Texas A&M offers former New Mexico State DL from the transfer portal

Texas A&M has fielded an offer to former New Mexico State defensive lineman Dion Wilson Jr. from the transfer portal.

New Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has continued to utilize the transfer portal throughout the month of December, landing seven players, including former Kansas State cornerback Will Lee Jr., who is a plug and player going into the 2024 season.

While nearly every position on defense has been addressed, the defensive tackle spot has seen vast attrition due to multiple entries into the transfer portal: Veteran McKinnley Jackson has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, while Walter Nolen, who has transferred to Ole Miss, and nose tackle Isaiah Raikes, who entered the portal, have also departed.

On Monday, it was revealed that the Aggies had offered former Arizona and New Mexico State defensive lineman Dion Wilson Jr., who spent the 2023 season with the NMS Aggies, appearing in 14 games under then-head coach Jerry Kill.

In said 14 games, Wilson recorded 31 tackles (18 solo tackles), 2.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks on the year. Standing at 6’5″ and 300 pounds, Wilson’s 2022 season with Arizona was very similar, accumulating 19 tackles (7 solo tackles), one tackle for loss, one sack, and one pass deflection during his sophomore season.

With one year of collegiate eligibility remaining, it would be wise for Wilson to consider visiting College Station sooner, looking like a perfect fit in Elko and new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s system.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Isleta New Mexico Bowl: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

Fresno State looks to spoil New Mexico State’s breakthrough season in the New Mexico Bowl. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.

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Isleta New Mexico Bowl: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction


Fresno State will look to end 2023 with a victory over New Mexico State. Here’s how to watch and what to watch for.


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Can the ‘Dogs recapture a little magic in the Land of Enchantment?

ISLETA NEW MEXICO BOWL: New Mexico State Aggies (10-4, 7-1 Conference USA) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4, 4-4 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, December 16 — 2:45 PM PT/3:45 PM MT

WHERE: University Stadium; Albuquerque, NM

WEATHER: Mostly sunny, high of 48 degrees

TV: ESPN

STREAMING: Fans can sign up to receive a free one-week trial of Fubo, which includes ESPN, by following this link.

RADIO: The New Mexico State broadcast can be found on the affiliates of the Aggie Radio Network, including flagship 99.5 FM (KXPZ) in Las Cruces. The Fresno State broadcast can be found in and around the Central Valley on the affiliates of the Bulldog Sports network, including flagship 1340 AM (KCBL) in Fresno.

SERIES RECORD: Fresno State leads the all-time series, 18-1. In the last meeting on September 28, 2019, the Bulldogs defeated the Aggies, 30-17, in Las Cruces.

LAST GAME: New Mexico State lost to Liberty in the Conference USA football championship game, 49-35, while Fresno State lost to San Diego State on the road, 33-18.

WEBSITES: NMStateSports.com, the official New Mexico State athletics website | GoBulldogs.com, the official Fresno State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF): New Mexico State | Fresno State

ODDS: New Mexico State -3.5

SP+ PROJECTION: New Mexico State by 0.6

FEI PROJECTION: Fresno State by 1.0

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: New Mexico State 51.27% win probability (28.80-27.39)

Mountain West football’s seven-game bowl slate kicks off in Albuquerque on Saturday afternoon, when the Fresno State Bulldogs will take on the New Mexico State Aggies.

The Aggies will be plenty motivated to send one of the program’s best teams ever into the off-season with one last win, and the chances are they’ll get to benefit from a friendly crowd in the stands since the game will take place just three-plus hours from Las Cruces. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, enter the game with far more uncertainty than they had a month ago, in the midst of a three-game losing streak that they’ll look to break without head coach Jeff Tedford, who is currently sidelined with health concerns.

Here’s how the Aggies and Bulldogs can find a path to victory to finish 2023.

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Three Keys to a New Mexico State Victory

1. Don’t lose the turnover battle.

Generally speaking, New Mexico State has done a pretty good job of taking care of the football when playing on offense. The Aggies have just 14 giveaways in 14 games, the fewest in Conference USA, but there’s little doubt that when they’ve been off their game, turnovers have played a big role since eight of those 14 giveaways came in NMSU’s four losses.

By contrast, Fresno State’s defense was one of the most active in the Mountain West at generating takeaways, collecting 22 in 12 games. However, the Bulldogs faltered on that front in their recent losing streak, coming up empty in two of their last three games, so the Aggies might have an advantage simply by avoiding killer mistakes one last time.

2. Get a big performance from the ground game.

NMSU has tended toward balance in their run-pass ratio throughout the season, but they may find it useful to resist Fresno State’s resistance to the run. While the Bulldogs are sixth in the Mountain West by allowing 4.35 yards per carry, they’ve struggled mightily since the calendar turned to November, coughing up 5.86 YPC and eight rushing touchdowns in the last four games.

This could be good news for the Aggies, who don’t have a heavy-lifting RB1 but do have three different players — quarterback Diego Pavia and running backs Star Thomas and Monte Watkins — who have recorded at least 50 rushing attempts and averaged at least 5.39 YPC. That trio has also accounted for a gain of at least ten yards on 20.9% of their combined carries, which is something they’ll almost certainly look to exploit.

3. Win on as many third downs as possible.

One area of the game where New Mexico State and Fresno State have been similarly productive is in moving the chains and keeping opponents from doing the same. The Bulldogs own a slight advantage on offense (46.55% for Fresno State, 43.95% for NMSU), but the Aggies could have an upper hand on defense (35.43% for NMSU, 39.88% for Fresno State).

This might be especially true if the Aggies can force Fresno State into passing downs more often than not. According to CollegeFootballData.com, NMSU allowed a 28% success rate when opponents faced a second down with seven-plus yards to go or a third or fourth down with five-plus yards to go, as well as a 54.8% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks.

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Three Keys to a Fresno State Victory

1. Get better pass protection from the offensive line.

One way or another, the Bulldogs are likely to lead with the pass when they attack the Aggies defense. Parker Fleming’s advanced statistics preview notes that Fresno State comes into the bowl game with a rush rate over expected percentage of -11.6%, which means that Pat McCann’s offense run the ball less frequently than all but five other FBS teams.

It isn’t a bad idea when you consider that New Mexico State’s pass rush is more the sum of its parts than one built on individual standouts: Five different Aggies have between three and 4.5 sacks this season. However, Fresno State’s offensive line has struggled badly down the stretch. According to Pro Football Focus, guard Osmar Velez and tackles Toreon Penright and Braylen Nelson each gave up multiple sacks between Weeks 10 and 13; the only other Mountain West offensive line to do that was Nevada.

2. Keep Jonathan Brady’s contributions to a minimum.

Four different Fresno State pass catchers have seen more than the 58 targets that Brady has received in 2023, but you could make a decent case that none of them have done as much as the sophomore from Las Vegas with their share. Brady hasn’t dropped a single pass, for starters, but his team-high 37 receptions and 613 receiving yards will be even more important in the bowl game with his primary running mate, Trent Hudson, gone through the transfer portal.

Whether he lines up opposite Carlton Johnson or Al’zillion Hamilton
more frequently remains to be seen, but it will be a big opportunity for both. Between Weeks 10 and 13, they combined to allow 15 catches and 12.3 yards per reception on 28 targets, so while Brady has averaged 16.6 YPC on the year, his more recent performances have been modest. If the secondary can keep him from stretching the field, it could make for a significant advantage.

3. Ride or die (one more time) with Mikey Keene.

Because it’s no secret the Bulldogs are pass-first, Keene’s presence as the presumably healthy QB1 will be a major factor in whether the offense can overcome its recent sputtering. There’s no doubt his health concerns played a role in the team’s ongoing losing streak, as his 60% completion rate in November was the lowest of any calendar month this year, as were the 5.9 yards he averaged per attempt and the 110.03 passer rating he mustered.

One potential obstacle is NMSU cornerback Andre Seldon, who is arguably the team’s top overall defender. The redshirt sophomore has allowed a catch rate of 42.6% on 61 targets, though he also spends the vast majority of his playing time outside of the numbers. It could mean that Erik Brooks and Jaelen Gill, both of whom have had at least 79% of their snaps out of the slot (per PFF), might be key to softening up the Aggies underneath.

Prediction

They say that time heals all wounds, which is something that Fresno State must hope is true since quarterback health is going to be crucial to their bounce-back efforts in this contest. However, that was less of an excuse for the defense’s recent woes, and that might be an even bigger X-factor. New Mexico State has as many weapons as the Bulldogs do, and there are just enough uncertainties to expect that this will be a close game no matter what, but home cooking and a balanced offensive attack will make a difference in the end for the Aggies to gut out a win.

New Mexico State 31, Fresno State 27

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Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out And Transfer Tracker

The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?

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Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out and Transfer Tracker


The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?


Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Not all the stars will be out in December.

December marks perhaps the busiest time of college football season. Between the upcoming slate of bowl games, the official opening of the transfer portal, and buzz surrounding the game’s brightest stars and their standing in next year’s NFL Draft, players have plenty on their minds when deciding how to finish their season.

Not everyone will choose to stay on the field, though. Check back here throughout the month as we watch which athletes opt out of bowl season, both among the Mountain West’s seven bowl teams and their opponents.

Note: Significant contributors among opponents will be noted in italics.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Air Force

  • Aidan Behymer, TE
  • Caden Blum, DL
  • Mason Carlan, OL
  • John Lee Eldridge III, RB
  • Jonah Jensen, QB
  • Brady Phillips, DL
  • Caleb Rillos, TE
  • Jarius Stewart, QB
  • Anthony Wenson, WR

James Madison

  • Brent Austin, DB
  • Kaelon Black, RB — team-high 594 rushing yards, 23 catches, 220 receiving yards in 2023
  • James Carpenter, DL — FCS Freshman All-American in 2021; two-time all-Sun Belt
  • Aiden Fisher, LB — third-team all-Sun Belt, 91 tackles, seven passes defended, six tackles for loss in 2023
  • Desmond Green, WR
  • Zach Horton, TE — first-team all-Sun Belt, 26 catches, 266 yards, six touchdowns in 2023
  • Taurus Jones, LB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 82 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss in 2022
  • Mikail Kamara, DL — second-team all-Sun Belt, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks in 2023
  • Wayne Knight, RB
  • Ty Son Lawton, RB — 742 all-purpose yards, six total touchdowns in 2023
  • Chauncey Logan, DB — 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, six passes defended in 2023
  • Carter Miller, OL — redshirt freshman, nine starts, 639 snaps at left guard in 2023
  • Abi Nwabuoku-Okonji, DL
  • Tyler Stephens, OL — 30 career starts; four starts each at left guard, right tackle, left tackle in 2023
  • Jailin Walker, LB — 30 career starts; 55 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four passes defended in 2023
  • Tyshawn Wyatt, OL

Starco Brands LA Bowl, Hosted By Gronk

Boise State 

  • Taylen Green, QB
  • Eric McAlister, WR
  • Keenan McCaddy, DB
  • Kivon Wright, DL

UCLA

  • Kam Brown, WR
  • Keegan Jones, WR
  • Laiatu Latu, DL — Ted Hendricks Award winner, Lombardi Award winner, Pac-12 defensive player of the year in 2023
  • Dante Moore, QB — five-star true freshman, five starts in 2023
  • William Nimmo Jr., DB
  • Kamari Ramsey, DB — redshirt freshman safety, 11 starts in 2023
  • Carsen Ryan, TE
  • Jake Wiley, OL

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

Fresno State

  • Tanner Blount, LB
  • Logan Fife, QB
  • Chrishawn Gordon, DB
  • Abraham Montaño, K
  • Hayden Pulis, OL
  • Raymond Scott, LB

New Mexico State

  • Reggie Akles, WR
  • Ta’ir Brooks, WR
  • Jamari Buddin, LB
  • Tyler Devera, TE
  • Trent Hudson, WR — 36 catches, 571 yards, team-high ten touchdowns in 2023
  • PJ Johnson, WR
  • Malachi McLean, DB
  • Jordin Parker, WR
  • Tyriece Thomas, DL

EasyPost Hawaii Bowl

San Jose State

  • Branden Alvarez, WR
  • Fernando Carmona Jr., OL
  • Blake Davis, DB
  • Charlie Leota, DL
  • Anthony Madrigal, OL
  • Dominick Mazotti, TE
  • Elijah Wood, LB

Coastal Carolina

  • CJ Beasley, RB — team-high 717 rushing yards in 2022; 262 rushing yards, two touchdowns in 2023
  • Mason Bowers, OL
  • Jahmar Brown, DB
  • Jared Brown, WR — 2022 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year; 108 career receptions, 1,534 career receiving yards, 11 career touchdowns
  • Bailey Carraway, LB
  • Evan Crenshaw, P — sophomore; 83 career punts, 39.7 career yards per punt
  • Aaron Diggs, DB
  • Jarrett Guest, QB — two starts in 2023 following injury to Grayson McCall
  • Eli Hillman, DB
  • Kaleb Hutchinson, DB
  • Tavyn Jackson, DB
  • JT Killen, LB — 25 career starts; 65 tackles, three tackles for loss in 2023
  • Derrick Maxey, DB
  • Grayson McCall, QB — three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year
  • Tyson Mobley, WR
  • Tre Pinkney, LB
  • Jacob Proche, DB
  • Chris Rhone, WR
  • Braylon Ryan, DL — 38 career games, 21 career starts; 24 tackles, two tackles for loss in 2023
  • Laurence Sullivan, DB
  • Bryson Summers, OL
  • Dami’on Thompson, WR
  • Donnell Wilson, OL

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

UNLV

  • Jordan Jakes, WR
  • Jordyn Morgan, DB

Kansas

  • Will Huggins, TE
  • Reece Thomas, WR

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Utah State

  • William Testa, K
  • Josh Williams, LB

Georgia State

  • KZ Adams, RB
  • Rico Arnold, WR
  • Bryquice Brown, DB — 42 career games; 35 tackles, six passes defended in nine games
  • Marcus Carroll, RB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 1,350 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
  • Montavious Cunningham, OL — redshirt sophomore, 15 career starts, 737 snaps at right tackle in 2023
  • Jaquon Dixon, RB
  • Cameron Dye, OL
  • Evan Graham, LB
  • JayT Jackson, DB
  • Jordan Jones, LB
  • Robert Lewis, WR — led team with 70 catches, 877 yards, five receiving touchdowns
  • Tony McCray, DB
  • Jalen Tate, DB

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

Wyoming

  • DQ James, RB
  • Kolbey Taylor, DB

Toledo

  • Dequan Finn, QB — three-time all-MAC, 2023 MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award winner (conference MVP)
  • Jaret Frantz, WR
  • Micah Kelly, RB
  • Brad Ling, K
  • Vinny Sciury, OL — first-team all-MAC in 2023, 836 snaps at left guard
  • Ty Thomas, DL

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New Mexico Bowl: First Look At The New Mexico State Aggies

This year’s New Mexico Bowl features two teams from the old WAC, but Fresno State won’t want to take these revitalized Aggies lightly.

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New Mexico Bowl: First Look At The New Mexico State Aggies


This year’s New Mexico Bowl features two teams from the old WAC, but Fresno State won’t want to take these revitalized Aggies lightly.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

Las Cruces has been magic all year.

New Mexico State has often been one of the toughest places to win anywhere in the country, so winning as many games as they did this fall, the same number that the Aggies won between 2020 and 2022, makes you sit up and take notice.

Everyone loves an underdog, though, and those same Aggies could have a significant home-field advantage when they face off with the Fresno State Bulldogs in this year’s Isleta New Mexico Bowl, three hours from Las Cruces. After 50 or 60 years in the wilderness, you can’t say they haven’t earned it, but how did NMSU get here?

Here’s what Bulldogs fans need to know about their bowl game opponent.

2023 New Mexico State Aggies — Team Profile

Conference: Conference USA

2023 Record: 10-4 (7-2 Conference USA)

SP+ ranking: 62nd

FEI ranking: 73rd

Sagarin rating: 82nd

Head coach: Jerry Kill (second year at New Mexico State, 25th year overall; 17-10 with Aggies, 175-114 overall)

2023 in a nutshell: After clinching the program’s third winning season and second bowl victory since 2000 last year, the Aggies set about proving this fall that was no fluke. They stumbled out of the gate with a 2-3 record, beating rival New Mexico but dropping road games at Liberty and Hawaii, but righted the ship in time to win eight consecutive contests and earn a rematch against Liberty in the Conference USA championship.

Though they again fell short against the Flames, the Aggies will be comfortable playing up the 25 from Las Cruces since their winning streak included four road wins, including at Western Kentucky and Auburn. In all, the 10-4 record marked the program’s first season with double-digit wins since going 11-0 as part of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1960.

Best wins: vs. Jacksonville State (8-4), at Auburn (6-6), at Western Kentucky (7-5)

Key Players

Diego Pavia, QB

It took a while for Pavia to settle into the starting job last season, but he picked up right where he left off and accounted for an average of 269 yards of total offense per game and 7.55 yards per play in 2023. Both figures rank in the top 35 among all FBS players, but it also obscures that he’s more than capable of doing damage with his arm (61.6% completion rate, 8.5 yards per attempt, 24 touchdowns, 2.3% interception rate) and his legs (851 rushing yards, fourth among quarterbacks; six TDs).

While it remains to be seen if Pavia suit up for the bowl game after playing through various aches and pains, he could be a headache for the Bulldogs if he does.

Keyshaun Elliott, LB

After getting his feet wet with the Aggies in 2022, the sophomore Elliott stepped into the starting lineup after one game and never looked back. He led the Aggies with 101 total tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss, finishing fifth among all Conference USA defenders with 45 stops (per PFF), cementing himself as a young star worth watching in the Group of 5.

Andre Seldon, CB

The former Michigan transfer emerged as the anchor in New Mexico State’s secondary this year, his second full season as a starter. Despite facing 61 targets, tied for third-most in Conference USA, he allowed a 42.6% completion rate, picking up 50 tackles, six passes defended, and an interception.

Star Thomas, RB

While the Aggies often deployed a committee in the running game, Thomas had previously led the team in all-purpose yardage and continued to shine as the lead back and Pavia’s primary complement. Though he only has 111 total carries and managed no more than 12 in any one game, the junior has averaged 5.79 yards per carry and scored six total touchdowns.

Canaan Yarro, C

Yarro brought much-needed stability to the offensive line as one of two players to start every game this season, playing a team-high 882 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. Despite the large workload, he is one of only six FBS centers to have played at least 800 snaps while allowing six or fewer quarterback pressures and zero sacks.

Overview:

Offense

With veterans back at just about every key position, the Aggies had one of their most prolific offensive seasons in recent memory. According to Brian Fremeau, New Mexico State earned 2.63 points per drive (37th in FBS) and 56.5% of available yards per drive (17th), both of which were far and away the team’s best figures dating back to 2007. They also had just 14 giveaways in 14 games, the fewest in Conference USA, so they’re an offense not usually inclined to beat themselves.

In the offensive backfield, Pavia and Thomas typically lead the way with periodic contributions from running backs Monte Watkins and Jamoni Jones (6.46 combined yards per carry, five touchdowns). Yarro and left tackle Shiyazh Pete provide seasoned leadership on the offensive line, supplemented by youngsters like sophomore AJ Vaipulu and redshirt freshman Louie Canepa.

NMSU’s passing game is a fairly balanced one that saw six different players receive at least 20 targets, but the lead pass-catcher is sophomore Jonathan Brady, who led the team with 37 catches for 613 yards, scoring four touchdowns. Junior Trent Hudson paced the Aggies with ten touchdown receptions, averaging 15.9 yards per catch, while Eli Stowers made a transition from quarterback to pitch in with 32 receptions and two scores.

Defense

Compared to the offense, the Aggies defense seems very much a bend-but-don’t-break unit, ranking 101st by available yards percentage allowed (52.0%) per drive but 56th in points per drive allowed (2.12). That they managed to force only 11 takeaways would seem to reinforce this, but NMSU also had a knack for making timely plays when it counts most, finishing second in Conference USA by collecting 31 sacks and holding opponents to a 35.4% third-down conversion rate. They also allowed a 50% touchdown rate on 56 trips into the red zone, one of just 21 FBS defenses to reach that mark.

Up front, sophomores Gabe Peterson and Sterling Webb, the latter of whom was recently named a first-team all-conference performer, lead the charge after combining for 13.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Collectively, the front seven knows how to get after the ball, though, as PFF notes six different Aggies had at least a dozen quarterback hurries (for comparison, Fresno State had one).

Peterson, Webb, Elliott, and Seldon make up a formidable nucleus, but they’re far from the only young athletes on this side of the ball. Defensive linemen Buddha Peleti and Gabriel Iniguez, safety Myles Rowser, and linebacker Sone Aupiu are all sophomores who played at least 400 snaps.

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Fresno State Football: Bulldogs To Face New Mexico State In Isleta New Mexico Bowl

The Bulldogs will end the 2023 season with a tough test against the New Mexico State Aggies in the Land of Enchantment.

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Fresno State Football: Bulldogs To Face New Mexico State In Isleta New Mexico Bowl


The Bulldogs will end the 2023 season with a tough test against the Aggies in the Land of Enchantment.


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The ‘Dogs look to end the year with a win.

The Fresno State Bulldogs didn’t end their regular season as hoped, but the team was rewarded with a bid in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, where they will face the New Mexico State Aggies, in a matchup first reported by Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

Jeff Tedford’s Bulldogs had a 8-1 record after the first week of November, a stretch through which the team defeated both UNLV and Boise State, but they stumbled in the last few weeks of the season and lost three straight games to fall out of the championship race. To compound matters, the program announced last week that Tedford would temporarily step back from his duties because of health concerns. Despite the unexpected development, Fresno State’s last New Mexico Bowl trip was a fruitful one, defeating UTEP back in 2021.

As for New Mexico State, the Aggies proved that last year’s surge under second-year head coach Jerry Kill was no fluke, joining Conference USA and posting a 10-4 record, the program’s first season with double-digit wins since 1960, while earning a spot in the conference championship game. Though they lost the title to Liberty, NMSU proved its mettle in November with consecutive wins over Western Kentucky, Auburn, and Jacksonville State.

This year’s New Mexico Bowl is set for Saturday, December 16. It will be broadcast on ESPN, kicking off at 2:45 PM Pacific/3:45 PM Mountain.

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New Mexico State taunted Western Kentucky with suggestive chicken-eating, then showed off a uniform

Tastes like chicken.

New Mexico State’s football team found a very unorthodox way to unveil its Week 10 uniforms.

The school’s social media team poked some fun at the team’s upcoming opponent Western Kentucky (and perhaps paid homage to National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day) with this very chicken-friendly promo video.

It featured a few Aggies players humorously munching down on some fried chicken (y’know … Kentucky Fried Chicken and all) to both taunt its Kentuckian challengers and show off this week’s threads.

For a team that’s found unique ways to share game attires at times this season, this video probably takes the cake … or the chicken … whichever you prefer.

This video might not be the most intimidating example of trying to intimidate the opponent that we’ve seen this season, but it’s certainly the most creative.

And, hey, the chicken looked pretty tasty! When you taunt your opponent, you might as well get a full stomach out of it, too.

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Mountain West Football: First Look At The New Mexico State Aggies

The Aggies outperformed expectations last year. Can they do it again while contending with two Mountain West opponents?


Mountain West Football: First Look at the New Mexico State Aggies


The Aggies outperformed expectations last year. Can they do it again while contending with two Mountain West opponents?


Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

New Mexico State’s staying power will be tested.

Hawaii Football: First Look at 2023 Non-conference Opponents

Vanderbilt | Stanford | Albany | Oregon | New Mexico State

New Mexico Football: First Look At 2023 Non-conference Opponents

Texas A&M | Tennessee Tech | New Mexico State | Massachusetts

You don’t get many opportunities to put “New Mexico State” and “winning football” together in the same sentence, but things are looking up in the southern part of the Land of Enchantment after the Aggies secured just their fourth winning season since 1999.

Not only does NMSU have a new conference to call home, they enter 2023 with bragging rights in the Rio Grande Rivalry against New Mexico and notched their first-ever victory over Hawaii. With both the Lobos and Warriors on the docket once again, will they be able to maintain their upper hand against the Mountain West?

Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Conference: Conference USA

Series History: Hawaii leads the all-time series against New Mexico State, 10-1, while New Mexico holds a 73-34-5 advantage over the Aggies.

2022 Record: 7-6

Head Coach: Jerry Kill (second year; 7-6 at New Mexico State, 165-110 overall). At first glance, bringing Kill to NMSU seems like an odd choice since health concerns had prompted him to step aside at Minnesota back in 2015. After stints at Rutgers and Virginia Tech, as well as a brief run as interim head coach at TCU in 2021, that decision looked shaky at midseason when their record sat at 1-5 but a big win over the rival Lobos, coupled with a quarterback commitment and a strong defense, spurred a second-half surge.

With road wins against UMass and Liberty, as well as a pair of home romps against FCS opponents, NMSU finished 5-1 and earned a Quick Lane Bowl bid, where they defeated Bowling Green. It marked another feather in Kill’s cap, as he had previously built winning programs at Saginaw Valley State, Southern Illinois, and Minnesota, among other places, but now comes an even higher bar to clear: Get the Aggies back-to-back winning campaigns for the first time since 1966-67.

Key Players

Diego Pavia, QB

After transferring in from New Mexico Military Institute, it took a little while for Pavia to find his footing under center. He appeared in eight games and made eight starts but finished 2022 with a flourish, throwing multiple touchdowns in five of the team’s last six games while rushing for 508 yards and six scores. In all, he completed 53.2% of his 190 attempts for 1,1450 yards and 13 touchdowns with a 3.1% interception rate, posting an overall PFF grade of 82.9 which ranked 30th among FBS quarterbacks. He’ll be a centerpiece of whatever NMSU accomplishes this fall.

Star Thomas, RB

Though he only made one start for the Aggies last season, Thomas appeared in all 13 games and was arguably their best running back. It’s not just because he led the team with 520 rushing yards while scoring five touchdowns, either, since he chipped in with 12 catches for 151 yards and three more scores, as well. Listed at six feet tall and 225 pounds, he’s a rugged athlete who should continue to lead a surprisingly deep crew of NMSU runners.

Izaiah Reed, DL

When the Aggies needed a big play in the trenches last year, Reed was the most likely player to deliver one. He collected 21 tackles, including five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, and returns for 2023 as one of NMSU’s few established veterans on the defensive side of the ball.

Shiyazh Pete, OT

One of two freshmen to crack the starting five in the trenches early last year, Pete’s first full season saw him protect Pavia’s blindside through 11 starts, allowing only one sack with four penalties in over 500 snaps. At this point, it seems likely he’ll be a pillar on the offensive line for the next few years.

Andre Seldon, CB

Seldon transferred to NMSU from Michigan last off-season and took on the nickelback role, thriving with 44 total tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception. Considering that much of the secondary will be retooled around him this fall, he could be in line to be much more productive across the board.

Overview:

Offense

It took a little time for the Aggies offense to figure things out in 2022, but there’s little doubt they improved as the season wore on: In the team’s first eight games, they averaged 4.82 yards per play; in the last six contests, that average jumped to 6.86. In averaging 1.85 points per drive and earning 39.7% of available yards per drive, NMSU’s offense had its best season-long performance since 2017.

Granted, some of the improvement probably came as a result of facing some lackluster defenses, but it isn’t hard to envision New Mexico State holding onto most of those gains in Conference USA with a majority of last year’s starters back for another go. Pavia is set at quarterback while Thomas leads a committee that also includes Jamoni JonesAhmonte Watkins, and Tim Gans, not bad considering that quartet combined for 21 total touchdowns in 2022.

The Aggies also return just about every pass catcher of note save for Justice Powers, last year’s leader in receiving yards. That includes five different players who caught at least ten passes, like sophomore slot receiver Jonathan Brady (23 catches, 310 yards, three touchdowns) and senior Kordell David (24-343-4).

Similarly, the left side of the offensive line returns with center Canaan Yarro and guard AJ Vaipulu joining Pete to form a nucleus that could grow together over the next couple years. If they can repeat some of last year’s strong numbers, like a 2.2% sack rate allowed which ranked sixth in the country, this offense could outperform last year’s.

Defense

This side of the ball was where last year’s Aggies really made their name, finishing 79th nationally in points per drive allowed and 69th in available yards percentage allowed. They also gave up just 5.01 yards per play, far and away the program’s lowest average dating back to 2009, but now must prove they can do it again while replacing stars like Trevor Brohard, Chris Ojoh, and Lazarus Williams.

Reinforcing the pass rush will be a top priority since Reed and sophomore linebacker Gabe Peterson are the only two returning Aggies who had two or more sacks in 2022. An infusion of talent from the transfer portal could do the trick, though, with defensive tackle Dion Wilson Jr. (19 tackles, one sack at Arizona), linebacker Jamari Buddin (Penn State), and juco transfer Denver Warren competing with younger holdovers Peterson, Nikhil Webb Walker, and Keyshawn Eliot for reps.

Seldon and safety Dylan Early (41 tackles, four pass breakups) provide some starting experience in the secondary, but the situation here is mostly as the same as it closer to the line of scrimmage. At least one familiar name, former Wyoming nickelback Keonte Glinton (26 tackles, four pass breakups) could make a difference here, but he’s one among more transfers — Jordan Vincent (Eastern Illinois) and Myles Rowser (Campbell) are others — who will look to carve out a role.

Early Predictions

New Mexico State won’t catch opponents by surprise anymore, but despite substantial losses on defense, Kill and his coaching staff earned a little benefit of the doubt about their ability to win winnable games. Even if UNM and Hawaii figure to be a little better themselves, they still have substantial questions of their own. NMSU will play both games on the road, so don’t expect runaway victories in any case.

New Mexico 28, New Mexico State 24

New Mexico State 34, Hawaii 24

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New Mexico State 24, Bowling Green 19 Quick Lane Bowl What Happened, What It All Means

New Mexico State 24, Bowling Green 19: Quick Lane Bowl what happened, player of the game, and what it all means

New Mexico State beat Bowling Green 24-19 to win the Quick Lane Bowl. What happened, who was the player of the game, and what does it all mean?


New Mexico State 24, Bowling Green 19 Quick Lane Bowl What Happened, Player of the Game, What It All Means

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Quick Lane Bowl What Happened

New Mexico State got up 17-0 helped by two touchdown passes from Diego Pavia, but his legs closed it out. Bowling Green roared back in the fourth quarter with 12 points helped by a blocked field goal for a punt and a 19-yard touchdown catch from Tyrone Broden, but it couldn’t get the ball back. Pavia and the Aggie offense were able to grind down the final 6:27 minutes converting three third down tries.

Bowling Green lost starting quarterback Matt McDonald early in the game with an apparent head injury. The offense sputtered without him, but it finally got kickstarted with a kickoff return for a touchdown from Ta’ron Keith early in the second half coming off a field goal.

– The Falcons turned it over twice, but they were both killers. They had their chances, but stalled drives, failed third down stops, and those giveaways  kept them from every getting control of the game. That had almost everything to do with …

100 Best Bowl Players | Ranking How Good the Bowls Were

Quick Lane Bowl Player of the Game

Diego Pavia, QB New Mexico State
He completed 17-of-29 passes for 167 yards and two scores with a pick, and ran 12 times for 65 yards. More than anything else, he was brilliant on third downs, which led to …

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Quick Lane Bowl Fun Stats

– Third Down Conversions: New Mexico State 11-of-17 – Bowling Green 3-of-9

– Time of Possession: New Mexico State 38:23 – Bowling Green 21:37

– In relief of Matt McDonald, Bowling Green QB Camden Orth completed 14-of-22 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown, and ran for times for 16 yards

Quick Lane Bowl What It All Means

How massive is this for New Mexico State? It’s the first ever bowl win for head coach Jerry Kill – he was 0-2 at Northern Illinois and 0-3 at Minnesota – the program goes off to Conference USA with a winning season – the first since 2017 and just the second since 2002. The Aggies won a bowl in 2017 – that was the first time it got one since 1960. Now they’re 3-0-1 all-time in bowls.

Bowling Green got to a bowl game. Start with that. Yeah, this was a losing season, but for a program that was so bad for so long – it didn’t win more than four games in a year from 2016 to 2021 – this was finally a step-forward season under Scot Loeffler in his fourth season at the helm.

Would it have been different if McDonald didn’t get knocked out of the game early? That’s not quite fair to either side – Bowling Green had its chances, but blew it. Now the program hasn’t won a bowl game since 2015 and is just 1-6 since taking down the 2004 GMAC.

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2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Predictions

College football fans absolutely loved New Mexico State coach Jerry Kill’s custom serape

New Mexico State’s Jerry Kill is easily the best dressed coach of bowl season so far.

New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill might win the best-dressed award for the 2022 college football bowl season.

Kill’s Aggies were set to take on Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl, one of those bowl games that certainly exists.

However, the New Mexico State coach wasn’t about to get upstaged by anyone else in the fashion game on Monday. He exited his team’s bus confidently wearing an Aggies serape for the ages while drinking a concoction from Starbucks.

If serape sales in Las Cruces weren’t already high, they’re about to skyrocket after Kill rocked one at the Quick Lane Bowl. Christmas might be over, but everybody’s got a birthday around the corner, right?

Wow, now that is a serape. Kill looked warm, but he also looked ready to take on the whole world.

 

College football games on TV today: New Mexico vs. Bowling Green, live stream, TV channel, time, how to watch

The New Mexico State Aggies will face the Bowling Green Falcons in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday afternoon.

The New Mexico State Aggies will face the Bowling Green Falcons in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday afternoon.

Both teams finished the regular season with a 6-6 record, making this a battle of .500 teams. The Aggies come into this game on a high note, having defeated FCS program Valparaiso 65-3 in the last game of the season. Meanwhile, Bowling Green had a tougher end to their regular season, losing 38-14 to Ohio in their finale.

This will be a great game to continue Bowl Season, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action.

New Mexico vs. Bowling Green

  • When: Monday, December 26
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 1:00 p.m. ET on Monday.

New Mexico vs. Bowling Green (-3.5)

O/U: 49.5

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