UNM FOOTBALL
Silver by a sliver: Three takeaways from New Mexico's spring game
Lobos' defense still looks ahead of their offense, but RB Cameron Mathews shines
Published
Overtime 鈥� in a spring game?
Not even Jason Eck was particularly enthused by the idea.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really wanna have overtime,鈥� New Mexico鈥檚 second-year head coach admitted with a shrug and a smile.
Luckily for Eck, that didn鈥檛 happen.
On a windy Saturday at University Stadium, kicker Graham Glasgow nailed a 39-yard walk-off field goal to send Team Silver (defensive starters and offensive reserves) to a 17-14 win over Team Cherry (offensive starters and defensive reserves) in UNM鈥檚 intrasquad spring game, its second under Eck.
Three takeaways from a game that saw UNM鈥檚 defense continue a spring-long trend, a running back announce himself to fans for the first time and more:
Note: All stats are unofficial.
1. For a room that needs him, Cameron Mathews is making his presence known
Cam Mathews鈥� pre-practice routine is hard to miss.
On most days, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound redshirt freshman running back will walk out to the field before most of his teammates. Without fail, he鈥檒l head straight for the goal post, kneel and pray in silence.
Of course, that isn鈥檛 the part most people notice.
鈥淚 scream,鈥� said Mathews, referencing the screech he lets out after he鈥檚 finished praying. 鈥淚 get that burst of energy 鈥� like, I鈥檓 ready to practice. I鈥檓 ready to go for the day.鈥�
Saturday, Mathews found another way to announce himself not just to his team but to the fans gathered to watch. The Memphis transfer had maybe the best day of any skill player in UNM鈥檚 spring game, rushing for 88 yards and the game鈥檚 lone offensive touchdown in the second quarter.
Sixty-nine of those yards came on a first-down run just two plays before his score, the type of explosive run Eck has been wanting to see this spring. Factor in catching three passes (at least 鈥� the Journal regrets to admit it probably missed one) for 22 yards against UNM鈥檚 first- and second-string defenses, and it鈥檚 no surprise that Mathews has made a steady climb up the depth chart.
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 the clear number two (running back) going into camp,鈥� Eck said. 鈥淎nd you know, he keeps doing what he鈥檚 doing, he鈥檚 gonna keep pressing (Scottre Humphrey). Certainly, I like to play multiple guys anyway, so he鈥檚 definitely carving out a role for himself.鈥�
Entering spring, that probably was the main question facing these running backs 鈥� besides Humphrey, who can UNM rely on? To be clear, I鈥檓 not sure the Lobos have answered that yet, especially with running back Deshaun Buchanan sidelined for possibly all of fall camp.
Mathews, however, is poised to be a big part of that effort. Consider him maybe the biggest standout from Saturday.
2. If this offense improved throughout the spring, the defense is still ahead
Here鈥檚 the scoring summary from Saturday:
Quarterback Gabriel Motschenbacher drops back and steps out of bounds for a safety in the first quarter 鈥� Cherry 2, Silver 0
Running back Darrion Bowers is tackled in the end zone for the second safety of the quarter 鈥� Cherry 4, Silver 0
Safety C.J. McBean picks off quarterback Toa Fa鈥檃vae and returns it for a 40-yard touchdown at the end of the first. PAT is good 鈥� Silver 7, Cherry 4
Mathews scores a 2-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. PAT is good 鈥� Cherry 11, Silver 7
Linebacker Nick Wheeler picks off Fa鈥檃vae and returns it for a 30-yard touchdown toward the end of the second. PAT is good 鈥� Silver 14, Cherry 11
Kicker Nicholas Romero makes a 39-yard field goal with 2:27 left 鈥� Silver 14, Cherry 14
Kicker Grant Glasgow makes a 39-yard field goal as time expires 鈥� Silver 17, Cherry 14
That鈥檚 three offensive scores, four defensive scores, five interceptions and just one touchdown generated by the first-string offense. It鈥檚 probably not fair to say Saturday was a microcosm of the entire spring, but it did confirm something that鈥檚 been clear for anybody around more than a handful of practices 鈥� this defense is still ahead of the offense.
It hasn鈥檛 been the fairest of fights: UNM鈥檚 receiver room was more or less decimated by injuries this spring. And the offense did make strides since late March, slugging back with a few strong practices over the final couple of weeks.
Still, it's hard to deny this defense doing what it did Saturday, especially without arguably its best player (linebacker Jaxton Eck, a mostly healthy scratch) and two projected starters (safeties Tavian Combs and Austin Brawley). In fact, that circumstance might be the biggest part of why I think the question Eck posed Saturday isn鈥檛 as complicated as it may sound.
鈥淪pring ball is kind of, like, that great question,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always going to be, are those great plays by the defense or bad plays by the offense? And I don鈥檛 know. I鈥檒l watch the film and try to make my own conclusions.鈥�
My conclusion: This defense is still ahead, and very much on schedule to be one of the league鈥檚 best.
I wouldn鈥檛 mind watching the film back, though.
3. If UNM has a clear QB1, QB2 is a bit of a mystery
As a reminder, UNM will hold a quarterback competition during fall camp. But at least for now, it鈥檚 not a mystery who the Lobos鈥� QB1 is at the end of spring practice.
Hint: While he was dressed to play, he didn鈥檛 take a snap Saturday.
鈥淗e does probably the best job of staying mentally into it with an injury,鈥� Eck said, 鈥渙f any player I鈥檝e ever been around.鈥�
That鈥檚 right 鈥� after a spring in which he didn鈥檛 throw a pass with his right arm, Jack Layne is still QB1. Which makes sense: There wasn鈥檛 much of a chance that UNM would let either Fa鈥檃vae or Luke Moga pass him this spring without giving him the opportunity to keep the starting job come August.
There was, however, a shot that either of them played well enough to really make it a question heading into fall camp 鈥� that is, would this team be better with somebody else under center?
After 15 practices, I鈥檓 not sure that happened.
The (again, unofficial) stats from Saturday: Fa鈥檃vae completed 6 of 12 passes for four interceptions, while Moga completed 14 of 26 for one interception to cornerback Frankie Edwards III. Like the rest of the spring, there was some good from the two. Certainly some bad.
And for any number of factors 鈥� settling into the offense, a rotating cast at receiver, playing against a remarkably tenacious defense day-in and day-out 鈥� there wasn鈥檛 enough consistency.
That might be the biggest reason why Eck couldn鈥檛 quite place if either is ahead of the other.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 really clear,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think one guy has really 鈥� I think both guys have had moments, maybe a practice where they were ahead of the other guy. But I think of the course of 15 (practices), it鈥檚 really close.鈥�
How close?
鈥淚 would say this: If one has the lead 鈥� you know how they have like polling (margin of error) in the elections, like within the statistical (margin or error)? 2.5% or something?鈥� Eck added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 within that error, for sure. It鈥檚 very close.鈥�
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .
