8/26/04
DonTrell Moore has helped lead New Mexico
to a new level. He helped lead them from Mountain West
mediocrity to a bowl team and a Top 25 contender. Barring an
injury, Moore will probably end up rushing for over 1,000 yards
for his third consecutive season, only the second back to do
that in recent memory at UNM (well, not my memory—the last time
was in 1977 when Mike Williams accomplished the feat.) New
Mexico has unusually high standards this season after last
year’s bowl appearance, and since many of the other teams on
their schedule lost players and New Mexico still has Moore and
All-Conference Guard (one of the top guards in the country)
Claude Terrell, and Linebacker Nick Speegle (who may also be
seen on Sundays some time in the near future) as well as a solid
core of players to go with them. I expect them to do very well
this season, though whether or not they can win the conference
title remains to be seen. Here’s a look at their schedule and
how I feel they will do:
September 3rd: Washington State
I expect this to be a battle, with Will
Derting and the Cougar D fighting to stop DonTrell Moore
and…well…DonTrell Moore. After seeing the Cougs stop Ced Benson
and Texas last season, it seems like DonTrell Moore will have a
hard time against them, but I think Wassu’s losses (D.D.
Achoulunu, Isaac Brown, Devard Darling, Erik Coleman, Matt Kegl,
etc.) will result in a New Mexico victory.
FINAL SCORE: UNM-31 Wassu-23
September 11th: Texas Tech
Tech lost three of their key players in B.J.
Symons, Carlos Francis, and Wes Welker. I don’t expect them to
be very good this season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if New
Mexico ran all over the Red Raider’s “Defense” and stopped their
inexperienced offense to win the game. I expect DonTrell to
have a HUGE game.
FINAL SCORE: NM-42 TT-24
September 18th: at Oregon State
I think Derek Anderson will have a nice
game for the Beavers, and I think this will be a repeat of the
Las Vegas bowl; except not nearly as lopsided, because Steven
Jackson isn’t there anymore. I think Anderson and the Beavers
will hand New Mexico their first loss of the season.
FINAL SCORE: OST-34 NM-24
September 25th: at New Mexico
State
I really don’t believe that this game will
be close at all. I think New Mexico State will be squashed by
the Lobo’s in every aspect. I expect DonTrell to run all over
the defense, possibly having a career day. I’m thinking he’ll
have 150+ yards.
Final Score: UNM-56 NMST-17
October 2nd: Utah
This is easily New Mexico’s toughest
conference game of the year. Utah is the team that most people
think will win the Mountain West this preseason. I think this
game will be really close, and I think the winner will be in the
top 25, if they aren’t already when this game rolls around. I
think the game will come down to the wire. I predict Utah will
come out on top in an overtime battle.
Final Score: UNM-30 UTAH-33 (OT)
October 9th: at Air Force
Air Force will be going into the upcoming
season with many new starters, mostly on offense (many on the
line). I think this will hurt them, even against an
inexperienced defense. I predict the Lobos will do very well
against a depleted Falcon team.
Final Score: UNM-24 AF-10
October 16th: at UNLV
I think New Mexico is a good enough team to
beat UNLV pretty easily, and I think that is exactly what
they’ll do. It will be a very good match up between one of the
Mountain West’s best offensive players and one of it’s best
defensive players, and I feel UNM will prevail.
Final Score: UNM-25 UNLV-18
October 23rd: San Diego State
San Diego State is the team many people see
as the second best in the MWC, with the best defensive
player—Linebacker Kirk Morrison—as well as quite a few other
very talented players on their defense. It is my opinion that
if Lobo LB Nick Speegle were on the Aztecs, he’d finish a close
second on the defense. Now back to the game, I think DonTrell
Moore (the main reason I started liking New Mexico) is the best
offensive player in the Mountain West, and I think he’ll help
carry them to a victory in a very close game.
Final Score: UNM-17 SDSU-13
October 30th: at Colorado State
This is a very winnable game for New
Mexico, and I expect them to do just that. I don’t think it
will be a rout, but I expect it to be an easy victory. Still
being in contention for the MWC title should give the team a
second wind, and make the last three games much easier to win.
I don’t think Colorado State will be the same without BradLee
Van Pelt on the team.
Final Score: UNM-20 CSU-10
November 13th: at BYU
BYU isn’t exactly the same team that was on
the top 25 radar a few years ago. They lost key players, and
their promising future went off course in the seasons since
Brandon Doman and Luke Staley graduated, back when New Mexico
was flailing around in mediocrity. In the seasons since, there
seems to have been a complete reversal. New Mexico has burst
onto the scene behind the running of star back DonTrell Moore,
while BYU has dropped off and fallen towards the bottom of the
MWC. I fully expect a UNM victory, there is no excuse for
losing this game.
Final Score: UNM-45 BYU-27
November 20th: Wyoming
Wyoming hasn’t ever been a very good team,
and just recently lost their best player (Quarterback Casey
Bramlet) to the Cincinnati Bengals. They do have Casey’s
younger brother Corey, as well as a very talented Wide Receiver
Jovon Bouknight, now a year older and better, but there is no
way they can stay in this game.
Final Score: UNM-49 WY-6 |
