New Mexico State plays its second BCS conference opponent in a row, after opening up against Texas.
New Mexico State (0-1 overall, 0-0 Independent) vs. Minnesota (1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)
Los Cruces, New Mexico – Aggies Memorial
Saturday 7:00 p.m. CT – Online at BTN2Go
Spread: Minnesota -16
PREGAME NOTES
Last Meeting
Minnesota will play New Mexico State for the second time in program history on Saturday. The two teams first met during the 2011 season when the Gophers hosted the Aggies at TCF Bank Stadium.
New Mexico scored three touchdowns in the first half and took a 21-14 lead into the locker. The Aggies added to their lead late in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown on a 10-play, 94-yard drive. Minnesota pulled within seven points after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown, but was unable to tie the game late. New Mexico State upset the Golden Gophers, 28-21.
Head coach Jerry Kill expects the sting of that loss to motivate his team.
“It should be pretty easy [to motivate the team],” Kill said. “[New Mexico State] beat us here two years ago and if we have anybody that’s not locked in and ready to play, we aren’t doing a real good job and our players aren’t concentrating.”
Last Time Out
The Aggies didn’t do themselves any favors scheduling No. 15 Texas in the season opener last Saturday. Playing in Austin, New Mexico State hung tough for the first half, trailing by just seven.
“I was obviously really pleased with the way we played in the first half of the game,” said head coach Doug Martin at his weekly press conference. “I thought we played with a lot of passion, with a lot of emotion. The kids executed fairly well.”
The second half was a different story as the Longhorns poured on 42 unanswered points to trounce the Aggies 56-7. The New Mexico State defense allowed a whopping 715 yards and eight touchdowns in the loss. The silver lining for the Aggies was forcing Texas into two interceptions and a lost fumble.
“One of the bright spots was our defense causing three turnovers,” said Martin. “That’s something we’ve really been emphasizing since I got here and we only got nine last year and we got three in one half of football so that was certainly a positive that we can continue.”
Coaching Preview
Doug Martin is in his first season as head coach for the Aggies. This is Martin’s second stint with New Mexico State as he was the offensive coordinator for the Aggies in 2011. While Martin was head coach of Kent State from 2004-2010, he locked horns with Jerry Kill and the Northern Illinois Huskies. Martin has known Jerry Kill for years and has a deep respect for his coaching counterpart.
“It’s a really well coached football team,” said Martin of the Gophers. “I’ve known Jerry kill for quite a while. He and I are really close friends. Jerry does a great job of coaching. His football team with be physical and tough. It will be a great challenge for us.”
Fast-Paced Offense
Like the UNLV Rebels, New Mexico State will look to keep a frantic pace to their offense; utilizing short plays to get their athletes in space. Kill and the Gophers struggled early against the quick attack of UNLV but settled in, shutting the Rebels down in the second half.
“They run the pistol offense and they’ll nickel and dime you and keep the ball and get three or four yards a pop,” said Kill of the Aggies. “[They run] a lot of quick screens, bubble screens, option football. Anytime they do, everybody’s got to do their job and be accountable…It’s important that everybody does their job on defense.”
Matchup to Watch
Although the Aggies defense returned four of their starting front seven from last season, New Mexico State’s rushing defense was miserable in the season opener versus Texas. Against the Longhorns, the Aggies allowed 359 yards and four scores on 42 carries.
With a number of injuries to Minnesota’s backfield, the Gophers’ will likely look to the relatively inexperienced duo of David Cobb and Rodrick Williams Jr. to handle most of the carries. The Maroon and Gold should be able to dominant the suspect Aggie run defense, leading to some big gains for Philip Nelson and the Gopher running backs. Look for Minnesota to set the tone early with a powerful ground attack.
“They’re going to run the ball and if it doesn’t work, they’re going to keep running the ball,” said Martin of the Gophers’ offense. “That’s just their mentality and they’re good at it…For us to win this game, we have to slow down the running game.”
Players to Watch
Joshua Bowen – The 5-foot-10 wide receiver put up solid numbers against the Longhorns last week. Bowen, a sophomore out of Albequerqe, New Mexico, caught eight passes for 83 yards and the Aggies’ only touchdown of the day.
Davis Cazares – New Mexico State returns their leading tackler from last season in senior safety Davis Cazares. In 2012, Cazares racked up and incredible 116 tackles, 67 of them solo.
Trashaun Nixon – Along with Cazares, the Aggies return another talented defender, Trashaun Nixon. The 6-foot-1 linebacker recorded 96 tackles last season, including 9.5 for a loss. Last week, Nixon totaled five tackles for the Aggies’ defense.
Background
Location: Los Cruces, New Mexico
Enrollment: 16,428
Conference: Independent
Mascot: Aggies
Colors: Crimson and White
Coach: Doug Martin (First Season)