The Lobos got absolutely steamrolled last weekend at Fresno State, losing 38-0, so one has to think that they’re ready to get back on the field to forget about that beating. Unfortunately, their opponent, Colorado State, is another team that the Lobos haven’t had much success against in the recent past. It won’t be easy, but with the Lobos’ backs against the wall, I’m not going to count them out.
Men’s Soccer vs. UAB Match Preview
The Lobos (7-3-1, 2-1-1) look to extend their three-match win streak as they host UAB (3-4-3, 0-3-1) in a big C-USA match for the Lobos. After starting the season 0-2 with two road losses in Seattle, the Lobos have gone 7-1-1 over their last 9 matches. The only loss during this 9 match streak was a 1-0 loss to Kentucky, with the lone goal coming with seconds left in the first half on a penalty kick. The Lobos are playing at a high level right now and will be in the hunt for the C-USA regular season title. The key for the Lobos isn’t to worry about winning the title, but taking each match as an opportunity to earn the right to host NCAA Tournament matches. I mentioned this on Twitter, but the Lobos have the ability to win all the remaining matches on their schedule. If the Lobos go into the conference tournament with a 13-3-1, 12-4-1, or 12-3-2 record, they will be in the hunt for a top-16 seed.
Lobo Football at Fresno State Preview
Wow, it feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve had a Lobo football game, doesn’t it? Well, that changes today, as they get back to action in Fresno. The Lobos are currently riding a two-game winning streak and are looking to stay on a run, but Fresno is on a little streak of their own. Should be a fun one.
Women’s Soccer at Air Force Preview
The Lobos (9-5, 4-2) make an important road trip to Colorado Springs this weekend to take on Air Force (6-4-1, 3-0-3) and Colorado College. The Lobos are tied for second place in the conference with UNLV and Air Force, just one point behind SJSU with five matches remaining in the regular season. There is still a lot to be determined for the conference tournament and where the Lobos stand the race. For the second straight season, there will most likely be a team with a winning record that won’t make the tournament. The Lobos have played well this season, with only momentary lapses leading to their two conference losses. If the Lobos are able to go 2-0-0 this weekend, they should be a lock to make the tournament.
Scattered Football Thoughts: Tulsa Pregame
After a tough loss at Boise last Thursday, the Lobos get back to action this morning with a road game against Tulsa. Both teams have had rough starts to the season, which has all of the sudden turned this game into must-win for both sides. And with the Lobos as banged up as they are, they’ll need to pull out all the stops to grab that much-needed victory.
Men’s Soccer vs. Kentucky
The Lobos (4-2-0, 0-0-0) will be the final team in Conference USA to start conference play this season when they host #13 Kentucky (4-1-1, 1-0-0) Saturday night at the UNM Soccer Complex. After winning their last four matches while outscoring opponents 11-3, the Lobos look to have found their passing and attacking game, and it couldn’t come at a better time. This will be one of the most important games in conference play this year, as both sides figure to be in the conference title race. Over the past three years, the two teams have played four matches, with UK holding a 3-0-1 advantage. However, that record is a little misleading, given that each of the three wins were 1-0 matches. Look for the trend of low-scoring games in this matchup to continue, as both teams are defensive-minded sides.
Lobo Football vs. NMSU Preview
After shaking off the rust against ACU, the Lobos now turn their attention to their in-state rivals. The Aggies are in town tonight for the 108th matchup between these two schools and, regardless of the relative quality between these two teams, it’s always seems to be an entertaining game. The Lobos are hoping that a big crowd shows up to watch the action and to cheer them on as try beat the Aggies for a 71st time. Never gets old.
Men’s Soccer vs. CSUN Preview
The Lobos (2-2-0) return home after a dominating performance on the road against Marquette. They will host their annual Pat Grange and Ben Ashwill Invitational this weekend, where they will play Cal State University Northridge (CSUN) on Friday and UC Irvine on Sunday. The Lobos look to have things rolling after struggling to find offense in their two matches in Seattle, scoring only 1 goal in those two matches, both losses. Since then, the Lobos have scored 7 goals in their two matches while allowing only 1 goal. The Lobos will look to keep it going this weekend before they start conference play next week, and they should be able to go 2-0-0 this weekend to enter conference play with a 4-2-0 record.
Lobo Football vs ACU Preview
Hey! It’s gameday for Lobo Football! In the first game at the newly-renamed Dreamstyle Stadium, the Lobos take on Abilene Christian University. The Lobos will be looking to build on their momentum from the past few seasons, while the Wildcats have their eyes on a big upset. Based on the last couple of opening games against FCS teams, there will probably be a lot of fireworks for the Lobos, so it should be a fun night to attend.
Football 2017: Preseason Scattered Thoughts
2016 was a wildly successful season for Lobo football. They went 9-4 on the year, including their first bowl win in ages, and led the nation in rushing with a ridiculous 350 yards per game. Most importantly, they went from being a truly downtrodden program to one that wins its division. If the past few season had been a movie, the credits would have rolled after a freeze frame of Bob Davie being carried off the field after his first bowl win and everyone would have gone home from the theater with a smile on their face.