Both teams are coming of their first wins of the year. The Bulldogs who’s play prior to Saturdays win over FCS school Southern Utah has been unimpressive with three losses over 30 points. The Lobos who beat their Rival New Mexico State have not fared any better losing a close game to UTEP and a blowout loss to Arizona State. A win for both teams is essential but it is much more important for the Bulldogs who came into the season with expectations despite losing starting quarterback Derek Carr and leading receiver Davante Adams to the NFL. The Lobos are looking to avenge last year’s 69-28 loss to the Bulldogs. Fridays a game is only the second meeting between the teams as conference foes.
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Keys To Success For Fresno State: Force three-and-outs. The Bulldogs have scored a touchdown on six of their past eight offensive series but, given a proclivity for mistakes and poor execution, is it reasonable even against a New Mexico defense that has struggled all season to expect that to continue back into FBS play? The defense will have to get the Lobos off the field, especially early, to have a chance.
Keys To Success For New Mexico: Hit some big throws off play action. The Bulldogs have done a great job against the Lobos' triple-option in the past six quarters they have played — New Mexico rushed for just 81 yards in the second half in 2012 and 168 yards total in 2013. The Lobos will get man-to-man outside, so they need to take some shots against the Bulldogs corners and do it on running downs and distances.
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The game between New Mexico Lobos and Fresno State Bulldogs has a sharp edge. Lobo Coach Bob Davie doesn’t deny it. He remembers the cut.
The scar from the wound inflicted a season ago in Fresno, Calif., still aches and here comes the Bulldogs trying to ruin the Lobos’ Homecoming game.
“This one is personal,” said Davie of Friday’s kickoff with Fresno. “They put it on us as bad as they could (last year). We just got pounded.”
The scoreboard and the feelings shared by all Lobos as they pulled out of Fresno last year should be motivation to change results. The Bulldogs beat the Lobos 69-28. They moved the ball at will and did it right up to the end.
“I don’t think we have to say a word (to the players),” said Davie. “If you were on that trip, if you walked up that tunnel, up that hill, with all their fans outside that fence. If I have to say something to our guys about that, then we have the wrong guys, because we just got whipped, whipped, whipped.
“It was unbelievable, an unbelievable deal up there last year. That was personal. That was a beating.”
The Fresno ‘Dogs rolled out 820 yards last year in Fresno. They were picked to win the Mountain West’s West Division in 2014, but bring a 1-3 record onto Branch Field. This is the conference opener for both teams. You have to look at the Bulldogs’ schedule to put those losses into perspective: at USC, at Utah and vs. Nebraska.
In a way, this game looks a lot like New Mexico’s win over New Mexico State. There will be two offenses that can move the football and two defenses that bend and break too frequently. The Lobos have the No. 2 rushing team in the nation averaging 349.7 yards per game. The Lobos ran for 432 yards in their 38-35 win over NMSU.
The Lobos’ challenge is on defense. They gave up 499 yards to the Aggies. They are 117th out of 125 teams in total defense yielding 518.3 yards per game. Davie went into the season preaching how his defense needed to make stops and get off the field. That is not happening enough. The Lobos are last (125th) in the nation in 3rd down conversion defense giving up a 57.4 percent rate to the opposition.
Obviously, the Lobos need to get off the field vs. Fresno State. The Bulldogs took some early lumps but still have the Mountain West run to prove they are an exceptional team.
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