This was a bad year for the Aggie football team.
Sure, 2-10 would be bad no matter the circumstances, but the team wasn’t even competitive.
They lost by a lot on a weekly basis — the team was outscored on average 39-15. It was outgained 453 yards per game to 296. It had nine sacks all year — but it felt like that it was really four. The Aggies forced 13 turnovers, and just four interceptions.
Offensively, the team looked better than a season ago, and it felt better than a season ago. But it wasn’t nearly enough.
The Aggies topped the 20-point mark just three times — another game they hit 20 on the dot. This team has to average at least 25-to-30 points per game to be competitive in the WAC.
I really think the Aggies will get better under DeWayne Walker and his coaching staff. They’re a good group, a hard-working group and a smart group. They really need to get athletes on the defensive side of the ball that are big and can run. That’s a big building process.
Following Saturday’s 59-24 loss to Hawaii, Walker spoke about the need for everyone associated with the program to thoroughly evaluate its direction and the resources behind. “From the top on down,” he said.
If this is really about winning, NMSU will take what he says and really give it a strong look. And, with that being said, this team needs to improve on the field — with or without help.
I think Walker will get some help from the school — not everything he’s looking for, but some — and the team will get better under his watch. It won’t stay like this forever.
It was a tough year.
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16 comments:
Teddy,
Do you think that Walker is just barely realizing the magnitude of turning this program around? A coach that takes this job has to realize that it wont happen over night and has to be aware of the limited resources that a school like NMSU has. This shouldnt be a surprise to Walker but he sounded like he was. Also, what do you think the chances are of NMSU winning once the top tier teams are gone? What do you think of all this talk of adding teams in general geez, do you think the WAC will survive?
GS
If Coach Walker didn't know what he was getting when he signed on the bottom line and took the cash from NMSU, then he isn't as smart as everyone thinks he is. There were no secrets or surprises; NMSU isn't known for its football prowess, at least not in the last fifty years.
NMSU is a small public school with limited funding. It happens to be located about as far from a decent recruiting area as there is. Maybe only Alaska has it worse. Just ask UNM or UTEP about recruiting athletes. Same story. Heck, UTEP has a 6-6 record and everyone in El Paso is ecstatic because they KNOW the reality.
I do like Coach Walker. I think he is making strides to improve football at NMSU. However, looking for more funding from a cash-strapped administration that is itself looking to cut even more out of its budget for next year, well, that's asking a lot.
As far as the team winning, I don't see enough creativity on the field, and maybe that's a result of not having the talented bodies. It seems to me that offensively, the Aggies have taken a step backward. There's no imagination in the play calling. If I was an opposing teams defensive coordinator, I'd say stack the box; watch for the predictable runs on first and second down; keep 8 guys close to the line of scrimmage to sniff out the occasional screen pass and draw plays...and that would be about all I'd need to do on defense to win against the Aggies. With 70 or 80 yards to get to the end zone with the type of offense the Aggies play, defenses stack up against the run and short yardage plays. The Aggies just aren't going to sustain many drives to outscore the opposition. And that equates to losing most games.
Defensively, playing the likes of Boise, Nevada, Fresno, and Hawaii doesn't help. Those teams put points on the board, and they do that against most all teams. If we can't outscore them with a better offense, we're pretty much hosed...case in point, the Hawaii game this weekend.
I am hopeful for the Aggies. I think we need to let Walker continue to recruit and build the team. In three years, assess the program. If we see solid improvement, great. If not, reconsider the coach and reconsider staying in the top division of NCAA football.
The WAC will survive!
This is the 3rd time we've seen a mass exodus and the WAC has thrived the past two times. The remaining schools just have to get better, period!!
NMSU has a history of promising a lot and then screwing it's better coaches. Warren Woodson & Tony Samuels come to mind. Coach Walker???
The reason Coach Walker is asking for help is because he doesn't see the commitment fom Boston or Couture!!
Coach Walker is good man and a good coach!! Give him what he needs in order to be succesfull and turn this thing around!!
Us fans are tired of NMSU's 1/2 ass commitments!!
Jefe
At least BSU lost, although not too convincingly in OT. It shows any team is beatable on any given weekend and shouldn't have to leave the WAC in seach of higher BSC computer rankings. But BCS is obviously almighty dollar-driven and so to get any money out of the system schools like BSU and now Hawaii have to dump cash into their programs. NMSU is wise not to get into an upwards spiraling spending race with these other states. Compare New Mexico's tax base to Idaho or Hawaii and glean some answers for Walker. Follow the money.
Until someone is willing to investigate to find the reasons for over a half-century of losing seasons and/or get a sports editor with a pair-NOTHING will change!!!
Why is CDW questioning the "direction & resources" for the FB program???
Could it be that the Athletic Dept. Aka, the Boston Cartel, promised him WAAAY to much and is not delivering??!
Is anyone really surprised here? NMSU screwed Tony Samuel a few years back why not again, right?
I better see a commitment from the Boston Cartel or I will not re-new my season tickets.
I'll be damned if I give money to the Cartel and watch them stick it to a good man/ coach!!
Boston is an idiot. He lied to Mumme and lied to Walker, promsing things that his fat A$$ can't deliver. He is the one who needs to go, but then again, the new Prez doesn't have a clue either. Tell me why Boston can't go hire a proven head coach who has built a program at the lower level, one who knows what it will be like here! Walker is a good guy and will do well, but had no clue what this level would be like. San Diego State, the job Walker really wanted, took a proven lower level builder from Ball State (I believe it was) and now look how good SDSU is. That guy is one everyones radar now. Boston is a clown. He thinks he is smarter than all of us and his money from here is building his retiremenet home in NC. Is the dang thing done yet?
Teddy, the other day, our NMSU WBB team won the championship in the classic and nothing was in the paper about it. Sure, its only women's hoops, but they won a championship against a conference champion and a ncaa tourney team. And, the other teams around here right now; volleyball, football & mens hoops, haven't been providing any good news, so why not share that story?
My wife and I go to all NMSU sports events and would like to see you cover them a bit better. Thanks and Go Aggies.
The "program" last tore down the goalposts after beating a team nicknamed the Anteaters. Look it up, Teddy! Seriously like, 1990 or 1991 when NMSU was in the Big West and overcame a powerful UC Irvine club to break the longest Div. I losing streak in the nation at that time. The only thing sadder was the next year the Aggies went on the road to Sol Ross, lost, and Sol Ross tore down THEIR goalposts! That should just about say everything Boston/Walker need to know. There were not too many fans at that Anteater game as I recall even though it was a perfect autumn afternoon. Or maybe because it was a perfect autumn afternoon? Right on to the Tony Samuel backer! The rest of you, get off of your YouTube, XBox, and 3G network phone and go see a game - live. Here's what the Boston study will conclude ... each fan that does not attend games spends $75 a month on phone and $50 on internet, which is also why the newspapers have to have online editions and these blogspaces! Heck, back in my day ....
Anon 4:00 p.m.,
Actually the last time a goal post was torn down was in 2002 after we beat UNM. Granted, the whole thing didn't come down, but the uprights did. But I understand your point.
The biggest Loss of the season for NMSU was Boise State Losing to Nevada. Teddy any idea how much money NMSU lost because of that. We were gonna get paid if they went to BCS bowl and now we wont. We need that money more than anyone, damnnnn Nevada.
Yeah, college football has changed and not all for the better. Now the goalposts can be laid down before the rabid fans can tear them down. Otherwise the school gets fined by the NCAA. Now there is an outfit to investigate...
not going to be competitive when you are under manned all year long. the kids worked hard the coaches worked hard but they just keep running in to the same wall year in and year out and that wall is put in the way by our own people. boston is a joke. he promises coaches stuff and then never delivers which adds more frustration to the equation. get a clue boston.
Thank God for Texas State and UTSA...those are going to be our only 2 wins when they join the WAC in 2012. Next season I could see the Aggies going winless...they just get worse and worse.
????? UC-Irvine has never had a football team...maybe you were thinking about CSU-Fullerton, they used to have a football team.
Teddy -
Now Boise is leaving the WAC and also whining that they were erroneously assigned 11th place in the BCS standings only to find that a blogger got them changed to 10th ahead of LSU? What's NMSU's cut of BSU going to the MAACO Bowl? Is that a hole in the AD budget in following years after BSU is gone or does the university take that money from AD like Jim Calhoun is always ranting over there at UCONN?
Who cares if NMSU football can't compete with elite schools or even regional rivals - as long as the bucks are coming in so the electicity stays on a Pan Am for hoops where you stand a chance of going to a post season.
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