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Saturday Storylines: How the Lobos are approaching Hawaii with a bowl bid on the line
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Bronco Mendenhall saw this coming.
Sort of.
“I anticipated a challenge,” New Mexico’s head coach said during a press conference Monday. “I anticipated making a difference, I anticipated having the chance to influence, I anticipated ups and downs — but I also anticipated success.
“And achievement. And I think all that’s happening, and I promised them that would happen.”
And the biggest achievement of all might be right around the corner. On Saturday, UNM kicks off at Hawaii (9 p.m. MT) with a chance to clinch a bowl bid and first winning conference record since 2016 — all in Mendenhall’s first season at the helm.
Do those stakes make Saturday any bigger than it already is?
Not quite.
“This is just the next opportunity with more at stake than the week before,” Mendenhall said. “Because we need to win. But I think probably the better way to frame (it) is, we have the opportunity to compete to reach one of our goals and that’s maybe more relevant.”
Despite the circumstances, quarterback Devon Dampier said UNM’s approach remains unchanged. Like much of the season, the Lobos have put an emphasis over the last two weeks on having the “best practices ever” instead of amping it up in anticipation for Saturday.
“We’re going into it saying, ‘let’s have the best practice so we got the best preparation for our game,’” Dampier said. “The better our preparation is, the better we’re going to play on the field … I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here, to have the opportunity to play in a bowl game.”
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Others are treating it even simpler.
“As a team, the main focus is just to play Lobo football,” left guard Richard Pearce said after practice Monday. “We’ve already proven that once we play our brand of football, we could beat anyone.”
All eyes on Alejado
One of Hawaii’s most notable streaks could come to an end Saturday.
After suffering knee and ankle injuries in a 55-10 loss to Utah State on Nov. 16, quarterback Brayden Schager could miss Saturday’s game. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior from Dallas has completed 233 of 403 passes for 2,591 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over a program record 33 consecutive starts.
Schager will reportedly give it a go on Saturday, per a report from Spectrum News Hawaii. But if he’s unable to play, Hawaii will call on former three-star prospect Micah Alejado for his first career start.
Against Utah State, Alejado completed 11 of 12 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown in relief of Schager. The freshman from Bishop Gorman (Nevada) High School did so over 23 snaps, 10 more than redshirt freshman John-Keawe Sagapolutele (2-for-5, 27 yards, two interceptions).
“(Alejado) was highly productive moving the ball,” Hawaii head coach Timmy Chang told Spectrum News Hawaii last week. “He had command of the offense. I thought John came in and did some really good things.
“I think the ball slipped away from him … I like both of them as they mature and they get better and they grow in our offense.”
“It’s going to be a big competition between me and John next year, but it’s going to be really (nice) to put on a good showing,” Alejado told Spectrum News Hawaii last week. “Unfortunately can’t play for a bowl game, so just being able to play hard and get the win for the seniors, sending them off right will be really big for us going into the offseason.”
Senior night
With a 4-7 record and two wins over FCS opponents, Hawaii’s been mathematically eliminated from bowl contention for a couple weeks now. Chang made it clear Saturday will be all about sending 23 seniors out on a high note in their last game with the Rainbow Warriors.
“Having the last week with them, it’s rough,” he said in a press conference this week. “Our journey started three years ago, and now we’re here today — we knew this day was coming, but it’s business as usual. But we’re playing for the seniors, for sure.”
UNM’s seniors were honored before a 38-35 win over then-No. 16 Washington State on Nov. 16. But outside of a select few with the option of an extra year, a group of seniors will suit up as Lobos for the last time on Saturday night.
The full list: Defensive linemen Bryce Santana, Devin Brandt-Epps, Kyler Drake, Garrison Walker, Antoineo Harris Jr. and Ja’Shon Lowery; offensive linemen Baraka Beckett, Tavien Ford and Jacob Wood; tight ends Isaiah Sillemon, Jackson Epes and Vincent Santos; linebackers Dimitri Johnson and Leonardo Gallegos; cornerbacks Noa Pola-Gates and Cam Watts; quarterback Justin Holaday; running back Jaylen Morgan; and punter Aaron Rodriguez.
