Hopkins was named the Offensive Player of the Week by the Mountain West Conference for his first performance at home in Albuquerque.
Leading the Lobos rushing was Jacory-Croskey-Merritt “Bill,” who had 162 yards rushing and 13.1 yards per carry for the Lobos.
He leads the Lobos rushing with 23 carries, 212 yards, and 4 T.D.s. What is most impressive about this Alabama transfer is his 9.2 average yards per carry.
Dorian Lewis, a local running back from powerhouse 6A Cleveland HS, is next in line with ten carries, 66 yards, and 6.6 yards per carry.
Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent’s offense is starting to show
Signs of why Danny Gonzales hired him as the O.C.
The running game is a crucial strength for OC Bryant Vincent, and his offense can rely on senior Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who had 470 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2022.
This offense ended up with 587 yards, rushing the ball for 8.2 yards per carry, 296 total rushing yards.
New Mexico allowed 34 attempts on the ground for 98 yards (2.9 yards per carry).
The Lobos passing defense gave up a completion percentage of 54.1%,
Relinquishing 182 yards on 20 out of 37 passing.
One area of concern, if not fixed, is the Lobos offense, which has 209 yards of penalties on 21 violations, which is 7th in the country as far as giving up free yards.
If you look at the history of the Lobo football team, most successful players played smart football for four quarters with a minimal amount of penalties.
If one looks at the Lobo football teams of the past, the Dennis Franchione era, the Bob Davie era, and the Rocky Long era, the teams with minimal personal fouls concentrated on the task on hand and they won games than they lost.
In emotionally intense or rivalry games, this can be a factor with young athletes; those who play intelligent football games tend to come out of it with a victory for the most part.
The Lobo Lobo offense averages 193.5 yards per game on the ground for 387 yards total.
The Lobos rank 55th in Division 1, holding an average of 33 points per game, which is impressive, considering they were near the bottom in FBS football.
UAB Blazers transfers Dylan Hopkins, Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent, and Offensive the season.
Add to that that Alabama State running bank transfer Jacory Croskey-Merritt “Bill” was like icing on the cake; he is good.
Rivalry Game = Fresh Threads#GoLobos | #win5
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— New Mexico Football (@UNMLoboFB) September 14, 2023
He has a combination of size, speed, and excellent field vision to rack up rushing yards for the offense. He could be playing on Sundays on the day, and I have seen many great Lobo athletes that went to the next level.
The Lobos moved the ball against a top-25 team for 222 yards, which the Lobos have struggled to accomplish in recent years.
If you are Aggie Defensive Coordinator Nate Dreiling, that has to be a genuine concern regarding game planning. Do you stop the run by loading the box of Play Cover 2 for the pass?
Up to this point in the season, the Lobos have thrown for a total of 422 yards through the air, not to mention holding an average of 211.0 passing yards per contest, ranking them 88th in college football.
New Mexico was dead last in total offense and second-to-last in scoring offense. It’s scored 17 or more points twice in its previous 22 games against FBS teams.
So look for the NMSU Aggies to “load the box” to stop the run, and depending on what coverage they are in, Hopkins will more than likely have the ability to audible pass plays where the Lobos will have press coverage and one-one-on-one situations for a plethora of receivers they now have.
The Lobo offense would be the strength of this team up to this point, but of course, that can change with only two games played.
They have given up 7 T.D.s through the air and 229.5 yards per game, with them sitting 81st in the nation.
The Lobos’ defense has been on the field for 134 plays, ranking them 81st in D-1. The Lobos allow 31.0 PPG, ranking them 107th in Division 1, relinquishing 62 points.
They played the run against 23rd-ranked Texas A&M so much that even Coach Jimbo Fisher complimented Danny Gonzales, who only allowed 134 yards rushing.
The Lobos have made some significant additions to their team, including Gabriel Lopez, DT from Washington State; Hunter Rapolla, a transfer defensive lineman from JUCO; D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, a safety from TCU, and Dmitri Johnson, a transfer linebacker from JUCO.
Special teams play
The Special team’s play must be solid during this game, as it could be close in the end. Punter Aaron Rodriguez must flip that field when called up for duties.
Also, there must be better consistency of the Kicker. Luke Drzewiecki must be accurate when kicking field goals for the Lobos, especially if the game is close at the end.
Kickoff returns or punt returns can dramatically change the outcome of the game, and the Lobos need some big offensive explosive plays to change the game’s dynamics.
Special teams are one of the things that most fans only pay a little attention to if their team loses on a muffed punt or a missed field goal.
This is one of those pivotal games for the Lobos where they take the next step to be taken seriously in the Mountain West Conference; you have come out on top.
Prediction
Lobo’s Bryant Vincent with Dylan Hopkins at Quarterback offense will be too much for Aggie’s Defense, and Lobo’s Defense will contain Diego Pavia to spoil his homecoming in the Duke City.
New Mexico 35, New Mexico State 20
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