Now New Mexico’s starting quarterback, the work has only just begun for Toa Fa’avae
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UTEP at UNM
Who: New Mexico (3-1) vs. UTEP (1-3)
When and where: 2 p.m. Saturday at University Stadium.
How to watch/listen: MW+ – the Mountain West’s new subscription-based streaming service – will carry UNM-UTEP with Robert Portnoy (play-by-play) and DonTrell Moore (analyst) on the call. J.J. Buck (play-by-play) and Ned James (analyst) will broadcast the game on the Lobo Radio Network (770 AM/96.3 FM).
Who’s favored: UNM is listed as a 21-point favorite over UTEP, per DraftKings. The over/under is set at 48.5 points.
As a freshman, he was a fifth-stringer who didn’t even make New Mexico’s travel roster.
At the start of fall camp, head coach Jason Eck said he was a slight third in the Lobos quarterback competition.
When the season started, he was a little-hyped, lesser-known commodity in UNM's multi-quarterback offense.
The job’s all his now — but the work has only just begun.
In a turn few would’ve predicted a year ago — much less a few months ago — Toa Fa’avae is now UNM’s game-to-game, down-to-down starter after the Lobos opened the season running a multi-quarterback offense.
The 6-foot, 188-pound sophomore completed 10 of 17 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown last week in a 42-18 win over New Mexico State, Fa’avae’s first game as the Lobos’ sole starter. He also ran for 57 yards against the Aggies, and is third on the team with 131 rushing yards entering UNM’s game against UTEP.
Eck said UNM made the decision to focus on Fa’avae after feeling neither he or Luke Moga had developed enough in the passing game through three games of the Lobos’ multi-quarterback offense.
“As far as deciding who it (was) gonna be, it went back to not the throwing ability — it went to the running ability,” he added Monday, “and what (Fa’avae) could do.
And while the early returns have been promising, the expectation is that Fa’avae only continues to improve, much like he did making the jump from being the third man in UNM’s quarterback competition to helping force a multi-quarterback offense.
Or as a fifth-stinger that finished last season as the Lobos’ third quarterback on the depth chart.
Or as a freshman who had never truly read coverages to a sophomore that’s starting to make a difference throwing the ball for UNM.
“The more reps he gets,” offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner said Wednesday, “(the more) he’s going to improve.”
A former three-star prospect from Concord, California, Fa’avae played at De La Salle High School, long considered one of the best football programs in the country. Running the Spartans’ trademark veer-option offense, he rushed for a school-record 2,068 yards and 42 touchdowns to help lead De La Salle to three straight state titles.
Fa’avae’s passing numbers were less impressive: In three seasons, he completed 155 of 293 passes (52.9%) for 2,441 yards, 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He would drop back, make one read, maybe two depending on the play in De La Salle’s run-heavy offense.
If neither was there?
“Use your legs,” Fa’avae said Tuesday.
But if the sample size on Fa’avae as a passer was small, Schleusner liked what he saw. Then Eck’s offensive coordinator at Idaho, he remembers Fa’avae’s arm talent and timing standing out. That he had plenty of athletic upside didn’t hurt, either.
As Fa’avae’s recruitment started to take shape, Schleusner made the decision to go watch him throw in the spring.
“Because you kinda have to watch then — once the games start, he doesn’t get to throw a whole lot,” he said.
(Schleusner also remembers a couple “tough” phone calls during Fa’avae’s recruitment process: “He was a quiet guy. I’d call him and he wouldn’t have a whole lot to say, but that’s all right.”)
Holding additional offers from UNLV and Portland State, Fa’avae committed to Idaho entering his senior season at De La Salle. He later flipped to UNM when Eck and Schleusner took jobs at UNM, arriving as a freshman with a lot to learn about seeing the field in the Lobos’ progression-based system.
“Playing in the veer, they didn’t talk about coverages — at all,” Schleusner said. “So, last spring here (and) last fall, I would ask him a lot of questions to keep him engaged, and he didn’t know very many answers.”
As of late, Fa’avae’s found some. After getting the majority of reps with the first-team offense in practice, he posted a season-high 58.8% completion percentage against NM State while creating three explosive (20 yards or more) plays.
Perhaps most important for a quarterback that used to struggle with turnovers? Fa’avae hasn’t lost a fumble or thrown an interception yet.
“I’m proud of him,” Eck said. “He’s protecting the football.”
Beyond growing as a passer, Fa’avae is trying to improve as a runner, too. He said he’s trying to take less hits on the run by either sliding or, as he prefers, diving.
“Diving, I feel, is the most safe option,” he said. “Just kinda going head first and if they do hit you, at least it’s on the top of your head, not kinda under the chin or neck (where) your head gets knocked back.”
So long as he’s playing situational football — understanding the down and distance and using it to decide when to take a hit — Schleusner is fine with whatever angle Fa’avae takes.
“I don’t wanna take away his toughness and things like that,” he said. “But we know we want to take a couple hits off him.”
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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