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UNM football: Tight end enjoys improvement in catching skill
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Junior tight end Chris Mark had to watch game film to believe it.
Mark, who hasn't always been known for sure hands, has five catches for 60 yards and one touchdown this year.
While the Lobos' offense struggled in a 10-6 season-opening loss at UTEP, Mark was a rare bright spot for the team. He stepped back to make an acrobatic catch for a 19-yard gain, stunning himself.
"I just couldn't even remember catching that ball," Mark said. "I had to watch the game film over and over again to believe it. That was a really special moment for me and gave me a lot more confidence in myself."
Mark followed his UTEP effort with a touchdown against rival New Mexico State, another special moment for a player who came to UNM still learning how to catch.
"I paid more attention to blocking than catching the ball, but this summer I knew I had to get better," he said. "I dropped some passes last year because I had worried more about my blocking and didn't focus on having good hands.
"I worked on it really hard, and now I'm being rewarded for it."
NCAA aftermath: UNM coach Rocky Long said he finally talked with his players Monday about the pending NCAA investigation into recruiting practices by two former and one current assistant coach. The NCAA is alleging the three assistant coaches helped a handful of prospective football players earn credit at California college for an online course they never attended.
"I just told Õem it has nothing to do with them and to just go about their business and let's play as well as we can from week to week," Long said.
The coach declined to comment further about the investigation, swatting away questions about the NCAA's allegations and whether he felt betrayed by the coaches involved in the scandal.
Almost Division I: Long said Sacramento State doesn't have as many Division-I transfers as Portland State, a Division I-AA team that upset the Lobos last year, but it has plenty of big-league talent.
The coach said he recruited several of the players on the Hornets' roster, including defensive standouts Dallas Mauga and Cyrus Mulitalo.
Long said the main reason more Sacramento State players didn't land on Division-I rosters is they failed to qualify academically.
"They certainly have enough talent and the skill players to beat us," Long said.
Special discount: Fans who purchase Cherry Crush T-shirts for $8 at the UNM Bookstore or Lobo Store receive vouchers that can be redeemed at the UNM Ticket Office for free admission to the game.
Ticket tally: UNM has sold about 20,000 tickets for the Sacramento State game and 24,000 tickets for next week's homecoming game against BYU.
