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Gameday Central: Everything to know for New Mexico State vs Florida International

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Gameday Central: Everything to know for New Mexico State vs Florida International


New Mexico State (2-5, 1-3 Conference USA) plays its third consecutive weekday game and second weekday game of the season against Florida International (2-6, 1-3 CUSA) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Aggies are coming off their first win since their season opener and their first FBS win of 2024 against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 15, defeating the Bulldogs 33-30 in double overtime. Sophomore quarterback Parker Awad started his fourth game of the season and threw a touchdown pass, while senior quarterback Brandon Nunez scored two rushing touchdowns and replaced Awad for NM State’s final three drives in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Aggies blocked a late LA Tech field goal as time expired in regulation and junior running back Mike Washington scored a game-winning four-yard rushing touchdown after being suspended for the first quarter by NM State coach Tony Sanchez for being late to a team meeting.

Senior defensive end Kale Edwards earned four sacks against LA Tech, becoming the first NM State player to record more than 3.5 sacks in a game since Cedric Wilcots II against Idaho in 2017. He became the second Aggie to win a CUSA Defensive Player of the Week honor this season after redshirt sophomore safety Tayden Barnes for his performance.

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The Panthers are on a three-game losing streak, recently falling to Sam Houston 10-7 on Oct. 22. Sophomore quarterback Keyone Jenkins was benched for junior Chaydeen Perry during the contest, but FIU coach Mike MacIntyre said Jenkins will start against the Aggies. Jenkins has thrown for 1,438 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a quarterback rating of 27.9 this season. The Panthers’ defense ranks fourth in CUSA in yards allowed per game and fifth in points allowed per game in 2024.

Nunez will start his first game of the season at quarterback.

Here’s everything you need to know for game day:

More: NM State football: Mike Washington scores game-winning touchdown after first quarter suspension

New Mexico State (2-5, 1-3) at FIU (2-6, 1-3)

Location: Pitbull Stadium, Miami, Fla.

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Kickoff time: Oct. 29, 5 p.m.

Channel: CBS Sports Network (Commentators: Dave Ryan and Donte Whitner)

Radio: 99.5 FM KXPZ and Sirius XM 970 (Commentators: Jack Nixon and Cory Lucas)

More: Complete scoring summary of the Louisiana Tech vs New Mexico State game

Things to know

  • NM State has a 2-1 record against FIU, with wins in 2004 and 2023. The Aggies defeated the Panthers 34-17 last season in Las Cruces and will play a game in Miami for the first time.
  • NM State has the ninth-best red-zone offense in the FBS, having scored on 94.1% of its red-zone trips (11 touchdowns, five field goals). It’ll face an FIU red-zone defense that ranks 27th in the FBS, allowing scores on 76.5% of red-zone possessions.
  • Junior running back Monte Watkins will miss a second straight game due to remaining in concussion protocol after leaving the game against Jacksonville State on Oct. 9 in an ambulance.
  • Both the Aggies and Panthers rank in the bottom half of CUSA in offensive yards per game and points per game. NM State ranks seventh and ninth in those categories, respectively, while FIU rank seighth and sixth, respectively.
  • The Aggies are 0-3 on the road this season, losing all three games by an average of 36.3 points.

Pregame reading

Meet NM State DE Kale Edwards: New Mexico State football’s Kale Edwards hopes 4-sack game is just the start

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QB battle continues for Aggies: New Mexico State football: 3 QBs in play to start, Sanchez talks transfer portal changes

Vote for who should be NM State’s QB: The polls are open! Who should be NM State football’s starting quarterback against FIU?

Read more about NMSU’s Brandon Nunez: Who is Brandon Nunez? NM State quarterback leads Aggies to OT victory against Louisiana Tech

Meet Aggies RB Seth McGowan: ‘I’ll never waver’: Seth McGowan enjoys fresh start at NM State three years after OU exit

Meet NM State coach Tony Sanchez: The coach with a chip on his shoulder: NM State’s Tony Sanchez determined to succeed

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Deyton Albury scores 13 for New Mexico in 80-78 win over Mississippi State in Hall of Fame Classic

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Deyton Albury scores 13 for New Mexico in 80-78 win over Mississippi State in Hall of Fame Classic


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Deyton Albury scored 13 points for New Mexico, including the go-ahead layup with 30 seconds left in an 80-78 win over Mississippi State in the Hall of Fame Classic consolation game on Friday night.

Albury’s layup came off a turnover on a bad pass, sending the Lobos (4-2) on a fast break before Uriah Tenette was fouled. Tenette hit both shots from the free-throw line with seven seconds left to end the game.

Thomislav Buljan earned his third double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points and 21 rebounds, breaking a freshman program record for most rebounds in a game. Tenette added 13 points, and Antonio Chol had 12.

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Mississippi State (2-3) was led by Josh Hubbard, who scored 29 points and dished out four assists. He shot 11 of 25 from the field and six of 13 from beyond the arc. Jayden Epps added 21 points.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball



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Sam Bregman says he would push for term limits for New Mexico lawmakers

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Sam Bregman says he would push for term limits for New Mexico lawmakers





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New Mexico’s Chaparral High School football team is making history

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New Mexico’s Chaparral High School football team is making history


The Chaparral High School football program in Southern New Mexico is making a name for itself these days.

And for the first time, the state of New Mexico is taking notice of the Lobos program. Chaparral High School is located less than 30 miles from Northeast El Paso.

The Lobos are 8-3 overall and seeded No. 3 in the Class 4A playoffs. The eight wins are the most in school history and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs is the highest seed the Lobos have ever had in the playoffs.

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The Lobos defeated No. 6 seed Moriarty, 42-41, in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 14 when Lobos quarterback Israel Nieto scored with a rushing touchdown and it was followed by a successful extra point to advance the Lobos. Twelve teams made the state playoffs.

There are multiple classifications in New Mexico, ranging from Class 2A to Class 6A, as well as six-man and eight-man football divisions.

Chaparral football history

The Lobos played their first varsity game in 2007 and went 1-9 that season. The Lobos have had seven seasons with no wins,

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The Lobos had winning seasons in 2015 and 2017, both times going 6-4.

Chaparral breaks through in 2024

Chaparral made the postseason in 2024 and defeated Portales in the first round on the road, securing the program’s first-ever playoff win.

Fast forward to 2025

The Lobos have won 8 of their last 10 games after losing their season opener to Gadsden. They went 4-2 in District 2-4A, which placed them second behind Albuquerque St. Pius.

The Lobos defeated strong teams from Albuquerque (Academy and Manzano), the state’s largest city, and another team from Los Lunas (Valencia HS), which is near Albuquerque.

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Chaparral players to watch

  • Israel Nieto, QB. He has 1,786 yards passing, 634 yards rushing, 19 touchdown passes and 15 rushing touchdown runs.
  • Raul Lopez, RB. Lopez has rushed for 1,092 yards and has 470 yards rushing.
  • Aaron Eliserio, WR. He has caught eight touchdown passes.

Chaparral’s coaching staff

Joseph Frias, who played quarterback at El Paso’s Franklin High School and graduated in 2003, is the second-year head coach.

His staff includes defensive coordinator Stephen White, offensive coordinator Esai Ontiveros and defensive backs and wide receiver coach David Butler.

What’s next for Chaparral

The Lobos will play No. 2 St. Pius at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Nusenda Community Stadium in Albuquerque in the state semifinals. The winner will play either No. 1 Bloomfield or No. 4 Taos in the state finals.

What Chaparral head coach Joseph Frias said

“The kids have worked hard and bought into what we want to do,” Frias said. “Making the playoffs last year and winning a playoff game meant so much to the program. It gave us momentum.”

What Chaparral player Israel Nieto said

“We’ve had great support from the community, we’ve played with confidence and determination,” Nieto said.

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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X



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