'Red zone has to be better': Can UNM execute better in scoring position?

Sep. 17—88,043 fans screaming in the stands. A steady drizzle giving way to a downpour. A Power Four opponent lined up on the other side of the ball, ready to wreak havoc in the comfort of their home stadium.

For New Mexico, the margins were already thin to begin with last Saturday at Auburn. Not scoring touchdowns when in position to do so only hurt its chances further in a 45-19 loss to the Tigers.

"Ultimately, it comes down to points," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a press conference on Monday, "and red zone has to be better."

Through three games, UNM is 11-of-13 in the red zone with eight touchdowns (five passing, three rushing) and three field goals. An 84.6% conversion rate is decidedly mid-tier in college football — with that percentage, the Lobos are tied with Virginia Tech for 70th out of 134 FBS programs — but if it hasn't been a true weakness, it wasn't a strength against Auburn.

Against the Tigers, UNM converted four of five red zone trips with two touchdowns and two made field goals on three attempts — an 80% conversion rate for 19 total points. No single issue prevented the Lobos from scoring more touchdowns, but the cap on points was never more noticeable in a first half that saw them trail 17-13 heading into the break.

"We just have to execute," running back Eli Sanders said on Tuesday. "The coaches put us in the position to score touchdowns, and we just have to execute the plays. I had a couple red zone opportunities that I had to execute on my (end), so I take the blame for that one."

"I touch the ball every play, so at the end of the day, that does fall on me," quarterback Devon Dampier added. "Certain throws and just decisions on where I went should've been a little bit better. For sure that would've moved the ball, but penalties killed us."

As for Mendenhall?

"Just an assignment here or there ... (offensive coordinator Jason Beck) is doing a really nice job with the play calls, the play design and all of that," he added. "We're just a player or play off in terms of having a few more touchdowns there.

"That's where we are. It's not an accident — it's right where we are."

Turquoise noise

Safety Tavian Combs was seen during Tuesday's practice wearing a turquoise jersey (meaning injured, limited or non-contact) and out of the walking boot he wore through the majority of fall camp. He did not practice; it is still unclear what his injury is and what his timeline to return looks like. Mendenhall usually declines to discuss injuries.

Safety Skylar Cook and linebacker Tirek Austin-Cave were also in turquoise, while center Jawaun Singletary did not dress in football pants or a jersey. Austin-Cave's status might be the most telling example of where UNM's linebacker depth is at, and why safety Hunter Wiggins was moved over from safety to help supplant it.

"We're thin and it's a physical position, and we have players beat up there," Mendenhall said Monday. "(Wiggins) is a good football player — he's also a fast learner. And so when considering, even though (his) body type might not say that's where he belongs, he's physical ... to add immediate depth with a capable player, and try to help them get on the field and maybe have a role, that made sense to us."

Depth chart changes

Some notable changes on this week's two-deep: Caleb Medford (four receptions, 61 yards, two touchdowns) is UNM's starting X receiver over Nic Trujillo, the first time he's been listed as such since the season began; cornerback Nigel Williams is the starting nickelback after coming up with two tackles and one forced fumble against Auburn; and edge rusher Moso Tuitele has replaced Okiki Olorunfunmi as the starting defensive end.

Coach's corner

Mendenhall said he reached out to former Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford "instantly" after the latter announced he was stepping down due to health concerns on July 15. A former quarterback at Fresno State, the 62-year-old left college football with a 127-79 overall record as a head coach, including 45-22 across two stints with the Bulldogs.

"I can't say that I saw it coming, but I also can't say that I'm surprised," Mendenhall added. "My number one concern for him as a friend is his health. And he's had an amazing career coaching-wise. I think he's an excellent person, we've developed a friendship over time ... So, yes, we talked.

"Yes, we communicated. That happened within a matter of seconds probably."

Fresno State (2-1) will be coached by interim head coach Tim Skipper on Saturday (6:30 p.m. MT) against UNM (0-3).

Jump ball

With 7:04 left in the first half against Auburn, Dampier rolled to his right, looked downfield and fired a pass over the middle toward both wide receiver Ryan Davis and tight end Trace Bruckler. Davis caught it, over Bruckler, and took it for a 55-yard gain.

Who was the intended target?

"To be honest, I (saw) both of them in the same spot," Dampier said with a smile. "I threw it with enough air for one of them to be able to say, 'hey, I got it, I got it, I got it.' I was just hoping they didn't knock into each other."

Conference, schmonference

Do college football players — especially those in line to be affected by it — follow conference realignment news intently? Not really.

"If it's not about the Lobos, I'm really not interested in it," Sanders said.

"To me, honestly, it doesn't really matter," Tuitele said. "As long as we get a team and we get an opponent, I think that's really all that matters."

"There's a lot of switches happening right now," Dampier said. "It's just crazy to see how it's going to end up — you know, how the next schedules are gonna be made and just that kind of thing."

Is it ... interesting at least?

"No," Dampier laughed. "I'm just playing ball."