New Mexico Bowl: North Texas, San Diego State managing coaching changes

When it comes to strength-on-strength matchups, few games this postseason are more compelling than the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. 

In one corner, No. 23 North Texas (11-1, 7-1). The Mean Green lead the nation in scoring offense (44.8 points per game) and total offense (504.3 yards per game) with a balanced, but wide-open attack.

In the other, San Diego State (9-3, 6-2). The Aztecs are big, physical and defensively sound, holding opponents to 12.6 points and 157 passing yards per game, both good for fifth in the 136-team FBS. 

“We’ve had some sleepless nights at the end of the season,” San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis laughed in a news conference Wednesday, “thanks to this elite matchup.”

The only problem? 

The play-callers who took those units to such lofty heights won’t be around for the Dec. 27 game in Albuquerque. 

North Texas head coach Eric Morris and San Diego State defensive coordinator Rob Aurich recently took new jobs at Oklahoma State and Nebraska, respectively. 

Morris was formally announced as the Cowboys’ head coach in late November after compiling a 22-16 record in three seasons with the Mean Green, while Aurich was hired to serve as the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator this week. Both served as the primary play-callers for their respective units, two of the strongest in college football. 

In Morris’ place, offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Jordan Davis will handle  offensive play-calling duties for North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl. Interim head coach Drew Svoboda said there will be input from other staffers, but expects Davis to “lead the charge" as a play-caller. 

“Jordan’s prepared for this moment,” he added in a news conference on Wednesday. “He’s called plays in scrimmages and two-minute drills in practice. We’ve got a lot of confidence (in Davis) … (But) it’s not one guy making all the decisions — there’s always a little bit of collaboration, and that’ll continue.” 

Lewis announced Monday that defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Demetrius Sumler will serve as the Aztecs’ defensive coordinator for the New Mexico Bowl. San Diego State’s second-year head coach said this is the first time Sumler has called plays after joining the Aztecs’ staff in 2016, adding he was excited to see him put his own mark on the defense. 

“He’s got a lot of depth of knowledge, he’s got his own ideas as well,” he said. “He does a really good job of understanding how the game fits from the back end to the front end, and vice versa. At the root of it, he’s a great connector of young men and guys are excited about the opportunity, they’re excited to go play for him.” 

But if coaching changes might put a damper on an otherwise strong matchup, player opt-outs have been limited — at least to this point. That means conference player of the year winners such as North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker and San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson are still in line to take part in the New Mexico Bowl. 

“We got them all on board and they’re ready to continue this thing and stay together as a football team,” Svoboda said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of time between now and that football game, but we are really optimistic that we’re going to have all hands on deck.”