New Mexico Lobos 2022 College Football Preview
July 10, 2022
2021 Recap
Record – 3-9
ATS – 1-11
The Lobos looked like College Football Playoff material after their first two games ** taking down something called Houston Baptist and then New Mexico St but they managed just one more win the rest of the way. That victory was a SHOCK the WORLD scenario in which they defeated the scrappy Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie as 20+ point underdogs.
HC Danny Gonzales is now 5-14 in two seasons in Albuquerque. Can year three be the charm?
** needs fact check
New Mexico Lobos 2022 Outlook
OFFENSE
New Mexico fans spent last fall pleading with their children, “please my child, LOOK AWAY!” as the Lobos put on a horrific offensive display. The Lobos managed just 12.2 PPG (!) which was dead last in the FBS and they were particularly disgusting when it came to MATRICULATING the ball down the field thru the air (114 YPG, #127 FBS). Three men will battle for the starting gig in 2022, two of the doods from last year’s disaster, as well as Kansas transfer Miles Kendrick who’s thrown 96 career passes. Their 1-2 RB combo of Aaron Dumas and Bobby Cole were the only guys that amounted to much LY (combined 1,013 rush yards, 4 TD) and they’re both no longer with the team. It’ll be up to highly-recruited specimen Nathaniel Jones to lead the way on the ground. The WR/TE group looks sketchy and recall that nobody on the team had more than 250 receiving yards in 2021. The OL returns just a pair of starters but they were brutal LY so maybe the small handful of transfers will make a difference?
DEFENSE
The Lobos were really good on defense last year, especially when you consider that the offense gave them no help whatsoever. New Mexico allowed a respectable 363 YPG (#44 FBS) and ace DC Rocky Long has seven starters to work with including five of their top-six tacklers. We’re not thrilled that they’re losing their best defensive player in Joey Noble (18.5 TFL) (!) and only one starter returns on the DL. The LB level appears to be in fine shape and they feature an experienced secondary led by leading tackler safety Jerrick Reed. New Mexico allowed just 3.7 YPC (#5 MW) and 56% completions (#2 MW) (!) in 2021 and we expect their defense to be stingy this season.
Special Teams
New Mexico returns their P, PR, and KR who were average on the whole LY and they need to find a replacement for PK Andrew Shelley.
Schedule Analysis
Overall – Hear us out before you laugh but it appears as tho New Mexico has three winnable non-conference games (Maine, UTEP, New Mexico St). They get a tough draw from the West division but don’t play their first road game until September 24th.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – September 24 – at LSU
Ya, it’s a lookahead spot for LSU (at Auburn next) but the Lobos are gonna be hard pressed to score more than seven points making a cover (at any number) a dicey proposition. Also note that Mountain West play is on deck (at UNLV).
Season Win Total
per BetOnline July 10
Over 2.5 -105
Under 2.5 -125
MEGALOCKS says:
Lean: Over
<throws up in own mouth>
There are six winnable games on the docket including the season opener with Maine.
MEGAmazing Tidbit
New Mexico has been a remarkably consistent outfit winning 3,2,2,3,3 games over the L5Y.
MEGALOCKS Outlook:
It has to be frustrating for New Mexico fans knowing that this is year three of the Danny Gonzales regime and it’s still a program in rebuild mode. Ok, the defense looks fine, but we still have very low expectations for the offense and it boggles the mind how a former Kansas scrub can be your best option at QB in 2022.
We want them to get better and still think they can bag three or four wins….but sadly….NO BOWL GAME for YOU.
Want more New Mexico Football ?
WEBSITE
https://golobos.com/sports/football/
FORUM
https://247sports.com/college/new-mexico/Board/The-Red-Menace-Zone-103704/
NEWS
http://www.abqjournal.com/category/sports/unm-lobos
http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/167/new-mexico-lobos