Fort Collins – Put Colorado State and New Mexico together and you would have a team capable of playing a full game.
CSU has played exceptionally well, especially on defense, in the first 30 minutes of its past two games. New Mexico has dominated the second half to improve to 4-4.
If the trend doesn’t change Saturday at Hughes Stadium, the Lobos will be well on their way to no worse than playing at home in the inaugural New Mexico Bowl. The same trend would hand CSU its third Mountain West Conference loss. The Rams (4-3, 1-2) wouldn’t be out of the bowl picture yet, but could hardly count on running the table against league-leading BYU, Utah, TCU and a revived San Diego State.
“I’m hoping we’re carrying some momentum,” Lobos coach Rocky Long said. “We’ve been lucky to win the last two games by pulling them out, so we haven’t played real well for the entire game.”
There’s too much parity in the league, except perhaps for BYU, for Long to assume a third straight comeback.
“CSU can turn it around at any time,” said Long, whose team is 2-2 in the league. “A few weeks ago everyone had written off Wyoming. Now everyone thinks they are going to win the conference championship.”
The key to New Mexico’s revival after a 14-10 loss to Wyoming was the rapid development of redshirt freshman Donovan Porterie, the Lobos’ third starting quarterback this season. Long said Porterie would not be playing if senior Kole McKamey was healthy. McKamey tore up his knee in the second game of the season.
“(Porterie) would have been the odds-on favorite next year to be the starting quarterback,” Long said. “He has played two terrific halves of football and they happen to be the second halves of both of our last two games. Getting him to play is really going to help us in the future.”
The Rams, meanwhile, know what they are doing wrong. It’s just more difficult to find a fix.
“We’re not finishing the ball game,” wide receiver Damon Morton said. “I think it just starts with confidence. We’ve been hearing a lot lately that we’ve been playing soft. That has to do with confidence and not being sure what you’re able to do.
“It’s definitely frustrating. We just have to go execute and work together as a whole and as a team, and we’re not doing that right now.”
The receivers have been the strength of the offense.
A young interior line and lack of consistency with injury adjustments have been the glaring weaknesses.
“If a young guy makes one mistake, it gets in his head and he goes in the tank for five or six plays,” senior offensive tackle Clint Oldenburg said. “We have to tell him how he messed up and fix it so he gets going on the next play.”
Much as the defense is forced to change up for Air Force’s option attack, the offense always regears for New Mexico’s blitz package.
“It’s mass chaos,” Oldenburg said of the Lobos’ defense. “You go to the area you’re supposed to block knowing someone will be there.”
That challenge might be enough to light the long-awaited fire under CSU’s offense.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
GAME BREAKDOWN
Players to watch
Colorado State (4-3, 1-2): After a rare quiet day at Wyoming, CSU’s big-play threat, WR Damon Morton, is due to come back with a big game. DT Blake Smith will pick up some of the load for injured teammate Erik Sandie. He registered a 10-yard sack last week.
New Mexico (4-4, 2-2): Redshirt freshman QB Donovan Porterie is coming off a 350-yard, three-touchdown effort for which he won MWC offensive player-of-the-week honors. DB Quincy Black (second in the MWC with 10.1 tackles a game) is the latest big-play contributor in the Lobos’ secondary.
Key stat
New Mexico PK Kenny Byrd averages 1.6 field goals a game (sixth nationally). Colorado State’s Jason Smith has two FGs in seven games.
Key for CSU
First and foremost, end the streak of six quarters without a score. New Mexico has started slowly the past two weeks but finished strong. Porterie has unlimited athletic potential, but CSU’s veteran defense needs to take advantage of his inexperience.
Key for New Mexico
If Lobos continue their trend of coming to life after halftime, (23-point average in the past two games), it could be rough for the Rams. Neither team has the rushing game of past seasons, but New Mexico has shown a few more sparks.
NATALIE MEISLER
