign some junior college offensive linemen and fill in some other holes. So seven assistant coaches are going to be on the road the next two weeks, with a few staying home next weekend if they have recruits coming to town on official visits. UNM coach Rocky Long will run the first three bowl practices with a skeleton crew while his coaches stay on the recruiting trail.

There were no major injuries reported after the San Diego State game.

Long said he was happy with the win over the Aztecs, but he was not happy his team let up on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter. San Diego State had 27 snaps in the fourth quarter, which is twice as many as Long would have liked to have seen. He said part of the problem was the defense allowing San Diego State to move the ball, and the other part was the UNM offense only running six plays and failing to run time off the clock. "I guess that's expected but it upsets you as a coach," Long said.

That's all for now. Check out Monday's Tribune for loads more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I slipped down to El Paso to spend Thanksgiving with my family, but you can still look to the Tribune for loads of UNM football and women's basketball coverage. I did a lot of interviews ahead of time and am writing from the road.

You can still check the blog for updates and Lobo Zone for stories all week.

I'll be back in time to cover the women's basketball tournament Friday and the triple header Sunday -- football midday and two basketball games that evening. Perhaps you can guess why I escaped when I had the chance.

For football fans who missed the print edition, I added a box with Robert Turner's Thanksgiving menu. He wanted to be a chef when he was a kid and will cooking up a storm tomorrow:
- 10 pounds of oven-roasted, sliced turkey breast (he did turkey last year and wanted to try something different)
- 8-pound ham
- stuffing
- mashed potatoes
- green beans
- corn bread
- and his girlfriend will handle desserts.

For women's basketball fans, the Lobos have a tradition of gathering at one house with their moms cooking a Thanksgiving feast while the girls are at practice. The team watched film on Wednesday because UNM coach Don Flanagan wisely decided he wouldn't have the team's complete attention on Thanksgiving. Good plan.

That's all for my Wednesday night update, but I saved a few bits of news and notes I'll share on Thanksgiving day. I'll also have stories in the Thursday's Trib.

And just in case you read this before my Thursday update ... Happy Thanksgiving.

Posted by at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As previously reported, Chris Nelson will be starting in place of Donovan Porterie Saturday. There was little doubt during Tuesday's practice that Porterie was in a lot of pain and in no shape to play Saturday. He was limping around trying to keep up with the team. The best hope now is that he can play as the backup Saturday.

John Mulchrone, on the other hand, had a much better day. He showed dramatic improvement after suffering a sprained knee against BYU and is on track to play Saturday. Major Mosley, who suffered a concussion against the Cougars, practiced without any contact Tuesday. Trainers expect him to play but they want to be cautious before letting him take any more hits.

I thought the team had been hitting harder and seemed more focus this week. UNM coach Rocky Long backed up my suspicion during the weekly media lunch, but he wasn't so happy about it. He's worried the players are too aware of how much is on the line Saturday and may tense up under pressure in a way they haven't all season.

I don' t think he is necessarily giving the guys enough credit. I've talked with them all year, and they don't need any prompting to point out streaks or what's on the line for a game. They knew about their record after bye weeks long before I ever asked about it. There's a level of awareness that just goes with territory, especially athletes this age who are much more aware of stats and streaks and implications of games.

At the same time, I know Long's been in this spot before. Last year's loss hurt the program a lot. A win this year means a bowl berth, lots of extra practice and would put te team way ahead next year. He said he wished the game was played Tuesday because it is a stressful time. He knows what a win means and what a loss means.

Well, that's all for today. Check out Wednesday's Tribune for loads more football coverage.

Posted by at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Rocky Long said Chris Nelson will start against the Aztecs because Donovan Porterie still hasn't recovered from the sprained left ankle he suffered against TCU. I wrote a story this afternoon about Nelson taking over the starting job.

Posted by at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For Lobo Brian Urlacher is putting up money to help bring an Arena Football League team to the Albuquerque-Rio Rancho area. We posted a story on the Tribune's Web site about Urlacher's involvement.

Posted by at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM quarterback Donovan Porterie practiced Monday with a special air cast on his left ankle. Porterie didn't have his full range of motion, but UNM trainer Dave Binder said there was a good chance Porterie could play against San Diego State Saturday.

Porterie said he still isn't at full strength and isn't sure he can play Saturday. He said it hurt to roll out on a throw during practice, but he didn't skip any throws during Monday night's practice. He said he will push himself as hard as he can all week, but the game is too important and he won't play unless he can help the team.

Tight end John Mulchrone suffered a sprained knee against BYU and hobbled through practice. He had a knee brace and struggled to get through a lot of plays. Binder isn't sure whether he will be able to play against San Diego State.

Linebacker Major Mosley sat out practice because he had a headache Monday. Mosley suffered a concussion at BYU, so trainers told him to sit out practice. He will be monitored by team doctors every day, but Binder said the doctors think Mosley will be able to play this week.

And cornerback Glover Quin, the other guy hurt against BYU, was back at practice Monday. He had a muscle strain in his neck but didn't suffer a concussion or any serious neck trauma. Quin couldn't turn his head much Sunday, but he has his range of motion back and was able to go through drills with no problem.

Continue reading "Monday football notes" »

Posted by at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh, the controversy is heating up. This is absolutely why college football needs a playoff system. Until that day comes, we have these crazy polls.

I cast a vote in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are my picks this week:

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Florida
4. USC
5. Notre Dame
6. Boise State
7. Arkansas
8. Louisville
9. LSU
10. West Virginia
11. Wisconsin
12. Texas
13. Auburn
14. Rutgers
15. Oklahoma
16. Georgia Tech
17. Virginia Tech
18. BYU
19. Cal
20. Boston College
21. Tennessee
22. Clemson
23. Wake Forest
24. Nebraska
25. Hawaii

I did pick Michigan No. 2. Do I want to see a repeat of the Ohio State-Michigan game? Maybe. I don't know. I know this week's poll doesn't really decide that, so I just compared all the one-loss teams. Michigan's loss was the least ugly.

What do you think? Should there be a Buckeyes-Wolverines rematch or are there other teams out there more worthy of playing in the national championship game? What if Michigan blows out Ohio State in the rematch? Who is the national champ?

Posted by at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So it all comes down to San Diego State.

Utah beat Air Force, albeit barely, meaning the Mountain West Conference can only have three teams with seven wins. That leaves New Mexico in the driver's seat as the most attractive potential six-win team for the New Mexico Bowl. All they have to do is beat the Aztecs Saturday.

UNM coach Rocky Long didn't have any updates on Donovan Porterie, who is still nursing a sprained ankle he suffered against TCU. Late last week, UNM trainer Dave Binder said Porterie was running at five miles per hour on a treadmill and the chances of him playing against San Diego State looked really good.

During the Utah game, senior tight end John Mulchrone suffered a twisted knee but the initial evaluation said it isn't a serious injury. Glover Quin walked through the football offices with perfect posture because he suffered a strained muscle in his neck and it's painful for him to move his head much. This injury is just supposed to therapy to work out the kinks and also isn't serious. And Major Mosley suffered a concussion and is being re-evaluated by team doctors today to determine whether there are any lingering effects.

Now a few notes from the game itself.

Continue reading "Sunday football notes" »

Posted by at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Donovan Porterie will travel with the Lobos to BYU, but UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he really can't imagine Porterie being able to play. Porterie is making good progress, though, and should be in good shape for the Lobos' home finale against San Diego State.

UNM offensive coordinator Bob Toledo said he was a little frustrated by Thursday's practice. He said the team lacks depth and players get tired toward the end of workouts, which means they make more mistakes. "There were way too many dropped passes and fumbled snaps," Toledo said. "We just can't afford those kinds of lapses on game day." He said Nelson had a good command of the offense but still has a few things to work on very quickly. "The main thing he needs to do is get rid of the ball quickly," Toledo said. "I think he waits until the receiver is open to throw and that's too late. He understands he needs to correct it, and it's just a habit he has to break very soon." Toledo said he is optimistic Nelson and the rest of the offense will perform better on game day, "They seem pretty confident, and we've really got nothing to lose," he said.

On a lighter note, there was a very amusing moment with the defensive linemen Thursday. Defensive coordinator Osia Lewis asked for the players' wrist bands, which include a slot for a notecard with plays written inside. The guys looked like they were starving and Lewis just stole their lunch. The players scrambled to find pens so they could mark the wristbands and make sure they all got their lucky ones back. They're doing everything possible not to jinx themselves.

That's all for now. Check out Friday's Trib for more football news.

Posted by at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's a crazy day. Emmitt Smith just won Dancing with the Stars. Well, he always was light on his feet as a running back.

On to Lobo football news.

Donovan Porterie did not practice again Wednesday. UNM head trainer Dave Binder said Porterie is running at five miles per hour on a treadmill, which he said is very good. Binder said Porterie is in great shape to play in two weeks against San Diego State but remains a longshot against for Saturday's game at BYU.

The Lobos had a much better weather conditions for practice. The wind whipping around Tuesday made it really tough on the team. Today it was cool but not windy.

Video coordinator and former tight ends coach Jason Strauss is still working as the scout team quarterback. Strauss has a pretty strong arm and actually looks like he's doing a great job of challenging the UNM defense. The only problem is he doesn't run on any plays, so the defense isn't get much work on that aspect of their game plan. UNM coach Rocky Long said he is grateful Strauss could throw the ball pretty well because none of the other defensive coaches are accurate enough passers to lead the scout team. He said if Strauss were not around, he would be running the scout team. I'm kind of bummed now that I know he would have been back at quarterback. I would have paid to see that.

Continue reading "Lobo football practice notes" »

Posted by at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Donovan Porterie spent Tuesday's practice in the training room, and it seems doubtful he will start at BYU. If he makes it back in time for Thursday's practice, UNM coach Rocky Long said he will travel with the team and probably see playing time at BYU.

UNM head trainer Dave Binder said Porterie is working hard, but the injury is very painful and it would be unlikely Porterie could overcome it in time to play this week. Binder said always tries to be optimistic, so he's not ruling out a Porterie comeback. Binder said the good news is Porterie should be able to play in two weeks against San Diego State.

Meanwhile, the Lobos' latest starter Chris Nelson and new backup Bryan Clampitt battled through a challenging practice. The wind was really strong and made it really tough to complete passes. But they battled through it and installed the first round of their game plan for BYU.

Former tight ends coach and current video coordinator Jason Strauss filled in as the scout team quarterback, doing a pretty good job of dealing with the wind himself.

Senior wide receiver Thomas Wilson had no trouble during his second straight practice after suffering a concussion against TCU Saturday. Binder said Wilson has not suffered any negative effects since Saturday's concussion.

That's all I've got for today. Check out Wednesday's Trib for more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The latest word from UNM coach Rocky Long is redshirt freshman quarterback Donovan Porterie is doubtful for the Lobos' game at BYU Saturday. He said Porterie did not suffer a high-ankle sprain, the worst type of sprain, but he still hurt it pretty badly. The ankle was really swollen Sunday. Getting the swelling down is the first hurdle on the road to recovery. The longer that takes, the harder it is to bounce back.

If Porterie is not cleared to practice today, Long said Porterie will not start. If he can get better in time to practice Thursday, Porterie will be on the travel squad and probably see some action against BYU but will not start.

I'll have an update after practice with the latest on Porterie.

Posted by at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Lobos have a clean bill of health and should be all set for TCU Saturday afternoon. The team has looked a little sluggish at times this week on practice, but I think it's natural for the guys to get a little antsy after having so much time between games. UNM coach Rocky Long gave his weekly pep talk after Thursday's practice, a tradition that started the Thursday before UNM played UNLV. Long is superstitious and doesn't mess with someting so simple when it's working. He says a few remarks with the team, then he leaves the players to lead some chants and they run off the field pretty fired up.

TCU is bringing its band for Saturday's game, hoping to counter what should be a pretty big UNM crowd.

I'm sure the Lobos would like to honor another superstition and take over the west sideline instead of the east sideline (the pressbox side of University Stadium), the way they did against Utah. The student section heckled the Wyoming coaches during the previous home game, so UNM made the change to make things run smoothly. The Lobos won and it seems natural they would do it again for the good vibes. This is sports after all, where so many of believe sitting in the right spot while watching a game on TV totally can change the outcome of the game. In this case, if players believe in the power of the superstitions, then they pretty much are true. The only glitch with changing sidelines is that UNM needs clearance from the Mountain West Conference and TCU before moving the Frogs away from their fans and band. So we'll see what happens on game day.

Continue reading "Football: Thursday practice notes" »

Posted by at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are looking storng this week. The only problem that has popped up is Thomas Wilson is getting over the flu, but he is practicing and plans to play Saturday against TCU.

UNM had a pretty steady workout. My guess is that the key to UNM's success will be how strong the offensive line and other blockers, including the fullback, running back and receivers, protect Donovan Porterie. TCU has not one, but two monster defensive ends who are going to be putting a lot of heat on the UNM offense. You can't go forward if you can't get the ball out of the backfield. Chase Ortiz will be bearing down on Porterie, but I would be more concerned with Tommy Blake going after Porterie from the left side where he can't see the guy coming. That makes Anthony Kilby, in my opinion, a big key to UNM's success.

Defensive end Kevin Balogun is moving around this week without a walking cast for the first time since he was sidelined with a torn achilles tendon. It's a really tough injury to overcome, so this is a major sign of progress for Balogun.He has been at every practice this season despite the injury and seems to be handling things pretty well.

That's all for now. Check back for more updates tomorrow.

Posted by at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A quick clarification for fans planning to check out the New Mexico-TCU game or Notre Dame-Air Force football games Saturday live online via CSTV's pay-per-view Web site. It costs $14.95 to watch the game if you buy it in advance, but the price jumps to $19.95 on game day. So in this case, the early bird gets the discount.

Posted by at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM football coach Rocky Long said during today's media luncheon that senior quarterback Kole McKamey is appealing to the NCAA for a medical redshirt and sixth year of eligibility. I posted a story about McKamey's decision on the Trib's Web site.

Posted by at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm back.

I took the three practices during the bye week off to rest up for a grueling stretch of football and women's basketball coverage, with lots of overlap that will test my organizational skills.

The Lobos had a full lineup at practice Monday, with the exception of wide receiver Thomas Wilson. He missed the workout because he was sick. Backup middle linebacker Brett Madsen, who suffered a high ankle sprain against Colorado State, practiced but UNM coach Rocky Long said he still looked like he was limping. UNM trainers still expect Madsen to play Saturday against TCU.

Long said he thought the bye week workouts went well and the Lobos addressed a lot of the problems with fundamentals that had been bothering him all season. He also was grateful to have the starting offense and defense scrimmage against each other and hit hard without anyone getting hurt.

The Lobos had another three-day weekend before resuming practice again Monday night. Long called the workout a little sloppy, but he said it was to be expected considering UNM hasn't played a game in nine days.

That's all for now. Check out Tuesday's Tribune for more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I cast a vote in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are my picks this week:

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Louisville
4. Texas
5. Auburn
6. Florida
7. USC
8. Notre Dame
9. Boise State
10. Rutgers
11. Cal
12. LSU
13. Arkansas
14. West Virginia
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Wisconsin
18. Georgia Tech
19. Wake Forest
20. Oregon
21. Virginia Tech
22. BYU
23. Maryland
24. Clemson
25. Boston College

I'm surprised BYU hasn't crack into the Harris poll rankings yet. I definitely think the Cougars belong in the poll. I bumped up the unbeaten teams this week because I think we've gotten to the point in the season where their undefeated marks get more impressive.

The main things UNM fans should keep an eye on is how Boise State fares in the BCS standings. If the Broncos slip into a BCS game, it changes the WAC's team that could face UNM in the New Mexico Bowl. If Boise State goes to a BCS game, then the Lobos would likely face Nevada. If the Broncos don't earn a BCS bowl berth, then the Lobos would likely face san Jose State.

Feel free to share your thoughts on my picks in the comments section of the blog.

Posted by at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm still taking my bye week, but I do have a few football news items to add to my blog.

The Mountain has been added to two more cable providers -- Saratoga Cable in Utah and Project Mutual Telephone in Idaho. The Mountain already is available via those cable providers. The Mountain, which is devoted to covering Mountain West Conference athletics and will broadcast the most University of New Mexico athletics events this season, is now available in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. It is available via 136 cable systems and 15 service providers. The Mountain is still trying to find a home on national satellite providers.

Senior kicker Kenny Byrd is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award for the second year in a row. Byrd has hit two game-winning field goals this season and has hit 22 consecutive field goals from inside the 40-yard line. His longest field goal this season was from 52 yards.

Byrd is the only Mountain West Conference player on the list, but former Lobo opponents Jeff Wolfert of Missouri and Reagan Schneider of UTEP are fellow semifinalists. Byrd will have a tough run trying to win the award this year. Last year's winner, Alexis Serna of Oregon State, and last year's runner up, Mason Crosby of Colorado, are on the semifinalist list. Serna's longest field goal was from 58 yards this year, while Crosby's season longest field goal was from 56 yards.

Continue reading "Football notes" »

Posted by at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have a few stories running in the paper this week and will update my blog with news, but I’m taking my own bye week. I won’t be at football practice Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. I will be skipping the women’s basketball team’s exhibition game Wednesday against Vanguard, but Tribune reporter Jeremy Fowler will be covering the game. I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining, but I don’t much of a break from August until April, depending on the time frame so spring football. This tiny window of opportunity opened up, and I decided to take it. So my apologies to fans who counted on practice reports this week, but I’m sure the break will make my reporting better over the long haul.

Posted by at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The UNM junior varsity game against Air Force scheduled for Saturday was cancelled because neither team had enough players for the game. Under NCAA rules, it counts as a regular season game so players who are redshirting or those who UNM plans to use for 12 games this season can’t participate. The Lobos didn’t have enough guys left over to fill out a roster.

Posted by at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I cast a vote in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here my picks this week:

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. West Virginia
4. Texas
5. Louisville
6. Auburn
7. Tennessee
8. USC
9. Notre Dame
10. Florida
11. Cal
12. Boise State
13. LSU
14. Arkansas
15. Rutgers
16. Oklahoma
17. Boston College
18. Wisconsin
19. Clemson
20. Georgia Tech
21. Missouri
22. Wake Forest
23. Oregon
24. Virginia Tech
25. BYU

I’m surprised Tulsa has landed ahead of BYU in most of the polls, considering BYU beat Tulsa pretty handily earlier this season. I know Tulsa only has one loss, while the Cougars have two but I think those were quality losses to nationally-ranked Boston College and Arizona.

What do you think? Where would you have put USC after its big loss to Oregon State? What about undefeated teams like Rutgers and Boise State? Are there any teams I left out you have added to poll?

Posted by at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos were riding high after this Saturday's win at Fort Collins, and both the players and coaches said they would have preferred to keep playing instead of having a bye this week. UNM coach Rocky Long did say he sees room for a lot of improvement. He said the team is making a lot of mistakes when it comes to fundamentals that have to be fixed if the Lobos expect to win any more games this season. Long's teams are undefeated after bye weeks, but the coach said streaks are made to be broken and he hoped UNM's nice bye week streak won't end this season.

The Lobos will practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, then take the weekend off, resuming their regular practice schedule Monday of next week. UNM won't exchange tapes with TCU until Tuesday and won't begin serious game planning until Thursday at the earliest. So the Lobos will be working on those pesky fundamentals Tuesday and Wednesday.

Continue reading "Sunday football notes" »

Posted by at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's windy and cold. Very, very cold.

If you didn't know Bob Toledo had spent most of his career in California, you could definitely tell watching Thursday's practice. Most coaches wore sweats and jackets, but Toledo was bundled up like a kid going out in a blizzard. He was covered from head to toe and was the first guy off the field.

Speaking of blizzards, there was a blizzard warning from Fort Collins south to the New Mexico border, but the storm system should clear the area by midnight. It's supposed to be sunny and clear Friday all the way through Tuesday. The Lobos should have no problem taking off from Albuquerque Friday afternoon and I don't anticipate any problems on my drive up to Fort Collins, although I will be taking precautions and certainly heard tons of concern from friends, family and my bosses. I'm sure everyone heading to Fort Collins will be fine. Cold, but fine.

Continue reading "Thursday practice notes" »

Posted by at 6:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There still is no television broadcast scheduled for Saturday's game, although some rumors circulated that KRQE-News 13 could potentially pick up the game. It is my understanding from listening to a teleconference with Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson that no local stations can pick up TV coverage of the game because of a non-compete clause in the league's contract with CSTV. The New Mexico game will be played at the same time as another MWC game on the Mountain, so the New Mexico game can't be broadcast on TV. It would be deemed competition for the Mountain.

Colorado State officials have opted not to use the stadium cameras to stream the game live online. To be fair, this is a lot of work when the media relations staff may not have the technical skills or enough people to make it happen. People at UNM medial relations still are working on streaming video from the Lobos' coaches' camera, but they won't know for sure whether it will work until just before kickoff. UNM does not have access to Colorado State's stadium cameras and only available sound from the stadium (whatever the camera naturally picks up) will be heard online.

Continue reading "Wednesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today was the big media day for both New Mexico and Colorado State football teams. The Lobos sound like an upbeat team that doesn't want their winning streak to stop at two games. The Rams sound like a beat up team desperate to end their losing streak at two games. Sounds like a fun collision in Fort Collins.

The Lobos may riding high, but cornerback DeAndre Wright said every day is still brutal for him. Wright converted from safety to cornerback before the start of the season. He said the coaches drill the team every day, making game days light compared to the challenges they face in practice.

The Rams aren't looking forward to seeing Wright and the Lobos' defense. New Mexico is known for flying around on the field and keeping offenses guess. The Lobos also look to pressure the quarterback, forcing him to make mistakes. "To be honest with you, I call it organized chaos," Colorado State offensive tackle Clint Oldenburg said. The Rams have suffered a lot injuries, losing several starting offensive linemen. Oldenberg said the new starters barely got used to the regular formations, muchless the adjustments they will have to make for New Mexico's defense.

Continue reading "Tuesday football notes" »

Posted by at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What a difference one game can make.

The crisp passing from the second half of the Utah game made a return appearance at Monday night's practice. Donovan Porterie hit a bunch of receivers. When his arm is off, he's starting to be ahead instead of behind his receivers. That's good because they can usually lean out and adjust pretty easily.

The long weekend was good for the Lobos. The long list of injured players following the Utah game, which included a lot of guys who would have missed one or two practices, was erased by Monday night's practice. Everyone worked out.

Continue reading "Monday practice notes" »

Posted by at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As previously reported, there's no TV coverage planned for the New Mexico-Colorado State game. The game was not picked up by CSTV, Versus or the Mountain. The game can't be picked up by local TV because CSTV owns the rights and the broadcast would conflict with the other Mountain West Conference games on the air this weekend. The Colorado State staff also isn't planning to broadcast the New Mexico-CSU game using stadium cameras, so UNM officials are working on using a single camera in the visiting coaches' box to broadcast the game. The video will not have any audio streamed with it. We'll know more later this week whether UNM can pull it off.

You can sign up for text message and e-mail alerts from the Tribune and also get a running play-by-play and analysis on this blog.

In other news, Donovan Porterie was named Mountain West Conference player of the week for his performance in the Lobos' win over Utah.

That's all for now. Check back for more after tonight's football practice, which runs from 6:30-8 p.m.

Posted by at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I casts a vote weekly in the NCAA college football Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are my picks this week:

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Michigan
4. West Virginia
5. Texas
6. Louisville
7. Auburn
8. Tennessee
9. Notre Dame
10. Florida
11. Cal
12. Clemson
13. LSU
14. Boise State
15. Arkansas
16. Rutgers
17. Oklahoma
18. Boston College
19. Wisconsin
20. Missouri
21. Georgia Tech
22. Nebraska
23. Texas A&M
24. Wake Forest
25. Oregon

I was not part of the flock that jumped Michigan ahead of USC. I just don't see the logic behind Michigan suddenly surging while USC has a bye week and still hasn't lost.

Let me know what you think and what you have changed on my ballot.

Posted by at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm still impressed with what the UNM offense was able to pull off during the second half Thursday night against Utah. It was better than I had even seen them perform in practice. I hope this group sticks around because it could be a lot of fun wathcing it the rest of the season.

What do you think? Is this a taste of the future or should be we cautious in our expectations. Share your thoughts in the comments section.

We've got our post-game stories on Lobo Zone and Tribune photographs Craig Fritz and Erin Fredrichs also put together an awesome multimedia slide show (it includes great audio) you definitely should check out. I also posted Rocky Long's post-game comments to the media, so there's a lot of ways to enjoy the recap.

Posted by at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today was the calm before the storm, with the football team going through it's walk-through that was closed.

I wrote two stories for today's Tribune, one about the Lobos looking for more out its running game and another a feature we call Conference Chatter that runs weekly and covers Mountain West Conference news.

I thought it was interesting that the conference chooses to reprimand coaches for violating sportsmanship policy in public with news releases but disciplines its officials behind closed doors. I think the league could say one or the entire officiating crew handling this game was disciplined for these violations. I think it would give fans and coaches the impression that the refs are evaluated and are held to high standards. When everything happens behind closed doors, it fuels doubt and conspiracy theories. I knew a lot of refs growing up in El Paso and understand, as much as I can from my position, the challenges of their jobs. I'm not saying name the refs or attack them. But it would be good to say, we messed up during this game and we're going to do better in the future. This goes against the policy all conferences have, but I think the untouchable refs only fuels fans over bad calls and puts the officials in more scrutiny on refs rather than less.

What do you think? Should the conference's reprimands of refs be made public? How would you rate officiating you've seen this season?

Continue reading " Lobo Football Notes" »

Posted by at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So the Lobos had their last full practice of the week today before the Utah game Thursday night. They only do a walk-through on Wednesday and it's a closed practice, so this our last dose of fresh pre-game information.

The team did look sharper running their game plans today, which is good considering how little time they had to prepare. Quaterback Donovan Porterie was getting more passes on target to his receivers. He was six-for-six in the first quarter last week but those were all scripted plays. You have to figure his second through fourth quarter performance will improve with more practice and a similar game plan from last week.

Everyone practice, and Porterie is no longer limping after spraining his left ankle. John Mulchrone insisted to coaches his ankle is strong and he's good to go, but coaches will check the practice tape to make sure he wasn't limping when he thought no one was looking. He is dying to get back in the game, but they don't want to rush him back and potentially make the injury worse. It's especially tough for a senior to miss games, but another injury would keep him out for a lot longer.

Continue reading "Tuesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 7:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Lobos are cramming away, getting ready for the Thursday showdown with Utah.

Freshman Mike Love was the only player who did not practice. With the trio of Rodney Ferguson, Martelius Epps and Paul Baker available, Love had his knee scoped last week to repair damage he suffered back in high school. He already was doing rehabilitation work Monday night, but the coaches are going to apply for a medical redshirt this season so he'll be a freshman again next year. Love should be fully recovered by spring football.

Quarterback Donovan Porterie also looked a little smoother pushing off on his left ankle, which he sprained at UNLV. Linebacker Herbert Felder practiced Monday night after sitting out Sunday night with a fever.

Continue reading "Monday practice notes" »

Posted by at 9:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I casts a vote weekly in the NCAA college football Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are my picks this week:

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Michigan
4. West Virginia
5. Texas
6. Louisville
7. Auburn
8. Tennessee
9. Notre Dame
10. Florida
11. Cal
12. Clemson
13. Georgia Tech
14. LSU
15. Nebraska
16. Oregon
17. Boise State
18. Arkansas
19. Oklahoma
20. Rutgers
21. Boston College
22. Iowa
23. Wisconsin
24. Missouri
25. Florida State

Continue reading "My Harris Poll Ballot" »

Posted by at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos still had a spring in their step Sunday night after their thrilling 39-36 overtime win at UNLV. A win will do that. It can change the confidence and energy level of a team. As they say, winning cures everything.

Well, not quite everything.

Quarterback Donovan Porterie suffered a sprained left ankle but is expected to play Thursday against Utah. Wide receiver Thomas Wilson had the best game of his career, grabbing three catches for 39 yards and one touchdown, but he suffered a sprained ankle. Linebacker George Carter hurt his finger, but the trainers determined he did not break it and should be able to play. And linebacker Herbert Felder was the only player to miss practice. He had a fever and trainers suspect he has strep throat, although the tests aren't back yet.

Porterie will start again this week, but UNM coach Rocky Long said the coaching staff has not named Porterie the starter until the end of the year. Long said he thought Porterie did a good job for a freshman quarterback in his first start, getting out of trouble and making some nice throws. But he also pointed out Porterie made a lot of mistakes and his assessment didn't mean Porterie was anywhere near the performance of a veteran quarterback.

Continue reading "Sunday practice notes" »

Posted by at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm flying to Vegas Saturday morning for the UNLV game. The team headed out today, but I still have a few football notes.

I wrote a story for today's Trib about Clayton Cardenas, who the coaches expect to start against UNLV. He's a really nice guy who seems very excited about his chance to make up for a weak performance against Wyoming. His dad was a third baseman in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

I also wrote a story about CJ Oakley, who orally committed to the Lobos Thursday. He listed a whole bunch of reasons for choosing the Lobos over UTEP, New Mexico State and Southeast Missouri State. In the story I mentioned the strong recruiting job by the coaching staff, the chance to play close to home and the long list of current and former New Mexico residents playing for the Lobos.

Oakley also said Bob Toledo played a big role in his decision. He said when he first started talking with UNM, the Lobos had a running-back heavy offense and he was turned off by the idea of playing wide receiver in the system. He said Toledo's West Coast offense sounds great. He also said he is confident the Lobos will get past their growing pains this season and continue to be a strong program. Oakley said the idea of playing at NMSU never appealed to him because his mom did not enjoy their time in Las Cruces and doubted her son would be happy there for five years of college ball. Oakley also said the Lobos were the first to seriously recruit him and never let up.

We also posted the Tribune's picks for the UNM-UNLV game. Richard Stevens, Van Tate and I all chose the Lobos. After spending a week studying all the stats, I really feel it's the Lobos' game to lose. What do you think? Share your predictions in the comments section.

Posted by at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Air Force was down 21-3 but mounted a furious rally to win 24-21 at home over instate rival Colorado State.

It was the Caleb Hanie show early, with the Rams quarterback making all the big plays. The Rams also capitalized on a lot of Air Force turnovers to build up what seemed like a healthy lead.

Then Air Force rallied. The Falcons scored quickly and picked up a quick turnover to get back into the game. The Falcons had a lot of ground to make up, but they proved the triple option offense can score in a hurry and is good for more than just marathon drives.

Air Force is off to a strong start at 3-0 in the Mountain West Conference, but Colorado State didn't look bad. The Rams clearly have a decent offense, which should prove to be very valuable in the conference this year with every team except BYU struggling to score consistently.

Posted by at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former Lobo and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Hank Baskett did his part, catching three passes for 112 yards and one touchdown against the Cowboys. Fans returned the favor by voting Baskett the Rookie of the Week on NFL.com for games played Oct. 8-9.

I suspect a large contingent of New Mexico fans stuffed the ballot box in Baskett's favor, with people allowed to vote up to 10 times from one computer. Baskett beat Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints, Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Leinart of the Arizona Cardinals and Richard Marshall of the Carolina Panthers. More than 42,000 votes were cast, and Baskett had grabbed about 50 percent of the vote before the poll closed. The final percentages were not released by NFL.com.

I should clarify that I don't think there's anything wrong with stuffing the ballot box when it's a fan poll. It's obviously a popularity contest, and stars like Reggie Bush come out on top. Good job Lobo fans.

Posted by at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos had a nice midday practice thanks to UNM's fall break. The players don't have class Thursday or Friday, although they worked out today and leave Friday for Las Vegas afternoon.

Senior tight end John Mulchrone practiced a little more today, but he still isn't 100 percent after suffering a high ankle sprain during the first half against Wyoming. Mulchrone will travel with the team, but backup Clayton Cardenas is expected to start. Offensive coordinator Bob Toledo said he plans to use a rotation of tight ends. It's the first time the Lobos really will tap a pretty deep roster at tight end. It's a nice bonus for third-string tight end Chris Mark, who is from Las Vegas and should get on the field in front of his hometown crowd.

The Lobos didn't lose any other players to injuries this week. Junior linebacker Michael Tuohy, who was benched against Wyoming because of an undisclosed violation of team rules, appears to have stayed out of trouble and should start at UNLV.

Toledo said redshirt freshman Donovan Porterie looked good in practice and seems to be handling the attention of being the new starter relatively well. He said Porterie still has some trouble with accuracy, at times overthrowing or underthrowing his receivers. I didn't keep a running tally, but Porterie looked like he was much more accurate Thursday than he had been all week.

Continue reading "Thursday practice notes" »

Posted by at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It looks like UNM has run the table, grabbing all the big-name instate recruits. CJ Oakley announced at 2 p.m. he has orally committing to play for the Lobos. Check back later for a full story on Oakley and why he chose the Lobos over NMSU and other schools courting his services.

Posted by at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll start off with a little background about my main story today on UNM football coach Rocky Long. This is my third season covering UNM football, although I've followed the program since I arrived in Albuquerque eight years ago. I noticed very early on this season that Long was on edge. A lot of people I've talked to close to the program noted the same thing. Richard Stevens, who has been covering UNM athletics for decades, also noticed Long was jumpy. Long seemed to be reacting like a guy under the gun, especially as the Lobos' losses started piling up. The Wyoming loss was the last straw for a lot of fans because they expected the Lobos to win a game against a team they thought was inferior. Some vented as usual, but others began calling for a coaching change.

So, I set about talking with Long and new Athletics Director Paul Krebs about the coach's future. I happen think Long has more job security than he has given himself credit for this season. Long gave some interesting answers when I broached the topic and Krebs pledged his unconditional support of the football coach.

Stevens also decided to weigh in, admonishing Long for a bad season but noting he was the best coach for the job and unquestionably deserved to continue leading the program.

So that's how the story came together. I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's story. You can share them in the comments section of the blog.

Continue reading "Wednesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We're still running our Ask the Coach feature and are inviting fans to pose questions to any of the UNM football coaches.

You can either pose them using the submission form on the right-hand side of our Lobo Zone Web site or just list them in the comments section of this blog.

We fetch the answers and run them every Friday in the Tribune.

Posted by at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There will be no television or video streaming via the Internet for the UNM football team's game at Colorado State Oct. 28.

The game will be broadcast as usual on the radio via KKOB-AM (770) with Mike Roberts and Greg Remington. You can get a running play-by-play, sign up for e-mail and text message scoring alerts and get a complete post-game story at Lobo Zone.

We've had a few months to get adjusted to the TV deal. Are you happy with it? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Posted by at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Donovan Porterie Show officially began today.

Porterie naturally was the focus of a lot of attention today after he was named the Lobos' starting quarterback. He had postgame interviews with all the television stations after practice. The TV crews had to wait longer than they're used to for players because Donovan is keeping up his practice of staying late and throwing extra passes to Mike Vandenberg.

Porterie is the first freshman or redshirt freshman to start for the Lobos since Stoney Case in 1991. Case lost his debut 39-19 against Wyoming but went on to be one of the most successful quarterbacks in school history.

Continue reading "Tuesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos' Thursday, Oct. 19, home game against Utah is Brian Urlacher Day.

Urlacher, the former Lobo and current Chicago Bears star, will be honored during the game. Urlacher and the Bears have a bye, so UNM officials said he will be attending the game.

No word yet on whether any extra promotional, Urlacher-related items will be handed out on game day.

Kickoff for the Utah game is 7 p.m. and it is scheduled to be broadcast on the Mountain.

I'm heading to football practice right now, but I'll have audio of coach Rocky Long's interview with reporters from the weekly media lunch up soon afterward.

Posted by at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Rocky Long has decided to start Donovan Porterie this week, with Chris Nelson coming off the bench. Long said Porterie isn't being named the starter forever, just for this week. He said the coaches know how Nelson starts and that he performs better off the bench, but they haven't seen how Porterie performs as the starter. So they're giving him a shot.

Continue reading "Soggy Monday practice notes" »

Posted by at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I cast a vote weekly in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are my picks for this week:

1. Ohio State
2. Florida
3. USC
4. Michigan
5. West Virginia
6. Texas
7. Louisville
8. Notre Dame
9. Tennessee
10. Clemson
11. California
12. Auburn
13. Nebraska
14. Boise State
15. LSU
16. Georgia Tech
17. Missouri
18. Rutgers
19. Iowa
20. Virginia Tech
21. Boston College
22. Oregon
23. Oklahoma
24. Arkansas
25. Georgia

I had a tough time settling on this week's rankings.

Continue reading "My Harris Poll Ballot" »

Posted by at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The sun did come up for the Lobos and everyone else Sunday morning.

The Lobos will have a competition at quarterback this week. UNM football coach Long said he had not decided whether senior incumbent Chris Nelson will keep the job or redshirt freshman Donovan Porterie will take over. Long said Sunday afternoon the coaching staff had not discussed the starting quarterback job yet. Bob Toledo said last week he preferred to have one quarterback because it allows for the offense to develop some continuity, but Long said he wasn't opposed to having a rotation of two quarterbacks. He pointed out Florida is thriving with a two quarterback rotation. "For the quarterbacks, it all depends on how they handle it," he said. "If they handle it correctly, it's no big deal."

Continue reading "Sunday football notes" »

Posted by at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Former Lobo Hank Baskett is in the middle of a breakout performance for the Philadelphia Eagles, who are in playing the biggest hyped game of the week against the Dallas Cowboys.

Baskett has three catches for 112 yards, including an 87-yard touchdown catch to push the Eagles ahead 24-21 late in the third quarter. It was the first touchdown of his NFL career and couldn't have come at a better time for the Eagles, who are in a war with the Cowboys.

Posted by at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

TCU was supposed to be this year's BCS buster and a favorite to defend its Mountain West Conference title. A string of injuries and all-around weak offense have hurt the Horned Frogs mightily the past two weeks. They fell 20-7 at Utah Saturday, dropping to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the MWC. BYU, Utah and Air Force are the conference's hot teams. The Lobos need to step up play to become that fourth team and work their way into a bowl game. Of course, TCU isn't going to just roll over but they have opened the door for a lot of people.

At this point, it's probably better if UNLV upsets Colorado State because the Rams are bound to win other games while the Rebels don't seem as strong. The BYU-San Diego State doesn't affect the Lobos' standing much unless you really want to make sure the Aztecs stay in the cellar or hate the Cougars so much you want them to lose and give some other team a better shot at the title. It wouldn't hurt if Air Force lost to Navy and hurt its overall record. And, of course, UNM needs to beat Wyoming.

Continue reading "TCU goes from first to worst" »

Posted by at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos' practice ran smoothly, with Michael Tuohy and Martelius Epps both cleared by team trainers to play Saturday against Wyoming. The team only works out in shoulder pads on Thursdays, typically focusing on assignments and game plans rather than really hitting each other.

The most amusing moment came late in practice when backup redshirt freshman quarterback Donovan Porterie was leading the Lobos' two-minute drill. He was moving quickly and lined up behind offensive lineman Bo Greer instead of center Vince Natali. He was clearly a little embarrassed and took a lot of teasing from his teammates, who could not stop laughing after Porterie's gaffe. It was funny but not really a serious indicator of what Porterie is capable of doing as a quarterback. Both starter Chris Nelson and Porterie looked fine during practice, with no noticable changes. It will be really interesting to see how they both perform Saturday.

That's all I've got for today, but check out a previous post for news on coach Rocky Long being reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference for his negative comments about the officiating following UNM's 24-7 loss at Air Force.

Friday is our big Lobo Zone blowout in the print edition of the Tribune. And we'll also have a pre-game podcast Richard Stevens and I recorded complete with our predictions. I will give a little hint ... all three Tribune analysts picked the same team to win. Come back Thursday to find out why we picked the Cowboys or Lobos to win Saturday.

Posted by at 6:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mountain West Conference reprimanded UNM football coach Rocky Long for the negative comments he made about officials following the Lobos' 24-7 loss at Air Force Saturday. Here's the story I wrote Thursday afternoon about the reprimand.

It was pretty clear Long would be reprimanded even if the league agreed with his protests behind closed doors. The Mountain West Conference's sportsmanship policy states no coaches, players or school representatives can publicly criticize officials or the conference. The punishment for the first offense is a public reprimand. The punishment for subsequent offenses is a public reprimand and at least a two-game suspension, according to the 2006-07 Mountain West Conference Handbook.

Is this a fair policy?
Should coaches be allowed to publicly question officiating or decisions made by conference administrators?
Share your thoughts in the comments section of the blog.

Posted by at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has provided some detailed instructions about how to view the Lobos game against Wyoming Saturday at www.golobos.com. The game will be streamed live and free charge. Fans will get the feed from four stadium cameras used to generate scoreboard replays and hear audio from KKOB-AM (770).

Continue reading "How to watch the UNM-Wyoming game online" »

Posted by at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Before I get started on my practice report, I want to share a few more details that didn't make into today's story on Donovan Porterie.

First of all, Bob Toledo really was that blunt in his assessment of Chris Nelson. He said he has talked with Nelson about his performance and didn't share anything with me hadn't already discussed with the senior. Toledo said he is spending a lot of time talking with Nelson this week to make sure he doesn't lose his confidence. Nelson has played better coming off the bench, so it could be the nudge he needs to perform a little better.

The story focused on the quarterbacks, but I also think I made it clear Toledo said the entire offense is still making mistakes. Toledo said he doesn't know if Porterie will fare any better than Nelson, but it's worth giving him a chance to play and show what he can do.

Porterie is still pretty rough around the edges and makes a lot of mistakes in practice, but some guys are game-day performers. Sometimes they take it another level on game day. For example, Dionne Marsh is arguably the best player in the Mountain West Conference this season but she doesn't perform anywhere near her game level in practice. UNM women's basketball coach Don Flanagan said he doesn't think she slacks off in practice, it's just that her competitive juices kick in during the game and she makes amazing plays. She jumps higher and makes plays he's never seen her come anywhere near accomplishing in practice. Porterie could be that guy.

I got a few e-mails from readers who said I'm just trying to write negative material and invent a quarterback controversy. All I set out to do was learn a little bit more about Porterie and find out what Bob Toledo's take was on the quarterbacks. Porterie could do well during his series and play the remainder of the game, or Nelson could confirm he is the best guy to run the offense. We'll all see what happens Saturday against Wyoming.

Continue reading "Wednesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Tuohy sat out another practice but did extensive conditioning work on the sidelines. He is scheduled to have an MRI on his knee Wednesday, which UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he was confident would not show any serious damage.

Binder said running back Martelius Epps has been cleared to play Saturday. He is working out with a soft cast that is applied by the UNM training staff. UNM coach Rocky Long said if Epps is in a position to play, he will try to avoid Mike Love the rest of the year. Love has a hyperextended knee and torn cartilage in the same knee, which needs to be surgically repaired. Long said he doesn't want to put any more pressure on Love or make the injury worse, but he isn't sure when Love will have surgery.

Continue reading "Tuesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm a little behind posting my ballot from this week's Harris Poll, but it did run in the print edition of the Tribune Monday.

I cast a vote in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The standings are used to award spots in the BCS bowl games and name a national champion. Here are my picks:

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Auburn
4. West Virginia
5. Florida
6. Michigan
7. Texas
8. Louisville
9. Georgia
10. LSU
11. Notre Dame
12. Oregon
13. Tennessee
14. Oklahoma
15. Florida State
16. Clemson
17. California
18. Nebraska
19. Boise State
20. Georgia Tech
21. Rutgers
22. Missouri
23. Iowa
24. Virginia Tech
25. TCU

It's tough figuring out the bottom end of the poll and how to move teams with impressive wins up if the top dogs aren't losing. I had a hard time deciding whether to rank TCU or Boston College No. 25, but I went with the Horned Frogs. I don't think it's necessarily fair that teams from lesser-known conferences get bumped right out of the poll after one loss, especially a team that had the nation's longest winning streak.

Disagree with my ballot? Tell me about it in the comments section.

Posted by at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Tuohy sat out Monday night's practice with a bruised knee. He will have an MRI this week to make sure there is no major damage, but UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he didn't think it was anything more than a bruise.

Running back Martelius Epps is on track to play this week and participated in his first full-contact practice since fracturing his right hand. "I feel good and I hope I can get to play," Epps said. He has been injured all season and is anxiously awaiting his debut at running back for the Lobos. His grip is not quite at full strength yet, but Epps said he feels comfortable running with the ball in his hands.

Continue reading "Monday practice notes" »

Posted by at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM football coach Rocky Long said backup Donovan Porterie will play one series in the first half against Wyoming this week. He said he wants to get Porterie a little bit more experience as the backup and starter Chris Nelson didn't perform as well as the coaching staff expected.

Long said Nelson is still the starter. "I don’t think Chris performed as well as we expected him to perform or anticipated him to perform, so we want to continue to give Donovan experience," Long said. "Chris still gives us the best chance to win."

So could Porterie get more than one series?

"It would all depend on the situation of the game, the way the game was progressing," Long said.

Continue reading "Sunday football notes" »

Posted by at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UNLV student government passed a resolution demanding a public hearing with Cox Cable, CSTV and the students from UNLV, with the hope of getting the Mountain added to Cox's channel lineup.

The Mountain, a new regional network developed by CSTV to cover Mountain West Conference athletics, is not available in Nevada or any other Cox Cable market.

This must be an especially troubling week in Nevada. The big instate rivalry game between UNLV and Nevada will be broadcast on the Mountain, but no one within the state can see it on television because Cox doesn't carry the Mountain.

It would be a beneficial for the entire conference if the UNLV students are able to pressure Cox into reaching a deal with CSTV. Cox covers the San Diego and Las Vegas market, two major metro areas where conference games being broadcast by the Mountain are not on the air.

Posted by at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Rodney Ferguson was back at practice Thursday after being dismissed early for kicking a teammate during Wednesday's workout. Coach Rocky Long said Ferguson will be disciplined in house.

UNM head trainer Dave Binder said he thinks Blake Ligon will be cleared to play Saturday at Air Force after fracturing his right forearm earlier this season. He said he doubted Martelius Epps would be cleared by Saturday's game, but he added he could be wrong. Mike Love practiced all week, so he should be able to play Saturday as long as he doesn't feel too much pain in his knee.

Continue reading "Thursday practice notes" »

Posted by at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Cougars avenged last season's 51-50 overtime loss to No. 17 TCU, earning a 31-17 win in Fort Worth. The BYU victory snaps a 13-game TCU winning streak. Here's ESPN's post-game coverage of the game.

Posted by at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TCU was rallying in the third quarter, but BYU now holds a 24-10 lead at TCU with 8:31 left in the game. The Cougars just got a huge first down and seem to own the momentum. Will TCU lose its first Mountain West Conference game? Stay tuned.

Posted by at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you have some free time right now, check out the BYU-TCU game on Versus -- formerly the Outdoor Life Network. BYU is up 17-10 against No. 17 TCU near the end of the third quarter and it's shaping up to be a really good game. It's available on Comcast Channel 37. It should also be available on satellite, but I'm not sure what the station number is for Versus.

Posted by at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM starting running back Rodney Ferguson was kicked out of practice 25 minutes early Wednesday after getting into a fight with teammates.

Ferguson and the starting offense was going up against the scout team. Both sides had been doing extra shoving all practice. Ferguson was on a running play to the left sideline when he exchanged words with a scout team member and shoved him. On the way back the line of scrimmage, the scout team player pushed Ferguson's helmet. Ferguson turned around and got into a shoving match with the scout team player. A few of the offensive starters, including offensive lineman Robert Turner, joined in the mix and shoved the scout team player to the ground.

Then Ferguson began kicking the scout team player. Wide receivers coach Dan Dodd was the first to notice Ferguson's actions and shouted at Ferguson to stop. "Rodney, you can fight him if you want to, but you absolutely cannot kick him," Dodd shouted. "That is completely unacceptable." The offensive coaches broke up the fight, then offensive coordinator Bob Toledo kicked Ferguson out of practice.

Continue reading "Ferguson dismissed from practice" »

Posted by at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Due to some technical difficulties, I'm posting my practice report a little later than usual. But I figure better late than never.

First the daily injury roundup. No one new was hurt at practice. Cody Kase, who saw really limited action against UTEP as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, said he is feeling better. He said he feels like all the extra work with trainers is getting him back on track and he hopes to be at full strength against Air Force.

Mike Love, who has a hyperextended knee and torn caritilage, practiced today. The coaches still hope they don't have to use him against Air Force. Martelius Epps practiced but did not go through any contact drills.

Blake Ligon also was in a blue jersey, meaning he isn't supposed to go through any heavy contact either, but he dished out some hits anyway. Team trainers said he is still on track to play at Air Force after recovering from a fractured right arm.

Continue reading "Tuesday practice report" »

Posted by at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our audio editing area is in use right now, so I won't be able to post the audio of coach Rocky Long answering questions from print, radio and Internet reporters today at the media lunch until after football practice. He had some really interesting things to say about Air Force, so I think it's worth the wait.

The Mountain West Conference also had its weekly football coaches teleconference today, and I can tell you that those who were hoping for some last-minute satellite deal so that they could watch this weekend's game on DirecTV or DishNetwork are probably out of luck. Commissioner Craig Thompson had no new information on TV deals, which is especially hard on TCU, San Diego State and UNLV fans who can't follow their teams on local cable providers. And, as I mentioned, no progress on deals with the two big satellite providers.

I'm heading out to practice in a few minutes. I'll have more afterward, plus that media lunch audio I promised. While you're waiting, don't forget to take advantage of our Ask the Coach feature. You can use the form to pose questions to any of the UNM football coaches. You can find the submission form on the right-hand side of www.lobozone.com under the LoboZone Extra section.

Posted by at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This time, it really did happen. Aleem Harris returned for his first practice with the UNM football team Monday night. Harris had been suspended indefinitely from the team after he was charged with several felonies in connection with a fight with his ex-girlfriend. Harris pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and coach Rocky Long placed him on probation before allowing him to return to the team.

"He is practicing with the team, but he has a few more things to do before he can play," Long said. The coach said one of the Harris needs to do is demonstrate he is in game shape and not just fit enough to do a lot of conditioning drills.

Harris is practicing at outside linebacker, a change from the Lobo position he played last year.

Continue reading "Monday practice notes" »

Posted by at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm a Harris poll voter, and this was the first week I was asked to cast an official vote. The voting continues weekly through the end of the season. My picks will be posted every Monday on my blog and in the print edition of the Tribune.

The Harris poll is one of three factors used to determine Bowl Championship Series standings. The final regular season standings determine spots in the top bowl games. The poll is controversial because many people feel it is skewed heavily in favor teams from the big-name conferences. I happen to agree with that sentiment and thought long and hard before participating in the poll. In the end, I agreed with Trib editors that it is better to have a voice in a flawed system than just sit on the sidelines and complain.

Continue reading "My Harris Poll ballot" »

Posted by at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First of all, I have to correct an error in my post-game story. Aleem Harris was credited with one tackle on the UNM stat sheets, but he did not appear in the game. I should have verified it first, and I apologize for passing it on to our Web readers. Harris is still completing his probation, and coach Rocky Long said he would be meeting with Harris Monday to discuss his progress. Long would not provide any other details about Harris' progress.

Freshman running back Mike Love did not play against UTEP because of a knee injury. UNM trainers said they thought Love had suffered a hyperextended knee, but a further test showed he had some torn cartilage. If running back Martelius Epps can return this week after fracturing his right hand earlier in the year, Long said he expects Love to undergo surgery to repair the knee injury and apply for a medical redshirt this season. If Epps can't come back, then they probably won't send Love off for surgery because he can still play on the injured knee. Epps was in practice all last week, and I would think he will be be available to play against Air Force Saturday.

Continue reading "Sunday notes" »

Posted by at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

La Cueva standout Brett Kennedy said he orally committed to the University of New Mexico football team Saturday morning.

Kennedy, who is 6-3 and 260 pounds, said he thought the Lobos had a strong program, and he wanted to get the decision out of the way so that he could focus on his senior season with the Bears. Kennedy is expected to play somewhere on New Mexico's defensive line.

Check out Monday's Trib for more on Kennedy.

And check my blog again in about 15 minutes for my Sunday report, which also has a lot of Lobo football news.

Posted by at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I've got a few injury updates.

I talked with UNM trainer Dave Binder after Bob Toledo disclosed Mike Love hyperextended his knee. Binder said he thinks Mike Love hyperextended his knee, but he isn't 100 percent sure. The trainers already did an MRI and didn't find any ligament damage, but Love was going to get evvaluated by team doctors anyway just to be on the safe side.

If the pain isn't too much of a problem and he can run, Love will be allowed to play against UTEP. Binder said he looked a little better during Thursday's practice, and obviously the injury wasn't bad enough to keep him out of workouts. At the same time, Binder added Toledo has a better view and can tell when players are trying hide injuries. The treatment for a hyperextended knee, which really is a hamstring injury, involves a lot of stretching, massages and a lot of time in the training room.

Continue reading "Thursday Practice Notes" »

Posted by at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had a really interesting interview with Bob Toledo, which led to a story in today's paper about the offense.

He wanted to dispell some myths and defend his offensive scheme. He was very animated during the interview. He wasn't upset at me or anything, but he definitely was frustrated by the assumptions people have made about why the offense is performing poorly. He was careful to accept all blame but wanted to elaborate on what was behind all the mistakes.

I really wish I had heard this perspective sooner, but we work with what we get from head coach Rocky Long and the players. And when I asked Toledo if I could speak with him after games, he completely deferred to Rocky and said he felt more comfortable talking after practices but not really on Sundays when reporters and Rocky usually hash out what happened Saturday night. Toledo said it's Rocky's team, not his. Usually the system works well, but in this case Toledo was able to elaborate in much greater detail than anyone else. I'm not saying Rocky led us astray in any way, it's just we got more information from Toledo.

What do you think of Toledo's remarks? I think there were some pretty loaded comments there, so I'm curious if fans agree with him now that they've had a chance to read his take.

Posted by at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

First up, a little bit of injury news.

Offensive coordinator Bob Toledo said true freshman running back Mike Love hyerextended his knee during the Lobos' game against Missouri. "He's practicing, but he isn't running very well, so obviously Rodney (Ferguson) will get a lot of carries this week. We're even looking at Matt Quillen taking some snaps at tailback. We'll have to see what happens as the week goes on."

Running back Martelius Epps, who suffered a fractured right hand earlier in the season, rejoined practice for the first time wearing a blue jersey, which meant he could not get hit or do anything that involved heavy contact.

Continue reading "Wednesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I wrote a story for today's Tribune that actually ran on the front page of the newspaper about the impact sagging attendance is having on the football program. If the trend continues, it could be a significant financial hit for UNM.

My questions for the fans, though, is why aren't more people attending the game?

In the story UNM Athletics Director Paul Krebs said he didn't think the new no re-entry policy was hurting attendance. Other folks I've talked don't think the policy is bad but they suspect the perception of it has chased a least a few thousand fans away.

So what do you think? Why are the Lobos having a hard time packing in University Stadium? Post your thoughts in the comments section.

Posted by at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There was tons of New Mexico-UTEP chatter today, with UNM coach Rocky Long's media lunch and lots of interviews lined up with UTEP players and coaches. If you want to listen to Long's interview with print, radio and Internet media, you can visit this link to the audio section of Lobo Zone. We post his interview every Tuesday afternoon.

First, a few ticket notes. UTEP fans bought more than 1,500 tickets so far and tickets sales sit around 25,000 for the game. This ahead of pace for the past few games. The Miners also are bringing their band, and the UTEP alumni association is hosting a tailgate catered by Rudy's BBQ. It all should make for a fun game day atmosphere.

UTEP coach Mike Price said he is looking forward to playing the Lobos, but he is grateful to have the bye week to prepare for the Lobos defense. "It's always a challenge to prepare for their defense because it is so unusual," he said. "We really needed the extra time to prepare. And we certainly can't afford to overlook them because they started off a little slow, but they're improved dramatically from game one to game three."

Continue reading "Tuesday roundup" »

Posted by at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aleem Harris returned to practice Monday, but he is still on probation and has not officially returned to the team. I have a full story up on the Trib Web site.

UNM head trainer Dave Binder said Kole McKamey had surgery Monday afternoon to repair his injured knee. Binder said the procedure went very well and doctors were able to repair McKamey's anterior and lateral cruciate ligaments.

I still think it's pretty remarkable there were no injuries following a really hard-hitting game against Missouri. Chris Nelson, who was sacked eight times and knocked down a bunch more, appeared no worse for wear and lead the offense most of the practice. Offensive coordinator Bob Toledo made some adjustments and walked the team through a slower version of what will be implemented this week for UTEP.

The defense looked equally strong and also is implementing its UTEP game plan.

The kickers were chased off the upper practice field when the sprinklers began automatically with about 15 minutes left in practice. They scrambled out of the water. It was pretty funny and kind of the life of the kicker. Second-class citizens until the game's on the line.

That's all for now. Check Tuesday's Trib for more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 8:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

UTEP senior linebacker and team captain Jeremy Jones broke his leg during practice Saturday. The first stories sounded pretty sad, but Jones already had surgery and is committed to making a comeback. The El Paso Times had this follow-up report today. Jones never redshirted, so he just has to petition Conference USA for a fifth year. It's pretty routine, and I've never heard of those requests being rejected.

Jones' situation is different than Lobos senior Kole McKamey for a couple of reasons. McKamey tore a few ligaments and his injury is much more severe. He also was a fifth-year senior, so his petition would have to go the NCAA for a sixth year. Katie Hnida was the last Lobo to earn a sixth year of eligibility. McKamey said he won't decide until much later whether he will petition since he doesn't have to make that choice until after the season. He was scheduled to undergo knee surgery today.

Posted by at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've got a grab-bag of news after talking with UNM football coach Rocky Long today.

First up, an Aleem Harris update.

Long is still scheduled to meet with Harris some time Monday to determine his fate with the team. The coach said he expects to have made a decision by Monday night's practice.

Harris was the Lobos second leading tackler last season and played the Lobo position. He pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges of battery on a household member and was sentenced to two years probation. He initially was charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault and one count of felony kidnapping following a fight with his ex-girlfriend in March outside Harris' student apartment on the UNM campus. His ex-girlfriend suffered a broken nose during the incident.

So is Harris in shape and how quickly can he rejoin the team if his meeting goes well with Long?

Continue reading "Sunday Football Notes" »

Posted by at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UTEP took a huge hit Saturday when starting senior linebacker Jeremy Jones fractured his right leg. He is likely out for the season. Here's the El Paso Times' report on Jones.

Jones was the Miners' leading tackler last season with 130 stops. He has 24 tackles in UTEP's two games against San Diego State and Texas Tech this season, with 15 against the Red Raiders. He was on all kinds of watch lists and was supposed to be the teeth of the Miners' defense this season.

Jones has not redshirted yet in his career. If he wants to return, it's my understanding he only has to petition Conference USA for another year. If he had redshirted, as injured Lobo quarterback Kole McKamey did, then he would have to appeal to the NCAA.

Posted by at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our slideshow is up. You can get to it from the link to my post-game story.

We also posted coach Rocky Long answering questions from the media after the Lobos' 17-27 loss to Missouri Saturday night.

Posted by at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've got our postgame story up, but I admit some technical difficulties with our new site are keeping you from seeing some great photos from the Tribune's Craig Fritz. We'll have that all sorted out early Sunday morning. Well, Sunday morning once the sun comes up early ... not now.

I think the postgame story covered all the bases I wanted to hit, and The Linz hit all his own notes -- love them or hate them. The one thing I will add is that I have never seen El Pasoans as fired up as they are right now about their Miners. So if more Lobo fans don't show up next week at University Stadium, UTEP is going to steal the homefield advantage.

Good night.

Posted by at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today we ran our big game preview, the print edition of Lobo Zone. There's a ton of stories on our Web site, so I'll help you out and post all the links together here in this blog entry.

Continue reading "Lobo Zone blowout" »

Posted by at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UTEP is lucky enough to have a bye this week and got a head start on preparing for the Lobos, according to the El Paso Times.

Here's an excerpt on New Mexico from today's edition of the Times:
Prepping for the Lobos: The Miners began preparation for New Mexico on Thursday. The two teams play Sept. 23 at Albuquerque.
"New Mexico, particularly on defense, does a lot of unusual things," Price said. "So we need the extra time to prepare. They blitz and stunt and move around. The defense moves all the time. It's a very, very unusual defense. (Lobo head coach) Rocky Long is known for it.
"I think we need to improve for this game, and just play a little bit better. Nothing stays the same. Either you get better, or you get worse. We want to get better."

Posted by at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I talked with Mark Benford, the deputy district attorney, and he confirmed former Lobo Aleem Harris pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of misdemeanor battery on a household member. Harris was sentenced to two years probation.

Harris originally was charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault and one felony count of kidnapping in connection with a fight he had with his ex-girlfriend outside his student apartment on the UNM campus. Benford said the case never went to the grand jury, and Harris never came close to being indicted on the felony charges.

Coach Rocky Long said this morning he heard about the case and is meeting with Harris Monday to discuss his future with the team. Although Long has welcomed back players who have been found guilty of misdemeanors with in-house punishment, he said he does it on a case by case basis. He said he wants to hear from Harris before he makes any decisions.

Continue reading "More on Aleem" »

Posted by at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KOB-Channel 4 is reporting tonight that former Lobo football Aleem Harris pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor charges in connection with an altercation with his ex-girlfriend in March. Channel 4 reported Harris opted to plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges to expedite his chances of rejoining the Lobo football team.

Harris was originally charged with three felony counts of battery and one felony count of kidnapping after fighting with his ex-girlfriend outside his student apartment on the University of New Mexico campus. Police took her to the hospital after the altercation and doctors determined her nose was broken.

Continue reading "KOB: Harris pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault" »

Posted by at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There wasn't much news to report out of Lobo football practice, with the team wearing shells and making light contact. No one was injured during the workout or during practices this week.

There are a few lineup changes. Paul Baker finally got the hook after having trouble fielding the ball on punt and kickoff returns. Coach Rocky Long has been really sympathetic and patient with Baker because he is a sophomore and has the potential to break off some big runs. Baker will be the backup punt and kickoff returner. DeAndre Wright will be the starter on kick returns and Thomas Wilson will be the starter on punt returns.

Continue reading "It's almost game day!" »

Posted by at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Quarterback Kole McKamey attended his first practice since his knee injury and was in good spirits. You'll have to read Thursday's Trib for more on Kole. I gotta save some of the good stuff for the paper.

The quarterbacks seem to have settled into the pregame routine. I'll take advantage of this opportunity to give my take on the Lobos' top three quarterbacks:

Continue reading "Wednesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're still in the midst of a Web site redesign, which has made a few features a little harder to find. Congrats on finding my blog. If you're hunting for the other Tribune sports blogs, you can find them at this link. We'll be moving them over to Lobo Zone and Sports pages soon. And here's a link to where you can find our Lobo Zone podcasts. Richard Stevens and I did a postgame show after the Lobos' win at New Mexico State. I also posted the audio of coach Rocky Long answering questions during his weekly media lunch Tuesday. You can find both of them here.

We're working out a few bugs, and the same features you know and love will be available on Lobo Zone. We have a story introducing the redesigned Web site and outlining the new features. It also includes a comments section where you can tell us what you think of the new site.

On to football ...

Continue reading "Tuesday practice notes" »

Posted by at 6:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're obviously going through some Web site changes here at the Tribune. Please be patient while we make the shift. I think you'll really like the final product.

On to the Lobos.

Chris Nelson and the rest of the quarterbacks cycled through regular Monday night drills. They did some running, then worked on a lot of routes with receivers and tight ends. I talked with Chris Nelson, the new starter; and backups Donovan Porterie and Bryan Clampitt. They all said they were close to Kole McKamey and are still upset by his injury. "It's just really sad," Clampitt said. "We kind of grew up here together. I've been here four years and he's been here five, so we've seen a lot of hard times together and a lot of good things now. So, I don't think there was anything worse than watching him get hurt."

Continue reading "Monday practice notes" »

Posted by at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Lobos won the big rivalry football game Saturday night, but I have to give credit to the Aggie fans for winning our joke contest. They came up with more creative, original and funny jokes. Perhaps it's years of being underdogs and honing their defensive mechanisms, but the New Mexico State crowd just made us laugh more here at the Trib.

Here are the reasons we chose the winners, and the jokes that earned honorable mention honors:

Continue reading "Aggies win ..." »

Posted by at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I'm back in Albuquerque and have loads of updates.

First off, doctors confirmed the worst news for Lobo senior quarterback Kole McKamey. He tore both his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral cruciate ligament (LCL). He is out for the season and will have surgery soon.

Coach Rocky Long said he will check with McKamey to see whether the quarterback is interested in petitioning the NCAA for a medical redshirt and sixth year of eligibility. McKamey has played less than 20 percent of the season, so he is eligible to make the request but it's up to the NCAA. Long said he would have to do more research before he could say whether the NCAA would grant the petition, although he does think the NCAA has been awarding more medical redshirts lately.

I would think McKamey would have a strong case because he has missed so much time during the course of his career due to injuries. The petition can't go to the NCAA until the end of the season.

Long has reviewed the game film and the hit McKamey took was brutal but not illegal. He also said he didn't think there was any malicious intent behind the the hit. An Aggie defender was on the ground, then got up and dove at McKamey. Another Aggie was closing in on McKamey from behind. They hit him simultaneously, with the guy on the ground hitting his and pushing up and the other pushing his body down. If the offensive player had done the same thing, it would have been an illegal block, but there's no rule against on defense.

"It's not even a late hit," Long said. "It's one of those terrible things in football you can't prevent. No matter what the rule is and no matter how you train your kids, stuff like that happens. It's ugly on film, but it's not an on purpose deal. It's not a late hit. It's just one of those things."

Continue reading "Sunday notes" »

Posted by at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's rivalry week, and the Trib is asking New Mexico and New Mexico State fans to share their best, family-friendly Lobo and Aggie jokes.

You can post your jokes in the comments section of the blog, but please remember to keep it clean.

We'll pick the best ones and run them in Saturday's Tribune.

This will be the top entry on my blog all week, so scroll down for more news updates.

Posted by at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (59)

I couldn't make it to practice Thursday because I had to head to El Paso early for a family obligation. I do, however, still have Lobo football news. I deliver, even when I'm on the road.

Linebacker Cody Kase will be on the travel squad, but his playing status is still up in the air. I don't think a final decision will be made until game day.

Saturday's game will be available via a ton of options. It will be broadcast on KRQE-News 13 and KKOB-AM (770). The game also will be available on Sirius Satellite Radio and ESPN Gameplan. Enjoy it while it lasts because it's back to hard-to-find games next week unless there is a huge satellite deal signed.

Continue reading "Quick update" »

Posted by at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First up, injury news. Linebacker Cody Kase did not practice today and UNM head trainer still considers him day-to-day. If I had to make a guess, I'd say Cody won't be playing. But stranger things have happened. Running back Matelius Epps had success surgery on his wrist and is expected to miss the next two to three weeks, although that timeline could vary.

The team equipment managers aren't wearing Aggie shirts this week. If you recall, coach Rocky Long decided to give the mangers Portland State T-shirts and hats to motivate the team. This week it was all UNM gear. I talked with one of the managers, and he said no one has said a word about it. I suppose it's a good idea to part ways with things aren't working.

Continue reading "Post practice update" »

Posted by at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for five current and former Colorado State football players in connection with a felony bank fraud investigation. The players were among seven people who were indicted this morning by a Larimer County grand jury on charges ranging from identity theft to forgery.

Adakole Brian Ike Abata, Robert Bruce Herbert and Micah Lamar Crews are all current Rams players who are facing criminal charges. Colorado State officials announced this morning all three were suspended from the team. Herbert was the only one who played in the Rams' season opener against Weber State, returning one punt for 19 yards.

Here's one story posted this morning by the Rocky Mountain News and another from ESPN.com.

Posted by at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nothing new on the injury front. Martelius Epps is still expected to undergo surgery for a fractured right wrist Wednesday, and he should be out three to four weeks. Cody Kase missed practice and is still rehabing his injured hamstring. Wednesday's the big day for him. If he can get back on the field in some form, he'll get to play Saturday. If he can't coaches are likely to hold him out. They have a rule that they hold guys out who don't practice Wednesday, but this rule obviously can be broken. So I say Wednesday should tell us a whole lot, but it's not the final verdict.

Jeremiah Lovato will making his first start on the offensive line, in part, because Stephen Hutchinson pulled a big no-no against Portland State. Hutchinson hit Vikings quarterback Sawyer Smith out of bounds, giving Portland State a big first down instead of fourth and about a mile. So he'll sit early against the Aggies but still rotate into the game.

Continue reading "Lobo notes" »

Posted by at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The University of New Mexico coaches shows are finally a go on KOB-Channel 4.

UNM football coach Rocky Long's first show will air Sunday at 9:30 p.m. He will have a show through the football season, then the show will feature UNM men's basketball coach Ritchie McKay and women's basketball coach Don Flanagan. The shows will be broadcast at 9:30 p.m. until the NFL season is over, then they will move to 10:30 p.m. No details have been released yet, but I would expect them to be rebroadcast on the Mountain, the new regional network covering Mountain West Conference sports.

KOB-TV sports director J.P. Murrieta is scheduled to host the shows.

Posted by at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Running back Martelius Epps fractured his hand during Saturday night's loss to Portland State and will likely undergo surgery Wednesday. He will see a team doctor Tuesday to confirm the initial diagnosis and is expected to miss at least three weeks. Epps hid the injury Saturday night, but he told trainers about it Sunday afternoon when players reported for treatment. Coach Rocky Long said freshman Mike Love is on the travel squad and could end up playing if either Rodney Ferguson or Paul Baker is injured.

Cody Kase is still considered day-to-day. UNM head trainer Dave Binder said the injury isn't as bad as he thought, but Kase could still miss the game at New Mexico State. Kase did respond well to rehabilitation work Sunday and Monday. Long said he still isn't counting on having him back in the lineup against the Aggies. "I really hope I get a chance to play," Kase said. "It's tough because we've only got 12 games, we've lost one and I don't want to miss out on anything else."

Continue reading "More injury news" »

Posted by at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Here's a roundup of updates I collected after talking with UNM football coach Rocky Long Sunday afternoon:

Cody Kase suffered a severe pulled hamstring against Portland State Saturday night, and Long doesn't think he'll be able to play against New Mexico State. Long did say the healing time can vary for hamstring injuries, but for right now he's not counting on having Cody out there. That leaves one senior starter available on defense.

Offensive lineman Bo Greer also suffered a knee injury, but for right now it doesn't appear to be very serious. He is still being evaluated by team trainers, but Greer should be able to play against the Aggies.

Continue reading "Sunday report" »

Posted by at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

We've got a few new things posted on Lobo Zone today.

First, there's coach Rocky Long's audio interview with the media following the Portland State game.

Next, we've got an awesome slideshow with audio from Trib photographer Craig Fritz.

And finally we've got the game stats posted. They're not pretty but they don't lie.

We've also got our ongoing Ask the Coach feature. You can pose questions to any of the UNM football coaches, and we'll fetch the answers. I'm sure there are plenty of things you're scratching your head about following this game, so fire away.

Posted by at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mountain, CSTV's new network devoted to Mountain West Conference athletics, is on the air. I'm catching it as we speak on Comcast Channel 276, a channel on the digital classic tier.

The Mountain had a countdown clock ticking down the seconds to its scheduled launch at 7 p.m. Then the screen went black for about 10 seconds. Next you could hear music but had no picture. About five seconds later, the network made its debut with a long video promoting the new network. The video featured footage of all nine Mountain West Conference schools. At least one of the stock images was of Lobos coach Rocky Long cheering after a key play.

After the video, the network's first show on the air was "The Mountain View." The show is slated to preview all Mountain West Conference games this weekend. It began with an analysis of Colorado State's season opener against Weber State, the early game on the Mountain. The analysis included heavy emphasis on Kyle Bell, who tore his ACL this week and is out for the season.

New Mexico was up next on the broadcast, with a live shot from Albuquerque and Universiity Stadium. The analysts praised Kole McKamey for his experience and called Quincy Black one of the best linebackers in the conference.

I'll post more updates as the broadcast continues ...

Posted by at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Today we unveiled the print edition of Lobo Zone. The paper format offers tons of graphics that aren't online, but you can see a lot of our features online at lobozone.com.

Continue reading "Our big Portland State preview" »

Posted by at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Miners quarterback Jordan Palmer tossed four interceptions but did just enough to help UTEP earn a 34-27 win over San Diego State. Starting Aztecs quarterback Kevin O'Connell was sidelined with a thumb injury in the third quarter, but San Diego State actually mounted its comeback behind backup Darren Mougey. The Miners need some work but appears strong. San Diego State looks like it still has scary-good talent and a coach who may be able to do a few things with that talent.

Posted by at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Hal Mumme collected his first win at New Mexico State, with the Aggies earning a 30-15 home win over Southeastern Louisiana. Meanwhile UTEP is up 27-10 over San Diego State late in the third quarter. Aztecs quarterback Kevin O'Connell left with a thumb injury, but it appears San Diego State is mounting a rally.

Getting back to the Aggies. I don't want to be an NMSU hater, but does this really break the Aggies' 13-game losing streak if the win came against a Division I-AA opponent? I say you take what you can get, but I don't think you can feel like the monkey's really off your back until you actually beat a Division I team. What do you think?

Posted by at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Mountain will hit the airwaves Friday at 7 p.m. It will kick off with a short introductory video ... "Video Killed the Radio Star" anyone? Probably not. This isn't MTV. But the network is marking this occassion with a video that will introduce the network and anchors Courtney George and Marius Payton. George and Payton then will host their new show, "The Mountain View." It will preview the Mountain West Conference football team's upcoming matchups. The network will then air a replay of Thursday night's UTEP-San Diego State, which originally airs on CSTV. For more details, visit the Mountain's Web site.

I'm looking forward to tracking two games tonight. First, the Miners taking on San Diego State on CSTV. I'm picking UTEP to win, but we'll see what happens. Then we've got New Mexico State playing Southeastern Louisiana State in Las Cruces. The Aggies are hoping to snap a demoralizing 13-game losing streak tonight. You can watch the game streamed live on the Western Athletic Conference. And yea, I might be taking a peak at the Cowboys game.

Continue reading "Here comes the Mountain" »

Posted by at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wrote my big UNM football season preview for today's Tribune, including capsules on the Lobos and every team they face this season. My favorite part of the capsules are the quotes from coach Rocky Long, with his quick take on every team.

We've also got a poll on the same page as my season preview asking fans which team they would like to see the Lobos face for their fourth nonconference game next season. There's also a nice comments section that goes with the poll. I plan on voting for Notre Dame because it would cause bedlam in my family. My older sister went to Notre Dame. I went to New Mexico. All we need is a line in the sand, and we're set.

Continue reading "My season preview" »

Posted by at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sorry for the delayed post-practice update, but I've been tied up working on stuff for Thursday and Friday's paper. The print version of Lobo Zone will appear in Friday's Tribune, and I think it's got tons of awesome stuff. We also have great things lined up for the Web Friday. It's wall-to-wall Lobos.

The Mountain West Conference announced the latest cable providers adding the Mountain to their channel lineup. It's good news for fans in Wyoming and Idaho, which now can get the Mountain via digital cable. The luckiest Mountain West Conference fans are in Utah. They get to see the Mountain on basic cable instead of paying up for digital. The Mountain West Conference Web site will be regularly updating cable providers and channel locations. And I'm told more news could come on TV deals by Saturday's kickoff.

As for today's practice report, I thought the team looked a little sloppy. As the cliche goes, this team is tired of tackling each other. So how do I measure sloppiness? Dropped balls, missed tackles, missing holes on running plays, etc. Coach Rocky Long, however, said the team looked fine to him. I asked if they're ready to play, and he said you're guess is as good as mine. I was talking to Matt Quillen's dad, and he said he can tell it's close to game day because Matt is talking less and less. Apparently he is almost mute on game day and all fired up on the field.

That's all I've got for tonight because it's been a mega busy day. Check out Thursday's Trib for ... yea, more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It's been a busy news day, but that's the way it goes on the countdown to kickoff.

A few news items before I slip out to practice:

The Santa Fe New Mexican is reporting St. Michael's quarterback Kevin Chavez tore his ACL and will be out for the football season. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the story posted on the paper's free Web site. Chavez orally committed to play football and baseball at UNM. The coaches, as usual for the Lobos, are planning to honor their scholarship offer. Chavez hopes to be back by the baseball season.

In addition to our loads of audio, I wrote an update on the push to get the Mountain added to more cable and satellite channel lineups. I was hoping the Mountain West would have updated its Web site with the news Commissioner Craig Thompson promised during the league's weekly teleconference, but it hasn't been updated yet and practice beckons. I did get a call from Bresnan Communications informing me they have good news to report and the news release is on its way. I think it's safe to say that's good news for Wyoming fans, who covered by Bresnan and now should be able to follow the Cowboys on the Mountain. Now they just need the Mountain to agree to broadcast a few more of their games and they'll be set.

No news on the satellite front. I've heard tons of rumors from fans who have been promised by DirecTV folks that it's gonna happen, but nothing official has come down yet. Thompson has DirecTV at home, and he said he may have to go to a friend's house to watch the opening weekend games if no deal is made. Doesn't sound so good to me, but we all could be surprised in the next few days.

The Lobos scored Kansas State transfer Mitch Straub. He was at practice Tuesday and will be available to play defensive end next season. One correction to my story, which I'll try to have fixed on the Web site as soon as possible. Straub is from Waterloo, Neb., not Kansas.

And if you haven't read it, go visit the Linz's blog. I know he doesn't need a plug, but it's good stuff. Or at least good for a laugh.

That's all for now. More after practice ...

Posted by at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We've got a few Lobo Zone audio bonuses, which always can be found under the second heading called LoboZone Smartcasts.

First up is an audio interview with starting cornerback Glover Quinn. He answers an array of questions including:
Why did you decide come from Mississippi to New Mexico?
Who would win in a fight between Robert Turner and Michael Tuohy?
Which Lobo football coach yells the loudest during practice?

We'll be doing audio interviews with Lobo football players every week. If you would like to request a Lobo to be interviewed or suggest questions, simply post them on the comments section.

Next we've got coach Rocky Long's full question and answer session with print, radio and Internet reporters during his weekly media luncheon. The audio starts out with Mike Roberts asking whether Long has a statement, which has become a tradition at every media lunch. Long usually doesn't have one, but this time he sarcastically offered some cliches. It was pretty funny.

We'll post audio from the media lunch every week as well, so keep checking back for more audio extras.

Posted by at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coach Rocky Long is nudging his team psychologically.

He ordered Portland State T-shirts and hats for all of the Lobos' equipment managers, and they wore the gear to practice today. The goal? "I wanted to remind everyone that this is game week," Long said. "It's not really for extra motivation, it's just to help everyone stay focused. Sometimes when they've been working out for three weeks after not playing anyone, they can get a little complacent. This is supposed to help snap them out of that." Long said he isn't sure if he will be doing this for every opponent, but he decided during the summer he would be doing it this week for Portland State. "It just sort of came to me, and I planned on it for this game," he said.

Continue reading "Spirited practice" »

Posted by at 6:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson has said the biggest deals with cable and satellite providers adding the Mountain could come in the 11th hour. The Mountain is the new network launched by CSTV and Comcast devoted to the Mountain West Conference, but it is on available via Comcast in New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.

We're inching awfully close to the 11th hour with the Mountain launching Friday and games airing Saturday, but Thompson said during a teleconference today at least four more cable providers have made deals to carry the Mountain. He said they will be announced Wednesday at 3 p.m. on the Mountain West Conference Web site and the Mountain's site.

Thompson didn't have a timeline for a possible deal with DirecTV or Dish Network, the country's two largest satellite providers. He did say both companies have offers in front of them, but they have the prices they expect to be paid to add the channel and it may take awhile to reach an agreement.

I'll update the blog as soon as we get more information. Now it's off to football practice ...

Posted by at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Army officially is the quickest team out of the gate earning a bowl invitation this season. Army and Poinsettia Bowl officials announced the Black Knights will face a Mountain West Conference team in the Poinsettia Bowl based in San Diego if Army earns six wins needed to be bowl eligible. Those six wins may be a major hurdle for Army, which hasn't been bowl eligible since 1996.Here's the Associated Press story on the bowl agreement via espn.com.

The Mountain West Conference has fared well against Navy, dropping both bowl games against the Middies the past two seasons. Will Army be any easier? Is this good for the Mountain West Conference and the Lobos?

Posted by at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm taking a quick break from watching Andre Agassi's riveting opening round match at the US Open, which I fear may be the last of his career, to bring you this Lobo football update.

Lots of news from today. It was the first media lunch of the day, which ran slightly different than the account the Linz posted on his blog. Since he addressed the food (and alleged fight), I'll go with news from coach Rocky Long.

Continue reading "News and notes" »

Posted by at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Defensive tackle Marcus Parker was cut by the Detroit Lions and offensive lineman Claude Terrell was placed on the injured reserve list by the St. Louis Rams and is expected to miss this season thanks to a wrist injury that won't heal.

Posted by at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's finally game week and a good time to start talking about Portland State.

The Vikings are a Division I-AA school that actually has a larger student population than Oregon and Oregon State. Coach Tim Walsh has been a strong recruiter and pushed the school to make the leap from Division II to Division I-AA back in 1996 without the benefit of any scholarships.

This season Portland State could be dubbed Transfer U, with 14 Division I transfers on the roster. At least seven of those, who come from big-name schools such as Miami, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington, are projected starters. Four of the transfers have played the Lobos before -- Tremayne Kirkland, a wide receiver who left UNLV; Adam Hayward, a linebacker who left Colorado State; Mu'Ammar Ali, a running back who left New Mexico State; and Todd Walker, a kicker who also left New Mexico State.

Continue reading "Game week" »

Posted by at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former Lobo Hank Baskett, who has been a star at the Philadelphia Eagles training camp, survived the team's latest cut. The Eagles cut 11 players Saturday, including three wide receivers. Philadelphia was loaded at wide out, but Baskett's affable personality, work ethic, bond with starting quarterback Donovan McNabb and his ability to leap for some breathtaking catches have helped stay on the Eagles' roster. Philadelphia has to cut four more players before the season kicks off, but Baskett appears set to make it to his NFL rookie season the hard way. Baskett was not selected in the 2006 NFL Draft, but he signed an unrestricted free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings. The Eagles traded a veteran player for Baskett, and he has been turning heads ever since.

Posted by at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As I mentioned yesterday, the Lobos went through a scripted two-hour practice Saturday designed to simulate a game. What I didn't realize was that the coaches planned to put a heavy burden on the scout team, making the true freshmen and scrubs go up against the travel squad. Coach Rocky Long was prepared for a kind of ugly mismatch that would have only emphasized proper position and assignment work. Turns out you shouldn't underestimate the Lobos' scout team. It's pretty rare for the scout team to see this much action in a scrimmage, and the players were pumped.

"I was pleasantly surprised," Long said. "The scout team was really flying around out there and really making some tackles. It was a really good practice for us." It was especially beneficial with the scout team running what the Lobos hope are Portland State's schemes. So is this scout teams stronger than previous groups? "I don't think it has anything to do with strength or talent, it's all heart," Long said. "All today proves is that football players really want to play, and they don't care whose plays they are running."

Continue reading "Slammin scout team" »

Posted by at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're about to hit one week for the Lobos' season-opener against Portland State, and football coach Rocky Long is making sure his team is ready.

The travel squad is spending tonight in a hotel, just as it would during game week. "We want to remind them that they need to get focused because we're just a week away from the start of the season," Long said.

On Saturday, the Lobos will go through a fully scripted practice designed to similate a game. The team will go through kickoffs, punts and change of possesion. "The goal is to simulate all the game situations we can in a two-hour practice to make sure we're ready for just about anything," Long said.

Continue reading "One week ..." »

Posted by at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Moving right along, I've got an update from today's practice.

Although it's bright and sunny out right now, the Lobos were forced inside 25 minutes early due to lightening, a quick but heavy dose of rain and hail. Coach Rocky Long didn't bother trying to do a walk-through the Tow Diehm patio or in the locker room, giving the guys a break. This is the third time practice has been shortened due to rain, which is surprising considering how much the city has been doused during the summer. "But some people still don't think we need an indoor practice facility, right," Long asked while grinning. The school has received all the proposals for the indoor practice facility and is about to take the next step, selecting an architect.

Continue reading "Football news" »

Posted by at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

It was a flat out bad day for the UNM offense. During scrimmages in the final hour of practice, the offense turned the ball over seven times,with four of those returned for touchdowns. Six of those turnovers were interceptions tossed by starter Kole McKamey and backups Chris Nelson, Bryan Clampitt and Donovan Porterie. McKamey was so frustrated by the turnovers, he chased the guys who intercepted the ball. He dived at one but failed to save a touchdown. He knocked another out of bounds before he scored. Kole also talked up a storm and started two fights. His teammates were quick to defend him and shouted at the defense "you're not supposed to hit the (expletive) quarterback." Ahh, harmony.

Wide receiver Marcus Smith said the skermishes are normal. "Some days the offense gets the upper hand and sometimes the defense has their day. Kole shows everyone you have to go hard all the time," Smith said. "He's supposed to be a no-contact guy, but if you don't hit in practice, how are you going to hit in a game."

Continue reading "Fights and frustration" »

Posted by at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)

I wrote a story for today's paper about some of the walk ons who where invited to participate in the Lobos fall camp, which is limited to 105 total players. Lobo fans have to love Sina Shabazz's story and his decision to spurn the Aggies in favor of UNM. This week the Lobos are allowed to expand to as many players as it wants to have around. In addition to the eight or nine players at camp, the Lobos have a total of 30 walk ons joining the team this year. The new guys will go through physicals and spend a week with strength and conditioning coaches to make sure they can handle scout team contact. It will take about two weeks for us to get our first glimpse of the new Rudys.

The Lobos had a so-so day, with the defense getting yelled out early for its miscues. The team stepped it up at the end up practice, with Herbert Felder and Frankie Baca collecting interceptions in red zone coverage. The receivers dropped numerous passes, while starting quarterback Kole McKamey and backup Chris Nelson had some errant throws. Overall, it seems the team is progressing but it can be very hard to tell when players have an off day or already have adjusted to their teammates as competition.

Check out Wednesday's Tribune for more on the Lobos.

Posted by at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a light practice Monday tonight in every sense.

UNM coach Rocky Long imposed new restrictions barring visitors who were not on a media relations pass list from attending practice and restricted video and photo equipment to the first 15 minutes of workouts. Long said he wants to keep the Lobos' strategy under wraps for the first few games.

New Mexico isn't the only school restricting access to workouts. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier closed all practices last week, blaming representatives from Internet fan sites for posting too much detailed information about his team's strategies.

UNM enforced the rule changes by closing the gates to the practice fields and turning away a few visitors who were not on the pass list. The Trib, Journal and Mike Roberts of 770-KKOB were the only visitors at practice, considerably fewer visitors who normally attend practice.

Monday night's workout was limited to light drills, which will be comparable to their first post-game workouts of the week to be held on Mondays.

Check out Tuesday's Tribune for more football coverage.

Posted by at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Lobos are going all Steve Spurrier on us. Well, not quite, but there are some new restrictions for attending UNM football practice. Here's the news release just issued by Greg Remington, associate athletics director for media relations:

Beginning today (Aug. 21), photographers (print and electronic) will be limited to shooting the first 15 minutes of practice. All photographers must first check in with Greg, Alfredo or Brook on the practice field before shooting. Interviews can still be conducted before or after practice.

Additionally, practice will be open only to accredited media who have been cleared through the UNM Media Relations office and to patrons of the program who are on a pass list.

"We really appreciate the fans that support us and want to attend practice, and the media that covers the team," said head coach Rocky Long. "We just want to know who is attending our practices especially as the start of the season gets closer."

So what do you think? Good idea to protect those trick plays or does it hurt the Lobos' we're-friendly-to-everyone-so-come-watch-practice image?

Posted by at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Richard Stevens wrote a column for today's Trib about the marked improvement of Rodney Ferguson, who is one of three guys fighting to replace DonTrell Moore. At this point, I think it's safe to say the Lobos will be using a three-back rotation of Ferguson, Martelius Epps and Paul Baker.

But, who will actually get to start?

My guess is it will go like this: 1) Ferguson, 2) Epps and 3) Baker.

What do you think, and what order would you put them in if you were running the team? Does it matter which order they go in, and do you think one will emerge with more playing time by the start of Mountain West Conference play?

Posted by at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wrote a story for Saturday's Trib about UNM's new no re-entry rule for Lobo football games. Once you're in the stadium, you can't leave and go back in again. The school says it's to enhance security.

I think it's pretty hard to screen people lots of times coming in and out of the stadium. I also think they had some problems with people popping back out to the tailgating lots, enjoying a little more alcohol than they should and behaving not so nicely to other fans and people who live near the tailgate lots.

What do you think of the rule change? Were you used to taking a stroll back to the tailgate lots during halftime or when the Lobos weren't faring so well? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Posted by at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just got back from University Stadium, where the UNM Yard Sale was absolutely insane. The first person in line arrived at the gate at 9 a.m. and the line snaked through the parking lot, reaching nearly the end of the stadium when the gates were about to open at noon. When the gates did open, fans sprinted toward the northeast corner of the stadium, pausing to collect free cameras from 770-AM (KKOB). Mike Roberts said they went through 200 cameras in five minutes.

No one touched the hot dogs until they were done shopping. It was craazy, jammed packed version of a swap meet inside the merchandise area. I don't think UNM officials were expecting so many people -- I certainly wasn't. A good friend of mine came up empty handed and said he should have come earlier. "I should have known better because everyone is cheap in New Mexico, just like me," he said.

More like bargain hunters. One of the first people through the gates got all the letterman's jackets. People grabbed what they could and sorted it out later. Mini-outlet stores popped up on the north concourse and outside the gate, with people selling and trading wares.

The sale got the job done, attracting fans to the season-ticket booth, regular-price merchadise stand and even across the street to the Lobo Store at The Pit. All that was left by 12:45 p.m. were football cleats and a handful of other small items. I bailed out to file this report, grab some ice water and hang out somewhere cool before practice. On days like this, I'm soooo glad I live close to the stadium.

Posted by at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos got in about 10 minutes of practice before a thunderstorm rolled in and forced coaches to cancel practice. It as supposed to be a "fun day," which means light drills and games. The team had a chippy morning practice, so they didn't end up missing too much. They lined up to collect their per diem and head out into the rain, which was pretty heavy for about 20 minutes before slowing down to a steady drizzle in the Downtown and university area.

There were no injuries during the morning workout, which was one of the warmes of camp, or the brief evening practice.

The Lobos will be back in action for Fan Photo Day Saturday. Here's the schedule:

Lobo Garage Sale from noon to 2 p.m. Lobo fans can purchase new and used Lobo apparel, including 450 shoes, 40 jackets, 100 pants, 320 T-shirts, 120 shorts, 280 jerseys, 58 duffle bags, polo shirts, hats and much more will be available for purchase on a cash-only basis. Most items will be priced at $5 or less. The proceeds of the sale will benefit the UNM Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Computer Lab.

The first 3,000 fans will get free hot dogs and the first 200 will get disposable cameras and coupons for free film proccessing at Walgreens. These items will be given away when gates open at noon. UNM officials don't expect them to last very long.

At 2 p.m., the Lobos take the field for practice. They will work on special teams for about half an hour, drills such as seven-on-seven skill work for half an hour and scrimmaging for about half an hour to 45 minutes. Around 3:45 or 4 p.m., practice will end and the Lobos will be available for autographs and photos.

If you want items at the garage sale, I'd get there early. It's been heavily promoted on the radio today and seems like a steal. My mom, an expert yard sale buyer visiting from El Paso, will be digging through the piles. She's stealthy and swift. Tribune editor Phill Casaus and Richard Stevens also will be jockeying in line for items. I wouldn't get in their way. It won't be pretty.

Posted by at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sophomore defensive end Kevin Balogun can't catch a break. During the second-to-the-last play of Wednesday night practice, he jumped over another player and tore his left achilles tendon. He will undergo an MRI Friday and should have surgery on Monday. UNM head trainer Dave Binder said Balogun should be back by spring football, but the training staff and team doctors will just have to wait and see how quickly he heals.

The injury is painful enough, but Kevin has already had a rough run as a Lobo. He's already used up his redshirt season, so he just loses a year of eligiibility unless UNM can petition the NCAA for a medical exemption. He suffered an injury his freshman year and was finally coming back to full strength and understanding of the defense. He was Michael Tuohy's backup and had a strong fall camp. It was clear he was going to get significant playing time.

The defense also had a rough day and was on the bad end of a colorful, long rant from coach Rocky Long. The only words I could hear from the sidelines are the ones that can't be repeated in a family newspaper or on a family newspaper's Web site. His voice crackled a little after practice, but it wasn't nearly as bad as his first practice tirade.

So why the yelling? My best guess is some nice plays by the offense, including Kole McKamey's long pass to Marcus Smith for a touchdown set up by strong blocking by running back Rodney Ferguson and the offensive line. Kole, by the way, seems to have recover from whatever stomach illness was dogging him Wednesday. He was back in action and firing up the offense, better known as "Red" thanks to its jerseys.

As always, check Friday's Trib for more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

St. Michael's senior quarterback Kevin Chavez orally commited to play for the football and baseball for Lobos during the weekend, according to Horsemen football coach Joey Fernandez. Chavez suffered a hernia during the offseason and will soon undergo surgery, but he is only expected to miss two weeks of practice. Chavez, who is 6-foot-2 and weighs 180 pounds, went 115-for-236 for 2,051 yards, 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his junior season.

Check out Friday's Tribune for more on Chavez.

Posted by at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

There's more controversy surrounding the Air Force Academy football team. Coach Fisher DeBerry suspended assistant coach Pete Hurt indefinitely pending an investigation by the school into allegations he struck a player during an Aug. 9 practice. To learn more about the incident, you can check out this story from The Rocky Mountain News.

Posted by at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senior quarterback Kole McKamey sat out much of Wednesday night's practice because he was suffering from a naseau. Trainer Dave Binder said Kole reported feeling sick Tuesday night, felt fine after a full breakfast and morning practice. Then he felt nauseous after dinner and threw up a few times during practice. Binder told Kole to only participate in light drills. He suspects Kole is suffering from a stomach flu and expects it to pass soon.

With Kole out, the remaining quarterbacks got a few more snaps. Backup Chris Nelson continues to improve steadily after appearing stiff the first week of fall camp. He said the shoulder he injured at the end of last season isn't bothering him, but his delivery seemed a little off. Now it looks fine and it's just a matter of adapting to the offense and receivers.

Check Thursday's Trib for more Lobo football coverage.

Posted by at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kansas State quarterback Allen Everidge whipped up a mini-frenzy when he announced he was leaving the Wildcats and went school shopping last week. The Lobos courted Everidge, but he opted for a bigger school closer to his Nebraska home. Everidge is transferring to Wisconsin, according to ESPN.com, the Omaha World-Herald and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Everidge is slated to walk on this year because the Badgers don't have any scholarships available, then he will be offered one next season.

Posted by at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Lobos offense had a tough day, struggling scrimmages and drills Tuesday night. The quarterbacks and wide receivers ended practice with extra sprints to compensate for errant passes and dropped balls. The players didn't respond well when receivers coach Dan Dodd added more pressure by shouting a count down of the play clock. Offensive coordinator Bob Toledo handled his troops more quietly than most coaches, using more of a shocked or incredulous tone than a colorful barrage of insults when talking with players about missed assignments.

The bright spots were spectacular touchdown runs Rodney Ferguson and Martelius "Tay" Epps. Ferguson slowed down and did a somersault to find the end zone and fire up the lackluster offense. Epps found a seam and broke off a long run in the blink of an eye.

Head coach Rocky Long said he found out when he became a head coach it is much easier to correct the offense than the defense. The offense can run through its scheme with a few players simply standing in on defense. The defense, however, has to have players running an offense against them to test how it responds.

Check out Wednesday's Tribune for more Lobo football news.

Posted by at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobo kicker Kenny Byrd was named to the Lou Groza preseason watch list. The award recognizes the country's best kicker. Byrd was semifinalist for the award last season. You can visit the Lou Groza Award Web site to see the complete watch list.

Posted by at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today I wrote a story about recent rains and the influx of mosquitoes, and more specifically whether it impacted the football team. My inspiration was a handful of bug bites I collected at practice and watching players scratch bug bites during interviews. I wanted the skinny on mosquitoes, which turned into a story we ran in our news section. I think the info on the bugs is pretty informative and helpful for anyone who spends any time outdoors.

Then I checked in with the Lobos, who aren't using bug spray across the board but have been feeling the itch. I think some of the o-line guys think it makes them a little tougher to collect battle scars together. Whatever works.

This morning, my mom arrived in Albuquerque for a week-long visit from El Paso. She brought a copy of the El Paso Times with her. It was loaded with interesting stories, including the hiring of a new men's basketball coach and football camp coverage. Here's the news item that might be most amusing to Lobo football fans:

"(Miners football coach Mike) Price said the UTEP staff spent a whopping $1,000 on mosquito repellent during its week in hot and humid Socorro, N.M.
"'There were guys with over 100 mosquito bites,'" he said.
"As a result, the staff raided the Socorro supermarkets over the week, buying all of the mosquito repellent available -- literally clearing the shelves.
"'It was of epidemic proportions,'" Price said."

Posted by at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aleem Harris, who was suspended from the UNM football team after being charged with five felonies in conneciton with a fight with his ex-girlfriend, watched practice Monday. Coach Rocky Long said Harris is academically eligible, but he's still off the team until the court case is resolved. Harris was just hanging around to watch practice.

The Lobos spent some time in University Stadium Monday night, going through a mini-scrimmage. The field drained especially well following Sunday's heavy rain storm. It looks lush and ready for the season.

The Lobos, on the other hand, need a few more practices. There has been a lot more balance this year than last year. The defense used to always dominate practices and performed better all season. Last year, I thought it was promising the offense was dominating practice. Then both sides under-performed. This year, they seem to trade strong plays. The upside is, it makes the scrimmaging a lot more exciting. The Cherry-Silver scrimmage usually is a pretty dull practice. This year's scrimmage, which is on Saturday, should be more competitive and fun to watch.

Check out Tuesday's Trib for more football coverage.

Posted by at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I made it back from Las Vegas and headed out to Lobo football practice Sunday night. The team was working on special teams drills when I showed up, then came the rain. Serious, heavy duty rain and, more important, lightening that chases the team inside really, really fast. Several players joked it was about time for a rain break, while coaches grumbled this wouldn't be a problem if they had an indoor practice facility. (Coach Rocky Long doesn't expect it to be ready until January 2008). Long led the defense through a walk-through in the weight room, while offensive coordinator Bob Toledo led the offense through its walk-through in the locker room. The team doesn't get much of a break. The Lobos return to the practice field Monday morning for the second two-a-day workout of fall camp.

Check out Monday's Tribune for more football coverage.

Posted by at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The defense looked fierce on the first day of action with full pads. As usual, the receivers and running backs looked a little off after getting hit real hard for the first time. The offense barely moved the ball during a brief scrimmage and starting quarterback Kole McKamey got a little too active for a guy trying to stay healthy, sliding into a crowd to advance the ball. So the defense had the upper hand today. I think the major reason for that is so many players, particularly on defense, are fighting for positions. The coaches are definitely using the old stick to dangle the carrot in front of these guys. If you aren't flush with veterans, you may as well take advantage of younger guys constantly battling for playing time and improving at same time.

This my last practice for the week. I'll be on a plane to Las Vegas Friday morning to attend a friend's wedding. I'll be back in time for Sunday's practice. The Trib will still have lots of football coverage, but I have asked the players not to get into any trouble and not to get injured while I'm away. I think we can all agree that's a good thing.

I'll bring you all back some In and Out burgers. Just place your orders in the comments section. Oh, wait, the new airport security rules preclude me from doing that for blog readers. Sorry.

Posted by at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I interviewed Hank Baskett for a story in today's Trib about his remarkable reversal of fortune from draft day snub to Philadelphia Eagles training camp sensation. It also has a big box with updates on the seven Lobos in the NFL, a list that now includes Marcus Parker. He just signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions Wednesday.

Baskett said one of the hardest parts of not being drafted was feeling like he let a lot of people down. It started with his parents and extended to all the Lobo fans who were cheering him on along the way. He's grateful those people are still pulling for him, lighting up message boards and getting pretty giddy about all the sweet media coverage he's getting at camp.

"I wouldn't be where I'm at today without all the people back in Albuquerque and Clovis," he said. "I'll never forget my roots. It means a lot to me knowing that I'm making those people proud and representing the Lobos."

Baskett said he's keeping up with his close friends still on the UNM roster, including quarterback Kole McKamey. Baskett said he expects good things from this year's Lobos. "Coach (Bob) Toledo is going to be great for the offense, and they're going to surprise a lot of people this year," he said."I think Kole's in a great position to have a really strong senior year and they're going to make a run at a championship. I'll always follow the team and want them to do well. I want them to get that bowl win."

Posted by at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the first time in school history, all 12 UNM football games are scheduled to be broadcast on television in some form. KRQE-News 13 confirmed it will pick up the UNM-New Mexico State game in Las Cruces Sept. 9. They will broadcast it live at 6 p.m. No final word on the talent lineup, but it looks like Mike Powers and Van Tate will be handling the broadcast.

Posted by at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)