Davie says beware the Coyotes
South Dakota is not like former FCS opponents, UNM coach believes
The South Dakota Coyotes, in the vast world of college football, will never be mistaken for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Nor, though, said New Mexico coach Bob Davie, should they be mistaken for Southern or Mississippi Valley State — fellow NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams that came to Albuquerque in recent years and were shellacked by a combined score of 132-21.
The South Dakota team that will play the New Mexico Lobos Thursday night at University Stadium, Davie said after Saturday’s practice, is no laughing matter.
Nor is he predicting a laugher.
“No disrespect at all to (Southern and Mississippi Valley State),” Davie said, “but this is completely different.”
On the surface, the Coyotes were the epitome of average last year under former Wyoming coach Joe Glenn — finishing 5-6 and 3-5 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play. But that record includes a shocking upset victory over North Dakota State, which went on to win its fifth consecutive FCS national title. The Coyotes also beat Southern Illinois, which had come within a whisker of upsetting Indiana earlier in the year.
Glenn retired after the season. In an “if you can’t beat ’em hire him” move, South Dakota hired coach Bob Nielson away from MVFC rival Western Illinois. The Leathernecks beat the Coyotes 40-21 last season.
Nielson has a 186-80-1 record in 23 seasons, having coached at five different schools. He won two Division II national titles at Minnesota-Duluth.
“They’ve got a coach that’s had tremendous success,” Davie said. “They’re gonna be a very well-coached team.”
Regardless of classification, preparing for an opening game against a team with a new head coach is a daunting task. Lots of 2015 Western Illinois game film, as well as that of South Dakota, must be viewed and analyzed.
Nielson has hired staff from other programs. Because new Coyotes rungame coordinator Bill O’Boyle was at Southern Illinois last year, some SIU game film has been reviewed as well.
Amid all that information, Davie said, “There’s only so many things you can do.
“We’ve had a lot of time to prepare, and it won’t be that we’re not prepared. It’s just that maybe sometimes you over-prepare. We’re trying to be cautious of not doing that.”
Davie ticked off several examples of FCS teams having beaten Football Bowl Subdivision teams in recent years.
In the not-so-distant past, it happened to the Lobos: Portland State 17,
UNM 6 in the 2006 season opener.
“This (South Dakota) is gonna be a team that tests us schematically,” he said. “... They beat North Dakota State last year, and we showed clips of that game (to the UNM players).
“So it’s a great first game, a great first test for us.”
THEN THERE WERE 22: A note beneath a Sports Speakup item in Sunday’s Journal stated that there were 21 players from New Mexico on the UNM roster. An updated roster shows 22. David Brown, a freshman linebacker from Eldorado, and Jacob Smith, a freshman running back from Cibola, are roster additions. Both are walk-ons.
Gone from the roster is Elliot Hersman, a redshirt freshman walk-on linebacker from Los Alamos.
TALKIN’ ABOUT PRACTICE: Davie said offensive right tackle Garrett Adcock, who took a blow to the head in a recent practice, will not play on Thursday. Aaron Jenkins will slide over from right guard to take Adcock’s place in the starting lineup, with redshirt freshman Charlie Grammel moving in at right guard.
... Senior slot receiver Dameon Gamblin practiced Sunday after returning from Dallas, where he attended the funeral of his father, Larry, who died unexpectedly early last week.
... Davie said no decision has been made as to which quarterback, redshirt junior Lamar Jordan or senior Austin Apodaca, will start on Thursday. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, since both will play.