New Mexico football hopes to carry late-season momentum into 2021

Momentum and New Mexico football are two things that are not usually muttered in the same sentence, but you will probably hear it a lot in this year’s preview for the Lobos.

This is a program that is used to losing and losing a lot, but the team was competitive in most games that they played in last season and finished the year with wins over Wyoming and Fresno State. For first-year head coach Danny Gonzales, that was a positive first step for the program, especially in a COVID-19 year. Can the Lobos take another step forward and improve on their win total in 2021? That’s the question that remains to be seen.

Danny Gonzales is a guy that is well connected with New Mexico and he knows what it takes to win there. As does defensive coordinator Rocky Long, who is one of the more well-respected defensive minds when it comes to college football.

This is a coaching staff that has experience with the program and that is a huge plus. With an offseason to implement things, momentum is thought to be a real thing with New Mexico.

After making a bowl game in back-to-back seasons in 2015 and 2016 under Bob Davie, the program went back to another low moment and then fired Davie before bringing in Gonzales. The early returns are that this is a good fit and that is what can matter the most at a program like New Mexico.

I don’t know if a bowl game is in the cards for the Lobos in 2021, but I think this is a program that is trending in the right direction.