New Mexico
‘We’re not afraid’: New Mexico State football prepares for top-15 Texas A&M team
New Mexico State football is preparing for its toughest challenge this season.
The Aggies plays at another set of Aggies ― No. 14 Texas A&M ― at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. NM State earned a 31-10 win last season over Auburn in its latest SEC trip, but College Football Playoff-contending A&M presents a significantly tougher challenge.
Few coaches show fear though, and Aggies coach Tony Sanchez certainly isn’t one of them.
“They’re fighting to get into the playoffs. It’s a big deal for them,” Sanchez said on Monday. “We know it’s a challenge, but at the same time, we’re not afraid of the challenge. Our guys are ready to go. We’re ready to go scrap and we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”
Sanchez was complementary of A&M’s first-year coach Mike Elko, calling him a great hire and praising his decision to change from Conner Weigman to Marcel Reed at quarterback. He’s also doing everything he can to beat Elko’s team, from letting his players see Kyle Field on Friday for adjusting to the 102,733-capacity stadium, to emphasizing takeaways.
NM State (2-7, 1-5 Conference USA) believe the latter is something they can’t beat A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC) without. NM State earned two takeaways in a 41-28 defeat to Western Kentucky last Saturday after going all of October without one, and hopes its defense plays “as one” in College Station.
“We just need to communicate better,” said senior safety Da’Marcus Crosby. We gotta be on the same page and trust one another. I feel like we are really starting to understand each other better and start to understand the scheme… we just got to start running our feet on tackles, on contact, punching at the ball, and being physical at the point of attack.”
Bet MGM has NM State as a 39.5-point underdog as of Monday afternoon, which would make a victory the third-largest point-spread upset in college football history. However, the Aggies are doing their best to make things business as usual.
“You don’t change your process based on your opponent,” Sanchez said. “It’s kind of your core, who you are. We had our regular practice last night, did our film session and got fired up… tomorrow’s practice will be no different than it was eight weeks ago.”
What’s the quarterback situation for NM State?
Junior Santino Marucci made his fourth start of the season against WKU, but split reps with senior Brandon Nunez in a two-quarterback system. Marucci threw for all of NM State’s 129 passing yards against the Hilltoppers, while Nunez was primarily used for running plays in a three-back formation and earned 34 rushing yards on eight carries.
Sanchez says he’ll continue splitting reps against Texas A&M, and likely for the rest of the season.
“They each bring something different to the table,” Sanchez said. “It’s a pain in the butt when you’re another team and you’re trying to prepare for both guys and two different types of offenses. It probably gives us the best chance to win. We’ll see how practice goes this week, but you’ll probably see both of those guys.”
Marucci is expected to earn his fifth start, which would become the most among Aggie quarterbacks in 2024. NM State is one of two FBS teams to have four quarterbacks throw five or more passes this season.
McGowan seeing continued growth
One of the Aggies’ best players this season has been Seth McGowan.
The running back has formed a dynamic duo with fellow junior Mike Washington, as NM State had two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since 2016. McGowan is currently the Aggies’ leading rusher at 636 yards in addition to four total touchdowns.
McGowan’s had to overcome off-field mistakes. Once at Oklahoma, he was dismissed after committing a drug-related crime with two other teammates and cycled through multiple junior colleges before earning a chance in Las Cruces. The Mesquite, Texas, native feels brand-new though, and believes he’s matured with the Aggies.
Even on a 2-7 team, he’s grateful to be playing FBS football again.
“Just reintroducing myself back to this game … and rolling with these guys, that’s what’s made it enjoyable,” McGowan said. “There’s so many things that I sacrificed to be here … I’m not a man that sees obstacles. I’m a man who sees opportunity.”
Joshua Wheeler was raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico and his work has been described as “lyrical and funny” as well as “poetic and highly entertaining.” One of the two books he will read excerpts from next month is about southern New Mexico.
As part of the Nelson-Boswell Reading Series, La Sociedad para Las Artes will host a public reading by Wheeler, a Louisiana State University professor, from his publications “Acid West: Essays” and “High Heaven: A Novel.”
The reading begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 in New Mexico State University’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171. A free reception will follow, where copies of Wheeler’s books will be available for purchase.
Wheeler is now based in New Orleans where he teaches creative writing at LSU. His debut novel “High Heaven” explores the evolution of faith and technology through the U.S.’s space age. His collection of essays “Acid West” follows the history of innovation and identity as seen from southern New Mexico – from cowboys and UFOs to nuclear testing and spaceports.
The Nelson-Boswell Reading Series invites visiting writers to NMSU to share their work with the community. La Sociedad para Las Artes is seeking to establish a permanent endowed fund through the NMSU Foundation whose earnings will support creative writing programs, including visiting writers and reading series as well as creative writing workshops for children in Las Cruces Public Schools.
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CUTLINE: Louisiana State University assistant professor of creative writing Joshua Wheeler will read from “Acid West: Essays” and “High Heaven: A Novel” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 in New Mexico State University’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171 as part of NMSU’s Nelson-Boswell Reading Series hosted by La Sociedad para Las Artes. (Courtesy photo)
New Mexico
Rain starts moving into New Mexico tonight, with more rain and mountain snow through Thursday
Grant’s Tuesday Evening Forecast
A storm system will start bringing rain and thunderstorms into New Mexico tonight. More rain and mountain snow will expand across the state through Thursday.
It’s been another mild day across New Mexico Tuesday with high temperatures hovering near and above average again today. High clouds have been filtering some of the sunshine though as upper level moisture increases ahead of our next storm system. We will already start to see some rain develop in southwest and western New Mexico this evening. These rain and very high elevation snow showers will lift northward into more of New Mexico by Wednesday morning, bringing an isolated chance for precipitation to areas along and south of I-40, with a spotty precipitation chance in northern New Mexico. Scattered showers and storms will redevelop across the western half of New Mexico Wednesday afternoon. High temperatures will see little change Wednesday.
Lift associated with the storm system will increase across New Mexico Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. This will cause a big increase in rain and mountain snow form southwest New Mexico to the northern mountains. On and off showers, storms, and mountain snow will continue through the morning and early afternoon, bringing all of New Mexico a chance for rain. Some of the heaviest rain will fall in southern New Mexico, along with the Rio Grande Valley and into the northern mountains. Precipitation will wrap up from south to north through Thursday evening with some lingering rain and mountain snow in northern New Mexico into early Friday morning. Forecast rainfall amounts have been trending higher across the state, along with snow totals. At least a couple inches of snow is likely above 8,000′, with up 6″ above 9,000′. High temperatures will be much cooler Thursday.
Cooler air sticks around Friday with a slight warming trend this weekend. Another storm is possible by Sunday, which could bring back rain and mountain snow chances.
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