Head football coach Bob Davie had plenty of compliments for Sam Houston State when he spoke at Tuesday's press conference in advance of Saturday's 2019 season opener.
Davie, who is entering his eighth year of coaching at UNM, spoke about the Bearkats experience, a great coaching staff and the team's tradition of winning. Sam Houston State has posted a winning record in each of the last nine seasons dating back to 2009.
An argument could be made that Sam Houston State has better players — something Davie mentioned on a few occasions during the conference, referencing the skill positions specifically.
The head coach seemed pleased with the Lobos’ overall health heading into the season and the way the squad played in the last couple of scrimmages.
“They absolutely come in here expecting to win,” Davie said. “(But) the fact that they are more experienced than us doesn’t necessarily mean they are more prepared than us.”
Davie said his players are anxious to get started — and that there isn't anyone more anxious than him. He said no matter how many times opening day comes around (this will be his 32nd as a coach), there is nothing quite like it when the first kickoff takes place.
While he was working as an analyst at ESPN, Davie acknowledged the absence of fun from other coaches. Davie said he didn't know whether it was the fear of failure, the fear of negativity, or something else — but there were some high-profile coaches who "literally dreaded" game day.
“You’d be surprised how guys making a lot of money don’t enjoy what this is," he said. "I damn sure enjoy these games because we put so much into getting a chance to see these kids go do what they do.”
In addition to fun, Saturday's matchup should serve as an opportunity to provide a baseline for the team to start building on to achieve growth and development.
Davie said there might be some players who aren't quite ready to start on Saturday, but could put themselves into a position to be a starter after the open date.
One position that the coach said is still "a work in progress" is behind center. Tevaka Tuioti dealt with personal issues over the summer that kept him away from the practice field. Davie said things have been complicated, but he feels comfortable with any of the four quarterbacks who have taken repetitions in practice.
The head coach said he was unsure how much Tuioti might be able to play in the opener and did not disclose how many different quarterbacks will see playing time against the Bearkats.
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Things that have happened in practice have merely served to prepare players leading up to the season, but there is almost no way to simulate actual game play and the unknowns that will present themselves on Saturday.
"We have controlled the environment up until now. We have controlled everything that’s happened," Davie said. "Sam Houston will come in here and control and do the things they want to do and see how we react."
Sam Houston State has just a 3-28 record historically against FBS (Division I) opponents, but one of those three wins did come at the expense of the Lobos back in 2011.
The Bearkats blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead twice in that game, but held on to win 48-45 in overtime after running back Tim Flanders scored his fifth touchdown of the day to increase his rushing total to 194 yards and grind out the win in the only meeting between the two schools.
Saturday's home opener will take place on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Dreamstyle Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m., with the game being streamed on the Mountain West Network.
