Sept. 1 Season opener: Southern at UNM, 3 p.m. Ruidoso camp: Sunday-Aug. 17, 10 a.m. each day

“First of all, the NCAA doesn’t allow you that many two-a-days,” he said. In 2003, the NCAA banned twice-a-day preseason workouts on successive days.

“Second, I always thought it was a little bit overrated, to be honest,” Davie said. “And then, third, I’m gonna do what’s best for our situation. … One-a-day practices, the way we’re gonna be practicing, is enough.”

As his players continue to learn new offensive and defensive schemes, he added, classroom and film-room sessions become almost as important as workouts on the field.

Junior linebacker Dallas Bollema embraces the change.

“I think it’s a great idea,” the former Artesia star said. “Coach Davie has his philosophy on what’s going on, and I’m all for it.

“He understands that we have a big season ahead of us with no bye weeks, 13 straight games, so he wants to keep our bodies healthy and treat us right.”

But those single practices, Davie said, will be as long and as demanding as necessary.

That’s fine with Bollema, too.

Lobo wide receiver Lamaar Thomas has added some weight and hopes to be a more powerful force this season. (pat vasquez-cunningham/journal)

“(Davie) said practices should be harder than the games, and the games will just be fun,” he said. “So, that’s what I’m really looking forward to.”

The past two years, programs such as Georgia and Virginia Tech have abandoned two-a-days.

First-year Washington State coach Mike Leach recently announced the Cougars will practice only once a day during fall camp.

Past UNM coaches Dennis Franchione, Rocky Long and Mike Locksley always scheduled at least some two-a-day practices.

AND SO IT BEGINS: The Lobos had their first practice of fall camp, wearing helmets, jerseys and shorts, on Thursday.

As per NCAA rules, they’re permitted to don shoulder pads for the first time Saturday, full pads on Monday.

BACK TO RUIDOSO: Any benefits the Lobos might have derived from practicing in Ruidoso the past two Augusts haven’t shown up on the scoreboard, unless one thinks their lone victories in 2010 and ’11 somehow were related.

Davie, though, is happy to continue the tradition begun by Locksley two years ago.

The Lobos will leave for Ruidoso on Sunday and stay there through Aug. 17.

“I want our guys to like each other more when they come back from Ruidoso than when they left to go down there,” he said. “I think that’s such an important part of it.

“… I think that’s a great, great situation for us to eliminate any divisions that might still exist on this football team, and that’s important to me.”

A LARGER LAMAAR: Senior wide receiver Lamaar Thomas, who was listed as weighing 180 pounds last year, said he has gained 14 pounds as the result of his workout regimen with strength coach Ben Hilgart.

Thomas, a transfer from Ohio State, played in only four games last season because of back and foot injuries.

“Coach Hilgart feels like me putting on the weight will create a lot more power,” said Thomas, who arguably was the team’s best player during spring practice. “I can be a lot more explosive doing the things that need to be done.

“Obviously, it will help me in the blocking game, one of the things I need to work on a lot.”

Thomas also is likely to carry the ball from scrimmage at times in the Lobos’ new multiple offense out of the pistol formation.

Hilgart’s program, Bollema said, has benefited everyone.

“You gain weight and you’re still moving well,” he said. “So it feels good to have that (extra weight) and be strong.”

FAMILY TIES: Linebacker George Aho, a freshman walk-on from Roswell, is the brother of Lobos tight end Andrew Aho and former UNM kicker James Aho.

Wide receiver Cameron DeBesse, a freshman wide receiver from St. Paul, Minn., by way of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, is the son of UNM offensive coordinator Bob DeBesse.

Quarterback/punter Sam Gentry, a freshman walk-on from Albuquerque (Eldorado), is the grandson of legendary high school coach Bill Gentry – who played for the Lobos in the 1940s.
— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal