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Repeatedly this month, Bob Davie has said he’s pleased with the state of his University of New Mexico football program as the Lobos prepare for the 2016 season.

Pleased, in fact, might be an understatement. When Davie looks back at the abject mess of a program he inherited in 2012 and fast-forwards to today, he allows himself to marvel at the transformation.

“Just across the board, the culture of the program,” he said of the internal leap forward UNM football has made. “Respect, how the people on the outside look at us. Just total A to Z. Just completely different, day and night.

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“I couldn’t be more proud of this. We’ve put together a heck of a little program right here.”

Davie is quick to add, though, that he realizes no one will care about what happens on the inside – the practice field, the meeting rooms, the weight room, the locker room – if the Lobos don’t win the games.

The program still has plenty of room for improvement there. After going a combined 11-26 in Davie’s first three seasons, UNM nosed over the .500 mark last season (7-6) for the first time during his tenure. The Lobos got to a bowl game last season, a major breakthrough for the program, but so did more than half the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision’s 128 teams.

“I know they don’t give any points out for practice,” Davie said. “It’s all about what’s on that scoreboard at the end of the game.

“But I’ve also found that if you take care of (all the in-house things), if you act like a champion before you’re a champion, you’ll eventually become a champion.”

The consensus around the Mountain West Conference is that UNM isn’t championship material just yet. Despite having tied for second place in the MWC’s Mountain Division last year, the Lobos were picked to finish fifth in a league’s preseason media poll.

Safety Ryan Santos, a fifth-year senior, is one of four original scholarship players who remain from Davie’s first recruiting class. Media poll or no media poll, he has seen the program grow.

“The first August when I came in, you could tell the team wasn’t as close,” he said. “… Now, being my fifth year, you can feel the team unity and everybody trying to get everybody better. Because it’s not just about us, it’s about the future.”

In the present, ticket sales reflect at least a slight uptick in fan interest. As of midday Friday, 9,121 season tickets had been purchased. That’s an increase of 211 from last year at the same stage.

Average attendance at University Stadium last season was 23,528, almost exactly 60 percent of capacity.

The Lobos open the 2016 season at home against South Dakota on Thursday, an adjustment made for TV. Davie said he’s hoping the weeknight game in advance of Labor Day weekend will attract a healthy turnout.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “I think it gives our fans and our student body, in particular, an opportunity to come out and watch us play on a Thursday night. Then if they had plans to leave town (for the weekend), go ahead and leave town. So I think it’s gonna be a neat atmosphere with South Dakota coming in here on a Thursday night.”

With five days left before the opener, here’s a position-group-by-position-group look at the 2016 Lobos.

Quarterback: As they did last season, redshirt junior Lamar Jordan and senior Austin Apodaca both are expected to play. Nothing has been announced as to who will come out with the offensive first unit on the first series Thursday night, but it probably doesn’t matter all that much.

Offensive line: Junior Aaron Jenkins (right guard) and seniors Reno Henderson (left tackle), Chris Lewis (left guard) and Garrett Adcock (right tackle) were consistently on the practice field this month with the first-team offense. Junior Blaise Fountain and redshirt freshman Beau Hott have alternated at center.

Adcock has been held out of practices recently after taking a blow to the head, and Davie said after Saturday’s practice that the fifth-year senior is doubtful for Thursday.

If Adcock can’t go, the likely lineup on the right side is redshirt freshman Charlie Grammel at guard with Jenkins moving from guard to tackle. But Davie said junior Avery Jordan, a highly touted junior college transfer, will see playing time at right tackle.

Wide receiver: Sophomores Patrick Reed and Matt Quarells have taken most of the first-team snaps on the outside, with senior Dameon Gamblin in the slot. Juniors Chris Davis and Emmanuel Harris and redshirt freshman Q’ Drennan are likely to see playing time.

Tight end: Seniors Cole Gautsche, Michael Walsh and Nick Lehman all will play. The Lobos have big plans for Gautsche, a 6-foot-4, 252-pound former quarterback with soft hands and excellent speed.

Running back: Senior Teriyon Gipson (848 yards rushing last season) leads the pack, but juniors Richard McQuarley and Daryl Chestnut and redshirt sophomore Tyrone Owens all have their roles in the Lobos’ multiple offense.

Defensive line: Returning starters Nik D’Avanzo (senior left end), William Udeh (senior nose guard) and Garrett Hughes (junior right end) all have experienced backups. Sophomore Cody Baker likely will share duties with Hughes. Seniors Taylor Timmons and Jack Ziltz and juniors Johnny Williams and Kene Okonkwo can expect to be part of the rotation.

Linebacker: Senior Dakota Cox and junior Kimmie Carson are returning starters on the inside. Junior Austin Ocasio is expected to see snaps in relief of Carson. Cox rarely leaves the field, but Davie said sophomore Alex Hart has earned some playing time.

At outside rush linebacker, senior starter Donnie White is backed ably by senior Maurice Daniels.

Cornerback: The Lobos essentially have three starters in seniors Isaiah Brown and Nias Martin and junior Jadon Boatright. Cibola redshirt freshman Blair Manly and redshirt sophomore Marquez Mackey are next up.

Safety: Without question, Santos at strong safety and senior Daniel Henry at free safety are starters. Sophomore Stanley Barnwell, redshirt sophomore Bijon Parker and junior Jacob Girgle could be in the mix. At nickel safety, senior Lee Crosby and junior Jake Rothschiller are Nos. 1 and 1A.

Kicker: Junior Jason Sanders will be backed up by freshman walk-on Vincent Alerding.

Punter: With senior Sam Gentry suspended for the first four games for academic reasons, strong-legged, left-footed junior college transfer Corey Bojorquez gets the call.

Deep snapper: La Cueva grad Steven Romero is set for his fourth season snapping for punts, field goals and PATs.

Holder: Gentry was the holder last year and presumably will be again once he returns. In the interim, it’s Apodaca, who performed these duties for Washington State in 2013.

Thursday

Season opener: South Dakota at New Mexico, 7 p.m., ROOT Sports, 770 AM