The only Eck on the field for the New Mexico Lobos this past weekend was wearing a headset.
Lead linebacker Jaxton Eck, who has earned MW Defensive Player of the Year buzz and several award watch list bids, caught fans off guard when it was announced he would miss the matchup vs. Hawaii.
Additionally, it has been added that the coach’s talented son will be out for “quite some time” due to the injury. With six games remaining, where does the Lobo defense go from here?
Early Returns
In a one-game sample,
the Lobos were able to handle business without their captain linebacker.
Even without their “thumper” middle linebacker, New Mexico held the Rainbow Warriors to 48 rush yards in the 21-10 win.
If anything, the loss of cornerback Frankie Edwards might have been more costly. Hawaii picked up 250 yards through the air, which was their main means of transportation for their first-half 10-0 lead.
In the absence of their main backer, it appears the rest of the Lobo unit took a step up, with the team totaling 39 solo tackles at Hawaii, their most of the season.
This includes 3.5 tackles for loss from defensive end Darren Agu, with the team finishing with 11 TFLs and three sacks on the night.
Not So Fast…
While the defensive marks against Hawaii were promising, the road will only get tougher from here on out.
After Hawaii’s rushing attack, which ranks last in the Mountain West, the Lobos will now need to prepare for the North Dakota State Bison, who are in the top three for rushing in the conference (total yards).
NDSU is one of two MW teams that rank in the top four in both total rushing and passing yards (UNLV). Another team that New Mexico will have to face coming up (Nov. 14).
Looking beyond NDSU, New Mexico has five of the top six rushing attacks (Yards Per Game) in the Mountain West left on their schedule (UNM takes up one of those spots at No. 2).
So, while the win on the island was satisfying, the Lobos cannot afford to get to comfortable on the defensive side of the ball.
Who Will Need To Step Up?
Who will need to hold down the fort for the Lobos in this final stretch? The answer is everyone, but if you want to key in on one name, it would be Mercury Swaim.
The lone Lobo who is ahead of Eck on total tackles for the season, Swaim has 32 total tackles, 16 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Swaim has recorded half a sack or more in two straight games for UNM, and with the Bison coming to town, he has a chance to make it three-straight in what will likely be a busy night for the linebackers.
While Swaim will lead from the front, who will fill in the back end? Expect to see names like Jayden Flake and Clay Martineau getting more work.
New Mexico will host North Dakota State this Saturday in Albuquerque, set for 8:00 p.m. MST kickoff.
