THE LOBO IS ABOUT TO ENTER THE BRONCO MENDENHALL ERA. THE CHANGES ARE BEING MADE AFTER THE PROGRAM FIRED FORMER HEAD COACH DANNY GONZALEZ. UNDER GONZALEZ, THEY WENT 11 AND 32. IN HIS LAST FOUR YEARS AT THE HELM, AND LAST YEAR, THE TEAM FINISHED FOUR AND EIGHT, WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST WIN TOTAL UNDER GONZALEZ TENURE, WITH A TWO AND SIX CONFERENCE RECORD. NEW MEXICO LOST FOUR OF FIVE TO END THE 2023 SEASON, AND HAVE NOT BEEN TO A BOWL GAME SINCE 2016. NOW IN COMES MENDENHALL, THE FORMER VIRGINIA AND BYU HEAD COACH ENDED A TWO YEAR HIATUS TO RETURN TO THE SIDELINES, AND HE WILL HAVE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING SATURDAY AGAINST ONE OF THE TOP TEAMS IN FCS. AND THE SCHEDULE DOESN'T GET EASIER AFTERWARDS. IT IS WHAT IT IS. AND SO GREAT TEST FOR OUR PROGRAM. GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR PROGRAM. WE'LL USE THE SIZE TO OUR ADVANTAGE. WE'LL USE THE TOUGH START TO IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING TO GROW. WE'LL LEARN REALLY WELL HOW TO TRAVEL AND PLAY ON THE ROAD, AND WE'LL LEARN HOW TO DO THAT OVER AN EXTENDED TIME PERIOD. ALL THAT CAN BE FOUNDATIONAL TO A PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD, READY TO SEE A START AT SATURDAY'S GAME GETS UNDERWAY AT 2 P.M., THEN THE LOBOS WILL BE OUT OF TOWN UNTIL THEY HOST FRESNO STATE, AND A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH, THAT HOMECOMING GAME IS SET FOR SEPTEMBER 21ST. NOW, MENDENHALL IS NO STRANGER TO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT. FROM 1998 TO 2002, HE WAS THE LOBOS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH UNDER ROCKY LONG. FROM THERE, HE TOOK OVER THE BYU PROGRAM AND TURNED THAT INTO A SUCCESS, WINNING ALMOST 100 GAMES AT BYU OVER 11 YEARS, MAKING SIX BOWL GAMES, INCLUDING THE NEW MEXICO BOWL. HE THEN SPENT SIX YEARS AT UVA, WHERE HE WON A BOWL GAME THERE. NOW, IN RECENT YEARS, LOBOS DEFENSE WAS A STRONGER UNIT, BUT TOO OFTEN THEY JUST COULD NOT OFFSET A WEAK OFFENSE. WE TALKED TO THE PLAYERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL ABOUT HOW THEY BELIEVE THE TWO UNITS WILL LOOK IN THEIR FIRST GAME. I WOULD SAY ELECTRIC FOR SURE. I THINK THAT'S THE WORD I WOULD GO WITH. THERE'S SO MANY GUYS THAT CAN CATCH THE BALL AND SCORE WITH IT, AND WE GOT SO MANY RUNNING BACKS TURN A THIRD AND ONE SITUATION INTO A TOUCHDOWN INSTEAD OF JUST A FIRST DOWN. SO A HUGE BELIEF IN HOW WE'RE GOING TO COME OUT AND JUST COME OUT REAL FAST. YOU'RE JUST GOING TO SEE TOTAL EFFORT AND US DOING OUR JOB. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF VIOLENCE TO OVER THE EIGHT MONTHS, I COULD JUST SEE HOW MUCH LIKE THE GUYS THAT WE BROUGHT IN AND THE GUYS THAT WE HAD HERE HAVE GROWN. SO MUCH. I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE WE'RE READY. WELL, A NEW REGIME IS IN PLACE FOR THE LOBOS. THEIR CONFERENCE DOESN'T SEE IT THE SAME WAY. THE MOUNTAIN WEST PROJECTED UNM TO FINISH SECOND TO LAST AHEAD OF T