2010 New Mexico Football Predictions

August 26, 2010

BetOnline

New Mexico is hoping that it can turn things around in the second year under head coach Mike Locksley, as the Lobos went just 1-11 in 2009, with their only win coming late in the season against Colorado State. The Lobos 1-7 mark in the Mountain West Conference gives them just three wins combined in conference play the last two years. Heading into the 2010 season the Lobos will have just 11 starters back, so it is hard to imagine a huge turnaround. Here is quick breakdown of what the Lobos will send to the field this season, plus my prediction on where they finish up the year in the MWC.

Offense:

The Lobos must find a new starting quarterback to run the new up tempo offensive installed last year, and it looks like it will be between a couple of freshmen in Tarean Austin and Stump Godfrey. Both were handpicked by Locksley, so you have to believe they have a decent chance at putting up better numbers at the quarterback position this season.

The Lobos struggled to get much going on the ground last year, as they averaged just 100 yards a game. The Lobos used a number of backs to get the job done in 2009, but the top performer was freshman Demond Dennis, who had 427 yards and three scores. I look for Dennis to take over the majority of the load this season, and I think it results in a big improvement in the running game.

The Lobos top threat in the passing game was also a freshman starter, as sophomore to be Ty Kirk led the way with 36 catches for 427 yards and two scores. With a new quarterback that better fits what the offense is trying to do, I look for Kirk to only improve on those numbers in 2010. Seniors Chris Hernandez and Bryant Williams will be added to mix at the other two open spots, as both were a solid part of the offense in 2009.

The offensive line has to be a concern for the Lobos heading into the 2010 season, as they have just two starters back from the 2009 season. The good thing is they both come on the left side of the line, so they should be able to do a good job protecting whoever wins the starting quarterbacks job on the blind side. Still the Lobos are going to need the three new starters to play well, or the running game could actually take a hit this season.

Defense:

The Lobos struggled to keep opposing teams from putting up a bunch of points last season, as they allowed nearly 36 points a game last season. This year they have just six starters back on this side of the ball, so it’s hard to expect a huge improvement on this side of the ball.

The good news is the Lobos will be strong up front, as they have three starters back from last season. Junior defensive ends Jaymar Latchison and Johnathan Rainey are a force on the outside, as they combined for 14 sacks last season. At defensive tackle the Lobos bring back senior peter Gardner, but will have to find a new teammate for him in the middle. The early candidate to take over is Illinois transfer Reggie Ellis.

The only starter back at linebacker is junior middle linebacker Carmen Messina, who led the Lobos with 162 tackles last season, and there is no question that Messina is one of the top linebackers in the MWC. As for the two outside spots, look for senior Terel Anyaibe and sophomore Joe Stoner to step in and win the starting jobs.

The Lobos have some experience back in the secondary this season, as they return the starting corner duo of junior Anthony Hooks and sophomore Emmanuel McPhearson. The problem is they are the only starters back, as the Lobos must replace both starters at safety. The Lobos gave up 254 passing yards a game last season, and it’s hard to imagine a big improvement with two new starters to protect the opposing teams from going deep.

MWC Prediction -9th: Hard to imagine huge improvement from the Lobos this season, but I do think they will be more competitive than they were a year ago. Just looking at their schedule they don’t have a lot of winnable games, as they are likely to go 0-4 in non-conference play again this season with the likes of Oregon, Texas Tech, and Air Force on their schedule.

For a complete look at how the rest of the MWC will play out this season, check out our 2010 MWC predictions.

If you plan on betting the college football odds this season, be sure to stop back each week for our expert college football picks.

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Posted by Jimmy Boyd · Filed Under Football Picks, Football Predictions, Football Rankings 

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