New Mexico at Hawaii
Who: New Mexico (4-1, 1-0) vs. Hawaii (1-5, 0-3)
When and where: 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu.
How to watch/listen: FS1 will carry UNM-Hawaii with Carlos Jimenez (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst) on the call. Robert Portnoy (play-by-play) and DonTrell Moore (analyst) will broadcast the game on the Lobo Radio Network (770 AM/96.3 FM).
Who’s favored: UNM is listed as a 14-point favorite, per DraftKings. The over/under is set at 45 points.
In some ways, it’s like any other game. Mitch Mueller still asks himself the same questions he always does, mentally checking the same boxes he would before any trip.
Did we triple-check that?
Is that on the list?
Are we sure we packed that?
“The only difference here is,” New Mexico’s director of football equipment operations said, “if we forgot something, it’s a little more difficult to get somebody on a flight to get (back) there.”
Ahead of UNM’s game at Hawaii, Mueller is in charge of making sure everything the Lobos need to play Saturday — pads, helmets, headsets and more — makes it out in time through two shipments: one arriving before the team, one arriving with them.
And, of course, that nothing was left behind.
“In terms of the stress, I wouldn’t say there’s any more than a normal game,” Mueller said. “There’s just that aspect of, if you actually needed something, you can’t get anyone (back to Albuquerque).”
A former equipment staffer at Kansas State and Memphis, Mueller said the bulk of UNM’s equipment was shipped out at 10 a.m. Wednesday via the program’s equipment truck. Around 10,000 pounds worth of coaches’ gear, game jerseys, Gatorade coolers, the program’s coach-to-sideline communications system and select training equipment was stacked on 12 pallets and wrapped in plastic wrap by Mueller and his staff before loading.
Three pallets were dedicated to equipment for CoachComm, UNM’s ever-important coach-to-sideline communications system. Mueller said renting a similar system in Hawaii or sending the system’s sideline cart as is would cost around $20,000; the latter option also requires specialized shipping.
“So ours is broken down into a little bit of a smaller module … It saves us a lot there,” he added. “That took up three pallets, just because I’m not flipping that — I’m stacking that wheels up and strapping it down. Just not something you really wanna mess with.
“And I don’t wanna explain to (head coach Jason Eck) on game day, ‘hey coach,’” he chuckled, “‘Headsets aren’t working because we flipped (the cart).’”
From there, the initial load was driven to Las Vegas, where the cargo was loaded onto a commercial plane and flown out of Harry Reid International Airport on a commercial flight to Honolulu. To get that space, Mueller contracts with Team Worldwide, an international logistics provider that buys cargo space from commercial airlines and sells it to parties like UNM.
“People think, ‘oh, cargo plane,’” Mueller said. “No, it goes under your big (Boeing 777s) that kind of have that cargo space (underneath) … You don’t realize how much stuff does get shipped commercially instead of more, like, FedEx or UPS.”
Team Worldwide contracts with multiple Mountain West teams for their trips to Hawaii. But while Mueller is no stranger to long trips — he helped organize Kansas State’s trip to play Iowa State in Dublin last season — even he was surprised by the company’s ease in arranging for UNM’s trip.
“With Ireland, we were preparing for eight months up until the game,” Mueller said. “This one, they’re like, ‘hey, we’ll reach out three weeks before (the game).’ I’m like, ‘oh, OK?’”
The rest of the Lobos’ equipment — largely helmets and shoulder pads — flew out with UNM’s team and coaching staff on Thursday afternoon, Mueller said. UNM’s first-year director of football equipment operations himself flew out early Wednesday to start unpacking the first cargo load.
Once Saturday’s game is over, two TeamWorldwide staffers will help Mueller and his staff repack the heavier load onto cargo pallets. Because of the quick turnaround, Mueller will add UNM’s game jerseys to the load under the team flight to ensure they’re washed shortly after arriving.
After that? Mueller starts arrangements for the next trip, asking himself the same questions he always does.
“Just being a part of (the team), helping these guys chase their dreams and achieve their dreams,” he said, “That’s something I enjoy … It’s just nice helping others out.”
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.