Three (quick) takeaways from UNM's spring game

Defense 32, Offense 23.

What did head coach Jason Eck take away from New Mexico’s spring game’s final score?

“I thought it was a good, competitive game. The biggest win for the Lobos is, I don’t think we had any serious injuries tonight,” UNM’s first-year head coach said Friday night.

Three takeaways from the Lobos’ spring game, an offense-defense showcase with a modified scoring system:

1. Depth issues aside, the defense got better

There were times this spring where it might’ve been fair to wonder if this defensive line was in for a fair fight. UNM’s offensive line was deep and experienced; outside of Gabe Lopez, the Lobos’ defensive line was anything but.

UNM still needs more defensive linemen, and will add at least two via the spring transfer window. But if there’s a group that’s embodied the defense’s consistent, practice-to-practice improvement this spring, it’s been the defensive line. And that core group — Lopez, Brian Booker, Xavier Slayton and Darren Agu — earned a lot of that credit with a fierce pass rush effort.

“We’ve improved on the defensive line,” Eck said.

As has the rest of the defense. If they weren’t perfect against the run Friday night (running back Scottre Humphrey highlighted the evening with a long touchdown), the edge rushers found ways to make life awfully difficult for the tackles. The corners covered (mostly) well. And there was some strong pursuit from UNM’s linebackers all night.

Did the offense make it easy for themselves? Not particularly. There were far too many procedural penalties, particularly with the third-string offense.

Is anybody on the defense mad about that? Given the way the sideline celebrated, not particularly.

2. The Lobos are leaving spring with one big question

In Eck’s words, quarterbacks James Laubstein and Gabriel Motschenbacher were “OK.” And that’s a fair assessment: both were serviceable, but the pressure clearly got to them at points, there were some missed throws on key downs and a few open first reads left on the table.

Simply put, it felt like the quarterbacks have made progress — but still have a long way to go. Which begs one big question: Is UNM’s starting quarterback on the roster right now? Eck mulled the question and looked out at the field.

“Well, I mean, I think it’ll be a competition in the fall,” he said.

Also a fair assessment — but maybe not the most reassuring one. Idaho transfer Jack Layne’s elbow injury was initially viewed as a blessing in disguise for this staff in the sense they had an opportunity to evaluate the rest of the quarterbacks closely.

UNM will add at least one quarterback in the portal, ideally taking care of it sooner rather than later. And whoever this staff does add will certainly make whatever they learned this spring from Laubstein and Motschenbacher clear.

3. The Lobos delivered one wholly great, if unexpected, moment

Luke Drzewiecki has been UNM’s kicker for the better part of three seasons. He is 33-for-46 kicking field goals, 84-86 on extra points. In an era where the Lobos have swapped starting quarterbacks, offensive lines and cornerbacks with startling regularity, Drzewiecki has been a near-constant.

Turns out he wasn’t on scholarship the whole time. He never brought it up, never really wanted to. In Drzewiecki’s words, it’s been a “huge” mental struggle: How many three-year starters aren’t on scholarship? How many guys win the starting job that many times and don’t get rewarded?

Through it all, there were plenty of little moments that made being a walk-on seem “embarrassing” to the Shelby Township, Michigan native. When his teammates would ask him if his stipend check (a regular perk of being a scholarship athlete) was in, Drzewiecki would shrug and have to come up with something.

“I (had to) tell them, like, ‘uh…next month,’” Drzewiecki deadpanned.

That changed in the minutes after Drzewiecki pumped a kick into the driving wind Friday night, Eck tossing him the red sledgehammer to let him know that he had been named the de facto player of the game. And then, almost casually, he delivered the words that had been on the back of Drzewiecki’s mind for years now:

Oh, by the way, you’re on scholarship.

Hardly anybody knew he wasn’t.

“That’s kind of the story of my life — every time I tell somebody that, they’re just in disbelief … I can’t thank my parents enough,” Drzewiecki said. “I don’t have this opportunity without how hard they’ve worked, the risks they’ve taken. I’m so thankful for them supporting me as much as they have.”

UNM football spring game: Photos