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LOBO FOOTBALL

Mercyhurst to miss starting quarterback against UNM

Lobos update depth chart to reflect three players' unclear statuses 

UNM head coach Jason Eck (second from right) leads his team out on to the field as the Lobos were set to face Central Michigan at University Stadium in Albuquerque NM on September 5.
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If Mercyhurst plans on upsetting the Lobos, it’ll have to do so without a key starter.

Lakers starting quarterback Alex Gevaudan will not be available for Saturday’s game against New Mexico, head coach Thomas Sydeski said Wednesday.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior completed 31 of 52 passes for 359 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in losses to Youngstown State (43-10) and New Mexico State (51-14) this season. He was key in a competitive first half last week against the Aggies, passing for 147 yards before leaving with an undisclosed injury in the second quarter.

Without Gevaudan, Mercyhurst will play both junior Anthony Wolter and sophomore Tyler Tusai against UNM. Both saw time in the Lakers’ loss to ϼ, Mercyhurst’s first game against an FBS opponent in program history.

Neither Wolter or Tusai have started a collegiate game entering Saturday.

“This is going to be a backup experience for us,” Sydeski told the Journal. “Those two guys that stepped in later in the game, those guys are going to jump in … Ultimately, as the game progresses, if one guy’s taking the lead, he’ll be the guy that we roll with.”

UNM is listed as a 41.5-point favorite over Mercyhurst, per bet365. The Lobos (1-0) have not been favored by as much since 2015, when they covered a 42-point spread over Mississippi Valley State.

UNM tight end Simon Mapa (85) catches a touchdown pass in front of UCLA linebacker Isaiah Chisom (32) during a 2025 game at the Rose Bowl. Mapa will start versus Mercyhurst in place of Tripp Walsh.

Depth chart changes

After UNM suffered a few injuries in a 38-7 win over Central Michigan, its depth chart has been updated to reflect three players’ unclear status.

Tyler Lawrence is now listed as the starting right guard in place of Jaymar Tasi; wide receiver Bailen George is listed as one of UNM’s starting receivers in place of Massiah Mingo; and tight end Tripp Walsh has been replaced by Simon Mapa as one of the Lobos’ starting tight ends.

Tasi, Walsh (knee) and Mingo (foot) all suffered injuries and missed the second half last Saturday against Central Michigan. Monday, head coach Jason Eck said Tasi and Walsh would both need MRIs.

“It’s too early in the week to gauge what they are going to (be able to) handle,” he added. “I think probably the big test will be getting those guys (and seeing) if they can get ready for at least, like, a Wednesday practice. Especially a guy like Mingo, who’s young.”

Wide receiver Shawn Miller could also miss Saturday’s game after suffering a concussion during practice last week, Eck said.

“It’s not looking great for this week,” he added, “but hopefully we can get him going and get him back on the right track.”

An availability report will be released by the school prior to kickoff Saturday.

Notes and quotes

  • Eck was pleased with UNM’s rushing performance (205 yards) against Central Michigan, but wants to see a little more from his running backs and blockers regardless of who’s playing: “We got to keep (doing) a better job of making sure we have all those contingencies handled, and we can do that,” he said. “I thought it was a good starting point, because we didn’t rush for 200 yards too many games last year … But I think that group can play better and show improvement.”

  • Eck said UNM plans to play both punters – Charles Steinkamp and Michael Kern – in a manner similar to how it rotated kickoff specialists: “It’s like if you have two really nice shirts,” he added. “One of them may be slightly better (but) it’s not like you always wear that shirt, and then leave the other shirt in your drawer every time. You rotate a little bit – that’s the theory behind it.”

  • Eck’s scouting report on Mercyhurst: “I think they know what they’re doing a lot on offense … They run some good stuff schematically, and we got to be (defensively) sound and play well,” he said. We got a good defense – I don’t think we have matchup problems (against Mercyhurst), but I think we gotta play our ass off and play to our standard.”

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .