New Mexico Football: Bob Davie or not, Lobos must improve

Offense

New Mexico struggled to produce points in 2017. The Lobos averaged 20.7 points per game during the course of the season, ranking 113th out of 129 FBS teams. That put New Mexico 11th in the 12-team Mountain West in terms of scoring.

The offensive line did its part, protecting quarterbacks and allowing runners to get positive yardage. New Mexico ranked in the top 20 in the country in terms of both sacks allowed and tackles for loss allowed. The Lobos converted that into 235 yards per game rushing the ball. But one of the nation’s worst passing attacks offered scant balance on offense.

Calvin Magee takes over for Bob DeBesse as the offensive coordinator. That will be the biggest change for the 2018 offense. Magee, a longtime Rich Rodriguez offensive coordinator, will implement an offense that still leans on the run but which will take advantage of the personnel in place this season in Albuquerque.

Focusing on Tevaka Tuioti

That includes redshirt sophomore quarterback Tevaka Tuioti, who will take over full time as the starter for the Lobos. Last year, Tuioti spelled incumbent starter Lamar Jordan. In eight appearances, Tuioti showed some promise but also a lot of room for maturation.

Jordan has graduated, meaning Tuioti enters 2018 as the primary threat for New Mexico’s offense. For Magee, he will inherit a quarterback that could be the Mountain West equivalent of Khalil Tate. Like Tate, though, Tuioti will need to develop better consistency as he enters his first full year as a starter.

Tuioti’s completion rate sat well under 50 percent, as he completed 57 of his 118 attempts for 705 yards. That included four touchdowns and six interceptions. Where Tuioti showed the greatest promise was as a runner. He finished 2017 with 142 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Magee will look to set up Tuioti to become more consistent as a passer and to take advantage of his running ability.