Coming off a mediocre 38-24 victory over Weber State University last Saturday, UNM (1-1) is looking for a better performance in its Mountain West Conference opener Saturday at the Air Force Academy.
This game is the earliest conference opener since 1993 and it is the Falcons' homecoming game - something the Lobos see as a lack of respect.
"It's a bit of a slap in the face," said junior defensive end D.J. Renteria at Tuesday's media luncheon. "Usually teams schedule homecoming games against opposition they know they can beat. We need to go in and beat Air Force to prove them wrong."
Air force is coming off a 52-3 drubbing of Northwestern University and players are brimming with confidence.
"They have a huge amount of confidence in themselves and the people around them," Renteria said. "You can just tell on the field the way they act that they think they're above us. We're just going to go out and prove ourselves."
The Lobos are seeking their fourth consecutive win against the Falcons. The last time UNM won four consecutive games against a conference opponent was from 1993-98. The Lobos defeated the University of Hawaii when they were in the Western Athletic Conference.
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Air Force returns 10 starters and 37 lettermen from last year's team. Three starters return on offense, while seven return on the defensive side.
The Lobos will be looking to shore up what has been a suspect defensive backfield against the Falcons. Head coach Rocky Long said not to expect any changes in the defensive scheme.
"Maybe our initial thought was that maybe the scheme was wrong," Long said. "But when we watch the tape and look back at things, we see we're just not executing. Our personality is to get after people and play man coverage. So we're not changing, we'll just get better at it."
Air Force features a three-back option attack on offense that held the ball nearly 40 minutes in last week's win over Northwestern.
"I've said this every year, but I think they're the best triple option team that's ever been," Long said. "That's why they've had great success over the years."
The Falcons' ground attack may play into one of UNM's strengths. The Lobos held Weber State to only 106 yards rushing last Saturday.
The emergence of senior tailback Quincy Wright, highlighted by his single-game rushing record 267 yards last week, could also open things up for the passing attack.
"I have to thank the other guys on the team for helping me play right now." Wright said. "The offensive line and receivers have been doing a great job. I have to give them a lot of credit."
Junior quarterback Casey Kelly, who was 12 of 16 for 93 yards against Weber State, and the receiving corps, could benefit if the Falcons choose to concentrate on stopping Wright.
"There might be some new things but there won't be any dramatic changes," Long said. "In my mind, when you have a team that's still trying to find their personality, still trying to find their momentum or stride like our team is, you better get better at what you do before you start changing a bunch of things."
Kickoff for the game is at 1:07 p.m. at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. The game will be televised live on KRQE Channel 13 and broadcast on KKOB 770 AM.
