The New Mexico football team will rely on one of its new coaches to get the offensive line prepped for the season.
While the Lobos look like they may add some new wrinkles to the offensive game, the team will still rely heavily on the option as its bread and butter.
Head coach Bob Davie introduced new run game coordinator and offensive line coach Saga Tuitele after one of last week’s practices.
Tuitele was hired to replace former coach Jason Lensmeier, joining the Lobos after spending the last six years at Cal Poly.
The new coach is no stranger to the triple option. He has had success being a part of similar offenses in his previous coaching stops. Cal Poly led the FCS in rushing yards per game in each of the last three seasons.
Tuitele said he took over a system that was working well in UNM, where the player and coaches already create a great atmosphere.
He said he has been able to rely on the leadership of fifth year seniors Reno Henderson and Garrett Adcock during the process.
“We have two alphas,” Tuitele said. “(Henderson and Adcock) know what we are trying to accomplish…those two have been the glue holding it together and getting everyone on the same page.”
Adcock said the coaches pulled him and Henderson aside and told them they would need to be the rock during the transition. He said there was an adjustment period because of the different coaching styles, but the group is already starting to form that bond.
One of Tuitele's focuses has been on building the player-coach relationship, and he feels they are becoming familiar with each other’s personalities.
He said there is no schedule or checklist leading up to the season opener—rather, there's only a goal of seeing some improvement every day. The linemen seem to be making progress and will likely be shifting their focus to working on some of the subtle nuances of the multi-layered offensive scheme.
Tuitele said he tried to mix in several different combinations along the offensive line in practice. He said anything can happen in college football, and players need to be able to trust and feel comfortable with the man next to them, no matter who it is.
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Injuries are a part of the game, and with no way to predict when they will occur, having a “next man up” mentality is probably the best safeguard.
Henderson said he suffered a broken ankle in the final game last season at the New Mexico Bowl, which shelved him until recently.
He missed spring practice while recovering from that injury and shoulder surgery, but said he feels healthy now and is excited for the start of the season.
“I’m trying to take advantage of everything," he said. “It’s my last year, so I’m trying to do everything I can.”
Henderson said the offensive line isn’t exactly where it wants to be just yet, but they are taking the right steps. He said when they get everything down and things are crisp, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
