MWC football: Lobos hope new coach brings finishing touch

Editor's Note: This is the third in a nine-part series previewing Mountain West Conference football. Stories in projected order of finish (last-to-first) from the league's preseason media poll. Today: No. 7 New Mexico.

HENDERSON, Nev. — Gone is Rocky Long, but his replacement, Mike Locksley, believes he can succeed where previous Lobo football coaching staffs have failed.

How? By using his "long recruiting arm" and preparing the Lobos to finish games better.

"We took a look at last season (4-8 overall, 2-6 MWC) and in eight of those games New Mexico was in a position to come out with a win but only did so in two of them. We need to finish better, play better when the game is on the line," said Locksley.

He also believes his recruiting ties in Big Ten, SEC and ACC territories will enable him to stock New Mexico with the type of talent to make a run at MWC favorites TCU, BYU and Utah.

He's also changed the Lobo uniforms.

Locksley is fresh off previous employment as the recruiting coordinator at Illinois. He held similar positions and coached on the offensive side of the ball at the University of Florida before Urban Meyer and the University of Maryland. He believes he can draw from Chicago and Florida for players.

"I still have recruiting ties to all those players. I know the high schools and the players and I believe I can bring some of the talent in those locations to New Mexico and also build a squad comprised of local instate players," said the coach.

Still, those who cover the league are wary that Locksley can do any better than Long and voted the Lobos to finish seventh behind the Big Three — Air Force, UNLV and Colorado State.

Two Lobos, senior Frankie Baca and sophomore Bubba Forrest, look at the media voting as a lack of respect and put little value on the slight.

"It does kind of get under your skin," said Forrest, a defensive back from Carlsbad, N.M. "It's a challenge and it makes you want to prove to the conference that we're better than that.

"But I think the preseason stuff looks too much at what you did last year. We're a whole new team with a whole new coaching staff."

STRENGTH: Locksley will deploy a no-huddle, multiple offense and has eight returning starters to work with on that side of the ball. He returns starting QBs Donovan Porterie and Brad Gruner.

WEAKNESS: The Lobo defense will be without Long's intense 3-3-5 and returns just three starters in safeties Ian Clark and Frankie Solomon and linebacker Clint McPeek. He'll deploy a traditional 4-3 defensive front. This could be considered a complete facelift of the Lobo defense.