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University of New Mexico football team's goals defined by three letters

By Iliana Limón
Saturday, August 4, 2007

The Lobos are motivated by a simple message.

BCS.

The University of New Mexico football team has the abbreviation for Bowl Championship Series - a reference to the elite big-money schools in college football who compete for the national championship - written on a dry-erase board outside its locker room.

"Someone wrote it up there around the first week of July," senior wide receiver Marcus Smith said. "Maybe they meant it is as a joke at first, but then guys took it seriously. When someone erased it, someone else put it back up. We wanted it there. We want to be in a BCS game and prove to everyone that we are a BCS team."

The BCS tag is a tough climb for a midmajor program like UNM. The Lobos likely have to go undefeated through a 12-game season to land a spot in a BCS bowl game.

"College football is designed for the bigger schools, but we do know that anything is possible," Smith said. "We believe that we can play with anyone. We believe in ourselves.

"It's really taken off and become a motivation for us. Coach (Rocky) Long noticed it and talked about it. Everyone talks about it now, and it's our goal this year."

UNM sophomore quarterback Donovan Porterie said after the team's first practice of fall camp Thursday it will take more than just chatter to make the message a reality.

"You know we can't just say we want to be a BCS team, we have to act like it," Porterie said. "We have to practice hard like a BCS team every single day. We started off pretty strong on our first day, but we have to push ourselves every single day to make it happen."

Smith said he, too, understands those letters alone won't get the Lobos an undefeated season.

"I know talk is cheap, and we have to overcome a lot to go undefeated," he said. "But if we start out saying we can't do it, then we have no chance. If we believe in ourselves, then anything is possible."

Oakley to transfer: Incoming freshman C.J. Oakley, a star at Alamogordo High, will not stick with the Lobos this season.

Oakley said Friday night he is transferring to the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, where he will spend the fall semester playing running back for the school. He plans to return to UNM in the spring.

He declined to say why he is leaving the Lobos for the fall semester.

"It has nothing to do with football," Oakley said.

Long said Oakley is dealing with an illness in the family and has had a hard time adjusting to life in Albuquerque.

Long said he spoke with Oakley and his parents two weeks ago and thought the problems had been resolved.

"He just seems to have a lot on his plate right now, and I want him to make whatever decision is best for him," Long said.

Oakley said he felt good about his decision. He scored two touchdowns in the North-South All-Star Game on Friday night and headed for Roswell today.

Long said rumors that Oakley was considering leaving because he was unhappy playing on defense are highly unlikely. Long allows freshmen to work out at any position they want on the team.

Academic trouble: UNM also will have to go without the help of redshirt freshman wide receiver Jerrell Miller, a Highland High grad, and junior offensive lineman Matt Streid, who is from California. They are academically ineligible and can only participate in scout team drills when school starts. Miller and Streid will lose one year of eligibility sitting out this season but can rejoin the team next season if they get their academics in order.

Five freshmen playing in the North-South All-Star football game Friday missed the first two practices and will join the Lobos today.

The Tribune's James Staley contributed to this report.