None of that resets what New Mexico built last fall, and continuity elsewhere helps: Eck kept both his offensive and defensive coordinators for year two, so the scheme isn't changing even if the arm throwing it is. But an untested quarterback making an early-season start against an unfamiliar opponent is exactly the kind of variable a board hasn't had time to sit with yet, and it's worth keeping an eye on as fall camp reps sort out.
Mercyhurst's side of this is a program in transition too, just with lower stakes. Thomas Sydeski, one of the youngest head coaches in Division I at 31, was elevated from offensive coordinator after Ryan Riemedio left for Youngstown State, and he inherits a Lakers team picked to finish 5th in the Northeast Conference preseason poll after going 5-7 overall in 2025. The two seasons Sydeski spent calling plays produced some of the most productive offensive numbers in program history, which is the case for optimism here.
The bigger issue for Mercyhurst is the schedule itself. This is the middle game of a brutal stretch — New Mexico State on the road, then New Mexico, then a trip to WKU less than two weeks later — three FBS opponents in a four-week window before Northeast Conference play even starts. That's a lot of size and speed disadvantage to absorb in a short span for a roster that's about to lean on a first-year head coach's game management in real time.
Both programs are working through change at the most important position group on the field — Mercyhurst at head coach, New Mexico now at quarterback — and that's the actual story here more than anything the scoreboard is likely to reflect. The Lobos still have the roster and the coaching continuity to be considerably the better team on Saturday, September 12; the question is how much of that shows up with someone other than Layne throwing it.