No. 1 key vs. Ohio

What is it? Stopping the Bobcats rushing attack, of course. That means the NMSU front-seven will need to be on top of its game.

Ohio is going to come out on Saturday and look to take it right at the Aggies with a physical offensive line and a physical rushing attack.

NMSU is going to need their defensive linemen to play well — starting with their interior tackles. The starting defensive tackles will be David Mahoney and DeJuan Yates, and they’re backed up by Walton Taumoepeau and Mark Brown. The line will need to generate penetration and tie up Ohio’s offensive linemen, which will free up the NMSU linebackers to make plays on the ball carrier.

There are a handful of important factors to this game: NMSU getting off to a good start; the play of the sophomore quarterbacks; the Aggies holding Ohio somewhere in the neighborhood of 21 to 24 points; the overall physical nature of the contest.

But the No. 1 key will be the play of the NMSU defensive front seven.

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