The success the last two weeks (of 2020) showed them that this stuff really does work. We kept beating it into them and beating it into them. вЂњWe were 0-5 and if you go 0-7 and you put them through what we put them through, theyвЂ™re looking at us going, вЂThis donвЂ™t work. вЂњThe last two weeks were very, very good for our program,вЂќ Gonzales said during a conversation over the summer at Mountain West media days.

Restoring toughness to the New Mexico program has been the biggest challenge for Gonzales and his staff.ДЄ big boost during last seasonвЂ™s COVID-shortened schedule was the Lobos concluded it with victories over Wyoming and Fresno State after going winless in their first five games. But if you watch them on tape, that hasnвЂ™t changed. вЂњNow, some of the things the last two years have changed since Coach Long has left. вЂњThey were coached very well to play hard and the image of what our program will look like is a lot of that. Coach Long started that process with Coach Hoke. вЂњI told our team in the locker room on Saturday the team youвЂ™re getting ready to play next week, a guy in this locker room built. вЂњI think that now theyвЂ™re the best team in our league. вЂњWeвЂ™re playing a top 25 team that has the potential to be a top 15, top 10 team,вЂќ Gonzales said Monday in his weekly press conference. Gonzales pointed to SDSU (4-0) as the model the Lobos would like to emulate. New Mexico (2-3) comes into this game on a three-game losing streak that includes last weekвЂ™s 38-10 loss to Air Force. The defensive coordinator can just go about his business. Not for the record, anyway.ДЄnd, as he says, Gonzales is the head coach, so he has to talk.

Long didnвЂ™t want to speak about the game beyond that. Nobody thinks about that other stuff when the gameвЂ™s going on.вЂќ вЂњPregame theyвЂ™ll be in my mind, but once the game starts itвЂ™s a football game on both sides. вЂњI have a lot of fond memories about the coaching staff and the players. TheyвЂ™re an excellent football team, and IвЂ™m glad to see all the success that theyвЂ™re having. вЂњIt would have been tougher if we were in the old stadium,вЂќ Long said by phone this week. Long had to be coaxed into speaking about what it will be like Saturday staring across the field at the players and coaches wearing red and black. The chance for both Gonzales and Long to restore a New Mexico football program so dear to them means more than does the site of their greatest success. Long left as the MWвЂ™s winningest head coach (146-107).Д«ut Long sold his Ocean Beach home within a month or two of being hired as Lobos defensive coordinator and he and his wife moved back to New Mexico. Why wouldnвЂ™t they? He won three Mountain West championships and accompanied SDSU to a school-record 10 straight bowl games (nine as head coach). Good memories remain in San Diego for Long as well. Long was born in Provo, Utah (his parents attended BYU), and raised in Southern California, but his deepest roots were planted during his college days at New Mexico. He was hired as New MexicoвЂ™s head coach two years ago after spending two years as defensive coordinator at Arizona State, where he went after leaving SDSU вЂњIвЂ™m home,вЂќ said Gonzales, who was born and raised in Albuquerque. We loved living in San Diego,вЂќ he said - but nothing means as much as being back in New Mexico. Gonzales appreciates his time in San Diego - вЂњWe did some really good things. вЂњIвЂ™m glad we won because thatвЂ™s the reason we do this, but it wasnвЂ™t any fun to watch the guys with the Lobo helmets on not win.

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