In his first game taking the reins on kickoff returns, UNM freshman Elijah Lilly put up more return yardage in one game than anyone else has for the season.
And it didn’t go unnoticed, as his performance has garnered him Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
New Mexico outlasted Air Force 45-40 on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in large part due to timely kickoff returns by Lilly that set up vital scoring drives for the Lobos.
The Lobos have been decimated by injuries at the cornerback position this season. When Isaiah “I.B.” Brown went down with an injury the previous week against Boise State, the team had little choice but to remove the redshirt and insert Lilly into the defensive backfield.
New Mexico lost that game 49-21, but the team apparently decided to take full advantage of the freshman’s abilities — particularly his speed — giving him the opportunity to return kicks against Air Force.
In doing so, the Lobos may have found a spark on special teams. Lilly, a two-sport athlete who ran track and played football in high school, picked up right where he left off.
He racked up 160 yards on four kickoff returns in Saturday’s game, which helped the Lobos offense set up shop with great field position much of the day. New Mexico took advantage by scoring on all four drives, coming away with 24 points.
The new return man said taking some pressure off the offense was one of the things that was on his mind. He said he didn’t want the team to have to feel the pressure that comes with having to drive the whole length of the field.
His 40-yard return average wasn’t skewed by one big run, although the freshman did almost break free for a potential score on one of them. Lilly said that was the kickoff he remembered the most, because he got tripped up while trying to turn the corner and felt like he was so close to scoring.
The freshman was methodical and consistent, logging returns of 30, 38, 51 and 41 yards in the game. He said he followed the game plan and took advantage when short kicks gave him the space he needed.
“I was just following what (special teams coordinator) Apollo (Wright) said, the design that he set up for us,” Lilly said. “I was just focused on hitting the hole…hitting it full speed.”
The player of the week nod shows that the conference has taken notice of Lilly’s speed, as well as his ability to find a crease and accelerate through it. And the coaching staff will continue to rely on him to make similar plays.
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Head coach Bob Davie said Lilly will be handling the kickoff return duties in Saturday’s game against Louisiana-Monroe.
Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols and Tau Lotulelei of University of Nevada, Las Vegas also won player of the week awards, for their offensive and defensive performances, respectively.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football and tennis. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
