After one of the most tumultuous offseasons in school history, Arizona is finally ready to return to some level of normalcy when the 2024 season begins Saturday night at home against New Mexico.
The game marks the UA coaching debut of Brent Brennanwho spent the last seven years at San Jose State in the Mountain West. And his first game with the Wildcats happens to be against one of his former MWC rivals.
New Mexico also hires a new coach, the former head coach of BYU and Virginia Bronco Mendenhalland has also played one game. The Lobos led FCS Montana State 31-14 in the second half and were up by 10 points with six minutes left, but lost at home last Saturday.
This result and the expectations for Arizona this season led to highest spread for the UA as favorite since 2016.
To better understand New Mexico, we turned to Adam Evarts the sister site of SB Nation Mountain West ConnectionHere are his aggressive answers to our lifeless questions:
AZ Desert Swarm: New Mexico didn’t look like a two-point underdog despite the late collapse against an FCS team. What do you think were the biggest surprises for the Lobos?
Adam Evarts: “Honestly, the biggest surprise was the defense itself. New Mexico had six starters back from last season and should have been the most experienced team, but they allowed 567 yards of offense, including two ball carriers who each ran for nearly 200 yards. That was a surprise, but it wasn’t a good one.”
Quarterback Devon Dampier, an Arizona native, has had a great start to his sophomore year with some touchdowns and solid poise. What makes him so effective in this offense?
“Honestly, everything. Dampier can beat you with his arms and legs and he doesn’t lose the ball at all. He’s been in 10 games at UNM now and has never lost the ball. When you think you’ve got his receivers covered, he runs. He’s very versatile and will remind Arizona fans of a lightweight version of Khalil Tate. Khalil Tate-lite, if you will. Smaller than Tate, but same skill set.”
New Mexico’s defense was in disarray, turning two fumbles into touchdowns but also allowing a ton of yards on the ground. Will this be a problem all season and who on that side of the ball should worry Arizona the most?
“That should be the side of the ball you have the least to worry about, and yet they looked inexperienced and young. So, honestly, stopping the run could be a big problem this season, I’m not so sure. In Arizona’s passing attack, Arizona fans will be hearing a lot from Noah Avinger, the 6-foot-4 cornerback who will likely compete with the Wildcats’ best receivers. Christian Ellis plays free safety and the lobo back position, he will also be on the ball a lot.”
Being able to break down Montana State’s offense is one thing, but how do you think the Lobos will handle the combination of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan?
“The Lobos’ 3-3-5 defense has a lot of plays where the blitzes come late, they come from everywhere and they come fast. New Mexico finished with three sacks, four tackles for loss and of course, as you mentioned, the two fumble returns for touchdowns, both of which were hits by the quarterback. Expect a lot of blitzing on Fifita and for McMillan to face Avinger as mentioned above. This will be an exciting battle to watch.”
What are your first impressions of Bronco Mendenhall? Is he capable of turning around one of the worst programs in the FBS?
“I remember when Bronco was the defensive coordinator here (1998-2002). I liked him then and I still like him. His coaching style is that players have to earn their way. He took the numbers away from them in fall camp and made them earn them throughout camp and left it up to the players to figure out who worked the hardest week to week to get those numbers back. I like that it allows the players to take control of their own work and makes everyone work harder. He’s definitely capable of turning the program around, but the only downside to New Mexico will be NIL. There’s not a lot of NIL money flowing through the school, so it’s going to be difficult to keep players here for many years. While he’s here, though, he’s going to get the most out of his players.”
Time for a prediction. Can New Mexico shock the world and beat a ranked team on the road or will Arizona win as expected? Give us a score prediction.
“If you take away the two defensive touchdowns the Lobos scored, that means the offense only scored 17 points. Not good in this day and age of explosive offenses in college football. The Lobos are very young on offense. Talented, but very young. Arizona’s defense is experienced and that spells doom for this Lobo offense, which is taking a step back this season. I think the Lobos defense can hold tight for a half, but then the Wildcats take the lead in the second half and get a 45-10 Victory.”
