UNM football: Two starting offensive linemen listed as questionable against Utah State

New Mexico offensive linemen Richard Pearce and Tyler Lawrence are questionable for Saturday’s game against Utah State, per an availability report released Thursday by the Mountain West.

A team captain and UNM’s starting right guard, the 6-2, 311-pound Pearce remains questionable after suffering an undisclosed injury in a 41-25 loss to Boise State on Oct. 11. He did not appear in a 24-22 win over Nevada last Saturday. Lawrence, the Lobos’ 6-4, 305-pound starting right tackle, suffered an undisclosed injury in practice this week.

If neither Pearce or Lawrence are available to play against Utah State, UNM is expected to reshuffle its offensive line and insert Jaymar Tasi and Malik Aliane at right guard and right tackle, respectively.

Wide receiver Kader Diop is also out for the season, per the report. Tuesday, head coach Jason Eck said UNM will pursue a medical redshirt for the 5-11, 176-pound redshirt junior after he struggled to come back from an injury during fall camp.

“He had broken that bone in his leg and (it) just did not come back,” Eck said of Diop, who only played two snaps this season. “He was medically cleared, but it didn’t feel good and he’s not running the way he usually can run. So you kinda got to the point where you get to the halfway point of the season (and) we had to make a decision on him.”

A second report will be released three hours before Saturday’s game. All Mountain West teams are required to submit availability reports without injury specifics prior to each league contest.

Notes and quotes

ON THE RUN: Did Jack Layne enter the Nevada game planning to run as much as he did?

Not really.

“I think we just saw a lot of man coverage,” UNM’s junior quarterback said Tuesday. “And a weakness of man is the quarterback run game — they (didn’t) have a guy to account for me. (It’s) just an easy way to pick up a first down, move the sticks. So, yeah, it wasn’t planned but it just kinda shaped out like that.”

Whether it was in the plan or not, Layne capitalized with a team-leading 71 yards on eight carries against the Wolf Pack. He also played a clean game, accounting for zero turnovers after throwing a total of five interceptions against Boise State and San Jose State.

“Proud of that against Nevada,” Layne said. “Just gotta keep it rolling. And it’s tough we still lost the turnover battle, I think minus-two. We’re (second-to-last) in the country right now (in turnovers), which is not a lesson for winning games.

“But, you know, I think it shows our toughness that we’re able to still win games with those numbers.”

Eck also said he was largely pleased with Layne’s overall performance after he completed 14 of 22 passes (63.6%) for 138 yards.

“I thought he made good decisions, he didn’t force the football,” he added. “I even look back on the sack he took on the fourth-and-6 (at midfield). You know, better to take a sack than throw a pick that sets up a big return and gives them great field position … I thought that was much more (of) what we want out of Jack than what we saw the week before.”

HEALTHY AGAIN: Against Nevada, offensive lineman Isaiah Sillemon took his first snaps with the first-team offensive line since Michigan. The 6-1, 310-pound redshirt senior said he’s now “85%” healthy after only playing on special teams against San Jose State and Boise State, a layoff he felt on UNM’s marathon 16-play (20 including penalties), 75-yard opening drive against Nevada.

“It was a heck of a way to get back into it. You realize how out of game shape you are,” he chuckled. “But it was exciting — even though it was a small sample size, I made the most of it and I’m blessed to get that small opportunity.

“But it’s even more of a blessing to watch a young guy play as a freshman (Jaymar Tasi) and play a whole entire game and really not mess up.”

UNDER REVIEW: After initially questioning whether kicker Luke Drzewiecki’s missed 34-yard field goal against Nevada was actually a miss, Eck said he didn’t turn the play into the league for further review.

“Because I didn’t think any of the angles were conclusive,” he added. “And, you know, the guy underneath (the upright) probably has the best view of anybody — so what can you do? So much of that stuff is inconclusive.”

PREGAME ROUTINE: When asked about his superstitions, Eck said he doesn’t eat before games, only drinks water and coffee prior to kickoff.

“That’s another reason I like 1 p.m. kicks a lot better than 8 p.m. kicks,” he chuckled.