Tag: New Mexico State Football

New Mexico State blew out Liberty in one of college football’s biggest spread upsets in 20 years

Talk about unexpected!

It’s the final week of the college football regular season, and things are getting weird. Weird in a good way, of course, if you are a member of the New Mexico State Aggies or someone who’d bet on them.

The Aggies entered today’s matchup with the Liberty Flames as 24-point underdogs. So, what did they do? New Mexico State beat the Flames by 35 points on Saturday afternoon, making it officially a 59-point difference on the spread.

The unthinkable Week 13 road win gave the Aggies their fifth victory of the season, which is the program’s most since the 2017 college football season.

New Mexico State’s Saturday win will go down as one of the season’s biggest upsets.

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UMass – New Mexico State is the dumbest football game in the world. We’ve got a drink for that

In honor of UMass-NMSU, I take all the worst things from my beer fridge and combine them into one surprisingly tolerable drink.

 

The worst game of the FBS schedule is upon us. Massachusetts and New Mexico State are about to wage war.

The two independents were left with little choice but to schedule home-and-homes with each other. It’s not like teams are clamoring to make road trips to Amherst or Las Cruces. Each provides the other with valuable oxygen as they attempt to pry some breathing room from the very depths of Division I college football.

In honor of this game, I’m going to use all the worst things in my beer fridge. My worst beer? Capital Brewery’s Lake House lager. It’s a light beer that was never very good, but lately Capital’s entire operation has taken a nosedive, so it’s gone from below average to *awful.* The worst liquor in my freezer? Wild Cherry Stolichnaya.

Shut up, I know.

How are we gonna pair those? With a classic summer-day-at-the-lake mix we called “Skippy” but you might know as a hop, skip and go naked. It’s basically just beer, vodka and lemonade. But since I’ve got some stuff lying around, I’m gonna add an extra step to the process and see what we get.

The goal is to turn two terrible base ingredients into something better. Welp, let’s see if I end up poisoning myself again.

The UMass-New Mexico State Disaster Bowl

  • 2 12-ounce light beers
  • 3 oz, whatever terrible vodka you have lying around (flavored or otherwise)
  • lemonade mix
  • one 8 oz Little Hug fruit barrel drink (fruit punch)

Mix all your ingredients together in a vessel capable of holding them all along with your shame at making this in the first place/acknowledging UMass as a football program. I used a dog bowl, but with the lingering pride to at least wash it thoroughly first. It belonged to my old pit mix Rainey, who I once saw casually eat an entire wasp nest on a walk.

Spiritually, this is the right attitude to have for UMass-NMSU. Stir up that lemonade mix thoroughly or else it’s going to look like a vengeful tree sprinkled pollen in your beer.

The end result is more than the sum of its parts. The cheap beer blends nicely with the lemonade. The wild cherry Stoli, bought a decade ago from a $5 bargain bin, normally overpowers anything it’s mixed with and makes it taste like cough medicine. Here, it blends with the fruit punch you loved as a child and haven’t thought about in a decade so it doesn’t really make an appearance.

It tastes sweet and extremely drinkable. It’s beer and liquor and sugar substitutes and it’s got a little fizz. I shouldn’t be super surprised — Skippy is a tried-and-true staple despite its objectively weird ingredients — but this actually worked out. I kinda regret putting this in a dog bowl. It’d probably be pretty good over ice.

Actually wait hold on lemme get a ladle.

OK yeah I was mistaken. This is somehow worse. Confining it to a small space appears to have angered the beverage.

Still, this is better than it should be. Does this mean Saturday’s least anticipated FBS-FBS matchup is going to rise to the occasion? I mean, maybe! These two combined for 71 points when they played last season, so anything’s possible, right?

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College football Week 5 best bets

College football Week 5 @tipico best bets

If youā€™re looking to do some last-minute betting research, youā€™re in luck! We are diving into our favorite picks against the spread for this week, but if you are looking for more information or to place a bet check outĀ Tipico Sportsbook.

Last week we were horrible at 3-5 and that brought our season total down to 21-18, which makes our winning percentage too small at 53%. The goal for the season is 55%. We are already off to a rough start as I watch BYU struggle with Utah State, but I’ll try to rip off some big wins for us on the Saturday slate.

Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 4 Depth Chart

Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 4 Depth Chart What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s seven Week 4 non-conference opponents? Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire What to keep in mind before …

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Mountain West Football: Examining Each Opponent’s Week 4 Depth Chart

What stands out in the depth charts released by each of the Mountain West’s seven Week 4 non-conference opponents?

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

What to keep in mind before kickoff.

UTEP (link to depth chart)

What stands out: We already knew about the Miners’ veteran defensive line, but Cal Wallerstedt has been a revelation behind them at middle linebacker.

Why that could be important: With Boise State’s long-standing offensive struggles, it wouldn’t be too much of a shock if Wallerstedt made a number of big plays like he did against New Mexico last Saturday. He has 23 total tackles and leads all Conference USA defenders with 5.5 tackles for loss to go along with three sacks, making the most of his first extended stint in the starting lineup.

Toledo (link to game notes, depth chart on page 4)

What stands out: The Rockets have by and large used a committee to try and replace the production from star running back Bryant Koback, so Micah Kelly and Jacquez Stuart appearing on the two-deep might be notable.

Why that could be important: Well, Koback hasn’t been so easy to replace. The former Toledo standout averaged 6.75 yards per carry with 15 touchdowns in 2021, but Kelly and Stuart have managed a combined 4.0 YPC through three games. Peny Boone and Willie Shaw have also seen equal shares of the workload so far, too, and haven’t been much better, so there’s a path to victory for San Diego State if they can keep their focus on quarterback Dequan Finn, the team’s leading rusher.

Sacramento State (link to depth chart)

What stands out: Injuries cut short his 2019 and 2021 seasons while COVID erased 2020 inbetween, but senior linebacker Armon Bailey is finally on the field once again and anchoring the middle of the Hornets defense.

Why that could be important: The Vallejo native has always been a tantalizing prospect when it comes to generating havoc, as he has 7.5 tackles for loss and 53 tackles in 21 career games, which could pose a problem for a Colorado State offensive line that has often struggled mightily to give Clay Millen adequate time to throw.

LSU

What stands out: As noted by WBRZ’s Corey Rholdon, the Tigers started two freshman at offensive tackle last week against Mississippi State: Emery Jones and Will Campbell.

Why that could be important: Campbell had already started all three games at left tackle, but Jones’s strong performance against the Bulldogs justified kicking veteran Charles Turner inside to guard, which could help the unit coalesce more strongly in the long term. For as good as the New Mexico defense has looked to this point, LSU will pose their toughest challenge yet.

New Mexico State (link to depth chart)

What stands out: The Aggies have already utilized three different offensive line combinations in four games, with the latest move shifting senior tackle Gabriel Preciado from the left side of the line to the right while elevating redshirt freshman Shiyazh Pete to the lineup at left tackle.

Why that could be important: With six sacks and 21 tackles allowed for loss so far this season, New Mexico State is clearly looking for a unit that can stablize the offense for the long-term. For a Hawaii defense whose pass rush is slowly coming around, picking up three sacks in the last two games, this could be another opportunity to produce with an eye on the long term.

BYU (link to depth chart)

What stands out: The Cougars haven’t made that many changes to their starting lineup so far, but one switch to note is at defensive tackle, where Logan Lutui had his first career start against Oregon in place of a banged-up Tyler Batty.

Why that could be important: The Weber State transfer held his own against the Ducks, posting four total tackles in BYU’s loss. Head coach Kalani Sitake has already mentioned that Batty is closer to being back in action among the injured Cougars but, regardless of the veteran’s status, keeping Lutui and the rest of the Cougars defensive line out of the backfield will be what helps Wyoming put an upset bid together.

Western Michigan

What stands out: Redshirt freshman tight end Blake Bosma, just a week and a half removed from earning a scholarship, was ahead of Joshua Burgett on the most recent depth chart.

Why that could be important: With projected starter Austin Hence out for the foreseeable future, Bosma appears to be the one to hold down the fort in his stead. Though he was held without a catch against Pitt last week, he had five receptions in the opener against Ball State, providing a useful security blanket for quarterback Jack Salopek.

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Five things for Badger fans to know about New Mexico State football

Five things to know about Wisconsin’s opponent

Wisconsin will be looking to bounce back on Saturday when the New Mexico State Aggies travel to Madison.

The Badgers host an Aggies team that enters in at 0-3 on the year, with losses to Nevada, Minnesota, and UTEP. Wisconsin is coming off of an upset home loss to Washington State last week.

It’s been a struggle for New Mexico State early in the year, and tomorrow afternoon they face their second Big Ten opponent in four weeks.

Who have the Aggies been so far this season and how do they matchup with Wisconsin? Here are five things to know about New Mexico State football in 2022:

New Mexico State vs. Minnesota, live stream, preview, TV channel, time, how to watch college football

The New Mexico State Aggies will meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Week 1 of the college football season on Thursday night.

The New Mexico State Aggies will meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Week 1 of the college football season on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium.

New Mexico is still looking for their first road win since 2018 and they will have another tough opponent in week one with the Golden Gophers. As for Minnesota, they are coming off a 9-4 season and they will get quarterback Tanner Morgan back under center as they look to make some noise in the Big Ten this season.

This will be a great night of college football, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the action on Thursday.

New Mexico State vs. Minnesota

  • When: Thursday, September 1
  • Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: Big Ten Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

How to watch College Football this season

fuboTV has complete NCAA college football coverage (CBS, FOX, ESPN) as well as ACC Network, Big 10 Network, ESPNU, Pac12, and more. fuboTV includes every network you need to watch every college football game in your market.
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NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were updated at 12:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.

New Mexico State vs. Minnesota (-36.5)

O/U: 52.5

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Independents Preseason Predictions For Every Game: Preview 2022

College Football News Independent preseason predictions for every game, predicted order of finish, and lookahead to the 2022 season.

The world of the independent college football programs will soon get a tad smaller with Liberty and New Mexico State off to Conference USA in 2023, BYU diving into the Big 12, and Notre Dame joining ā€¦

Maybe not yet on the Fighting Irish, but before the independents start finding homes in desperate conferences looking for members, they almost all once again have interesting schedules.

Notre Dame and BYU will make the most noise – as always – with so many high-profile showdowns, but Army could be the most interesting independent. If it can beat Coastal Carolina on the road to start the season, look out. At Wake Forest and the date against Air Force in Arlington, Texas are the only times the Knights should be the underdog.

BYU and Notre Dame play each other in Las Vegas, UMass and New Mexico State play each other, Army plays UConn and UMass, and Liberty plays UConn, UMass, and New Mexico State. And UConn and UMass go at it.

Thereā€™s obviously no conference championship to play for, so ā€¦

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2022 Independent Preseason Predictions

Army Black Knights

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 10-2
2021: 9-4,Ā Prediction: 9-3
2020: 9-3, 2019: 5-8, 2018: 11-2

Sept 3 at Coastal CarolinaĀ Ā L
Sept 10 UTSAĀ W
Sept 17 VillanovaĀ W
Sept 24 OPEN DATE
Oct 1 Georgia StateĀ W
Oct 8 at Wake ForestĀ Ā L
Oct 15 ColgateĀ W
Oct 22 ULMĀ W
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 5 Air Force (in Arlington, TX)Ā W
Nov 12 at TroyĀ W
Nov 19 UConnĀ W
Nov 26 at UMassĀ W
Dec 3 OPEN DATE
Dec 10 Navy (in Philadelphia, PA)Ā W

Army 2022 Preview
Army 10 Best PlayersĀ |Ā Army Schedule

BYU Cougars

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 8-4
2021: 10-3,Ā Prediction: 7-5
2020: 11-1, 2019: 7-6, 2018: 7-6

Sept 3 at USFĀ W
Sept 10 BaylorĀ W
Sept 17 at OregonĀ Ā L
Sept 24 WyomingĀ W
Sept 30 Utah StateĀ W
Oct 8 Notre Dame (in Las Vegas)Ā Ā L
Oct 15 ArkansasĀ W
Oct 22 at LibertyĀ W
Oct 29 East CarolinaĀ W
Nov 5 at Boise StateĀ Ā L
Nov 12 OPEN DATE
Nov 19 Dixie StateĀ W
Nov 26 at StanfordĀ Ā L

BYU 2022 Preview
BYU 10 Best PlayersĀ |Ā BYU Schedule

Liberty Flames

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 7-5
2021: 8-5,Ā Prediction: 11-1
2020: 10-1, 2019: 8-5, 2018: 6-6

Sept 3 at Southern MissĀ W
Sept 10 UABĀ W
Sept 17 at Wake ForestĀ Ā L
Sept 24 AkronĀ W
Oct. 1 at Oklahoma StateĀ Ā L
Oct 8 at UMassĀ W
Oct 15 Gardner-WebbĀ W
Oct 22 BYUĀ Ā L
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 5 at ArkansasĀ Ā L
Nov 12 at UConnĀ W
Nov 19 Virginia TechĀ Ā L
Nov 26 New Mexico StateĀ W

Liberty 2022 Preview
Liberty 10 Best PlayersĀ |Ā Liberty Schedule

New Mexico State Aggies

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 2-10
2021: 2-10,Ā Prediction: 2-10
2020: 1-1, 2019: 2-10, 2018: 3-9Ā 

Aug 27 NevadaĀ Ā L
Sept 1 at MinnesotaĀ Ā L
Sept 10 at UTEPĀ Ā L
Sept 17 at WisconsinĀ Ā L
Sept 24 HawaiiĀ Ā L
Sept 30 FIUĀ W
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 New MexicoĀ Ā L
Oct 22 San Jose StateĀ Ā L
Oct 29 at UMassĀ Ā L
Nov 5 OPEN DATE
Nov 12 at LamarĀ W
Nov 19 at MissouriĀ Ā L
Nov 26 LibertyĀ Ā L

New Mexico State 2022 Preview
New Mexico State 10 Best Players
New Mexico State Schedule

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 9-3
2021: 11-2,Ā Prediction: 10-2
2020: 10-2, 2019: 11-2, 2018: 12-1Ā 

Sept 3 at Ohio StateĀ Ā L
Sept 10 MarshallĀ W
Sept 17 CalĀ W
Sept 24 at North CarolinaĀ W
Oct 1 OPEN DATE
Oct 8 BYU (in Las Vegas)Ā W
Oct 15 StanfordĀ W
Oct 22 UNLVĀ W
Oct 29 at SyracuseĀ W
Nov 5 ClemsonĀ Ā L
Nov 12 Navy (in Baltimore)Ā W
Nov 19 Boston CollegeĀ W
Nov 26 at USCĀ Ā L

Notre Dame 2022 Preview
Notre Dame 10 Best Players
Notre Dame Schedule

UConn Huskies

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 2-10
2021: 1-11,Ā Prediction: 3-9
2020: 0-0, 2019: 2-10, 2018: 1-11Ā 

Aug 27 at Utah StateĀ Ā L
Sept 3 Central Connecticut StateĀ W
Sept 10 SyracuseĀ Ā L
Sept 17 at MichiganĀ Ā L
Sept 24 at NC StateĀ Ā L
Oct 1 Fresno StateĀ Ā L
Oct 8 at FIUĀ L
Oct 15 at Ball StateĀ Ā L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 Boston CollegeĀ Ā L
Nov 5 UMassĀ W
Nov 12 LibertyĀ Ā L
Nov 19 at ArmyĀ Ā L
Nov 26 OPEN DATE

UConn 2022 Preview
UConn 10 Best PlayersĀ |Ā UConn Schedule

UMass Minutemen

2022 Preseason Prediction:Ā 1-11
2021: 1-11,Ā Prediction: 2-10
2020: 0-4, 2019: 1-11, 2018: 4-8Ā 

Sept 3 at TulaneĀ Ā L
Sept 10 at ToledoĀ Ā L
Sept 17 Stony BrookĀ W
Sept 24 at TempleĀ Ā L
Oct 1 at Eastern MichiganĀ Ā L
Oct 8 LibertyĀ Ā L
Oct 15 BuffaloĀ Ā L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 at New Mexico StateĀ Ā L
Nov 5 at UConnĀ Ā L
Nov 12 at Arkansas StateĀ Ā L
Nov 19 Texas A&MĀ Ā L
Nov 26 ArmyĀ Ā L

UMass 2022 Preview
UMass 10 Best PlayersĀ |Ā UMass Schedule

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New Mexico State Aggies Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

New Mexico State College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

New Mexico State Aggies Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the New Mexico State season with what you need to know and keys to the season.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNewsĀ & @PeteFiutak

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New Mexico State Aggies Preview
Head Coach: Jerry Kill, 1st year at New Mexico State
24th year overall (154-101), 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 2-10
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
New Mexico State Top 10 PlayersĀ | NMSU Schedule

New Mexico State Aggies Preview 2022

There’s hope.

The program that hasn’t had a whole lot of fun has a new coach, a new vision, and it’s got a conference to play in when it joins Conference USA next year.

Doug Martin gave it one heck of a run.

He kept plugging away year after year in an impossible situation, busted through in a wonderful 2017 campaign with a winning season and bowl victory – the only winning season in his 16 runs as a head coach – but after nine years New Mexico State has a new head man.

Enter Jerry Kill, a magnificent head coach who’s been able to win everywhere he has been, but medical issues derailed his time at Minnesota.

He’s been an assistant ever since, and now he’s getting a shot to do what he does with a program that won more than three games just once since 2011 and enjoyed one winning season since 2002.

This team will get good offensive line play, and there will be more from the ground game, but more than anything else, it’s about getting the pieces in place for 2023.

New Mexico State Aggies Preview 2022: Offense

Again, a Jerry Kill team will want to run the ball.Ā His teams are built on controlling the clock, grinding it out, and playing a tight style without a lot of mistakes. That’s easier said than done with what he has to work with, but there’s a decent amount of experience returning for offensive coordinator Tim Beck to work with.

The offensive line.Ā To keep hammering this home, Kill will end up making the offensive line solid. Last year’s group couldn’t get much going for the ground game, and the pass protection wasn’t there, but there’s three starters are expected back and there’s good versatility to play around with the lineup.

Leading rusher Juwaun Price is off to Syracuse – he ran for 693 yards and ten scores – putting the pressure on former Michigan Wolverine O’Maury Samuels and TCU transfer Ahmonte Watkins to carry the load.

The Aggies lost top quarterback Jonah Johnson to the transfer portal,Ā and it’s going to take a little scrambling this fall camp to settle in. Sophomore Weston Eget is a big passer who completed just one of ten throws in his time last year, and junior Dino Maldonado can run a bit.

For all of the team’s problems, there was a surprisingly deep receiving corps.That’s going to be put to the test with deep threat Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda bolting for Nebraska and Terrell Warner in the transfer portal.

This year, pretty much everyone who did much of anything big last year is gone. This will be a very young, very inexperienced bunch.

New Mexico State Aggies Preview 2022: Defense

The defense was the bigger problem last year.Ā The offense wasn’t always great, but the defense provided no help allowing 489 yards and 40 points per game. On the plus side, eight starters are expected back and there’s enough transfer portal help to make a difference.

The secondary has a whole lot of options now.Ā As is the cornerbacks are experienced – DJ McCullough led the team with three picks and Syrus Dumas was second with two – but on the way is Mekhi Miller from Maryland and Andrew Seldon from Michigan to provide some help. They all need to make more stops for a secondary that gave up 291 yards an outing.

WithĀ Chris Ojoh – the team’s leading sacker with six – flirting with the transfer portal and then sticking around,Ā and with Trevor Brohard back in the middle with the game to go along with his name, the linebacking corps should be an early strength.

The front three is back full along with veterans for a decent rotation. There has to be a whole lot more happening against the run, but there’s size around end Donavan King – one of the team’s best at getting into the backfield.

Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
New Mexico State Top 10 PlayersĀ | NMSU Schedule

New Mexico State Aggies: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Nevada Football: Running Game And Forcing Turnovers Key In Season Opening Win

Nevada Football: Rushing Game And Forcing Turnovers Key In Season Opening Win Nevada’s rushing offense and its defense forcing five turnovers helped secure the first victory of the Ken Wilson Era on Saturday night. Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & …

Nevada Football: Rushing Game And Forcing Turnovers Key In Season Opening Win

Nevada’s rushing offense and its defense forcing five turnovers helped secure the first victory of the Ken Wilson Era on Saturday night.

Contact/FollowĀ @BrandonGBlakeĀ &Ā @MWCwire

The Turnover Trident And Strong Run Game Were Featured In Nevada’s Season Opening Win

Led by the running back duo of Toa Taua and Devonte Lee, the Wolf Pack opened up the Ken Wilson era with a 23-12 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday evening. Toa Taua ran for 109 yards on 19 carries while Devonte Lee ran for 61 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. This contest against New Mexico State was the game that saw the Wolf Pack offense run the ball very well after years of putting up big passing yards under former Coach Norvellā€™s Air Raid offense.

This game also saw Nevada’s defense force five turnovers against the Aggies and saw the debut the Turnover Trident.

 

See The Trident In All Its Glory

While the rushing attack and the Wolf Pack defense was forcing turnovers and holding an awesome trident, the passing game left a lot to be desired. Shane Illingworth was named the starting quarterback for Nevada just before the opening kickoff. Illingworth completed 7 of 12 passes for 51 yards. Nate Cox played in the second half of the game and completed 7 of 11 passes for 27 yards but Cox did rush for 33 yards and became a key piece of the rushing offense late in the game.

It was reported by Alex Margulies of Nevada Sports Net that Illingworth’s hamstring was tightening up and that was why Nate Cox took over in the second half at quarterback.

But this game was not about the Wolf Pack throwing the ball all over the field. New Mexico State was one of the worst run defenses in the FBS last season and last night, the Aggies could not stop Nevada’s run offense. As a team the Wolf Pack ran for 179 yards on 45 carries. This game was all about Nevada establishing the run game and being physical on the offensive line. Last night against New Mexico State, the Wolf Pack succeed.

The action in this contest started in the first quarter. New Mexico State moved the ball well on their first two possessions but those possessions yielded zero points. On the first NMSU possession, the Aggies drive ended on a 49-yard missed field goal by Ethan Albertson.Ā 

On the Aggies next offensive possession, they went for it on 4th down deep in Nevada territory but NMSU QB Diego Pavia threw an interception to Nevadaā€™s Isaiah Essissima and that drive ended with zero points for the Aggies.

After the New Mexico State turnover, the game was stopped by the referees due to lightning in the area and the delay lasted for roughly 30 minutes. After the delay, both teams exchanged punts and the first score of the game happened for New Mexico State when a snap sailed over Illingworth and he landed on the ball in his own endzone which New Mexico State tagged him and led to the Aggies leading 2-0.

However, on New Mexico Stateā€™s next offensive possession, Pavia threw his second interception to Nevadaā€™s Bentlee Sanders. Nevada then converted that interception into a touchdown when they went on a four play, 80-yard drive that ended when Devonte Lee ran for a 32-yard touchdown to put the Wolf Pack up 7-2.

New Mexico Stateā€™s following offensive possession ended with another turnover. It happened when Pavia was hit by Nevadaā€™s Dom Peterson and the ball was jarred loose and Peterson recovered the ball deep in NMSU territory. Nevada once again converted the Aggie turnover into points when the Wolf Pack scored on a four yard touchdown run by Devonte Lee thatĀ  put them up 17-2 at the half.

 

In the third quarter, New Mexico State benched Diego Pavia for true freshman Gavin Frakes and the Aggie offense started to make headway. Midway through the third quarter, Frakes led the Aggies down the field and connected with wide receiver Kordell David on a beautifully thrown 10-yard touchdown pass to cut the Wolf Pack lead to 17-9.

 

Nevada responded back on their next offensive possession with a 13 play, 57-yard drive that ended with Brandon Talton connecting on a 34-yard field goal to extend the Wolf Pack lead to 20-9. But the Aggies with Frakes at quarterback responded with an 11 play, 47-yard drive that was aided by two Nevada defensive holding penalties that extended the Aggie drive. The Wolf Pack defense did hold NMSU to a field goal when NMSU kicker Ethan Albertson converted on a 45-yard field goal to cut the Wolf Pack lead to 20-12.

The Wolf Packā€™s next offensive possession saw them lean in on their running attack to close the game out. However, Nevada was faced with a pair of third down situations in their final drive. On 3rd and 11 at the Nevada 29, Nate Cox handed the ball off to Toa Taua and Taua gained 12 yards for the first down. Later in that same drive, Nevada was faced with another third down situation at their own 49-yard line. Cox handed it off to Devonte Lee who bulldozed his way for another first down.

 

Then disaster almost happened for Nevada late in the game. With a little more than two minutes to go in the game, Nevada QB Nate Coxā€™s pass was tipped and picked off by NMSUs Bryce Jackson in what looked like a big turnover late to help the Aggies. But the referees ruled the pass an incompletion and the Wolf Pack were given a reprieve.Ā 

 

Four plays later, Brandon Talton connected again on a 38-yard field goal to extend the Nevada lead to 23-12 late in the game. The Aggies last offensive gasp late in the game fell short as Frakes pass was intercepted by Nevadaā€™s Tyson Williams to finally salt the game away for Nevada.Ā 

 

With the win, the Wolf Pack have won their fifth straight season opener and will look to improve their record to 2-0 in their home opener Next Saturday against Texas State.

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Nevada Vs New Mexico State: Game Preview, How To Watch. Odds, Prediction

Nevada Vs New Mexico State: Game Preview, How To Watch. Odds, Prediction The Nevada Wolf Pack begins the Ken Wilson era with a Week 0 contest on the road against New Mexico State Contact/Follow @BrandonGBlake & @MWCwire The Ken Wilson Era begins for …

Nevada Vs New Mexico State: Game Preview, How To Watch. Odds, Prediction

The Nevada Wolf Pack begins the Ken Wilson era with a Week 0 contest on the road against New Mexico State

Contact/FollowĀ @BrandonGBlakeĀ &Ā @MWCwire

The Ken Wilson Era begins for Nevada with a road contest against New Mexico State

Week 0: Nevada Vs New Mexico State

WHERE:Ā Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, New Mexico

TV:Ā Ā ESPN2

STREAMING:Ā Ā The game can be streamed on ESPN Plus

RADIO: Nevada is on ESPN 94.5 in Reno and New Mexico State is on KXPZ 99.5

SERIES RECORD:Ā Ā Nevada leads the series 13-2 over New Mexico State. The last meeting was in 2021 in Reno when Nevada won 55-28

WEBSITES: NevadaWolfPack.com the official Nevada athletics website | NMStateSports is the official New Mexico State athletics website

GAME NOTES (PDF):Ā  Nevada | New Mexico State

ODDS: Nevada -9

SP+ PROJECTION:Ā Nevada by 12

FEI PROJECTION:Ā Nevada by 21

 

The wait is over.

The 2022 football season is here.

I do not need to tell you to get excited because I know you, the reader, are already excited. I bet you are so excited that you just canā€™t hide it.

Enough of me quoting lyrics from The Pointer Sisters, time to talk Nevada Wolf Pack football. The Ken Wilson era begins for Nevada on Saturday in Las Cruces as the Wolf Pack take on the New Mexico State Aggies.Ā 

The Wolf Pack will not only have a new coach making his debut this season, the Wolf Pack team will have a bunch of new players making their debut. Some of those new players will be playing at key positions such as quarterback. It will be a new coach, new look and new systems making their debuts for the Wolf Pack on Saturday.

The Wolf Pack will be taking on a New Mexico State team for the second straight season. Last time these two teams played, the Wolf Pack easily took care of the Aggies in Reno. Like Nevada, New Mexico will have a first year coach making his debut in Jerry Kill. So this contest will be two teams debuting new head coaches and new philosophies on a Saturday afternoon in the Land of Enchantment.

Can the Wolf Pack and their new players and new system score a win in Ken Wilsonā€™s debut?

Here are my three keys and a prediction for Nevadaā€™s contest against New Mexico State.

 

Establishing the running game

You have read aboutĀ  this all offseason and guess what, you are going to read it once more: The Wolf Pack lost a lot of talent on offense from last seasonā€™s team.

Carson Strong is gone and so are the top seven pass catchers from last season. Those pass catchers are either at the NFL or hit the transfer portal and are at new schools.Ā 

The Wolf Pack donā€™t have a lot of known players in the wide receiver and tight end department going into this season. But what Nevada does have are two big, strong and talented running backs in Toa Taua and Devontae Lee.

With Coach Wilson placing an emphasis on a balanced attack led by the running game, Taua, Lee and Oregon transfer Cross Patton (Whose father is Big Boi from OutKast and here is hoping I get to drop this fun fact many times during the season) need to be the focal points in establishing the ground game for the Wolf Pack.

Establishing the ground game will be important especially for a Wolf Pack offensive line that will have brand new starters this season. Aaron Frost was supposed to be the lone returner on the offensive line but he might be lost for the season due to an injury during Fall camp.Ā 

Also another reason to establish the run game in this game is because New Mexico State was horrible in stopping the run last season. The Aggies were ranked 112th in FBS last season in rush defense as they gave up 197.5 yards per game on the ground.

It will be essential for Nevada to run the ball early and establish the ground game and dominate the line of scrimmage early. If the Wolf Pack can do that, then they can take care of the second key which is.

 

Get the new look wide receiver/tight end group involved early and often.

The Wolf Pack have mostly new faces in their wide receiver group in 2022. Jamaal Bell is the lone Nevada receiver who recorded a catch last season so this group is a big unknown.

Nevada went to the transfer portal and players like B.J Casteel (Arizona), and Dalevon Campbell (Illinois) have been added to the receiver group. Joining that group of receivers is freshman Victor Snow who performed well in Nevadaā€™s Spring game.

With the mostly new faces at wide receiver and the tight end group, it is important for Nevadaā€™s starting quarterback to spread the ball around to players like Casteel, Curtis, Campbell and Tyrese Mack in order to find a number two option to run alongside Jamaal Bell.

This receiver group along with the tight ends such as Cooper Shults and Jacob Munro is mostly unknown and unproven so in this contest against New Mexico State, the quarterback for Nevada must get them involved early.Ā 

 

Nevadaā€™s defensive line putting pressure on New Mexico Stateā€™s offense

New Mexico State will be breaking in three new starters on the offensive line and the Aggies are quiet about who their quarterback might be (It looks like it could be either JUCO transfer Diego Pavia, junior Weston Eget, or true freshman Gavin Frakes).Ā 

The important thing here is that New Mexico State will have a mostly new offensive line and uncertainty at quarterback so it is important for the Wolf Pack defensive line to put pressure on them early and often.

The Wolf Pack defensive line only returns one starter in Dom Peterson. Peterson along with James Hansen (Utah State),Ā  Louie Cresto (Oregon), William Green (Liberty), and returning player Christopher Love must apply pressure on New Mexicoā€™s offensive line and disrupt the Aggies offensive rhythm.

Prediction:

The Wolf Pack will open up the 2022 season with a new head coach and new schemes on offense and defense. Combine that with new players at key positions (some with limited playing experience) expect the Wolf Pack to endure some serious bumps this season and in their season opener.

Good thing for the Wolf Pack is that their opponent, New Mexico State, is also breaking in a new head coach and new systems on both sides of the ball as well. So in this contest, the winner may be the team that plays smart and avoids critical mistakes.Ā 

The Wolf Pack do have an edge over New Mexico State in that Nevadaā€™s depth is a little bit better than the Aggies. That case is true when it comes to the defensive line where New Mexico State does return some talented players on their front seven but beyond that, the depth is thin,

I expect the Wolf Pack to lean in on their running game and better depth to pull out a close contest against New Mexico State. And also, give new Wolf Pack head coach Ken Wilson a victory in his debut as head coach.

 

Score Prediction:Ā  Nevada 33Ā  New Mexico 28

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