Roy Lopez marvels at how it all worked out.
As a prep player in the Phoenix area, the big defensive tackle wanted to play for Arizona. As a two-star prospect coming out Gilbert Mesquite High School, that opportunity was not forthcoming – at least not on scholarship.
“It was a little bit frustrating,” Lopez said Tuesday. “But I was happy just to go to Division I.”
Lopez landed at New Mexico State, where he played the past four seasons. After qualifying for a redshirt last year because of injury, Lopez expected to finish his college career as an Aggie.
But then the coronavirus pandemic struck, and Lopez’s plans changed. With conferences shifting to league-only schedules, New Mexico State, an FBS independent, lost most of its potential opponents. The matchups against Power Five teams, Lopez said, are “what you play for” at New Mexico State. That prospect became less appealing.
So in July, Lopez put his name in the NCAA transfer portal. It took about a week for Lopez’s college career to come, as he put it, “full circle.” On July 19, he signed with the UA.
“I had a lot of Power Five interest,” Lopez said. “It was cool to see. Coming from high school, I didn’t really have much.
“It was nice to see all the hard work paying off. But I knew when U of A called ... it jumped to the top of the board for sure.”
Lopez started at nose guard in his UA debut last week vs. USC, recording three tackles. He and his fellow defensive linemen will play a critical role in Saturday’s game against run-first Washington.
The starting assignment wasn’t promised. Defensive line coach Stan Eggen made that clear during Lopez’s recruitment.
“I wanted to play at Arizona, and I also saw an opportunity to play,” Lopez said. “As a grad transfer, that’s what you’re looking for – you’re looking for somewhere to come play right away and not waste any time. But I also knew I had to compete for a spot ... that I wasn’t just going to come in and be a starter Day 1.”
Eggen had some idea what he was getting in Lopez, of course. Eggen last coached at New Mexico, which plays against New Mexico State annually (with the exception of this year; the Aggies elected to postpone their season in August). Eggen reached out to former Lobos offensive line coach Saga Tuitele to get a scouting report on Lopez.
“I guess he called the O-line coach,” Lopez said. “‘Is this kid worth a shot?’ Thankfully, he vouched for me.”
Lopez, who’s listed at 6 geet 2 inches and 318 pounds, compiled 137 tackles in 40 games at New Mexico State. He had 20 stops for losses, including eight sacks, plus four passes defensed and three fumble recoveries.
Lopez missed eight games last year because of a hematoma in his shin. He appeared in four, enabling him to redshirt and pursue a fifth season.
Two years earlier, Lopez and his teammates participated in one of the greatest moments in NMSU football history – at the stadium that later would become Lopez’s home.
Making its first postseason appearance since 1960, New Mexico State defeated Utah State 26-20 in overtime in the Arizona Bowl. NMSU fans filled Arizona Stadium and celebrated on the field after the walk-off victory.
The scene wasn’t quite the same when Lopez made his UA debut.
“The big difference was the fans,” Lopez said. “We can’t really have too many fans right now.
“We filled up the whole visitor side (for the Arizona Bowl). That was the most New Mexico State fans I’ve ever seen.
“It was amazing. It was one of the best football experiences I’ve had.”
Lopez did have his own cheering section last week. Players were allowed four guests. Lopez’s parents and sisters came to support him.
“I’m sure everybody could hear them in the stadium,” Lopez said. “That’s pretty much all I need. My sisters are gonna shut down the scene every time. So big shoutout to them.”
Lopez’s father, also named Roy, is no stranger to Tucson. The elder Lopez coached the Sunnyside High School football team from 2016-18. He previously coached his son at Tempe Marcos de Niza and at Mesquite. The elder Lopez is currently the coach at Tolleson.
“I grew up around football,” his son said. “My IQ was very high at a young age of just understanding football. Probably the biggest thing is understanding how to break down film and not just look at one thing, try to find tendencies. That’s something that I’ve gotten into since I was a little kid.
“My dad watches film with me. He’ll call me the night before the game. He watches the TV copy of whoever we’re playing. He’s like, ‘The center does this, the guard does this, watch out for this guy.’ He’s always doing those type of things. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Long, short of it
No one can dispute Lucas Havrisik’s leg strength. He regularly boots kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. He also has made five field goals of 50-plus yards in his UA career.
Arizona offensive lineman Woody Jean (73) and Arizona place kicker Lucas Havrisik (43) watch Havrisik’s 51 yard kick go through the uprights against USC in the fourth quarter of their Pac 12 game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., November 14, 2020.
Havrisik has a higher success rate on field-goal attempts of 50-plus yards (55.6%) than those between 30 and 49 (55.0). He also has as many career misses on 50-plus yard kicks as extra-point tries (four apiece).
All of which begs the question: Are longer field goals easier for Havrisik?
“It seems to be that way sometimes,” he said.
The truth is, Havrisik approaches every kick the same way, whether it’s a 57-yard field goal (his career long and tied for the longest in UA history) or a point after. That approach helps him to move on from one kick to the next, make or miss.
Havrisik missed his first attempt against the Trojans, from 42 yards. He made his next three tries, including a 51-yarder that gave Arizona a 23-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
“My mentality is, if I miss a kick, it’s just the next kick I get, the next opportunity to take advantage of,” Havrisik said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to miss a field goal, especially the first one. So I was disappointed. But I was just that (much) more excited to get another opportunity so I can prove what I can do for this team, help the team out and do my job.”
Extra points
- Havrisik, a fourth-year senior, said he plans to return to Arizona next season. This year doesn’t count against anyone’s eligibility, per the NCAA.
- Although this is his fifth season, Lopez could come back next year as well. “That’ll be a decision I make at the end of the season,” he said. “So we’ll see.”
- Lopez and teammate Aaron Blackwell – also a grad transfer, defensive tackle and Arizona native – wrestled against each other in high school. Blackwell transferred to Arizona from New Mexico. “I knew about him from UNM, but we never really talked,” Lopez said. “When I got here, we smiled and laughed. It was crazy that we actually ended up here together.”
