August 6, 2008
Albuquerque Journal
Lobos Have Dynamic Duo
By Greg Archuleta, Journal Staff WriterIan Clark and Clint McPeek walked off the field together at the end of University of New Mexico football practice Tuesday, dispelling the notion that they are the same player — a Bruce Wayne-Batman type.
Clark, a junior out of Highland High School, and McPeek, also a junior and a La Cueva product, both play lobo back. It's the most glamorous position on Lobo coach Rocky Long's defense.
The manner in which they split time at the spot in 2007 created suspicion that they were the same player in different jerseys.
“It kind of worked out last year, because of injuries to both of them, that they really didn't split time,” Long said. “It always seemed as one was getting healthy, the other one got hurt.”
Clark separated his shoulder during the preseason last year, and he wasn't really full strength until the eighth game against Air Force. In that game, McPeek went down with a pinched nerve and wasn't healthy until the New Mexico Bowl — when Clark aggravated his shoulder injury.
“I tell them all the time that between the two of them, we had one solid lobo,” safeties coach Danny Gonzales says.
While Gonzales adds that the two have virtually the same talents on the field, they stake their claims on opposite sides of the superhero persona.
“I'm Bruce Wayne,” the 6-foot, 224-pound Clark says.” (Wayne's) the pretty one.”
It's an apropos description. Clark, the former Hornets quarterback who came to UNM on scholarship, gained fame by leading the team in tackles last season with 79.
I'm Batman,” says the 6-3, 227-pound McPeek (50 tackles in '07), who came to UNM as a walk-on. The dark knight saw his career slowed early by injuries and steadily remained in Clark's shadow until Clark's ailment.
Gonzales says a knee injury sidelined McPeek in high school, scaring off most recruiters.
The two have competed since high school, in track as well as football. Even then, Clark says, he'd show up at some meets when McPeek was absent, and vice versa.
“They still argue who won the 110-meter hurdles between the two of them when they competed in high school,” Gonzales says. “They push each other in every aspect. They feed off each other, and they're good friends off the field.”
Something Clark wasn't at all sure would happen when he came to UNM and learned that McPeek and fellow La Cueva grad Frankie Baca (their Robin?) also were on the team.
“It's so different because you think coming out of high school, 'No way I can be friends with these guys.' I feel just as close to them as the guys I was at Highland with.”
UNM will lessen the competition between McPeek and Clark somewhat by finding ways to get them on the field together in 2008.
“Our defense is flexible enough that both of them can be in the game at the same time,” Long says. “We won't put them on when the offense has two backs and two tight ends because they're not those types of players, but they give you some flexibility in coverage.”
McPeek, who admits he wants more tackles than Clark this season just for bragging rights, says he's excited for the chance to play alongside his alter-ego.
When asked what each's strengths are, McPeek retreats into a suspicious mode.
“We're about the same, actually,” he says.”
SCHEDULE JUST GOT TOUGHER: ESPN.com's Graham Watson released her top-10 non-BCS programs in 2008. Brigham Young tops her list. Tulsa checks in at No. 3, Utah No. 4 and TCU No. 9.
“I really like Tulsa as a sleeper, and TCU can never be counted out,” she writes.
At least if UNM beats those teams, as well as Texas A&M, Arizona and the rest of its opponents, it shouldn't have to beg for a BCS game invitation.