UNM’s Offense Through Four Weeks

One of the most consistent parts of the 2018 version of the Lobos as been their ability to put points on the board. Four weeks into the season, the Lobos have only failed to put up more than 40 points once. That came in their week 2 loss in Wisconsin. But in their other 3 games, they’ve racked up a total of 147 points. 62 in their opener against Incarnate Word, 42 in week 3 against NMSU, and 43 in near comeback this past weekend against Liberty. The Lobos have been able to put up points through the air one week and then on the ground in the next. Becoming a true duel threat offense.

WEEK ONE: UNM 62, IW 30

In their season opener, the Lobos leaned heavily on their freshman QB Tevaka Tuioti who got it done for UNM with both his arm and his legs. Tuioti rushed for one touchdown and threw another four touchdowns to three different receivers, WR Patrick Reed, WR Elijah Lilly, and TE Marcus Williams. The Lobos were definitely playing long ball in this game, with none of their receivers totaling more than 2 receptions. The run game was also present for UNM with RB Tyrone Owens rushing for 58 yards and finding the endzone twice. An all-around complete offensive effort with everyone pitching in as the Lobos cruised to an opening day win.

WEEK TWO: WIS 45, UNM 14

The Lobos looked to pick up right where they left off when they arrived in Madison. They did get off to that fast start with an opening drive touchdown. The Lobos capped off a 17-play drive with a touchdown pass from QB Tevaka Tuioti to WR Delane Hart-John. Unfortunately, this would be the only offensive momentum the Lobos would muster for the rest of the first half. Tuioti was unable to give an encore of his opening day performance, he would go out with an injury in the second quarter and the Lobos would have to turn to their 3^rd string QB Sheriron Jones. Jones was unable to get the offense moving and the Lobos were struck in neutral for the rest of the game. Jones finished with 79 yards passing, 2 interception, and touchdown coming in garbage time. As for the rushing attack, the Lobos backfield was held in check. Tyrone Owens finished his game 57 yards on 13 carries. Although they would find the endzone one more time in the game, the final result would be a lopsided one, with Wisconsin blowing UNM out.

WEEK THREE: NMSU 25, UNM 42

With Sheriron Jones starting for UNM in latest edition of the Rio Grande Rivalry, the Lobos would turn to their running backs to carry the majority of the offensive load against the Aggies. The backfield duo of Tyrone Owens and Ahmari Davis were the focal point of the UNM’s game plan. Owens was the workhorse for UNM, rushing for 110 yards on 30 carries and would find the endzone once. Davis on the other hand was the touchdown specialist for the Lobos. Finding the endzone four times on 21 carries for 74 yards. Their performances were more than enough to make up for a sluggish passing attack that saw Jones go 12 of 19 for 127 yards and one interception. This game was a great encapsulation of UNM’s ability to be a duel threat offense. But this only seems to be the case when Tuioti is on the field.

WEEK FOUR: UNM 43, LU 52

Homecoming Week for UNM as they welcomed Liberty to Albuquerque this past Saturday. It was the first ever meeting between the two schools and it proved to be a memorable one. Liberty would start off strong, taking a commanding lead 21-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. On the other side, UNM would lose their starting QB Tevaka Tuioti for the second time in three weeks. This time though, it looks like it will be for the season as the freshmen suffered a broken clavicle. This once again thrusted Sheriron Jones into the spotlight for UNM. Jones would be facing an uphill battle in this game, facing a halftime deficient of 42-10. But Jones would rise to occasion this time, going 15 of 27 for 312 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tyrone Owens would also contribute to the comeback effort with a 93 yard rushing effort on 15 carries and scoring 2 touchdowns of his own. UNM would score 33 points in the second half, but they came up just a bit short, losing 52-43 to Liberty and dropping to 2-2

LOOKING FORWARD

The Lobos will be without QB Tevaka Tuioti for the remainder of the season. But UNM Head Coach Bob Davie is confident is moving forward with Jones. With an impressive performance in the game against Liberty, Jones is carrying momentum into this weekends contest against UNLV.