What do you believe in, Lobo football fans?

Is it the first half in where the Lobos defense surrendered 326 yards of total offense to UTEP, 24 points and scoring plays of 73 and 48 yards?

Or is it the second half where the Lobos defense held the Miners to 120 yards and their lone touchdown given up was gift wrapped off a muffed punt?

The reality is it's somewhere in between. Heading into Saturday’s game against Arizona State, Lobo football fans are going to have to decide which half will be the better barometer of what's ahead for Lobo football. The Sun Devils are not going to leave UNM with much to hang their hat on.

"We have more explosiveness than we have had but we also continue to be up or down. And our downs on defense are significant. It’s all of a sudden when there’s mistake it’s on a big play," Bob Davie said at his Tuesday press conference.

A wobbly start that featured over 20 missed tackles overall, according to Davie, doomed the Lobos. They did show once again that when they execute on offense, moving the ball and scoring points against similar competition shouldn't be an issue.

It's going to be a rough weekend against powerhouse Arizona State but one that will feature plenty of play-makers on both offenses. For those fans not ready to jump the ship and still think the Lobos can move forward, the second half against UTEP is the place to start as the Lobos defense showed flashes with a goal-line stand and the Miners were 0-4 on third down.

Take Saturday with a grain of salt. UNM is not ready to compete with ASU. New Mexico State is around the corner and conference play.