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New Mexico vs. Liberty: Game Preview, Kick Time, Livestream, Odds, Prediction
Bob Davie is back coaching and Joe Dailey faces his old team
Contact/Follow @rogeraholien & @MWCwire
Final non-conference game for the Lobos
WEEK 5: New Mexico Lobos (2-1) vs. Liberty Flames (2-2)
WHEN: Saturday, September 27 — 6:00 PM ET
WHERE: Williams Stadium; Lynchburg, Virginia
TV: None
STREAMING: ESPN+
RADIO: Liberty | New Mexico
SERIES RECORD: Liberty leads 1-0
GAME NOTES (PDF): Liberty | New Mexico
ODDS (via OddsShark): Liberty -7.5
SP+ PROJECTION: Liberty by 18.7
FEI PROJECTION: Liberty by 11.1
The New Mexico Lobos at 2-1 goes on the road this week against the Liberty Flames at 2-2 in Lynchburg Virginia at Williams Stadium with 25,000 fanatical Flames fans.
This will be the first game that head coach Bob Davie will be on the sideline since his “serious medical incident” moments after his team’s victory against Sam Houston State on August 31st.
The Lobos who are 2-1 will play the Flames at 2-2. This will be the return of Coach Bob Davie to the sideline and also the return of Offensive Coordinator Joe Dailey.
Offensive coordinator Joe Dailey who was at Liberty for seven years and also running the offense for the Flames last year in Albuquerque. His offense torched the Lobos 52-43 in last year’s game.
https://twitter.com/UNMLoboFB/status/1177351547040124928
After the head coach for Liberty head coach Turner Gill stepped down and Liberty hired Hugh Freeze, Coach Davie reached out to Joe Dailey and found a new home with the Lobos.
Both shared similar offensive philosophies on the way college offenses direction going and hit it off well. This game could very well be an offensive shootout after looking at the defenses and offensives of previous games.
Dailey’s offense last week was able to put up over 55 points against the New Mexico State Aggies in Albuquerque. Tevaka Tuioti making his first start of the year he had career-high 355 yards passing and three touchdown passes and he will get the start again this week.
The Flames have a possible future NFL draft pick Antonio Gandy-Golden. He is a 6’4, 220 pound wide receiver who has wreaked havoc on defensive secondaries this year.
He is number one receiver in the nation with 24 catches for 544 yards this year with a 22.7 average. Last week had 4 catches 181 yards against Hampton
He has also gone over 100 yards three times already this year against Syracuse & Buffalo. Needless to say, defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson’s Lobo secondary will be tested this week against a
New Mexico’s weakness is pass coverage and is dead last in the conference against allowing 20-yard completion allowed tied with Wyoming.
Containing big passing plays had not been a strength of the Lobos so far, tied dead last 20-yard completions allowed & are tied with Wyoming.
With the Lobo defense giving up 52 points last week against in-state rival NM State, you can get the Lobos will see a plethora of passes to Golden.
If Gandy-Golden has a big game against the Lobos, the Lobo offense will be having to match the scoring and it will end up a shootout. If this happens it will put the Lobo offense behind the eight-ball to match the scoring of the Flames.
The Lobos best game plan might be putting pressure on Flames quarterback Stephen Calvart is a very athletic QB, this would really help the secondary in the 20 plus yards category.
He posted his second 3,000-plus passing yard season in a row, finishing the year with 3,068 passing yards.
He finished the season with 21 touchdowns to enter his senior year as Liberty’s all-time career leader with 65 passing touchdowns
He was also one of 34 FBS quarterbacks in the country to finish the season with 3,000 passing yards.
Peterson’s defense must play smart aggressive defense that can contain long deep routes and put maximum pressure on Malik Wilis to not allow him to pick them apart.
The Lobo defense will be the key for the Lobos to win on the road or it could be a long trip back to Albuquerque.
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