近距离内射合集

Three takeaways from New Mexico鈥檚 38-7 season-opening win over Central Michigan on Saturday night at University Stadium:

1. It鈥檚 worth keeping an open mind toward UNM鈥檚 multi-quarterback offense

Full disclosure: I don鈥檛 know if UNM鈥檚 quarterback by committee approach will be what takes the Lobos to the next level. 

For all the things that make sense about it 鈥� namely, it鈥檚 hard to game plan for and gives UNM some insurance against injuries 鈥� we鈥檙e hardwired to believe that great teams have one good quarterback that leads them to their loftiest goals. We鈥檙e conditioned to crave the lone, heroic signal-caller who bounces back from big hits, makes bigger throws and keys game-winning drives in the final minutes. It鈥檚 what we expect, and what we know.

It鈥檚 awkward to imagine those big moments being spread out among two or three guys. And it鈥檚 just as easy to dismiss the whole system as a gimmick offense 鈥� and who wins league titles with those?

What I do know: 38 points against another FBS team is no gimmick.

One game isn鈥檛 enough of a sample size to prove that UNM will achieve its goals splitting reps between Luke Moga, Toa Fa鈥檃vae and James Laubstein. But it was a good enough data point to warrant keeping an open mind towards the Lobos鈥� multi-quarterback approach, even if it鈥檚 squarely against our nature.

Moga, a much-ballyhooed Oregon transfer, completed a team-best 13 of 17 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown, an 11-yard fling to freshman receiver Bailen George. But he wasn鈥檛 as mobile as expected, even finishing with a negative rushing total (minus-1 yard) on the night.

Fa鈥檃vae, however, provided that mobility in spades. UNM鈥檚 unexpected starter ran for 45 yards on seven carries, showcasing the ability that kept him alive in the Lobos鈥� quarterback competition. And he completed 4 of 8 passes, including a game-best 21-yard strike to freshman receiver Massiah Mingo on his second drive of the night.

Laubstein (18 rushing yards) didn鈥檛 throw a pass Saturday night. Instead, the sixth-year player settled for scoring two touchdowns and converting a few key late downs with his legs. There might not be another player on this roster that provides as much value per play.

And while the total sum of UNM鈥檚 quarterback play wasn鈥檛 perfect 鈥� the offense did sputter in the red zone a few times and lacked explosive plays 鈥� it wasn鈥檛 particularly awkward either. You didn鈥檛 get the sense that the two-drives-here, two-drives-there rotation threw either Moga or Fa鈥檃vae out of rhythm. Nor was it super disjointed 鈥� the three complemented each other the way they were expected to.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a solid start to the season for UNM鈥檚 multi-quarterback system.

Promising, even.

鈥淚鈥檇 say the quarterback rotation,鈥� coach Jason Eck said, 鈥渨ent about kinda how I hoped it would.鈥�

The question of whether a multi-quarterback approach will be enough to achieve UNM鈥檚 ultimate goals isn鈥檛 going away. And it won鈥檛 be answered next week. Coming off 43-10 and 51-14 losses, it's clear Mercyhurst 鈥� an FCS program 鈥� isn鈥檛 an opponent that will present a game from which any sweeping conclusions can be made.

(And frankly, Central Michigan might not be either.)

Now, Oklahoma? North Dakota State? UNLV? Some of the other heavies on the schedule?

Those are the games that will matter most in finding out whether UNM鈥檚 decision to roll with all three quarterbacks was the best approach. But until then, there was enough good on display Saturday night to warrant an open mind going forward.

2. UNM鈥檚 defense found a way to raise already-high expectations

If it's still unclear whether UNM鈥檚 multi-quarterback approach will be what leads it to a near-mythical conference title, there is absolutely zero doubt that this defense is more than good enough to win one.

That in and of itself wasn鈥檛 a surprise. UNM returned the Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Jaxton Eck and five other starters from a unit that powered a nine-win season. There are loads of reserves back, and most have improved since last season. The Lobos also added a handful of transfers that bolstered depth in key spots and increased this defense鈥檚 overall athleticism.

It was supposed to look like this. Nobody should be shocked.

Then again, it was hard to watch what UNM did Saturday night and not think the defense might鈥檝e raised this team鈥檚 expectations even higher.

Consider: UNM didn鈥檛 allow a first down for the first 29 minutes and 14 seconds of game time. It absolutely bullied Central Michigan鈥檚 rushing attack, holding the Chippewas to 60 yards through the first three quarters. And it only allowed seven completions for 30 yards, rendering a relatively respectable offense completely immobile until the Lobos decided to ease up.

Beyond the stat sheet, there were players that stood out in a big way.

One example: nickel safety Drew Speech set the tone early with two significant plays on third down, sacking Central Michigan quarterback Angel Flores on the Chippewas鈥� first drive and making an open field tackle on their second.

鈥淗e鈥檚 probably one of the guys who鈥檚 back, but wasn鈥檛 a full-time starter,鈥� Eck said. 鈥溾�� So to see him step up and make those plays was awesome to see.鈥�

As was the revelatory level of dominance UNM鈥檚 defense put forth. If this group plays similarly the rest of the season 鈥� and stays reasonably healthy, too 鈥� it鈥檚 fair to say the already-lofty expectations around this team might not be as high as they should be.

3. UNM鈥檚 freshman receivers looked up to the task

Of UNM鈥檚 159 receiving yards Saturday, freshmen receivers accounted for 77 of them. And of the Lobos鈥� 17 catches, those same freshmen made eight of them.

Were any of UNM鈥檚 young receivers 鈥� Massiah Mingo, DJ Darling, Bailen George and Dorian Patterson 鈥� truly dominant? No. But they all looked ready in their first game, and that should be treated as an encouraging sign. 

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