Last year, the UTPB football team made history by winning the school’s first ever Lone Star Conference title and making the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in history.
Now, the challenge for the Falcons is to do it again and to do it with a target on their backs.
After going 10-2 overall and 8-0 in the LSC a year ago, it’s safe to say that second-year head coach Kris McCullough and his players have caught the attention of the rest of the conference.
2023 was UTPB’s first winning record after the team was picked to finish near the bottom in the preseason rankings heading into last fall.
Now, the expectations are slightly higher as the Falcons and their high-scoring offense look to not only get back to the postseason but go further in the playoffs.
McCullough and the rest of his players are looking to make a statement when the season begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ratliff Stadium against Western New Mexico.
“We’re not thinking about last year at all,” McCullough said. “We’re the defending conference champions, I get that. We’re going to have the target on our backs. The only thing we’re going to focus on is winning one after another. I’m not going to worry about Central Washington or Angelo State or anyone else. I’m just worried about the opponent we have next and that’s Western New Mexico. We have to come out strong and make a statement game that we still are the conference champions. We are what we were a year ago if not better. We’re going to take things one day at a time and go win another.”
>> WESTERN NEW MEXICO: Western New Mexico is coming off a 2-8, 1-7 showing.
Just like UTPB, the Mustangs are led by a second-year head coach as Billy Hickman looks to turn things around for Western New Mexico.
The Falcons had no trouble defeating Western New Mexico last year as UTPB posted an easy 56-3 win in Silver City, N.M.
Only once has UTPB lost to Western New Mexico which came in a 47-28 result back in 2019.
>> OPENING UP WITH CONFERENCE PLAY: UTPB will be wasting no time in beginning conference play this year.
Saturday’s game will be the first time in the Falcons’ history that they will be opening up against a Lone Star Conference opponent.
After that, UTPB will have to wait three more weeks to play its next LSC opponent as the Falcons will take on nonconference foes Colorado State-Pueblo and Adams (both from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) on Sept. 7 and 14, respectively.
UTPB’s second LSC game will be against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 21.
>> NEW QUARTERBACK: During spring workouts, it didn’t take Dylan Graham long to establish himself as the next leader of the Falcons’ offense.
The graduate student from Walnut Creek, Calif. replaces Kenny Hrncir at quarterback.
Hrncir is now the Falcons’ co-offensive coordinator.
“I think Dylan has been very solid throughout camp,” McCullough said. “He takes reps and throws the ball down the field to our guys which is what I want. He’s very smart and cool at times in certain situations. He knows what we want on third downs and what we want to do in the red zone. He’s been everything we’ve wanted him to be. We started him in the spring and showed us that he was the guy and that he was ready to take a step forward.”
>> PROMISING WEEKS: UTPB’s first weeks of practice have looked good, from what McCullough has seen.
What has stood out the most has been the team’s chemistry.
“I think the biggest thing is the team bonding,” McCullough said. “The talent has been there since day one and the execution has gotten better. The closeness of our team since day one has defiantly transformed the team. They’ve done a good job of team bonding.”
>> WORTH MENTIONING: While the Falcons’ offense had no trouble putting up points last year, the team’s season came to a screeching halt when the offense couldn’t get anything going in UTPB’s 10-3 loss to Bemidji State in the first round of the playoffs last year.
McCullough is determined to not let that happen again.
“I think the last thing everyone remembers is our offense scoring points last season but then only scoring three points in the last game of the season,” McCullough said. “Offensively, we’re going to try and light up the scoreboard. Defensively, we want to take care of business and force some turnovers and not give up the big plays. I think there’s nobody in the country that will go on a 12 or 14 play-drive on us and score.”
