New Mexico secured the Chile Roaster trophy for the second straight year on Saturday, overpowering rival New Mexico State 42-18 in a dominant road performance. For second-year coach Jason Eck and the Lobos, the lopsided victory provided plenty of celebratory moments, but it also highlighted the high stakes riding on the team's newly overhauled offensive strategy. With conference play looming, the program’s long-term ceiling rests heavily on a massive bet made under center.
For weeks, Eck managed an unorthodox, multi-quarterback offense featuring young signal-callers Toa Fa’avae and Luke Moga. While the strategy worked well enough against subpar early-season competition—including a 70-7 rout of FCS opponent Mercyhurst on September 12—it stalled drastically during a 14-6 road loss at Oklahoma. In that matchup, Fa’avae and Moga combined to complete just 8 of 18 passes for 116 yards, missing open receivers downfield and struggling to sustain drives. Recognizing that the ongoing timeshare was hindering player development, Eck officially abandoned the multi-QB approach ahead of the rivalry game, handing the keys of the offense exclusively to Fa’avae.
Investing in Fa’avae as the Undisputed Starter
The decision to commit to a single starter meant redirecting nearly all first-team practice reps toward Fa’avae, a calculated gamble designed to accelerate a developmental curve that typically spans years rather than weeks. Eck noted that while Fa’avae’s dual-threat rushing capability against Oklahoma ultimately tipped the scales in his favor, the primary motivation was avoiding a stagnation of the passing game.
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“We’re playing two quarterbacks — I expect them to both play well,” Eck remarked following the Mercyhurst victory earlier in the month, a philosophy he discarded once the limitations of the rotation became glaringly apparent. “Because I thought both quarterbacks needed to be better in the passing game,” Eck explained regarding the pivot. “And Toa, I thought he added such an element running the football and making stuff happen. That’s what kinda tipped it in his favor. But we just weren’t getting the development that I wanted under our current system.”
The immediate returns against New Mexico State offered encouraging signs. Operating as the clear-cut starter, Fa’avae completed 10 of 17 passes for 177 yards, tossing a touchdown pass while committing zero turnovers. Having started his freshman year on the scout team and weathering a high turnover rate during spring practice and training camp, Fa’avae has remarkably clean ball security through four games, avoiding a single turnover.
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“It’s not gonna happen overnight,” Eck cautioned after the rivalry win. “You’re not gonna win the Heisman Trophy in a week or two. But I thought he continued to make good plays with his feet and improved.”
Unanswered Questions Ahead of Conference Play
Despite the blowout victory against the Aggies, significant questions remain about whether the Lobos’ offensive investment will yield dividends against tougher opponents. Even before the unfortunate loss of Jack Layne for the season, the team’s ultimate potential was widely expected to mirror the trajectory of its quarterback play.
Fa'avae will now face stiffer tests as the Lobos handle the demanding grind of conference schedules. Coaching staff and fans alike will be watching closely to see if he can steadily sharpen his passing accuracy, absorb fewer punishing hits while scrambling to ensure durability, and execute high-pressure conversions on late downs when the team finds itself trailing.
Eck and the UNM coaching staff deserve credit for proactively making a decisive pivot before the heart of the schedule arrived. However, the heavy investment of practice repetitions and offensive focus must ultimately pay off if the Lobos hope to cement this roster among the greatest in program history.
