I
arrived at Tuesday afternoon's practice session just as the team was
moving
from the UNM Indoor Practice Facility "The Rock Shop" to the practice
fields set up inside Rocky Long Stadium. The coaches immediately
broke
the offensive and defensive skill players into 7 on 7 drills while "The
Hitmen" and the Lobo defensive linemen continued with individual
drills.
The
standout of 7 on 7 drills was Sr. WR Jermaine McQueen. The speed
possessed by McQueen has become common knowledge for those that follow
the Lobo
program closely however his hands and consistency have been areas for
improvement since his arrival last season. The Sr. from Raleigh,
NC
was a changed man throughout today's practice session and demonstrated
what a
valuable offensive weapon he can be for New Mexico
this
year. FB Josh Fussell also showed the sure hands coming out of
the
backfield that proved valuable during UNM victories over Arizona
and NMSU last season.
Following
7 on 7 drills the lineman joined the fray for live scrimmage action as
the team
was in full pads for Tuesday's workout. Sr. RB Paul Baker was
involved in
full contact scrimmaging for the first time in a few practices and
broke a 25
yard run on the familiar tailback direct snap play that was used
throughout
last season. The defense stiffened up significantly after
allowing the
big play as Lobo Clint McPeek crashed the line of scrimmage, quickly
closing
any gaps that Baker had to run through. The Jr. from
Albuquerque's La
Cueva High then showed his range and athleticism by tackling the speedy
McQueen
on a screen pass just as the ball was delivered. Later "Killer"
slipped into the backfield and dragged Rodney Ferguson down from behind
for a
loss. This stand by the defense kept Dave Baldwin's
offense
out of the end zone on its first possession and the drive culminated in
a 30
yd. field goal by sophomore kicker James Aho of Roswell.
Kendall Briscoe on James Wright
Later
possessions during the live scrimmage saw Fr. RB James
Wright continue
to gain tough yardage inside against a stout lobo
defensive line
blessed with more size than in recent years. Bubba Forrest of Carlsbad
drew praise from Lobo defensive coordinator Troy Reffett as well as his
safety
position coach Danny Gonzales with his aggressive play from the wolf
safety
position. The second generation Lobo did not hesitate
to fly
to the ball and was sure of his reads and responsibilities on the field
throughout the scrimmage.
Explosive
plays marked the return of the first team offense to the field for it's
second
possession. Donovan Porterie connected with Jermaine McQueen on a
deep
out that required a great deal of precision. How did the Lobo
offense
choose to follow the 20 yard gain? By immediately going for the
jugular
with a well designed reverse that ended up in the hands of McQueen once
more. The speedster had little trouble breaking away down the
sideline
for a touchdown providing the offense with one of its greatest big
plays of the
spring.
The
remainder of the approximately 45 minute scrimmage saw some great
battles
between the offensive and defensive lines with Byron Bell, Joshua
Taufalele,
Kendall Briscoe and Wesley Beck engaged in some impressive duels.
Solid
runs by All-MWC RB Rodney Ferguson were matched with impressive stops
by DE's
Kendall Briscoe and DeAndre Davis. Eventually the first team
offense
managed one more touchdown as Porterie found TE Chris Mark at the back
of the
end zone on a 3rd and goal from the 3 yd. line. Mark,
the Sr.
from Las Vegas,
might have
to borrow from Chris Carter slightly as "all he does
is
catch touchdowns and two point conversions."
Offensive
Player of the Practice:
WR
Jermaine McQueen. The Sr. showed dramatic improvement today and
turned in
his best performance of the spring. He displayed consistent
hands, route
running, and the explosive speed that has been much publicized.
We Lobo
fans are in for a treat if McQueen can keep up this level of
performance during
the season.
Defensive
Player of the Practice:
Lobo
Clint McPeek. "Killer" McPeek did exactly what the Lobo back is
supposed to in the 3-3-5 defense employed by Rocky Long - crash
the line
of scrimmage to stop the run and use is athleticism to get to the
outside and into pass coverage when needed.
505
Pride:
S
Bubba Forrest. The former Carlsbad
Caveman
showed the toughness, aggressiveness, and speed that is required of the
wolf
safety position in Rocky Long's defense throughout the day. It's
great to
know that a New Mexico product and second
generation Lobo is
poised to continue the tradition of stout defensive play at
UNM.