Each week, I will try to do a little question-and-answer session with the SBNation blog of our upcoming opponent. Since there is no New Mexico blog on SBNation, I sent five questions to Jeremy at MWCConnection. Jeremy, aka mwcfootball, does a terrific job covering all Mountain West Conference football programs. Yesterday, I answered his five questions about the Aggie football program. Today, he answered my questions about what we can expect from New Mexico under new coach Mike Locksley.

MWCF: If he has fully recovered from his torn ACL last year then Porterie has a chance to cause the Aggies trouble.  He is a threat to run and pass, and now with coach Mike Locksley using his offense from when he was the Illini offensive coordinator,  Porterie may be used like Juice Williams; well, except Porterie is a better passer.

 

Porterie was unable to participate in spring while recovering from that knee injury, so he has had little time learning the no huddle spread that will be run.  He may look sloppy early just because he might not feel 100 percent confident in that knee, but I expect him to have a solid day because the Aggie defense is not that intimidating.

12thMan: Does New Mexico have the personnel for a seamless shift from Rocky Long's ground-bound option attack to Mike Locksley's spread option attack?

MWCF: There is talent at New Mexico;  the reason the Lobos were bad last year was because the team had a ton of injuries and were using inexperienced players.  New Mexico has the wideouts because even though the Lobos are a running team, they were playing in three and four wide receiver sets.  The line is a concern because Locksley wants to use a no-huddle offense, and with the spread attack the linemen need to be fit.  This year will be a struggle with the transition, but word has been that the offense has been doing a decent job with the new offense.  In saying that, they are going against their own defense, which is switching schemes as well.

12thMan: What is a realistic season record for New Mexico this year? 

MWCF: Realistic is four wins, possibly five if they can score an upset. The non-conference schedule is tough: at Texas A&M, at Texas Tech, Tulsa, and their rival New Mexico State. The conference road games are not easy, either, with a trip to nasty Wyoming, at TCU, and at Utah. Surpassing the four win mark will be a real achievement for New Mexico.

12thMan: Name a freshman on New Mexico's team we should watch out for.

MWCF: Nathan Enriquez is listed as the starting safety, and has speed to make some plays, but he will most likely be the only freshman to start and get significant playing time. Enriquez will just play center field, but may be a liability in pass coverage, because he is generously listed at 5 foot 10 inches.

12thMan: Looking at the Mountain West as a whole, is New Mexico a program that has the resources to become a dominant team year after year, or are they limited to just being, at best, a solid 7-8 win team every year?

MWCF: History shows they will be an average team, making it to an occasonal bowl game. However, new coach Mike Locksley is a great recruiter who is from the DC area, and learned the recruiting game under recruiting guru Ron Zook at Illinois. I do not think they can sustain years of success like Utah, BYU, and TCU, but I do see them competing for a bowl game every year, then occasionally having a special year where they win a conference title.

 Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, MWCC, and thanks for the information.