Has Bronco Mendenhall already made progress in his rebuild of New Mexico?

During his introductory press conference last December, after having been named the new head football coach at the University of New Mexico, Bronco Mendenhall wasn’t shy about his plans for the Lobos football program.
More to the point, though, his plans weren’t lacking in ambition.
Mendenhall wants to take the Lobos to heights they hadn’t seen in years. Make New Mexico a successful football program again. For the first time since the early 2000s, when Rocky Long led the program.
“This program, I know, is capable of sustained success, continued success and excellence,” Mendenhall said. “I’ve been part of it. I’ve seen it. And I’m looking forward to recapturing that right not only occasionally, but consistently.”
Mendenhall knew it wasn’t going to be a quick fix in Albuquerque. Few, if any, expected that.
Midway through his first season back on the sidelines, how are things going? How is the “rebecoming” of New Mexico football under Mendenhall faring?
Entering Saturday’s Mountain West Conference matchup with Utah State, New Mexico has proven an interesting team at worst. Maybe compelling at best.
The Lobos started the year in rough fashion, with an upset loss at home at the hands of FCS power Montana State.
That was followed by a loss at Arizona, a loss at Auburn, and finally a loss to Fresno State in UNM’s first conference game of the season.
The Lobos followed those setbacks, however, in notable fashion — with back-to-back high-flung wins over rival New Mexico State and Air Force.
Key to any and all success had by New Mexico this season has been its offense.
Led by quarterback Devon Dampier, whose dual-threat ability has been notable, New Mexico boasts one of the best offenses in the MW.
Currently, New Mexico rates as follows in the league:
About the only thing the Lobos haven’t done especially well this season offensively is throw the ball. While Dampier has accounted for 1,488 yards and seven touchdowns, New Mexico is in the bottom third of the MW in pass efficiency. The Lobos throw the ball but they aren’t always effective at it.
No, New Mexico’s strength on offense this year is on the ground, proven all the more by the fact that the Lobos are in the bottom third of the MW in rush attempts per game, yet have one of the best rushing attacks in the league.
Four Lobos have rushed for 200 yards or more already this season (or close to it), including Dampier and running backs Eli Sanders, Javen Jacobs and NaQuari Rogers.
Dampier has rushed for eight touchdowns and his legs are the team’s most notable weapon; something Utah State isn’t all too excited about trying to contain Saturday.
“This guy was their wildcat guy last year and now is their every-down guy,” Utah State interim head coach Nate Dreiling said. “He is unbelievable. He is running the ball better than anybody, maybe, we’ve seen at this point and he has a laser of an arm.
“He can throw all these tight window throws. Their run game has been open and he has been willing the pass game. They are so dangerous because teams will get to him but they’ve only given up one sack this season in large part because no one can get this guy down.”
In their wins over NMSU and Air Force, New Mexico scored 50 and 52 points, respectively. It seems, for now at least, that the Lobos have figured out how to both move the ball on offense and how to finish drives.
The Lobos’ success on offense this year doesn’t actually stand that much in contrast from what they did last season in the last year of the Danny Gonzales era.
New Mexico finished that 4-8 campaign ranking in top 45 in the country in total offense.
The difference this year is that the Lobos have leapt — for now — into the elite category, now ranking No. 25 in the country in total offense.
A jump of 20 spots is notable, if for no other reason than it feels like New Mexico has a chance to surpass the four wins tallied last year, which were the most for the program since 2016.
As good as the Lobos have been offensively this season, especially of late, they have been equally as bad on defense. Something Utah State fans have become very familiar with this year as well.
In fact, it is hard to wrap the mind around how dismal the Lobos have been on the defensive side of the ball.
Currently, NM ranks last in the MW in total defense, thanks to surrendering nearly 500 yards of offense to opponents each game.
New Mexico ranks second-to-last in scoring defense — barely ahead of USU — after giving up an average of 43 points per game.
The Lobos are the worst team in the conference in run defense — teams are averaging 256 yards on the ground against NM — and the worst team in pass efficiency defense, too.
The list of areas in which New Mexico struggles defensively goes on and on.
Perhaps the biggest issue for New Mexico is that it doesn’t have the defensive personnel it needs to be competitive yet, especially not in terms of quality depth.
“We are getting thin at linebacker. There are some positions that are thinner than others on our team,” Mendenhall said this week. “That is what happens sometimes when you take over a program and attrition hits at certain spots more than others. We are doing our best to try and get adequate depth at every spot.”
Against team’s like New Mexico State and Air Force — who are a combined 3-10 this season with a single FBS win between them — the Lobos’ defensive struggles weren’t enough that the offense couldn’t overcome.
In the team’s four losses, though, good offense wasn’t enough to overcome dismal defense.
Considering Mendenhall’s background as a coach, expectations should be that there is defensive improvement by New Mexico but real improvement this season doesn’t appear too realistic.
Especially not this weekend, with Utah State boasting an offense that is nearly at the same level as New Mexico’s. More balanced if less effective at getting into the end zone.
There is little patience in the current era of college football for long rebuilds.
Some of that is due to NIL and the transfer portal. It is difficult to keep good players at programs like New Mexico when bigger programs with more money come calling so programs at the Group of Five level have to take quick leaps before losing key players.
That is one reason why Mendenhall voted to end the spring transfer window.
“After going through it, having players arrive mid-year is so much better for them,” he said. “Their acclimation, their ability to become embedded in the culture and their preparation for the season. And getting to know their teammates. We had 17 scholarship players arrive after spring practice this year and we are still acclimating them.”
Mendenhall should have a longer leash for his rebuild at New Mexico, though, given the program’s lack of success. That said, the athletic director who hired him — Eddie Nunez — is now at Houston, and the coach who preceded him at New Mexico — Gonzales — was only given four years.
Time and patience are hard to come by in modern college football.
Whatever time Mendenhall gets with the Lobos, though, the reality is things are still new right now. The rebuild is new and there is a lot of ground to cover in order for New Mexico to have “sustained success.”
“We are early on in our program’s transformation,” Mendenhall said. “So we have plenty to work on in every area of football. Every position. Every facet. Utah State is the next opponent … but the focus is going to be and has to be on us. There is a relentless pursuit for improvement and that is what it takes.”