Three things to watch as New Mexico takes on Tennessee Tech

Around University Stadium, there are new banners, new lights, tents set up for tailgates. There are no signs of this summer’s construction.

Which means the Lobos are back home.

For the first time this season, fans in Albuquerque will be able to see New Mexico football up close and personal. Here are three things to look for as New Mexico (0-1) hosts FCS Tennessee Tech (0-1) in Saturday’s home opener:

A couple game-time decisions

On Monday, wide receiver Jeremiah Hixon (six receptions for 42 yards in last Saturday’s 52-10 loss at Texas A&M) was seen out of practice with a cast on his right hand. That cast stayed on all week and on Thursday, Gonzales said he’d be a game-time decision for Saturday.

If Hixon plays, then there’s nothing to worry about. But if he doesn’t, the Lobos will be down arguably their most versatile receiving option, and that immediately means more snaps for Luke Wysong and UAB transfer Ryan Davis, two players who have only bettered Hixon’s single-game mark of six catches once between the two of them.

It is Tennessee Tech, an FCS team, that hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2011. But for a team set on winning and winning now, the Lobos need a reliable answer in the slot if Hixon’s out this weekend or longer — and it’ll be Wysong and Davis’ opportunity to show for it.

Further, starting safety Tavian Combs (11 tackles, one pass breakup and a blocked field goal) exited Saturday’s game with what appeared to be an ankle injury and didn’t practice throughout the week. Like Hixon, Gonzales said whether he plays Saturday will be a game-time decision.

If Combs doesn’t play, the two-deep indicates it’ll be true freshman Dereck Moore taking over at the Lobo spot. But Moore didn’t even travel to Texas A&M last week, was spotted out of practice on Monday and Gonzales has said frequently he’d prefer to play true freshmen as little as possible.

“Dereck’s gonna be a really, really good player. He’s not ready to play yet though,” Gonzales said on Tuesday.

If that line of thinking holds and Combs sits, it’s possible Christian Ellis picks up a fair share of Lobo reps on Saturday after shifting back to Wolf during fall camp. That would likely mean a safety chain of Noa Pola-Gates (Wolf) — Christian Ellis (Lobo) — Jermarius Lewis (Wolf), with Lewis getting elevated to fill Ellis’ vacancy at the left Wolf spot.

But if Combs plays? Again, nothing to worry about.

Further growth from the offensive line

If it was hard to see in the stands, ESPN made sure everybody saw it at home with more than a few closeups. Out on the field at Texas A&M, there was left guard Taurrian “Teedo” Stafford in front of a cool 97,560 fans — with a feather sticking out of his helmet.

“It’s like the beauty of nature,” he said on Tuesday. “You see a beautiful feather, stick it in for good luck.”

According to Stafford, fellow Alabama State transfer Hixon was the first to do it back when they were playing for the Yellowjackets. Stafford ended up giving it a go during a 49-12 loss at Florida State his sophomore year and played “one hell of a game,” so it became a tradition of sorts.

“Like a standard I set for myself,” he said. “Just keep floating.”

And while the feather might have been easy to miss for some, it was not hard to see what UNM’s offensive line did. A unit that was far from a finished product heading into camp held up well in it’s first real test, against an SEC defensive front no less, giving up only two sacks and four hurries with a noticeable push-and-protect, albeit in a 42-point loss.

In other words: Setting the standard.

“You can take the same approach (from) that game into the season,” Stafford said. “You don’t lower the bar from the standard, you don’t play down to competition. We set the standard (with) A&M — every game is A&M. Tennessee Tech, New Mexico State, we’re gonna treat them like A&M.”

UNM was optimistic about its line before A&M and remain so heading into a game with a clear physical advantage. Another step in the right direction — not just holding up this time, but taking control — will keep that going heading into the Sept. 16 matchup vs. New Mexico State.

How the secondary responds after A&M

There hasn’t been a single FCS-over-FBS upset this season and it doesn’t look like Tennessee Tech will break that trend on Saturday. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 45-10 loss to Furman that saw them turn the ball over an FCS-worst six times with three interceptions — two returned for scores.

Quarterback Ethan Roberts (25-for-38 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions against Furman) comes to Albuquerque with just one career start and while there’s some interesting pieces — wide receiver Brad Roberts was Tennessee Tech’s standout against the Paladins — there might not be enough to make Saturday’s tilt all that compelling.

But if it does happen, it’ll be because of their offense. The Golden Eagles do go fast. They give a ton of interesting looks offensively — five-receiver sets more often than not — and spruce them up with a fair share of odd motions. And while they sunk themselves with turnovers, Tennessee Tech didn’t play all too poorly against Furman, the odds-on Southern Conference favorite.

And in turn, it’ll be because UNM’s secondary hasn’t quite clicked after getting torched for six receiving touchdowns against A&M. Members of the group said they felt confident things would get worked out last week and Tennessee Tech will be their first chance to prove it.