New Mexico

New Mexico Bowl: Thriving Aggies Square Off With Wounded Bulldogs

Published

11 months ago

December 14, 2023

On Saturday, December 16th college football finally kicks off the greatest exhibition season in all of sports. Seven different bowl games usher in the 2023 Bowl Season (and if anyone says there are too many bowl games, kindly remove that person from your life). Whether it be the New Orleans Bowl, the Myrtle Beach Bowl, or the Independence Bowl nightcap, Last Word has everyone covered. What’s unique to the New Mexico Bowl on a Saturday filled with games is the contrast in vibes between the two teams. Both teams could not be coming into this game in more different situations than their opponent. So do the good vibes continue for one of the teams?

Game/Teams: Isleta New Mexico Bowl; New Mexico State vs. Fresno State

Date/Time; Saturday, November 16th; 5;45pm Eastern

Network; ESPN

Good Vibes Reside With The Aggies

New Mexico State football is doing unprecedented things under Jerry Kill. The last time the Aggies won at least eight games in a season was 1965! New Mexico States’ 10 wins are tied for the most regular season in program history. One of those wins was an absolute smackdown of the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare. They closed out the regular season on an eight-game winning streak before losing against undefeated Liberty in the Conference USA Championship. Kill’s team has been led by quarterback Diego Pavia.

Pavia is the team leader not only in passing but rushing yards. He has accumulated 3,766 yards of total offense and is responsible for 32 total touchdowns. The Aggies quarterback was rewarded for his season by being voted Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. While he remains the focal point of the offense, New Mexico State does strive to be balanced offensively. One of the biggest factors if New Mexico State is going to win the New Mexico Bowl is to protect the football. The Aggies have just 14 turnovers in 14 games. However, eight of those 14 giveaways came in their four losses. So New Mexico State cannot afford to give the Bulldogs extra possessions.

Struggling Vibes Are Claiming The Bulldogs

Fresno State’s start to the season had such promise. Jeff Tedford’s team beat Purdue early in the season and started 5-0 and climbed to 8-1. The talk was, “This is a team that could win the Mountain West with a chance of making a New Year’s Six bowl.” However, they ended the season on a three-game losing streak. These losses were not closely contested either. The Bulldog defeats came by an average of 15.7 points and two of them came against 4-8 opponents. Fresno State did not clear 400 total yards of offense in four of their final five games. That said, this is still a Fresno State team that finished the season averaging 29.9 points per game. However, the Bulldogs have a few things going against them other than the ending of this season.

Tedford temporarily left the team because of health issues two weeks ago. Tim Skipper, the Bulldogs’ linebackers coach, will serve as the head coach for the New Mexico Bowl. In addition to being without their head coach, their quarterback Mikey Keene has been dealing with multiple injuries. Keene finished the season with 2,596 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. However, in his last three games, he has only gone 42-for-72 passing for 358 yards, only one touchdown and two interceptions. Keene really could use some help from his defense as well. While Fresno State has generated 22 turnovers on defense in 12 games, they have also allowed at least 24 points in their last seven games, and nine of their 12 games this season. If the defense continues to struggle, it will be up to the offense to do the heavy lifting if the Bulldogs hope to win the New Mexico Bowl.

New Mexico Bowl Prediction

The Aggies will likely be playing in front of a sudo-home crowd as they only have to travel 225 miles north up to Albuquerque for only their sixth bowl game in program history. New Mexico State has never lost a bowl game, 4-0-1 since 1935. However, the Aggies will have to get over the Bulldog historical blockade against the Aggies. Fresno State is 18-1 against New Mexico State all-time.

That said, Fresno State’s defense has been allowing anyone with a pulse to move the ball against them since October. If Pavia wasn’t playing, there would be some hesitation to pick New Mexico State. However, with the Aggies’ on-field leader back and close to 100%, New Mexico State caps off the season with win number 11 (which would be only the second time in program history the Aggies won 11 games in a season).

New Mexico 41, Fresno State 24

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New Mexico

Washington State looks to improve playoff chances with win over New Mexico

Published

3 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Press Room

Washington State looks to improve playoff chances with win over New Mexico

No. 19 Washington State (8-1, No. 18 CFP) at New Mexico (4-6), Saturday, 9:30 p.m. EST (FS1)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Washington State by 10 1/2.

Series record: Washington State 2-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

For Washington State, nothing less than a possible berth in the 12-team college playoffs. Since what’s left of the Pac-12 has no championship game and there is no automatic berth in the playoffs, the Cougars have to make their statement with loud wins on the field. New Mexico is holding out hopes for a bowl bid and needs to win its final two games to make that happen in coach Bronco Mendenhall’s first season. The Lobos have not been to a bowl since 2016.

KEY MATCHUP

Washington State runs its offense through quarterback John Mateer, who is having a special season and should be salivating about facing the New Mexico defense. He’s among the nation’s leaders in virtually every statistical category. The New Mexico defense, while improving, has not faced a player like him and has struggled overall, allowing 477.2 yards a game and almost five touchdowns per game. The Lobos have been allowing 249.1 yards through the air and 8.28 yards per attempt.

Colorado State wide receiver Caleb Goodie, left, catches a pass for a touchdown as New Mexico Nigel Williams follows in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. Credit: AP/Andy Cross

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Washington State receiver Kyle Williams has 42 catches for 691 yards and is averaging 16.5 yards per catch. He leads the team with eight touchdown receptions and is a constant threat to bust a long one.

New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier has been lighting up the stat box with 902 yards rushing, 2,418 yards passing and 24 total touchdowns.

FACTS & FIGURES

New Mexico has not played a ranked team since 2021, has not played a ranked team at home since 2018 and has not beaten a ranked team since 2003. … Williams has a catch in all 46 games he has played and is coming off a three-TD performance in a 49-28 win over Utah State. … Washington State back Wayshawn Parker has nine carries of 20 or more yards, the most of any freshman. … Dampier has had four games this season with more than 100 yards passing and 100 rushing. No other quarterback in school history has done it more than three times in a career. … Lobos linebacker Randolph Kpai had 15 tackles in the last game, a 21-16 win over San Diego State. For good measure, he also broke up two passes. … Mateer is the only quarterback with at least 20 passing TDs and 10 rushing TDs.

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New Mexico

Staff Predictions for Week 12 matchup between Texas A&M and New Mexico State

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Press Room

Staff Predictions for Week 12 matchup between Texas A&M and New Mexico State

We’ve reached the final stretch of the 2024 college football season. Every team within reach of earning a spot in the College Football Playoffs needs to finish strong, and for the Aggies, that means defeating New Mexico State, Auburn, and Texas to finish out the year.

While the road is clear, A&M’s No. 15 ranking in the latest CFB Playoff rankings felt like a slight snub compared to No. 4 Penn State. The Aggies’ two losses against Notre Dame and South Carolina are officially ranked losses, with the Gamecocks entering the rankings at No. 23.

However, the committee is basing these rankings on the eye test, especially the 3rd-ranked Texas Longhorns, whose best win came against Vanderbilt on the road. Either way, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and his team are focused on improving this Saturday night against New Mexico State.

Here are the official Aggies Wire Staff Predictions for Texas A&M vs. New Mexico State ahead of the game.

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

Texas A&M is rested and ready to finish the regular season strong after the Week 11 bye week, as head coach Mike Elko knows that the Aggies can do is med the fixable issues and practice, and hope that the Week 10 loss to South Carolina acts as a motivator for the next three weeks.
After missing 25 tackles against the Gamecocks, Texas A&M’s defense will be on notice against New Mexico State this weekend, which looks like a “get-right” game for both sides of the ball, while the loss of star running back Le’Veon Moss has vaulted junior back Amari Daniels into the starting role.
However, all eyes will once again be on quarterback Marcel Reed, who will more than likely earn his second consecutive start. Needing to show vast improvement in the passing game, meaning OC Collin Klein will need to show more creativity with his play calling and continue to utilized Reed’s dual-threat skillset.
Looking to make a statement, I expect the Aggies to show up and shut down New Mexico State’s running game and score in bunches every quarter.

Texas A&M 42, New Mexico State 10

Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

New Mexico State is in for an extremely tough night when they roll into Kyle Field. Texas A&M is coming off a bye week when they lost to a good but unranked South Carolina team.
The Aggies are going to have a fire in their belly, and it’s going to be unleashed on the New Mexico State.
They have some things they need to work on, and unfortunately for the New Mexico State, they will serve as the practice team. I have the Maroon & White beating New Mexico State big during Military Appreciation / Senior Night

Texas A&M 47, New Mexico State 7

(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Texas A&M returns from its second bye this week with a break from the daunting conference schedule.
In their most recent contest, the No. 15 Aggies (7-2, 5-1 SEC) were upset at South Carolina, snapping their seven-game winning streak and unbeaten run in conference play. Saturday night’s matchup against New Mexico State is the ultimate “get right” game.
Texas A&M redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed needs to prove why head coach Mike Elko made him the starter over redshirt sophomore Conner Weigman, which is exactly what he’ll do. Led by Reed and the vaunted Aggies defense, Texas A&M will get out to such a big lead against the Lobos that Weigman will see some action in the second half.
Regardless of who the opponent is, the Aggies cannot overlook them. However, that would be a concern if Jimbo Fisher were still in charge, but not Elko.
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Texas A&M 45, New Mexico State 13

Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Game Date: Saturday, Nov. 16

Game Time: 6:45 p.m. CT.

Broadcast: SEC Network

Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Texas A&M 45, New Mexico State 10

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New Mexico

Human skulls found in New Mexico home closely tied to case of woman missing since 2019, officials say

Published

18 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Press Room

Human skulls found in New Mexico home closely tied to case of woman missing since 2019, officials say

Authorities in New Mexico are investigating whether the discovery of human remains, including up to 20 human skulls, in a home could be tied to a woman’s disappearance in 2019.

According to the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, 10-20 human skulls were found in a home in Jal after a resident reported having an “unsettling encounter” with a man while offering him a ride on Nov. 5.

The resident told police the man was “carrying two bags, made alarming statements and discarded objects from the vehicle, some of which appeared to be human bones.”

When investigators later inspected the area where the man was last located, they found bone fragments, portions of a skull and a jawbone, Telemundo New Mexico reported.

Officials then located the home where the man had been living and found more bone fragments and “10-20 human skulls” after searching the property the following day, the sheriff’s office said.

When questioned, the man told authorities someone purchased the skulls from an online source. The bone fragments are now being analyzed for potential identification.

While the man has not yet been charged with a crime, the sheriff’s office said the case could be tied to the 2019 disappearance of Angela McManes, whose last known residence was near the property searched.

“Authorities are working diligently to determine the connection between the remains and McManes, as well as other possible victims,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

“I know our viewers are concerned, but I can tell you, we don’t have a serial killer walking around,” the town’s sheriff, Corey Helton, told NBC affiliate KOB-TV.

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