UNM defense dominates as freshman safety shines

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Some practices, it’s a fool’s errand to try and declare a winner on either side of the ball. The defense might dominate one team period. The offense might dominate the next. Sometimes it’s just a little too close to call, a little too black-and-white amid plenty of gray.

That was not Thursday’s practice.

On the second day of half pads, UNM’s defense jumped all over its offensive counterparts and never really let up, issuing one of the more uneven days of camp to this point.

A quick sample of notable players and plays:

Defensive ends Darren Agu and Albert Tuakalau, linebackers Jaxton Eck and Clay Martineau and safety Drew Speech all notched what would’ve been sacks across different team periods; defensive end Elijah Brody stopped quarterback Luke Moga on a fourth-and-1 attempt; and defensive end Brett Karhu corralled a running Moga on third-and-5, a play defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky was absolutely thrilled with.

To be clear, it wasn’t all the defense’s doing. Eck called off a team passing session after a string of procedural issues on offense, sending both sides of the ball to separate fields for a period.

Offensive lineman Malik Aliane — one of UNM’s two permanent captains — made sure the rest of the offense got the message.

“As a whole,” he said during a huddle, “we gotta pick it up!”

One defensive standout from Thursday: safety Marco Beltran. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound freshman intercepted a pass from quarterback Toa Fa’avae to help earn the hammer, awarded to whoever Eck deems the player of the practice.

Beltran’s spot as a punt returner has been pretty secure since he started with UNM as an early enrollee this spring. But after repping mostly with the third-string defense to start camp, he’s gaining some reps at boundary and free safety with the Lobos’ second-stringers in their dime (six defensive backs) package.

UNM’s talented group of freshman receivers have gained a lot of attention throughout camp. But if there’s a freshman defensive back that deserves similar shine, it’s Beltran, who’s crediting a lot his recent success to his decision to enroll in January.

“If there’s one thing I could say to all the young recruits out there, I would 100% recommend it,” he said Thursday. “You think a few months isn’t a lot, but in the college world, it gives you so much of an advantage compared to coming up in June.”

Notes and observations

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Since the pads have come on, linebacker Clay Martineau has been a real force rushing the passer. After notching at least three sacks between Tuesday and Thursday’s practices, he’s trending up in a big way. Keep an eye out for him during UNM’s first scrimmage.

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Tuesday, offensive lineman Elvin Harris had to be helped off the field during a team period. Thursday, he didn’t practice and sported a full left brace on his left leg; it’s unclear what he might be dealing with. But after Eck said he was UNM’s best backup linemen earlier this week, his status is worth paying attention to.

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Defensive end Jalen Charles – who tackled running back Cameron Mathews for a safety Tuesday – also didn’t practice Thursday. It’s unclear what he might be dealing with.

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Originally scheduled for 11 a.m., UNM’s first scrimmage of fall camp is now set to start Saturday at 10 a.m.

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.

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