Cruces Sports

Aggies vs. Nevada: a look back, a look ahead

2012-01-27T17:38:00.000-08:00

Looking back at the Aggies game against the University of Nevada on Thursday night, a 68-60 loss for NMSU.

Much of what happened, we already knew and were painfully reminded of.

What this game really boiled down to was Nevada — a good team — shooting at a red-hot clip and the Aggies unable to shoot the ball from deep.

Going into the year we knew the Aggies didn't have a reliable long-range shooter and the team has had trouble defending the 3-pointer at times. And Nevada's Deonte Burton and Malik Story were unconscious from the field.

The Wolf Pack made 70 percent of their shots in the first half — that's just a ridiculous number — and 6 of 9 from 3-point territory.

And what this long-range shooting did was open things up inside for Nevada — namely Olek Czyz and Dario Hunt.

For NMSU, it was the exact opposite. They couldn't hit the 3-pointer and Nevada was able to pack the paint and not allow the Aggies to do what they do best — penetrate, get to the front of the rim, and create second-chance scoring opportunities.

The Aggies do not have an effective halfcourt offense and team's realize they simply have to play a zone defense against NMSU and take their chances from there.

At this point it's obvious that the Aggies are at their best when they're creating offense with their defense — creating turnovers, forcing misses, getting long rebounds and getting out on the break. This gets their transition game going and allows them to get to the bucket as the opposing team can't get settled on the defensive end of the floor.

But with Nevada hitting at an impressive rate — then able to get back and align in their zone with plenty of time to spare — it simply fed the beast.

We saw it earlier this year at home against the University of New Mexico, when the Lobos were hot from 3-point land and NMSU couldn't score the ball on the other end.

And in Aggie wins at UNM and Utah State earlier this season, it was also apparent. The Lobos shot under 30 percent in the Pit and committed 21 turnovers that evening, as the Aggies won 62-53. Utah State couldn't hit their shots in the second half of their game at NMSU, and the Aggies were able to turn it loose on the other end of the floor with transition opportunities and attacking the basket. This makes sense.

The Aggies were able to get back into last night's game by creating pressure and, yes, forcing some rushed shots and turnovers on Nevada's end. Beat writer Jason Groves covered this in his Sun-News story today.

But at that point it was too deep a hole to climb out of and the Aggies were hurt by some turnovers of their own and some calls that went against them including a questionable charge against Wendell McKines — it was a tough night for the officials all the way around. NMSU was also hurt by missed free throws throughout the night.

Simply put, with the Aggies lack of 3-point shooting, they're not built to be a comeback team.

• While I do believe the Aggies play better without Christian Kabongo — McKines, point guard Hernst Laroche and shooting guard Daniel Mullings' have all seemed to step up since his departure — he was one player who could break a zone with his long-range shooting and ability to get to the basket. In this case, it's kind of a Catch-22. Although, again, I do think the Aggies have played better and more as a team without him.

• Nevada is a very good WAC team and clearly the class of the conference at this point.

Point guard Deonte Burton is a stud — a legitimate NBA prospect with strength, shooting ability and floor vision.

And, while they aren't particularly deep, they have four beasts in Burton, Czyz, Story and Hunt.

They also looked like a well-coached team last night — well disciplined and good decision makers with the ball, although they did have trouble against the Aggie press.

They were also hitting shots, which will make a team look very good on any particular evening.

Does that mean the Aggies can't beat them in the future? Well, no it doesn't.

It's conceivable NMSU can win in a rematch but a few things need to happen if that were to be the case:

— First off, some breaks have to go NMSU's way, such as connecting on some more 3-point shots and possibly getting some of Nevada's core players — such as Burton — in foul trouble.

— Nevada can't — and likely won't — shoot 70 percent from the floor in the first half. At one point in the game, Nevada had hit 7 of 10 3-point attempts.

— And the Aggies cannot get in foul trouble — namely Laroche, McKines and Mullings can't get in foul trouble.

• Renaldo Dixon is back on the roster, but didn't play a single minute last night.

• The Aggies needed some 3-point shooting in the second half and brought in Remi Barry — likely in hopes of getting such.

He would go 0 of 3 from beyond the arc and was taken out after five minutes of action. It was a chance for Barry to make an impact and he didn't.

• Does NMSU need to win Saturday against Fresno State?

Of course they do. The Aggies can't drop any games on their home floor during league play.

I do think some fans are somewhat indifferent at this point, however. Most know the Aggies are a top-three, top-two team in the WAC. Right now they aren't a championship team, however, and that's what many want to see.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Teddy and Brook Show (1/26)

2012-01-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

This week's Teddy and Brook show. I talk a lot. My fault Brook

Some notes/opinion from recent Aggie football story

2012-01-25T17:41:00.001-08:00

We take a look back at a a story written yesterday in the Sun-News pertaining to Aggie football. For the full read, click here. For the cliff notes and some opinion, read below:

• Former football program coordinator Juan Lozano (pictured), who has been with the Aggies the past three seasons, took a similar position at the University of Hawaii.

Lozano did a lot for the Aggies — everything from helping in travel coordination, to organizing study halls and DeWayne Walker’s schedule, to helping with NFL scouts. He essentially was Walker’s right-hand man.

• I wouldn’t say I’m thrilled with all the coaching movement this past offseason within Aggie football. Of course it’s part of college football in this day and age, although the Aggies went 4-9 last year and such turnover can be disruptive. I’ve said it before, it’s VERY difficult to build something without continuity.

Still, the man in charge remains in place, head coach DeWayne Walker. The program’s new hires — particularly defensive coordinator David Elson and offensive coordinator Jerry McManus — could be good or not so good. We really won’t know until NMSU takes the field in spring and fall practices, and then in 2012.

It is important to note that all four coaches left for different reasons — with offensive coordinator Doug Martin and offensive line coach Jason Lenzmeier getting essentially job promotions at more lucrative programs.

• Walker said he is going to be more involved this year and hands on in coaching both sides of the ball.

I think the Aggies are looking to get the defensive side going a bit more and Walker will have a working relationship with Elson.

McManus is a first-time coordinator, although you have to get your start somewhere. Walker said he will spend time with the offense and have input in personnel, more so as a “consultant.”

I will say that I do not want Walker coaching coaches, and he might have to do more of that this year. That could take away from some of his responsibilities as the head coach of the Aggies.

• Walker said he will coach cornerbacks in 2012 while previous cornerbacks coach Will Martin will now coach linebackers.

• We know the Aggies lost Cole Gautche at quarterback when he followed Lenzmeier to the University of New Mexico.

Perhaps the biggest concern with all the coaching movement was how it affected Aggie recruiting, although Walker said it had minimal impact. A tough call.

• The loss of Kenny Turner will be a blow at running back, although I liked Robert Clay two years ago and lets not forget his performance at Minnesota this past year.

The Aggies are also hopeful of signing a couple other running backs and could run the ball more in 2012.

Perhaps the Aggies will be OK at this position after all.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

A big game, and a winnable one for the Aggies

2012-01-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

It will be a big game this Thursday night for the Aggies when they host Nevada in WAC men's basketball.

The Aggies are 4-1 in league play this year after splitting a road trip to San Jose State and Hawaii. NMSU was down big to UH before mounting a comeback late, only to fall short 91-87. They absolutely demolished SJSU 79-63 in the game prior. The truth is that the San Jose State and Hawaii road trip is one of the toughest ones in conference play. Not a lot of fun.

Nevada is 5-0 in the WAC and has some legitimate talent on their team — point guard Deonte Burton and Duke transfer Olek Czyz at forward both stand out. They also have guard Malik Story and forward Dario Hunt in their arsenal.

But I like the Aggies in this one.

First off, they're home and should play the part of a team that knows they need the win. They'll have to split with Nevada this year if they want a shot at a WAC regular-season title, and Thursday's game is their best chance at doing that.

One would hope — again, hope — that a good crowd would show up and that the students turn out. Again, that's the hope although there's certainly no guarantees in this regard.

It's hard to call this a must win, simply because there is a lot of basketball to be played this season. But it's about as close as the Aggies can get without calling it such — a VERY important matchup and NMSU must defend its home floor. If you want to be WAC champs, this is one that would seem imperative to get and it gives the Aggies a chance to prove themselves in league play.

And I expect senior forward Wendell McKines to play well that night, returning to the Pan American Center in a big WAC game.

One thing the Aggies can't do is fall behind big like they did to Hawaii. I do think it will be a close contest. And a big one at that.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Stepping away, for a few days

2012-01-20T12:28:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to say I will not be blogging the next few days. Took the weekend off and am in Austin.

Feel free to post and they will get up there. I'll be back at the start of next week.

Reaction to Kenny Turner's departure

2012-01-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

Taking it from the top, I'm not surprised by this move.

I thought Turner would return for his senior year, but I also knew that he might not.

Do I agree with his decision? I think he would have been better served coming back to school and I think it's an ill-advised move to leave early.

Rush for another 1,000 yards, get NMSU to a bowl game. Turner's stock would have improved if he accomplished such things next year at the school. And he could finish his education. One more year, that's it.

I also think his size will be an issue on the NFL level.

Of course we can look at it from Turner's perspective.

He's 26 years old going on 27, and would have been a featured back in an offense that will look different next year. He fit into the offensive scheme and new coordinator Jerry McManus will keep much of it in place. But Matt Christian and Taveon Rogers are gone and the Aggies offensive line will look much different. In many respects, the Aggie offense is starting over again.

Turner's worst-case scenario next year if he stayed with the Aggies? Getting injured, which could have hurt his draft status.

Of course this hurts the Aggies because Turner was one of their main catalysts last year and showed why NMSU sought his services. He ran for 100 yards almost weekly and had a four-touchdown game against Fresno State. He had close to 200 all-purpose yards against Georgia — he looked like one Aggie who belonged on the field that day with an SEC opponent. He was big in their win over Idaho.

I do know the Aggies believe they've recruited to this position in the offseason and Robert Clay returns for his senior year.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Turner not expected to be back at NMSU in 2012

2012-01-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

Aggie running back Kenny Turner is not expected to return to New Mexico State next season and will enter the NFL Draft.

NMSU will likely make an official announcement in the coming days. Turner had a big year for the Aggies, rushing for 1,070 yards on 206 carries (4.9 yards per rush average) while scoring nine rushing touchdowns. He added 46 catches for 514 yards and three TDs in the receiving game.

He would have been entering his senior season at New Mexico State.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Through Twitter, McManus accepts NMSU's offensive coordinator position

2012-01-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

Jerry McManus will be the next offensive coordinator for the New Mexico State University football team.

This according to McManus, who made the announcement through his Twitter account on Wednesday night, writing “I'm happy to announce I have accepted the offensive coordinator position at New Mexico State!”

McManus worked closely under NMSU's previous offensive coordinator Doug Martin. The two worked together when Martin ran East Carolina's offense from 1996-2004, and then at Kent State when Martin was head coach of the Golden Flashes from 2005-10.

Martin was the primary playcaller at both stops as McManus was an associate head coach with the Golden Flashes. Martin, who ran a successful offense last year with the Aggies, was hired by Boston College last month. McManus' addition would mean the Aggies would have a similar system, philosophy and terminology in place from a season ago.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

This week's Teddy and Brook Show

2012-01-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

This week's Teddy and Brook Show. I won....

Power rankings: A tale of the tape in District 3-5A basketball heading into league season

2012-01-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

A ranking of the teams in District 3-5A boys and girls basketball, which tips off its league season tonight.

No. 1-ranked Las Cruces High headlines the boys division, while defending state champion Mayfield is in the driver's seat amongst the girls.

Boys division
1) Las Cruces Bulldawgs
Pre-district record: 11-4
The skinny: The Bulldawgs have been the No. 1 ranked team in the state for much of the year and are beginning to play the part. Power forward Mando Marshall is the team's most physically imposing player and point guard Joe Garza might be its most important. LCHS has all the qualifications to be a top-ranked team — some marquee players, a good supporting and a bench that's beginning to round into form.

2) Mayfield Trojans
Pre-district record: 7-8
The skinny: Mayfield's talent doesn't necessarily jump off the court, although the Trojans will play hard and play together. There is some skill here, too, and the Trojans always seem to be in a comfort zone as the underdog. That's good a good thing in this case, because they'll certainly play that role when taking on crosstown rival Las Cruces High.

3) Oñate Knights
Pre-district record: 6-10
The skinny: This is a dangerous team, simply because of their style. Their slowed-down pace allows them to hang in games and, if they get the lead, they're tough to mount a comeback on. They have two seniors — Brandon Rosales and Chino Saldivar — who won a state title with the program last year, and a freshman — Sammy Barnes-Tompkins — who has the green light to shoot the ball.

4) Alamogordo Tigers
Pre-district record: 6-11
The skinny: This team has lost seven-straight games and doesn't seem likely to contend for a league title. An effective post player, Harold Jackson, left the team and they've struggled offensively. They still have some athleticism and their go-to scorer is wing player Eric Schalk.

5) Gadsden Panthers
Pre-district record: 6-10
The skinny: An improving team, it still seems like Gadsden will be jockeying with Alamogordo for fifth place in District 3-5A.

Girls division
1) Mayfield Trojans
Pre-district record: 13-3
The skinny: The Trojans have remained true to their identity — creating offense with their full-court, pressing defense. They do look slightly different in personnel, however, possessing a thin backcourt and three big players — Tiffani Lara, Daeshi McCants and Allie Pierce — anchoring their frontline. They are a well-coached team that could contend for a state title once again in a wide open Class 5A.

2) Oñate Knight
Pre-district record: 11-6
The skinny: An injury to guard Kelsie Niehoff could hurt Oñate from truly pushing Mayfield in the league standings. When Niehoff — who is out with a foot fracture — is away from the floor, OHS has to move shooters Alexyss Burkhartsmeier or Sharolette Shanks to the primary ballhandler position, which can put a cramp in their offense. The hope is that Niehoff can return to action for the stretch run of district play.

3) Las Cruces High
Pre-district record: 9-7
The skinny: Similar to Oñate, LCHS has some good guard play — led by Samantha Mendoza — and not a lot of size. The Bulldawgs are a well-coached team, but their lack of depth up front can hurt them in the rebounding department, and ultimately will hurt them in challenging for a state title.

4) Gadsden Panthers
Pre-district record: 8-9
The skinny: This has the look of an improved team, with a record close to the .500 mark entering league play. Nathalie Castellanos has returned to the court this year for Gadsden, which could provide a scare for a couple of their District 3-5A rivals.

5) Alamogordo Tigers
Pre-district record: 6-11
The skinny: First-year coach Fernando Sanchez took over the Tigers this past offseason and the team is in rebuilding mode. An inexperienced squad, Alamogordo lacks scoring punch and looks to press on the defensive end of the floor.

As of Jan. 15, Turner's name still off NFL early entry list

2012-01-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

In terms of early entries into the 2012 NFL Draft, Aggie running back Kenny Turner is still not one of them — at least as of Jan. 15.

The deadline for early entry passed on midnight Sunday. Here is the list provided by CBSSports.com Rob Rang, who also writes (in paragraph No. 2) that there could be possible changes to this list in the future. There has been no confirmation on Turner's status from New Mexico State at this point.

Turner was a great player for the Aggies a season ago — one of the team's MVPs to be sure — rushing for 1,070 yards on 206 carries (4.9 yards per rush average) while scoring nine rushing touchdowns. He added 46 catches for 514 yards and three TDs in the receiving game.

One of the appeals regarding offensive coordinator candidate Jerry McManus — who appears to be a favorite for the job at this point — is that he worked very closely under Doug Martin at Kent State and at East Carolina. In other words, same system, same terminology, same philosophies.

•••

NMSU's 2011 out of conference schedule is in the books. The team opens at home against Sacramento State on Sept. 1, travels to Ohio Week 2 and then plays UTEP and UNM the following weeks before opening conference play. Auburn is the Aggies money game on Nov. 3 and NMSU hosts BYU Nov. 24.

For the out of conference schedule, click here.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

In a text message from Walker, three coordinator finalists are identified

2012-01-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

A text message from New Mexico State head football coach DeWayne Walker identified three finalists for the Aggie offensive coordinator position: former Kent State associate head coach Jerry McManus; former Maryland offensive coordinator Gary Crowton; and former Hawaii offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich.

McManus' hiring would make sense, considering that he worked under previous coordinator Doug Martin. In other words — if he runs the same system as Martin — the Aggies wouldn't have to change systems or terminology. That would be an important factor.

Crowton has a world of experience — an offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland last year and also has head coaching experience at Louisiana Tech and Brigham Young. He has previous NFL coaching experience with the Chicago Bears and was an offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon and LSU.

Rolovich’s name has been in the mix for some time, a former University of Hawaii offensive coordinator who is familiar with third-year quarterback Andrew Manley.

Walker also noted in the text message, “I will have an answer on Monday.”

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

With reports that Crowton will go to Utah, another name to consider

2012-01-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

With reports that Gary Crowton will be named next offensive coordinator at Utah, perhaps a good candidate for New Mexico State to consider for their offensive coordinator position would be A.J. Pratt.

Why? Pratt (pictured) is the former coordinator at Kent State under head coach Doug Martin. If he were hired, the players wouldn't have to learn a new system, or terminology. Pratt spent 11 seasons at Kent State and was recently at Western Kentucky as the offensive tackles/tight ends coach.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Two finalists for the Aggie offensive coordinator position: Are these the men?

2012-01-13T20:45:00.001-08:00

Through conversations regarding the Aggie offensive coordinator position, the Cruces Sports Blog has learned that two key candidates could be finalists for the job: Nick Rolovich and Gary Crowton.

Rolovich’s name has been in the mix for some time, a former University of Hawaii offensive coordinator who is familiar with third-year quarterback Andrew Manley. He could have an interest in returning to the mainland.

As for Crowton, he’s a new face in the hunt, although one with experience. Crowton was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland last year and also has head coaching experience at Louisiana Tech and Brigham Young. He has previous NFL coaching experience with the Chicago Bears and was an offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon and LSU.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

NMSU hoops analysis: To run away from Utah State, Aggies pushed ball to the basket

2012-01-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday’s game for the New Mexico State Aggies — an 80-60 home triumph over Utah State — could be a defining game for this season.

Better yet, the second half of the game could have been a defining moment of their season.

The Aggies turned the ball over just six times on the evening — an outstanding number.

They look like a better team without Christian Kabongo — who knows how this game would have ended up with Kabongo in the lineup, but freshman Daniel Mullings has been impressive. Certainly the six turnovers for the Aggies would have been higher.

But, most importantly, the Aggies pushed the ball to the basket. They created early offense in the shot clock, got to the front of the rim, and to the free-throw line.

Such a game reaffirmed a basic fact that we already knew earlier this season: When the Aggies get stops on defense, they can beat an unorganized opponent down the court and score the ball.

For this, we’ll look at two games from this season, last night’s being the first.

The first half ended with the game tied at 34-34, with Utah State going toe-to-toe with the Aggies and NMSU playing in their halfcourt offense, which frankly can be offensive — lots of standing, dribbling and not a lot of movement away from the basketball.

But in the second half, Utah State shot poorly over the Aggie zone defense, going 1 for 10 from beyond the arc and shooting 39 percent in the second half. This low percentage helped the Aggies get into the open floor and get the ball inside.

Players like Mullings, Bandja Sy and Tyrone Watson all got involved in the action, and the Aggies hit 14 of 20 attempts from the free-throw line.

There were also other factors for the Aggies ability to get the ball to the basket, namely Utah State’s preference to double-team the NMSU post players, which opened driving lanes for other Aggies. And they won in emphatic fashion.

Now we’ll shift to another game, an early-season home contest against the University of New Mexico.

UNM hit 12 of 24 from 3-point land and 17 of 20 from the free-throw line and the Aggies were forced to play out of their halfcourt offense for much of the night — and it wasn’t pretty. NMSU is without consistent outside shooting and one of their go-to players in the halfcourt is Hamidu Rahman, who I would rather have helping other players get open, not trying to create his own offense.

This was written on the Cruces Sports Blog following that game:

Simply put, (the Aggies) couldn't score the ball, not with UNM draining a barrage of jump shots and layups.

NMSU doesn't have enough offense to score to win in a halfcourt game and need their defense to generate their offensive attack — rebounding the basketball and creating turnovers generally translate into easy baskets on the other end of the floor.

They have athletes — Sy simply looks better when taking the ball to the to the basket with aggression, and Mullings has been impressive as a freshman, particularly on the defensive end of the floor — he’s a quick player who can get steals, a leaper who can block shots.

And that’s when the Aggies are playing at their best, when they’re creating turnovers and getting into their fastbreak. While Saturday didn’t go exactly like that — Utah State can live with their 10-turnover number — certainly USU’s long-range misses helped the Aggies push the ball to the basket, and then finish the game.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

A big Thursday night game for Aggies

2012-01-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

It will be a big Thursday night basketball game for the New Mexico State Aggies, when they host the Utah State Aggies at 7 p.m.

Both of these teams figure to challenge for a league title — Nevada, NMSU and Utah State all have the look of top-four teams in the conference. And if the Aggies are serious about competing for the WAC title, I don’t think they can afford to lose this game.

Utah State is a well-coached team and will be ready after losing at home to Nevada last week.

But I like NMSU at home in this one. Could be a different story in Logan, but in Las Cruces I’ll take the home Aggies.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Report: Three interviewed for Aggies offensive coordinator position

2012-01-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

A report from footballscoop.com has New Mexico State University interviewing three men for the Aggies offensive coordinator position in football.

The three names in the report: former Hawaii offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich; former Colorado State head coach Steve Fairchild; former Washington State offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy.

The Cruces Sports Blog had two of these names when speculating on possible coordinator candidates last month. Click here for that list.

Aggie head coach DeWayne Walker is currently at the American Football Coaches National Convention in San Antonio, Texas, an event that runs through Wednesday.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies: inconsistent, can go either way

2012-01-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

The one thing we can count on from the New Mexico State Aggie basketball team — at this point of the season — is nothing at all. Not on a night-to-night basis, anyway.

They're capable of good things, they're capable of bad things. They're capable of beating the best teams on their schedule, and they're capable of losing to mediocre ones.

Case in point: what do you think the Aggies are going to do against Utah State on Thursday? Well, I think they're going to win, but that's just me and I could be way off or dead on. They could lose by 10, they could win by 30. One certainty on any given night: if the Aggies shots are falling and the team is focused — which can go hand in hand — their percentage of winning moves upward.

They're still a 20-win team. A top-three, top-four team in the WAC, they can win the league. But it's far from a guarantee. One can't make many guarantees at this point — good or bad.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Walker signed contract extension ‘two weeks ago’

2012-01-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

New Mexico State Aggie head football coach DeWayne Walker said he signed his contract extension at NMSU “two weeks ago.”

No confirmation yet from NMSU that the deal is in fact official.

The extension is believed to give him five more years from this point forward. In other words — and this is speculation based off of conversations regarding the new contract — you can tear up his original deal and just start it over again with a similar financial package in place.

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Judging — and digging into — the David Elson hire

2012-01-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

David Elson was hired at New Mexico State University as the team's new defensive coordinator. Click here for the Sun-News story online.

You know, I feel pretty comfortable with this move.

Some are going to look at the fact that Elson coached in high school last year.

Well, I say get over it.

The truth is that it shouldn't matter where Elson coached last season — as long as he can coach. Which DeWayne Walker is betting on by bringing him on board.

Lets dig beneath the surface before judging Elson's hire strictly on his tenure at Franklin-Simpson High School in Franklin, Ky.

He was a longtime assistant under Jack Harbaugh at Western Kentucky University, and the defensive coordinator on the Hilltoppers I-AA National Championship team in 2002.

He was the head coach at WKU during their transition from FCS to FBS — a stretch where the team lost 20 straight games and went 0-12 in 2009, his final year with the program. Ouch.

But the truth is that the Aggies have to think outside the box when hiring assistant coaches and coordinators. I've written on this blog 100 times: if you're going to pay your top coordinators below average salaries — which in Elson's case is $100,000 next year — you might have to dip into guys who are in the high school ranks. You might have to get guys who have struggled elsewhere. And that's OK. Neither of those factors should necessarily be determining factors if they can coach or not. And, when hiring at NMSU, no matter what route you go, you're going to take some level of risk.

After all, Elson does have some experience on the Division I level and should know what he's getting into at NMSU — Western Kentucky is similar in that it's a bottom-tier Division I football program. In many ways, Elson's hire is similar on the surface to last year's offensive coordinator Doug Martin, who came to NMSU after being let go as head coach at Kent State, and on the verge of being a head coach in the high school ranks. Like Elson, he was relatively unknown. And all he did was lead an offensive turnaround at NMSU and then hit the jackpot — one good year in Las Cruces and then off to Boston College as OC. If Elson can get similar production from the Aggie defense, it will be a good hire for the team.

Walker said Elson has a “background” in the 3-4 defense. I wrote on this a few weeks back when the Aggies first began their search (click here for the blog entry). Maybe the 3-4 is a good fit at NMSU, maybe not. But the Aggies haven't had a dominant pass rusher in 25, 30 years. Walker has maintained that he wants his team to be multiple and that he and the defensive staff will work their base defense around the personnel they have.

On the offensive coordinator search

The search continues at NMSU for an offensive coordinator to replace Doug Martin, as does the search for a new defensive line coach.

Walker said he will interview three, possibly four coordinator candidates - all with Division I coaching experience - at the
American Football Coaches National Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

The convention will be held Jan. 8th through the 11th.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies beat Bakersfield, and thoughts on Kabongo's departure

2012-01-03T00:37:00.000-08:00

How do I feel about the Aggies Monday night win over Cal State-Bakersfield?

I think a win is a win and that's the most important thing for the Aggies at this point.

They did get bailed out by a late Bakersfield foul that allowed Tyrone Watson to hit two free throws with under a second remaining to clinch the 73-72 victory.

Bakersfield actually caused some trepidation going in — the Roadrunners are a good 3-point shooting team, and we know the Aggies haven't been.

One stat that stood out was free throws — NMSU finally made them when they counted, going 35 of 44 (just under 80 percent) while Hamidu Rahman went 2 of 6 — sorry Hamidu.

Daniel Mullings scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds. Even before Monday night Mullings has shown real promise as a freshman.

In terms of Christian Kabongo leaving:

As far as I'm concerned it's addition by subtraction for the Aggies.

Kabongo couldn't have helped team chemistry — who knows what the Aggies dealt with off the court, but on the court the ball would stop at him and he would go one on five vs. the opposition. You do have teammates.

I also think a shorter rotation — NMSU played eight against Bakersfield — can help team morale and everyone knows they're going to get some time.

There has been turnover with this team over the years and it seems that discipline has played a role here.

Jahmar Young, Troy Gillenwater and now Kabongo all stand out over the past three years. It's not like these guys are first-round NBA draft picks — some teams deal with turnover in that regard and that's understandable. You don't want it the other way though.

Frankly, I'm not thrilled about that factor, but I do think on a case by case basis, Kabongo leaving isn't a bad thing for this team.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Down the middle: Making sense of the Marvin Menzies experience

2011-12-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

Should Marvin Menzies feel the heat? Oh yeah.

Should he feel pressure? Of course. What’s a Division I basketball coach here for, anyway?

Should he lose his job after his team’s 89-69 home loss to the University of New Mexico on Wednesday night? That, folks, is premature talk.

For the sake of talking basketball, and nothing more: Teams have bad games. UNM had a bad game when they lost to the Aggies in the Pit earlier this year. They shot 28 percent from the floor, and surely Lobo fans left the arena that night scowling about Steve Alford’s overrated coaching style and the team’s lack of awareness. These things happen.

Not to say that NMSU wasn’t thoroughly outclassed in every possible way Wednesday. UNM exposed the Aggies’ deficiencies — offensively challenged, a team that plays hard defensively, albeit not smart. And, yes, Menzies was exposed too.

The Aggies were down 40-19 with three minutes left in the first half, and the game was all but over. It’s simple math — with the way the Aggies’ offense was headed, they wouldn’t be able to score enough baskets to overcome a 21-point deficit going into intermission.

By the fourth quarter, the lead was more than 30. A foul call against the Aggies saw Menzies stomping the sidelines, screeching at the officials. At that point, someone on the bench — assistant coach, player — should have helped the head man to his seat. It’s over coach. Just take your medicine.

But back to the original point. Menzies isn’t getting fired now. Whether it should happen is besides the point — it’s not going to happen. Not with Athletics Director McKinley Boston in charge, who hands out — almost defiantly — contract extensions to coaches he’s hired, and doesn’t want to see fail.

After all, the Aggies are 8-5 this year and have split their rivalry games against UNM and UTEP. In Aggieland, this might warrant giving Menzies a lifetime deal for his accomplishments.

In truth, Menzies has found a loophole at the office. He hasn’t been egregious enough to warrant losing his job — a record well over .500 and remaining competitive in a Western Athletic Conference that has somehow managed to regress at the same pace the Aggies have. Nor has he inspired enough to warrant a promotion to another school. As long as he treads water, he’s going to be with the Aggies for a while. Even if some Aggie fans want a divorce.

Take this week for instance. After getting blown out by the Lobos, NMSU will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a noon game on Saturday. Then it’s off to Cal State-Bakersfield. Two wins — as empty as they may feel — will give NMSU a 10-5 record going into conference, where they should compete as a top-three, top-four team. Heck, they can win the WAC, which would grant them an NCAA Tournament berth. Yes, this is possible. From this vantage point, that’s a competitive year, even if it rings hollow to some.

And now, as much as the Aggies benefited from their early success, they’re suffering from it in the present.

Their first win against UNM was misleading — again, the Lobos shot 28 percent and the game took place early in the season, before the blueprint was out on how to beat Aggies.

They squashed the Miners at home, and Menzies began talking out of the side of his mouth about how this was a Top 25 team, a special team. But that talk was unfounded, and that early movement painted the Aggies as something better than current reality suggests.

If I were grading Menzies as a coach, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give him a 5. He doesn’t knock my socks off. He hasn't overwhelmed.

He’s been average, down the middle.

For this current athletics administration, it seems like the perfect match.

Five years of courtship, and that relationship has seldom hummed in such perfect harmony.

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Aggies lack of offense — and regression — exposed in blowout loss to Lobos

2011-12-29T00:06:00.000-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggies were exposed on Wednesday night at the Pan American Center.

Their opponents, the New Mexico Lobos played very well in an 89-67 blowout win.

They are a good team — it was apparent on Wednesday why they were picked to win the Mountain West during the preseason.

They play together and make sound decisions on the basketball court.

That, and they shot the ball very well from long range — hitting 12 of 24 attempts from 3-point territory on the evening.

The Aggies, well, they're the exact opposite — a limited offensive team that's erratic in ball handling.

They desperately need a consistent 3-point shooter — a 1 of 14 effort from beyond the arc spells out that fact.

Outside of Wendell McKines, they're a roster full of role players and run an unimaginative halfcourt offense — two players on the pick and role, three others standing idle.

Simply put, they couldn't score the ball, not with UNM draining a barrage of jump shots and layups.

NMSU doesn't have enough offense to score to win in a halfcourt game and need their defense to generate their offensive attack — rebounding the basketball and creating turnovers generally translate into easy baskets on the other end of the floor.

That and the Lobos were just better prepared for NMSU this time around.

UNM was very unimpressive in their first game against the Aggies — a 62-53 NMSU win that saw the Lobos shoot 28 percent from the floor and commit 21 turnovers.

That's not how you beat this NMSU team, rather it's by being patient on offense — ball security, ball reversal and a good shot in the halfcourt set, while making rebounding a top priority going into the contest.

The Lobos turned the ball over 15 times on Wednesday night while they just about broke even on the boards — losing that battle 47-45.

Once again, the Aggies couldn't be counted on from the free-throw line, shooting 22 of 35 while UNM hit 17 of 20 from the stripe.

The Lobos jumped out to a 40-19 lead with three minutes remaining before halftime. At that point, fans could have packed up and left the Pan American Center — with the Aggies offensive troubles, the game was all but over.

Instead, the audience began filtering out of the gym with nine minutes left in the contest, and with the Aggies down 72-44.

“No, I don't think so,” NMSU head coach Marvin Menzies said when asked if he was feeling more pressure after the lopsided loss. “They shot the piss out of the ball.”

True, true.

But there is also this fact:

The Lobos are an improved team since the last time both clubs met over a month ago.

And the Aggies? Well, they've regressed.

And that's where it stands.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Thoughts on Wednesday's Aggies vs. Lobos game

2011-12-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

First off, this is an important game for the Aggie men's basketball team.

The Aggies beat the Lobos at the Pit 62-53 earlier this season to move to 2-0. Days later they came home to blow out UTEP and a season sweep of their rivals seemed possible — at least a 3-1 record looked like a sure bet.

But the Aggies have leveled off since then — they have gone 5-4 over the past month of the season and slipped up in El Paso against UTEP. A loss to the Lobos — which would mark a 2-2 rivalry record — would be considered a letdown.

As for UNM, the team has gone 9-1 since that defeat to NMSU and stands at 10-2 on the year.

Is Wednesday's game for the WAC championship? No. But a win would show Aggie fans their team is still headed forward — the beginning of the year Marvin Menzies was talking about it being a special season and NMSU received a vote in the Top 25.

The Aggies need this one simply from maintaining the excitement and good play they generated at the beginning of the year because it's leveled off to some degree.

• It will be interesting to see how the Lobos gameplan for the Aggies.

The first meeting UNM looked pretty unimpressive — they shot 28 percent for the game and turned to ball over 21 times, a no no when facing an NMSU team that wants to get into the open floor for easy baskets.

We've said it 100 times on this blog: When facing the Aggies, teams have to make rebounding the ball a priority and play patient on offense — ball security, ball reversal, and a good shot should come during the possession.

And we've also said this a ton: If the Aggies stay focused playing defense and in rebounding the basketball, they can beat anyone on their schedule. This Aggie team plays harder than last year, they just don't always execute.

They have size and athleticism, to go with erratic 3-point shooting and ball handling. They can struggle from the free-throw line — Hamidu Rahman goes 1 for 2 every time he steps to the stripe — and need to take care of the ball themselves.

With that being said they are well-rested, relatively healthy and are at home against a good team. This is a chance for people to see where they now stand going into conference.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Brainstorming for an offensive coordinator

2011-12-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

There area a lot of college football coaching vacancies and movement will be prevalent in the near future.

A look at possible coordinator candidates to fill the Aggies coaching vacancy left by Doug Martin. Pure speculation and ideas....

• Nick Rolovich: Aggie fans would be familiar with Rolovich, who was Hawaii's offensive coordinator the past two years before leaving with the recent departure of Greg McMackin. He runs wide a receiver-friendly offense and is familiar with quarterback Andrew Manley, the Aggies third-year quarterback.

• Steve Fairchild: Fairchild was recently let go as head coach of Colorado State. He has NFL experience as an offensive assistant in Buffalo and St. Louis.

• Earnest Wilson: Wilson, a former running backs coach at NMSU, has been a successful offensive coordinator the past two years at Jackson State. While with the Aggies for the five years prior, Wilson built good relationships within the local community and brought some good players to NMSU — Davon House, Robert Clay and Davonte Wallace to name a few.

• Jonathan Smith: Montana’s offensive coordinator used to coach at Idaho and interviewed for the Aggie coordinator job two years ago — NMSU went with the more experienced Mike Dunbar. Still, the Aggies were impressed with Smith.

• Jim Miller: The head coach at Las Cruces High, Miller has built the Bulldawgs into a consistent state title contender while running a fun offense. He also played quarterback at NMSU — he's in the Aggie Hall of Fame — and is a native of Roswell. His hire would be a public relations boon and help sell tickets for a program that needs it.

••••

Aggie head coach DeWayne Walker could interview his next defensive coordinator candidate this Tuesday.

••••

Could the Aggies next offensive coordinator candidate get a raise? Perhaps around $120,000? Lets hope so.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

A Christmas wish list for the upcoming year

2011-12-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

With Christmas here, my wish list to Santa for the upcoming sports year in Las Cruces.

• Aggie establishment in the new WAC: It will be important that New Mexico State establishes itself as a top-tier athletics program in the new Western Athletics Conference, starting this year. So what does that mean? The Aggies should be a top-three football team in the new league and one of the league’s top-two dominant basketball programs. Sports such as softball and volleyball will hopefully win WAC championships. The Aggies will actually be a veteran program in the new WAC — entering their eighth year in the league. Texas State and Texas-San Antonio will join NMSU, Idaho, San Jose State, Utah State and Louisiana Tech to form the conference next year, meaning the door will be open for NMSU to be a top-three athletics program in the league.

• WAC championship for Aggie men’s basketball: This is very possible, although not as much of a sure thing as it appeared to be a month ago. The Aggies have good size and athleticism but are erratic in ball handling and 3-point shooting. In short, if the Aggies bring focus on the defensive end of the floor and in the rebounding department, they can beat most teams on most evenings. The Aggies should be in the mix for a WAC title, while Nevada, Utah State and Hawaii have also shown improvement over the past month.

• No more coaching changes: This is highlighted by Aggie football, which lost four more assistant coaches during the offseason. Head coach DeWayne Walker has to hire two coordinators and a defensive line coach, while he’s already found a replacement for the offensive line coaching vacancy. Walker will have to go 4 for 4 at the plate and knock two out of the park during this process — not an easy task. If the Aggies improve going into next year as much as they did last year, they should push the .500 mark and, in turn, push for bowl eligibility. With that being said, when building a program, continuity is an important factor.

• A repeat in high school hoops: Last March, three teams won high school state titles on the same day — Oñate was the first Las Cruces boys basketball program to win a Class 5A championship since 1976 while the Mayfield girls and Mesilla Valley Christian boys were also victorious in the Pit. This year a few more titles could be in store — the Las Cruces High boys have the talent of a state championship contender in Class 5A, while Mesilla Valley Christian is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. The Mayfield girls are ranked No. 5 in the state in Class 5A.

• No changes in high school football: How much will Centennial High School affect the local programs, particularly state powerhouses Mayfield and Las Cruces High? At least this upcoming year — when Centennial makes its debut — one would think not much. The school, which will be playing a varsity schedule as a Class 4A program, will accept incoming freshman and sophomores, along with select juniors. At least for the upcoming year, high school football in southern New Mexico should be strong once again.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Doug Martin leaves Aggie football

2011-12-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

New Mexico State is going to say they hire good assistant football coaches. And that's not necessarily a lie.

Heck, the team hired Doug Martin to begin with to be offensive coordinator.

But him leaving also, well, sucks. I'm not saying I blame Martin or NMSU for him leaving because I don't. He went to a better job — more money at a BCS program in Boston College.

But it still leaves the Aggies searching for their fourth offensive coordinator in four years. And I will stand by this all day: if you want to build a program, continuity is KEY. At least it's preferred.

The offensive players are going to have to learn a new system again — think about quarterback Andrew Manley here for a second.

And it would be nice if, once the Aggies got a good coordinator, they could hold onto him. Again, I don't see how they hold onto Martin here because they couldn't match the offer from a financial or program standpoint. All I'm saying is that it's a blow to lose him.

The Aggies have recruited better and they have some talent at the skill positions.

But that's the key word of the day: continuity. Just wish the Aggies could have some at key positions on their coaching staff.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Tale of the tape: an early look at District 3-5A boys basketball

2011-12-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

Taking a look at District 3-5A high school boys basketball teams early in the year:

• Las Cruces High: The Bulldawgs have much of what a team could hope for — experience, size, a point guard and talent. The clear favorites in District 3-5A and a possible state title contender.

• Oñate: The defending Class 5A state champions do have some pieces. Freshman Sammy Barnes has the green light to shoot, while Brandon Rosales and Chino Saldivar are back to provide veteran leadership.

• Mayfield: There isn’t a whole lot back for the Trojans which, in a sense, makes them a sneaky team.

• Gadsden: Last season the Panthers finished in last place in District 3-5A.

• Alamogordo: It would seem the Tigers have some talent. The question: will they be organized on the court?

Aggies should invest in product

2011-12-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Look, I realize money is tight.

That and fans don't go to New Mexico State Aggie football games — the program isn't making any money and doesn't have a whole lot extra to throw around.

Look at what the program paid last year's defensive coordinator Dale Lindsey ($70,000) and offensive coordinator Doug Martin ($90,000).

In the football world, that's minimum wage for a coordinator — in a perfect world NMSU could pay such positions closer to between $125,000 and $150,000 annually. Or at least six figures.

• Here's a list from 2010 in terms of WAC schools and their highest paid assistants. Again, this is from the 2010 season, so we're going to include Boise State in the list. This is pior to Martin's hire and Mike Dunbar's for that matter. This is according to a report done by USA Today:

Boise State: Pete Kwiatkowski ($259,520); Bryan Harsin ($259,520)
Fresno State: Jeff Grady ($107,592); Keith Williams ($107,592); Randy Stewart ($107,592)
Hawaii: N/A
Idaho: Steve Axman ($116,604); Mark Criner ($112,320)
Louisiana Tech: Tony Franklin ($175,000); Tony Spangler ($140,000)
Nevada: Andy Buh ($150,000); Ken Wilson ($116,000)
New Mexico State: Dale Lindsey ($70,000); R. Todd Littlejohn ($60,650)
San Jose State: Kent Baer ($125,004); Tim Landis ($125,004)
Utah State: Dave Baldwin ($155,000); Bill Busch ($150,000)

For the full list from USA Today, click here.

• Back to the Aggies...

One would think whoever take's over for Lindsey — his contract won't be renewed for next year — will make closer to what Martin made a season ago.

And hopefully Martin will get a slight raise of his own — at least above $100,000 — as he did a nice job last season and was a main reason for the Aggies improvement.

But herein lies the issue for NMSU with a low or limited pay scale: they're field of candidates is limited, one could even make the argument that it's limited to leftovers.

The school can get an up-and-comer at the position, with in all likelihood no experience running a defense — an entry-level defensive coordinator position, if you will.

If such a coach does a good job, they'll eventually be gone for a better — and one would think a better paying — position at another school.

If they're not good, they'll be leaving the Aggies for other reasons.

You can also get a coach in the final years of their career — something similar to Lindsey.

Or you can get Timm Rosenbach.

Or Mike Dunbar.

Or Martin — the third offensive coordinator at NMSU in the past three years who was ready to go and coach high school football before the Aggies came a calling.

Again, Martin did a very good job last year and was a main reason the team improved but lets also call it what it was when he was hired last March: he had nowhere else to go on the college level. It ended up being a very good hire for the Aggies, but they were also lucky to a degree such a coach fell in their lap.

If head coach DeWayne Walker's new coordinator can do with the defense what Martin did last year with the offense, it will be a great hire once again. And it will require some luck. Oh, and then if he is good NMSU will have to hold onto him — which likely means paying him anyway.

Again, I realize money's tight. But I also think the Aggies have to invest more in the product. It could make the difference in a handful of games on the schedule in any given year.

•••

Here's a name to keep an eye on for the Aggies defensive line coaching position. Just speculation. Todd Howard coached with DeWayne Walker at UCLA and last year at Washington State. The Cougars just hired Mike Leach as their new head coach and he will bring in his own coaching staff. Click here.

Reaction to Christian Kabongo suspension

2011-12-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Well, the New Mexico State Aggies have suspended Christian Kabongo indefinitely following an incident at the Don Haskins Center when he made an inappropriate gesture toward the UTEP crowd after consecutive second-half 3-pointers.

First off, I think this was the right thing to do.

I also think it comes at a convenient time in the schedule — NMSU plays Western tonight, followed by games next week against Southern and McNeese State. We'll see how long the suspension lasts, the Aggies have a huge game in late December at home against New Mexico.

As written previously, Kabongo is a tough player to account for. He's tough, he's feast or famine if not unorthodox, he attempts — and also knocks down — low-percentage shots and can shoot you to a win or a loss depending on the evening. Very interesting….

I do think this is a good chance for other players to step up and this is an opportunity. All I need to point to is Aggie football — Andrew Manley got injured, Matt Christian stepped in and played exceedingly well. Now some players might have a little more rope and can take advantage of their chance.

Looking back, and ahead at local high school football

2011-12-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

It was business as usual for the local high school football scene in 2011.

Both Mayfield and Las Cruces High were top-four teams in the state during the regular season, and the Trojans advanced to the Class 5A State Championship, falling to Cleveland 48-28.

But what awaits both programs in 2012 — with a new high school in town?

What about Oñate, and the rest of District 3-5A?

And lets not forget Class A state champion Mesilla Valley Christian.

A look back at the past year in high school football, and some questions that lie ahead:

• Will the local powerhouses remain strong? The answer should be yes, at least for the immediate future.

Of course Centennial High School opens its doors next year — their impact should eventually be felt, but one would think Mayfield and Las Cruces High will each remain in good standing next year.

Both are more than just good teams — they’re good programs that consistently reload.
Head coach Jim Miller and the Bulldawgs have a core of players coming back — minus star running back Xavier Hall, of course, but perhaps a more balanced attack in return.

At Mayfield, the Trojans will always be solid under the leadership of the Bradleys — Mayfield will lose some horses but also seems to have talent in their stable just about every year.

• Where will the Knights stand? Still a couple years away from contention.
Head coach Caleb Hull will be in his second year at the helm of Oñate and needs to build his program in just about every sense — starting with retaining players who are already with the team.

The Knights could also use some experienced assistant coaches on their staff and an improved defense — that particular unit that was dreadful last year.

Perhaps more important to the Knights than anything else, however, is a more realistic and softer schedule. OHS ran a gauntlet of games at the beginning of the year. When playing equal teams last season they were competitive and fun to watch.

The Knights do seem to have some young talent in the program as well — their freshman team was a good one in 2011.

• Will the bottom of District 3-5A improve? It would be nice if it did.

We already went over Oñate’s struggles, while Gadsden didn’t win a game in 2011.

Alamogordo was a playoff team, but that doesn’t mean they were competitive against Mayfield and Las Cruces High.

October is typically a lost month for both the Trojans and Bulldawgs, as they’re essentially taking the field in glorified bye weeks during district play.

Such lopsided affairs can’t help either team come playoff time and it can’t be easy for the fans to watch either.

An improved bottom-half of the league would be better for everyone involved.

• Is northern New Mexico closing the gap? In Rio Rancho — the suburb just north of Albuquerque — it would seem so.

Cleveland High School won the state title and its neighbor Rio Rancho High School was a state semifinals team.

There’s talent in that region and it’s a two-horse town that’s put an emphasis on producing winning football programs.

Something looks to be brewing on the northern New Mexico gridiron.

• Where will Mesilla Valley Christian go? Two questions face the SonBlazers going into the offseason.

For one, will head coach Charles Gleghorn return after guiding the team to a state championship — the fourth in his career after a successful run at Hatch Valley High School previously.

The Centennial position is open, and there is also a coaching slot available at Hobbs High School.

After that, will Mesilla Valley move up to Class 2A?

The program toyed with 1A competition this past year and looked better suited for a higher division.

Best way to describe Aggie basketball team? Frustrating

2011-12-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggies are a frustrating basketball team.

At least they were on Sunday in a 73-69 loss at UTEP.

This is a team that has the pieces to be good, but they lack discipline.

Lets go through some examples from Sunday night:

• In falling behind 18-3 and 24-6 to start the game, the Aggies looked unprepared.

Did they underestimate a UTEP team they beat 89-73 at the Pan American Center last month?

“Yeah. I think that's quite possible,” head coach Marvin Menzies said. “I know the coaching staff didn't. We knew they'd be an admirable foe once they clicked.”

There really isn't an adequate excuse for how this game began on NMSU's side.

• If there was a Most Frustrating Aggie Award, it would go to guard Christian Kabongo.

Kabongo is a feast or famine player who's unorthodox — he can look great one trip down the court and then make you scratch your head the next.

But this is what it boils down too: he's an immature player and seemingly a tough one to coach.

Kabongo scored nine points on Sunday, and after two second-half 3-point shots he appeared to make an obscene gesture toward the UTEP crowd.

“He grabbed his crotch after he made the first, then the second one he did it again,” said Felipe Truax, who had a front-row seat next to the Aggie bench.

“Yes,” Truax added when asked if it was a distasteful move.

Menzies said he didn't notice the action as it unfolded.

“I'll look at the film and address it if that's the case,” the head coach said.

Kabongo played some point guard for the Aggies in the first half.

This is a puzzling position for a player who has had issues taking care of the basketball.

Perhaps his best position — at least for the time being — would be on the bench.

• Wendell McKines gets his first shot attempt with 12:10 to go in the game?

McKines took seven shots total, which was less than Kabongo (10), Bandja Sy (nine), Tyrone Watson (eight) and the same amount as Hernst Laroche.

Not for nothing, but McKines is the Aggies best player. UTEP denied him the ball, but running some offense in his direction wouldn't hurt — he's not a role player.

“In the first half I was waiting for us to make the proper adjustments. We didn't do that until the second half. I have to sacrifice my scoring for us to compete,” McKines said.

“Just making me a part of the offense a little bit. Stuff like that happens.”

• Both teams shot very poorly from the free-throw line — the Aggies were 17 of 32 from the line (53 percent) while the Miners were 14 of 27 (51 percent).

NMSU entered the contest shooting 67 percent from the foul line.

In truth, the Miners — who really aren't a very good team — helped the Aggies a lot with a long second-half scoring drought, missed free throws and turnovers.

The Aggies had a five point lead with seven minutes remaining but couldn't close the deal.

It was a frustrating game on Sunday night.

Coming from a frustrating Aggie team.

To the offseason: Aggie football faces new questions — and expectations

2011-12-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

Another season is over for the New Mexico State Aggie football team — a 4-9 campaign that was somewhat successful.
The Aggies showed improvement and, for the most part, competed better.
For the first time in some time, there’s a base for optimism amongst fans.
Now, the program faces a big offseason.
Here are some questions for the team, with the 2011 schedule officially in the books.

1) Andrew Manley’s health: This drop-back QB with a big arm tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a Week 3 loss against UTEP. It’s a serious injury — a full tear of the ACL and a partial tear of the MCL — that can sideline a player anywhere from six to 10 months. With that time table, Manley’s availability for spring practices could be in question.
With a healthy Manley and Travaughn Colwell, the Aggies would appear OK at quarterback next year. An unhealthy Manley, however, and the position becomes a question mark.

2) Areas of need: The Aggies will have to replace their entire starting secondary — cornerbacks Jonte Green and Courtney Viney along with safeties Donyae Coleman and Ben Bradley. Coleman was a first-team All-WAC selection, while Green made the second all-conference team. The secondary was the strength of the defense and at least gave NMSU something to hang its hat on.
Head coach DeWayne Walker has talked about the need to upgrade the entire front-seven on defense, and the team just needs more lineman period — both offensive and defensive — to provide depth and give them a fighter’s chance each week in the trenches. The entire right side of the offensive line — tackle Aundre McGaskey, guard Sioeli Fakalta and center Mike Grady — will have to be replaced going into 2012.

3) Coaching changes: Well, you knew this was coming. The Aggies must find a defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and offensive line coach after three assistants left the program earlier this week. It’s doable, although the Aggies could use an experienced and versatile teacher to run their defense next season. Finding such a candidate can be hard for a school that paid former defensive coordinator Dale Lindsey $70,000 last year — well-below market value for a Division I coordinator. Walker was able to grab such a coach last offseason, however, when he hired Doug Martin to lead the offense.

4) Kicking game: We hate to pile on, but we’ve also said it 100 times — the Aggies have to be good in this area and they simply weren’t good enough last season.
Something happened to kicker Tyler Stampler, who was consistent within his range two years ago but struggled badly in 2011. In all likelihood, those struggles became an internal issue for the kicker. In any event, the Aggies need to hit makable field goals — and extra points.
As for punter Jake Capraro, he was inconsistent. One week it would look like he was getting it, the next he would hit a 9-yard flubber out of bounds. It didn’t seem like the Aggies won many field position battles.

5) Continued improvement: Again, 2011 was a somewhat successful year — and also was a year that could have been more.
While a four-win season exceeded the expectations of many, there were also four additional winnable games — vs. UTEP, at San Jose State, vs. Nevada, vs. Utah State — that the Aggies lost. Winning all four would have been a tall order, but splitting them would have given the Aggies a 6-7 record — which surely would have qualified as a stunner.
The truth is, if the Aggies make as big of a jump this offseason as they did last year, a six-win mark in 2012 is very possible in a reinvented Western Athletic Conference.
The one thing we can say is this: Where it stands today, the Aggies face yet another big — and busy — offseason.

2011 season
A game-by-game look back at the past year’s 4-9 Aggie football team:
• Week 1 vs. Ohio (L, 44-24): Aggies are beaten soundly by solid Bobcats team.
• Week 2 at Minnesota (W, 28-21): Nothing short of a shocker, and a signature win in the DeWayne Walker era.
• Week 3 vs. UTEP (W, 16-10): In a game the Aggies should have won, UTEP pulled a fake-punt out of their hat.
• Week 4 at San Jose State (L, 34-24): A game the Aggies could have won.
• Week 5 at New Mexico (W, 42-28): Twenty-one first-quarter points puts the Aggies on top for good, over a miserable UNM team.
• Week 6 vs Idaho (W, 31-24): Travaughn Colwell leads second-half offense, defense makes goal-line stand.
• Week 7 at Hawaii (L, 45-34): Aggies are competitive in what’s usually a house of horrors.
• Week 8 vs Nevada (L, 48-34): A tale of two halves — NMSU up 27-20 at intermission, outscored 28-7 from there.
• Week 9 at Georgia (L, 63-16): Bulldogs score 42 second-quarter points as Aggies fall to SEC foe.
• Week 10 vs. Fresno State (W, 45-41): First win in NMSU’s history over Fresno State, this one coming in a shootout.
• Week 11 at BYU (L, 42-7): Cougars score 14 points in final 3:30 of the first half, run away from Aggies in the cold.
• Week 12 at Louisiana Tech (L, 44-0): When it rains it pours — Aggies lose awful game in Ruston.
• Week 13 vs. Utah State (L, 24-21): Aggies play hard, fall short to bowl-bound Utah State.

Should Aggies consider a 3-4 defensive front?

2011-12-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

The reason a 3-4 scheme would seem to work at NMSU is because it can be hard to get quality defensive linemen at the school.

The 3-4 — which features three down-linemen and four linebackers — would ask the Aggies to get big, tough pluggers along the defensive line and good athletes at outside linebacker.

NMSU has run a 4-3 the last three years — four linemen, three linebackers.

It should be pointed out that NMSU ran a 3-4 under defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer a few years back and than a 3-3-5 under Joe Lee Dunn in 2008 — and weren’t particularly successful doing either.

Head coach DeWayne Walker said he wanted his new defensive coordinator to be multiple in approach.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Walker interview on bleedcrimson.net

2011-12-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

Some interesting stuff coming from DeWayne Walker’s interview on the Aggie sports website bleedcrimson.net.

He talks about the defensive coordinator position, some recruiting news and expectations going into next year. Click here to read. Good stuff.....

Some highlights from the Q&A:

• Walker talks about what he wants out of his new defensive coordinator: “Whatever coordinator I hire, we just want to be more creative, kind of getting back to doing things we did my first year in terms of more pressure and just having more of a variety of schemes to make it a little bit more fun for our guys and run around and these guys can make more plays.”

• Walker talks about hoping to bring in a junior college quarterback for spring football. For the record, there was talk of this before the season ended and before reports surfaced that Cole Gautsche switching his verbal commitment to New Mexico. Part of the reason could be the health of quarterback Andrew Manley, who’s recovering from a knee injury.

• Walker says that offensive coordinator Doug Martin will contribute in the hiring of an offensive line coach. “He’ll definitely have a hand in it,” Walker said. “We’ll sit down and look at resumes.”

• Walker talks about recruiting, adding that the team has its sites set on a punter.

• Lastly, Walker talks about next year’s schedule, which will also feature an FCS school in Sacramento State and a money game at Auburn.

Again, plenty more on http://bleedcrimson.net/

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Lenzmeier, Lindsey, Williams: Gone

2011-12-05T23:19:00.000-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggies lost three football assistant coaches on Monday — defensive coordinator Dale Lindsey, defensive line coach Jesse Williams and offensive line coach Jason Lenzmeier.

In my opinion Lenzmeier will be the toughest of the three to replace.

He is a good coach with recruiting ties in New Mexico and Texas.

Wide receiver Austin Franklin is one player he recruited and reports now have Cleveland High quarterback Cole Gautche planning to go to the University of New Mexico instead of NMSU — where he originally verbally committed to.

The Aggies tried to keep Lenzmeier but him leaving seemed like a no-brainer also.

It's like CC Sabathia — the Brewers tried to keep him and made him an offer they thought was fair, but they were going against the Yankees. More guaranteed money in a place he wants to be — he is a Lobo and so is his wife, they have family there. Tough to say, but it also makes sense.

Lindsey was a good coach too — tough, straight-forward and old school, he played at Western Kentucky from 1963-64, played for the Cleveland Browns from 1965-73 and then began his coaching career in 1974 with the Browns. In other words, he's been around football forever.

Perhaps not the best fit anymore at NMSU either, however. Again, he was older and coaching college players is different than coaching the professional ranks. That and the defense wasn't very good either.

NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker wants his unit to look more multiple next year and perhaps a new voice leading the way isn't a bad thing.

Initially, letting go of Williams came as a surprise.

He did what he could with a unit that was hit hard with two academic casualties and an injury to defensive tackle Tommy Stuart at the start of training camp. All three players — Stuart, tackle Augafa Vaaulu and end Donte Savage — were projected starters and their losses were obviously a huge blow to the group. I thought the defensive line played up to its potential this year — albeit that ceiling wasn't very high.

In the end, I think Lindsey and Williams can be replaced.

Lenzmeier can be too, although that will be tougher. Him going anywhere would hurt, him going back to UNM hurts even more.

We'll see how things transpire from here.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Lindsey, Williams gone

2011-12-05T12:10:00.001-08:00

Release from NMSU today...

Walker Announces Staff Changes for the 2012 Season

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- New Mexico State head football coach DeWayne Walker announced Monday morning that defensive coordinator Dale Lindsey and defensive line coach Jesse Williams will not return for the 2012 season.

"I am appreciative of Coach Lindsey’s and Coach Williams’ efforts and their service to New Mexico State University and the Las Cruces community," Walker said. "We will move quickly and efficiently in order to bring the best coaches possible to our football program. I continue to have great expectations for this program and I will bring in coaches that can help us reach those goals."

A national search for a defensive coordinator and defensive line coach will begin immediately.

Aggies fall to Utah State in season finale

2011-12-04T00:39:00.000-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggie football season is over as the team fell to Utah State 24-21 on Saturday.

The loss dropped NMSU to 4-9 on the season — Utah State is 7-5 overall and will play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho later this month.

This was a tough loss for the Aggies and they really could have won the game.

NMSU was leading 21-17 but couldn't put things away.

The team didn't do anything with the ball at the six minute mark of the fourth quarter and punted back to Utah State, which went 83 yards on 13 plays for the winning TD with 35 seconds left.

NMSU got the ball back but immediately threw an interception — quarterback Matt Christian looked deep on the first play of the possession and was picked off.

The Utah State offense was very unimaginative — the team ran the ball 73 times for 392 yards.

Quarterback Adam Kennedy completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 123 yards and three TDs — his first was a 21-yarder to running back Robert Turtbin on blown coverage by NMSU and the final one was the game winner from 8 yards out to Matt Austin. Freshman QB Chuckie Keeton is healthy but the team continues to ride Kennedy, who's won five-straight games as the starter.

Still, this game featured Utah State running the ball — really, I thought NMSU held up OK in run defense. Utah State didn't break off any huge runs during the game, they just chipped away on the Aggies.

There's a lot of talk about Turbin — an NFL-caliber player — but his running mate Michael Smith is a really fine player as well as is backup Kerwynn Williams. Smith led the way on the ground with 121 yards, while Turbin added 98 and Kennedy had 95.

The final drive saw Utah State facing a fourth and 1 from the Aggies 12-yard line. Kennedy went right and slipped — a handful of players slipped in that area of the field during the game — and his knee came down close to the first-down spot. The official spot got him the first — it was a very close call that could have gone either way. If it went the Aggies way, they would have had win No. 5.

Robert Clay actually got in the game — he hasn't had an offensive play in what felt like forever — and ran well in the first half. I thought the Aggies could have gone to him on the goal line just before halftime — instead they ran a quarterback sneak on second down and then — with 16 seconds left and no timeouts remaining — they elected to pass the ball. A Utah State linebacker came through, Christian was pressured and his pass to the left for Bateman was intercepted. BIG play in the game.

Running back Kenny Turner also had a fumble in the first half at the Utah State 35 — both of those turnovers took away promising NMSU drives as the Aggies went into the locker room down 14-7.

Utah State also missed some chances — twice in the first half USU moved the ball inside the 10-yard line only to come away without any points. NMSU's goal line and short-yardage defense was good on Saturday.

Bateman did have a 50-yard touchdown, beating safety Chris Harris on a post-route. Harris slipped — on that part of the field again — and Bateman was able to catch the ball and get in.

The play was set up by a forced fumble — Kennedy was hit by NMSU safety Ben Bradley — that was recovered by David Niumatalolo.

Senior cornerback Jonte Green had his second interception in two weeks. They're also the first two interceptions of his Aggie career.

Some of the tackle numbers in this game were outrageous.

Donyae Coleman led the way with 23. Niumatalolo had 17, Ben Bradley had 14 and Boyblue Aoelua finished with 12.

I thought the Aggies tackled pretty well on the day and a handful of times a single tackle saved a big run for Utah State.

The announced attendance was 13,631 is payed attendance, not people actually at the game.

That's good, because it's a joke. That number couldn't have been farther from the truth — there were easily 10,000 less people than that at the game. We all know NMSU has to make attendance requirements, and it would at least seem they did that.

For those that are interested, that number, according to NMSU's sports information staff, puts the Aggies over the 15,000 average attendance mark for the year. On Thursday the school put out a release saying the Aggies needed more fans to come out to the game or they would fall short of 15,000 — and be without bowl eligibility for next season. In turn, their standing in the FBS could have been in jeaporady as well. Don't really know what to make of this — or why they would send out such a release to begin with, two days before the game no less.

That release sure didn't get more people to come out. Maybe it helped them sell another ticket or two. Maybe.

When it's all said and done, it appears NMSU had a contingency plan in place to get above that threshold anyway.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Predicting Mayfield vs. Cleveland game

2011-12-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

One thing about today’s Class 5A State Football Championship game — it’s a tough one to predict.

In comes Cleveland High, the prohibitive favorites over the Mayfield Trojans — on paper at least.

They’re undefeated at 13-0, and come in with a high-octane passing attack led by quarterback Cole Gautsche, wide receiver Reece White and running back Rommel Jordan.
They match up well with Mayfield, who’s had trouble this season defending the pass — really, Mayfield’s defense just hasn’t been very good.

But I will also say this — picking against the Trojans in this game is a scary proposition.

First off, they’re hitting on all cylinders and have been as hot as a pistol offensively for the past month.

This is a team with tradition and a great coaching staff. They get the Storm at home, and they flourish as the underdog.

There have been plenty of Mayfield miracles in the past — a 1971 state championship victory, 24-20, over West Mesa; in 1995, a 13-12 state title win at Clovis; a 13-7 victory over Roswell-Goddard in the 1998 championship game; and last year’s 21-17 win over La Cueva in the state semifinals.

Speaking of last year, the Trojans won the state championship in 2010 as a four-loss team. Were they the most talented program in the state? Not likely. But they won the games that mattered.

And that’s what it boils down to — the Trojans are winners and champions and will come into this one with a sound gameplan.

Cleveland has been pushed only in a small-handful of games this season, and haven’t played in a state title contest before.

They’re leaving at 5:30 this morning, coming down to Las Cruces, and are playing a Bradley-led team at the Field of Dreams. Call me crazy, but when Jim Bradley is on a Trojans coaching staff, I have a hard time going against them.

The weather could be poor — cold, windy and wet could all be part of the forecast — which is the perfect storm for the Trojans.

Yes Cleveland is the favorite — on paper.

But in my mind the Trojans have the edge in intangibles.

A tough one to predict, and points will be scored.

But my call on the game? Another Mayfield miracle.

My prediction: Mayfield 35, Cleveland 34

Five keys for Aggies vs. Utah State

2011-12-02T19:35:00.001-08:00

• Christian’s status: Aggie senior quarterback Matt Christian — who’s been in and out of the lineup with injuries — is expected to start today against Utah State. Christian’s been a catalyst for the Aggie offense and the entire unit needs to play well today — from the QB, to the wide receivers, to the offensive line, to running back Kenny Turner. If the Aggies can score first in this one, it will mean a lot in hopes of a win.

• Gut check: The Aggies have been blown out three times in the last month and the team will need to fight for four quarters in today’s game. In other words, today’s contest will require a gutty effort from the 4-8 Aggies. Also, what’s Utah State’s mindset coming in. With a 6-5 record the team is already bowl eligible, and could be in for a down performance. No matter what happens, fans will want to see the Aggies compete and fight in their season finale.

• Weather: Game-time temperatures will be in the mid-to-high 40s and there is a 10 percent chance of precipitation. It will likely be a cold and windy one at Aggie Memorial which would figure to favor the northern Aggies. After all, they’re used to such conditions up in Logan, Utah.

• Utah State ground game: Utah State is going to come right at you with their running attack. Running back Robert Turbin is big — 5-foot-10, 216 pounds — and looks like a certifiable NFL player. Fellow backfield mates Michael Smith and Kerwynn Williams are also capable, making this Utah State team a tough one to stop on the ground.

• The series: Utah State has owned the all-time series with NMSU — holding a 27-7 lifetime record between the two teams. Of course, NMSU won the 1960 Sun Bowl between the two clubs and Utah State holds just a 6-4 advantage in the last 10 games. From 1968-1998 USU held a 19-game winning streak against NMSU.

Sources: Walker, NMSU negotiating contract extension

2011-12-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

New Mexico State University and head football coach DeWayne Walker are working on finalizing a three to four year contract extension, sources from inside the NMSU athletics department have told the Sun-News.

The extension will likely be finalized within the next week, one source said.

Walker, who is currently in the third year of his original five-year contract, makes an annual salary of $363,000.

That salary is not expected to change with the extension.

Some things to consider regarding the extension:

• The Aggies have shown improvement: Out of Walker’s 9-28 record, four of those wins have come this season and the team has been more competitive in 2011.

• Some will consider the move premature: Walker is in the middle of his original deal — there are still two years remaining in that pact — and next year will be another critical one as the team looks to continue its progression and push for the .500 mark.

• He’s coaching at New Mexico State: A place that’s seldom had a winner, this year at least has provided some optimism amongst fans.

• A sense of stability: In the ever-changing landscape of college football — there are a handful of high-profile coaching jobs that will be available this offseason — a long-term commitment to a coach can help him and his staff solidify recruiting efforts.

The Aggies will play their season finale this weekend when they host Utah State at 1:30 p.m.

Walker and UCLA

2011-11-30T00:13:00.000-08:00

With the internet rumor mill beginning to swirl once again — it is almost December now — head coach DeWayne Walker's name has come up as a possible replacement for Rick Neuheisel at UCLA.

For a report from ESPN click here, for one from Athlon sports click here.

I asked Walker about UCLA following Aggie practice on Tuesday and here's what he had to say:

“I'm focusing on (this Saturday's opponent) Utah State. It's flattering to see your name with the likes of Chris Peterson, Tom Cable, these guys. That part's flattering. But I haven't heard from anybody. I love UCLA, I have a history there, but to me I'm focusing on Utah State. If there's no phone calls — if they're not calling you they're calling somebody else. That's not really my focus until it happens or if it happens.”

For the record, I don't think Walker would be a serious candidate for the job just because his win totals at New Mexico State just aren't there at this point. They're just moving forward.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies hosting Arizona tonight

2011-11-28T23:31:00.001-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggie basketball team hosts the University of Arizona tonight at the Pan American Center.

I think this is a 50/50 game — if the Aggies are focused they can beat anyone on their schedule and one would think they'll be ready to play tonight against the Wildcats. If I had to give either team a slight edge, I would give it to NMSU.

Again, the key factors for the Aggies: winning the rebounding battle and forcing turnovers on the defensive end of the floor. They do those two things, they're a tough team to beat.

Looking forward to this one at the Pan Am….

Early-week thoughts on Saturday's Mayfield vs. Cleveland state championship football game

2011-11-27T22:36:00.000-08:00

The Mayfield Trojans will face the Cleveland Storm in the Class 5A State Football Championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Cleveland has to be the prohibitive favorites in this one. The Storm haven't lost a game this season and are led by senior quarterback Cole Gautsche — he verbally committed to NMSU and has been a stud on the high school level this year.

The Storm throw the football — that's their main mode of attack and defending the pass has been the Trojans' achilles heal this year.

But none of that means I'm counting out Mayfield in this football game.

First off, the Trojans have a great coaching staff that will make the appropriate adjustment to at least give their players a chance to win the game.

They're a winning program and playing them in a state championship game — in Las Cruces no less — is no easy task.

The No. 1 key in this game will be Mayfield's ability to slow down the Storm's passing attack.

Mayfield will have to pressure Gautsche and when they do get to him, get him on the ground — he's big and fast.

Will Mayfield make personnel adjustments in the secondary? Tough to say and it would be an unconventional move at this point of the year, not that the team hasn't made such moves in the past. This is for the state title.

Some other early-week keys: controlling the clock by moving the chains — sustained drives as opposed to a quick-strike offense — and playing mistake-free football.

Again, Cleveland is the favorite — a very good team that hasn't lost all season.

But counting against Mayfield in a game like this wouldn't be a wise move.

I'll have my prediction later in the week. For now, just some early-week notes and ramblings on Saturday's game.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies lose big at Louisiana Tech

2011-11-26T23:57:00.000-08:00

First off, this was a BAD game for the Aggies. Louisiana Tech is a better team than NMSU, but not 44-0 better.

Freshman Travaughn Colwell showed his inexperience in this one.

Colwell has shown a lot of potential this year but this was a big-time game — playing against a good team, on the road, that was playing for a conference championship.

He looked slow in his progressions and held the ball too long — either get rid of it or run with it. He took too many sacks — seven to be exact.

Of course senior Matt Christian's presence would have helped the Aggies.

His absence was odd, only because he was wearing his helmet and pads on the sideline. One would think if he couldn't go he wouldn't be suited up — perhaps the team was holding out hope if they were in it late, he could give them some snaps in crunch time. Head coach DeWayne Walker said Christian's hip was bothering him in pre-game warmups — Christian has been banged up all year — and that he couldn't go. He was limited this week in practice.

Could there be frustration between the Aggies defense and offense? It's possible.

It happens. It's tough — the defense played OK for 1 1/2 quarters and kept the team in it but the offense just couldn't get going. Three times the Aggies got inside the Louisiana Tech 35-yard line but couldn't come away with points.

Kemonte Bateman fumbled the ball after a reception for the first turnover, then Colwell was stopped short of the marker on a fourth-down run.

Later in the quarter the Aggies punted from the La. Tech 34 and the ball was downed at the 5-yard line.

We've talked about the situation at length — the Aggies NEED to get off to a good start in games. This is a team where, in its four wins, has scored first in each one. Once they fall behind two scores, two touchdowns, they're in trouble.

With that being said, a BIG key was the final four minutes of the first half.

It came after the Capraro punt, Aggies down 9-0 and Louisiana Tech backed up deep. The Bulldogs would go on to drive 95 yards to score a touchdown and take a 16-0 lead with under a minute to play in the half.

NMSU's next possession, Colwell throws an interception that was returned 45 yards for a touchdown by Louisiana Tech linebacker Adrian Cole with seven seconds to play in the second quarter. You go into the locker room trailing 9-0, it's a manageable score. But the Aggies were down 23-0 and the momentum had shifted to Louisiana Tech's side.

The Bulldogs would get the ball to start the second half and score on their first possession.

A second-quarter screen pass from Colwell was slightly high, went through Kenny Turner's hands and was intercepted by La. Tech.

If the play had been executed, Turner had blockers and running room.

Shortly thereafter NMSU senior cornerback Jonte Green recorded his first career interception with the team. He could have had another — he had a bead on a first-quarter pass in the flat from Cameron but couldn't corral it.

Green was also flagged for his eighth pass interference penalty of the year.

Junior cornerback Jeremy Harris continues to get picked on by opposing teams. They have been going after him the past month.

The Aggies have lost three of their last four games, all on the road, to Georgia (63-16 final score), BYU (42-7) and Louisiana Tech (44-0).

The Aggies have been improved this year but have taken some steps back in all three of these games.

NMSU can still be a five-win team — which would mark a MAJOR improvement — if they can beat Utah State in their season finale next Saturday at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

Utah State is a good team though, winning at Nevada on Saturday to move to 6-5 on the year.

The UtAgs are now bowl eligible.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Scouting Louisiana Tech, and a question about Kenny Turner's future

2011-11-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

Lets just start out by saying that this Saturday looks to be a tough game for the Aggie football team.

On the road, playing Louisiana Tech as 19-point underdogs.

With a win, the Bulldogs will clinch a share of the WAC title, so a letdown seems unlikely — the Bulldogs should be ready for this one.

They've won five straight games, including road wins at Ole Miss and Nevada.

Offensively, the Bulldogs look to throw the football. Senior quarterback Colby Cameron has started the last four games for the team, and played in the last five.

Louisiana Tech has gone to a three-back look at times — a loaded-spread formation. This gives them versatility in the running and passing game.

But defensively is where the Bulldogs have surprised me this year. They're a quick team and will play mostly zone in the secondary, while bringing just a four-man rush.

The Aggies have played two straight bad games on the road — at Georgia and at BYU.

Keys for the Aggies: they will have to run the ball to control the clock and could find some holes in the Bulldogs secondary in the short and intermediate passing game. We've been saying it all season — the Aggies are better suited playing with a lead, and aren't suited playing from behind.

•••

Asked junior running back Kenny Turner about his future next year — there has been talk about Turner possibly entering the NFL Draft.

He's had a big year for the Aggies — this year he's done exactly what they brought him in for.

For the record, I am not at the point where I can tell you if Turner should stay or go. I will say that I wonder about his size on the next level, although perhaps if a team found the right niche for him — as an h-back type or third-down running back — that might work. I think he could play some special teams.

Again, he's had a big year for NMSU, is in his mid-20s and is good friend with current NFL players Chris Johnson and Mike Sim-Walker — I could understand him considering his future at this point.

Anyway, here's what he he had to say about next year:

“I'm not really worried about that, I'm just trying to focus on these next two games. When next year comes, it's gonna come. I'll be ready.”

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

LCHS quarterfinals loss to good Rio Rancho team can still be considered a letdown

2011-11-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

Was Las Cruces High’s loss, in Saturday’s quarterfinals of the state football championships, to Rio Rancho a letdown?

For a team with state championship aspirations, it has to be.

The reality is that Rio Rancho is a good team, while LCHS wasn’t a perfect product this year.

The Bulldawgs played a soft schedule — they finished 8-3, with all their losses coming to winning teams while their District 3-5A schedule provided zero challenges outside of their regular-season finale defeat to Mayfield.

No. 5-ranked Rio Rancho, meanwhile, now stands at 9-3, with their three losses coming to Goddard, Eldorado and Cleveland — teams with combined records of 30-3.

The Rams run an effective run-and-shoot offense with quarterback Jason Fitzpatrick and running back Ulises Astorga.

In actuality, it was the Rams who could have been a top-four team in the state, while LCHS — which was vanilla all year and failed to address its issues as a run-only offense — could have played last weekend’s game on the road.

Rio Rancho is a clear underdog against No. 1-ranked Cleveland this weekend in the semifinals — LCHS probably wouldn’t have beaten the Storm either — but it will be interesting to see how the game plays out.

Still, rewinding to last weekend, it was the Bulldawgs who blew a 14-point halftime lead and gave up 48 points on their home field in a double-overtime loss to the Rams.

Different sports bring different expectations, and when dealing with high school football in Las Cruces it’s about playing for state championships.

The past three years, the Bulldawgs haven't.

In 2009, they lost to Sandia at home in the quarterfinals.

Last year they lost to Manzano on the road in a semifinal game they should have won — a 17-point halftime lead lost and getting the short end of a questionable non-touchdown call late cost them.

I’m not saying Las Cruces High is a sagging football program, because they’re not.

Certainly the losses of tight end/defensive end Geoff Segovia — a real difference maker — and his running mate Kamryn Dixon didn't help the team's cause in their attempt at state supremacy.

And, next year I expect the Bulldawgs to be just fine once again.

They’re still a playoff team — historically a top-four team for that matter.

That, and they've still beaten No. 2-ranked Mayfield four of the last five years — which in some respects is considered southern New Mexico's real Super Bowl.

But when it's been all said and done, the Trojans have had better playoff success of late, and a better state championship resume for that matter.

They’ll be playing in the state semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday against Manzano in what should be an interesting matchup — an offensive shootout could be in store at the Field of Dreams.

You know, one of our local Class 5A teams have played in the state championship game 14 of the last 16 years — an unprecedented run in the city.

When it comes down to high school football in Las Cruces, playing for such hardware matters.

After losing at home in the state quarterfinals, the Bulldawgs have another long winter to think about falling short of such lofty expectations.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Thoughts on Aggie hoops, Aggie football

2011-11-20T22:51:00.000-08:00

A few more thoughts on NMSU's basketball win over UTEP on Saturday before talking Aggie football….

We've seen it before — the Aggies embodying their best player on the hardwood. Last year it was Troy Gillenwater. This year it's Wendell McKines, who is back after injury. And I don't believe it's a coincidence that the team seems to be playing harder for the full 40 minutes this season.

McKines had a big game on Saturday night (23 points, 13 rebounds) but it's his energy and attitude that's infectious — flying through the air, diving for loose balls. This rubs of on teammates — the Aggies have virtually the same personnel as last season but look to be working harder. Center Chili Nephawe has been playing with more emotion and edge this year. Does this have something to do with McKines' presence? Well, I certainly think it's possible.

As I wrote yesterday, NMSU played hard on defense throughout Saturday night and passed the basketball well. Did I think they played smart the whole evening? I wouldn't say that.

The Aggies seemed to keep UTEP in it early and looked for the big play late — which resulted in wasted possessions. They could have won by more than 16 points.

I think Christian Kabongo can look good one trip down court — he scored 15 points on Saturday and hit some big shots — and then bad the next — five turnovers and some mind-numbing around-the-back passes.

But really, the Aggies have a very good shot at winning the WAC this year. They have a BIG team — McKines, Nephawe, Hamidu Rahman and Tyrone Watson. One possible key to beating the Aggies this year is by breaking even with them on the boards. Good luck with that though — they're big and long and like to bang underneath. Easier said than done, that's for sure.

Hernst Laroche is a steady point guard. Bandja Sy has been shooting hot early and freshman Daniel Mullings is an interesting prospect. So while the team is not perfect, they have done some things very well and have looked impressive to this point.

As for football….

Saturday's 42-7 loss at BYU was not a good showing by this year's team.

The 249 yards was a season-low for the Aggies — this was a surprise, as NMSU has moved the ball well on just about everyone they've played to this point of the year. It was the second-straight road clunker for the Aggies — two weeks ago it was a 63-16 loss at Georgia.

From a defensive standpoint, BYU moved the ball and NMSU surrendered 10 of 14 third-down conversion attempts to the Cougars.

Key sequence: With the score tied at 7 in the second quarter, BYU drove 90 yards for a TD. NMSU went three-and-out and the Cougars regained possession and scored just before halftime. So a 7-7, competitive game became a 21-7 contest going into intermission.

NMSU will go to Louisiana Tech this Saturday for yet another TOUGH contest. The Bulldogs are in the WAC driver's seat after a 24-20 win at Nevada. They're a talented team and a win for them this weekend in their season finale will assure them of a WAC championship.

After this Saturday, the Aggies will return home the following weekend for a game against Utah State — it's one that seems winnable. If they can win one of their final two games, that would give the Aggies five wins on the season, which would be quite unbelievable — in a good way — considering where they were last year and the general expectations coming into this season.

As I end many of my posts....We shall see.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Unified Aggies force issue, beat Miners

2011-11-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggies are playing more like a unified basketball team.

Defensively, they're playing harder this year — they did throughout their 89-73 win over UTEP on Saturday.

Offensively they passed the ball well against the Miners.

There was excitement in the Pan American Center.

And it was another NMSU win in 2011, this one coming over a UTEP team that, frankly, the Aggies should have beaten.

The Miners had a successful strategy in the first 20 minutes of the game — while the Aggies kept them in it to a degree — playing a four-quarters offense and spreading the floor. They were patient, made the extra pass and trailed just 42-38 at intermission.

But the contest turned in the first five minutes of the second half.

NMSU picked up their intensity on the defensive end of the floor, pressured the Miners and turned it into opportunities on offense.

The team went on a 15-4 run coming out of the locker room, and UTEP was forced to come out of their offensive set while playing catchup.

The Aggies got the ball inside and moved it well on the interior — NMSU took 13 3-pointers in the first half, just five in the second — and shot 51 percent from the floor to close out the game.

Teams have a shot at beating the Aggies this year if they can turn them over and break even with them on the backboards. Easier said than done, though.

The Aggies are big and long inside — they outrebounded the smaller Miners 42-27 on Saturday.

Defense and rebounding.

Sounds like a formula a team can win with — whether they're playing at home or away.

So far, the Aggies have an impressive look.

Teddy Feinberg can be reached at (575) 541-5455

Walker talking bowl chances, and a prediction for Saturday’s Aggie football game

2011-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

First off, I asked head coach DeWayne Walker if he’s been talking about bowl games with this year’s Aggie football team. At 4-6 on the season, NMSU has to win out, starting with Saturday’s game at BYU. Next week the team will travel to Louisiana Tech — which should be a very difficult game — and then will wrap up its season with a home finale against Utah State.

Walker said he had refrained talking about a bowl game with his team until last week leading up to the Fresno State game. Here’s a quote from the coach.

“I did last week, started it last week. I showed them the University of Washington’s schedule last year. They had to win their last three or four games to be bowl-eligible (the Huskies won three straight and then beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl). They know. It’s a three--game season, and a one-game season. A one-game season means take one game at a time. And then if we win three, then we will be bowl-eligible. If it doesn’t happen, then we still gotta play for respectability.”

It starts Saturday night for the Aggies.

It will be cold in Provo, Utah — weather forecasts are calling for temperatures in the low 30s at kickoff.

I think BYU — who is favored by 23 points — has a very good offensive line and a handful of running backs. Quarterback Jake Heaps will get the nod with starter Riley Nelson is out with injury. Nelson is a dual threat quarterback and ran out of BYU’s wildcat formation. His absence should help the Aggies.

NMSU has moved the ball well on just about every opponent they’ve faced this year — even against Georgia, despite scoring just 16 points in that game. Barring any major weather trouble, I think the Aggies can move the ball once again on a good BYU defense.

I have a hard time seeing the Aggies winning in Provo, but I also think they can keep it competitive. Certainly within two touchdowns.

My prediction: BYU 35, New Mexico State 24

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

High school football playoff games for MHS, LCHS

2011-11-17T22:07:00.001-08:00

Lets talk high school football playoff games.

Friday sees No. 2-ranked Mayfield host No. 7-ranked Eldorado at 7 p.m. while No. 4-ranked Las Cruces High will host No. 5 Rio Rancho on Saturday at 1 p.m.

First off, I expect both local teams to win in competitive games.

Lets start with MHS....

Eldorado traditionally plays Mayfield tough under head coach Charlie Dotson. They have a similar mentality as the Trojans — to deliver the first blow, not take it. I expect a physical football game, but I also expect the Trojans to win when it’s all said and done — Mayfield has been coming on in recent weeks.

As for Las Cruces High, Rio Rancho has been playing good football — they put up 56 points in their opening round game vs. Alamogordo and were competitive vs. No. 1 Cleveland at the end of the district season.

But the Bulldawgs are still a top-four team in the state and I expect them to come out on top. The Bulldawgs weakness is at quarterback at this point — Devin Perez is a gamer and a tough player but isn’t a good thrower. Still, he’s 12-2 as a starter — he has proven he can get the job done. Don’t be surprised to see John Joy — a good quarterback prospect who’s more of a traditional QB — get some snaps this week as well.

Regardless, LCHS is a top-four, top-three team in the state and I have faith in the Bulldawgs coaching staff. Don’t think that it will be easy, but I still like the Bulldawgs in this one. Think there is a good chance both LCHS and MHS could meet in state title game. The Bulldawgs will have to get through this weekend and then No. 1-ranked Cleveland, in all likelihood.

We shall see how it unfolds.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggie basketball gets BIG win at UNM

2011-11-16T23:37:00.001-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggie men’s basketball team got a BIG win at the University of New Mexico on Wednesday night.

The Aggies have to beat their rivals — particularly head coach Marvin Menzies, who’s been hearing about his record against UNM and UTEP. A road win at the Pit — a tough place to play and where the Aggies haven’t won since 2002 — will give him some relief, at least until Saturday when UTEP comes to Las Cruces.

The Aggies won on the defensive end of the floor. UNM shot 28 percent on the evening and NMSU has the bodies and length up front to play good defense. We wrote that at the beginning of the year — good defense and rebounding you can pack up and win with on the road. If the Aggies are consistently good in this department, they should be just fine this year and challenge for a WAC championship.

It wasn’t the prettiest game and the Aggies would have won going away if they hit their free throws — the team went 21-of-38 from the free throw line.

Bandja Sy was big for the Aggies — big early buckets and played well down the stretch — while Wendell McKines was huge as expected — all 14 of his points came in the second half when the Aggies needed him.

Again, a great win for the Aggie men. Now they do have to follow it up Saturday with another victory over their rival UTEP.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggie men’s basketball team faces big games this week

2011-11-15T22:00:00.001-08:00

It’s rivalry week for the Aggie men’s basketball team when they travel to the University of New Mexico for a Wednesday night game and then host UTEP on Saturday.

Obviously these games are important for the program. The Aggies are 3-13 in the past four years against their rivals and the rallying cry in the past has been to get better for conference play, then the conference tournament. But these games mean a lot to the people of Las Cruces and the Aggies need to play well in them this year.

Do they have to win both? I don’t think that’s the case. I do think they have to be in the UNM game and they do have to beat UTEP on Saturday.

The Lobos are supposed to be a good team and playing in the Pit is historically tough. Not that I think it’s insurmountable to get a victory there. There will be a good crowd as always and a good atmosphere for this one. And, you know, as a player this should be the type of game you love playing in. The Aggies should be excited about playing in a great atmosphere. No one in the crowd is going to block a shot or grab a rebound. The game will be decided on the court.

I expect the Aggies to play hard and with that they should defend and rebound well. Why not? If the Aggies play hard they should do both of these things effectively — they’re athletic enough to hold their own in these departments.

I think a KEY to the game will be the Aggies ability to shoot the 3-pointer. This will be a key to follow all year.

In their exhibition game against Eastern New Mexico the Aggies went 3-of-17 from deep and then followed that up with a 5-of-14 performance in their season opener at Northern Colorado. If the Aggies can hit one of every three 3-point attempts, they should be OK.

As for UTEP, the Miners are off to a slow start. That doesn’t mean they won’t be better by Jan. 1. But right now they’re a team the Aggies can — and should — beat in Las Cruces.

Aggies' Big 3, and the defense

2011-11-14T22:22:00.000-08:00

The Aggies Big 3 on offense shined the other night versus Fresno State. Lets take a look:

Quarterback Matt Christian

Saturday's stats: 25 of 43, 360 yards, two touchdowns.

Many knew the Aggies could win with Christian in the lineup after starter Andrew Manley went down but I don't know how many expected him to play at such a high level and be as valuable as he's been. Christian has averaged over 250 yards passing per game this year and has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four of his seven starts. Statistics aside, he's played hurt, played tough and led the team. In my estimation he's been the Aggies MVP this year.

Wide receiver Taveon Rogers

Saturday's statistics: 412 all-purpose yards; 10 receptions for 166 yards and a TD; 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Rogers has had a great year for the Aggies — they're No. 1 receiver and deep threat on offense and ace kick-return man. He has NFL potential.

On special teams, why do teams continue to kick the ball to Rogers? It seems like he has a 50/50 chance of returning a kick for a touchdown every time he touches the ball. I just do not understand why teams do it — it seems like football suicide to me. Three kickoff returns for TDs this year for the senior.

Running back Kenny Turner

Saturday's stats: 27 carries, 112 yards; two receptions, 30 yards; four touchdowns

Turner has also been a VERY valuable Aggie this year. Since moving back to running back, Turner has topped 100 yards rushing in five of the last seven games (he also had a 94-yard effort at Georgia). He also has 42 catches this year for 494 yards and has scored 12 touchdowns.

Turner has had some trouble holding onto the ball this year — recently its been fumbling — but has been a workhorse runner who has played well from start to finish in games this year where he's been the featured back. He's almost seemed to get better as the game goes on. Here's to hoping that Turner, a junior, will return to NMSU next season.

•••

I know the team gave up 45 points to Fresno State on Saturday but I actually thought the defense played OK. Some plays that hurt the unit:

• Jake Capraro's 9-yard punt (yes, 9 yards), gave Fresno State the ball at the NMSU 46 yard line in the first quarter. The Bulldogs would score a touchdown to tie the score a 7-7.

• Christian's second-quarter interception gave Fresno State the ball at their own 34-yard line, down 20-10 late in the second quarter. It was a deep ball to Taveon Rogers that floated in the air and was wrestled away by Fresno defensive back L.J. Jones. The Bulldogs would score a touchdown on the ensuing possession to make the score 20-17.

• NMSU cornerback Jeremy Harris got torched in the third quarter — a pass interference call and two long touchdowns surrendered to Jalen Saunders.

Outside of those four or five key plays I thought the unit played all right. It held Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse in check on the ground (23 carries, 93 yards, two touchdowns). Rouse did some damage as a pass catcher in the first half, but NMSU held him below his 120-yard rushing average — it could have been the best run defense the Aggies have played all season.

And the defense got two BIG fourth-quarter stops with under five minutes to go — getting the ball back to the offense down 45-41 and then holding on Fresno's final drive up 48-45. Outside of Harris, I thought the Aggie defensive backs covered the Fresno State wide receivers well.

The performance also came without standout safety Donyae Coleman, out with a shoulder injury. His replacement Justin Smith led NMSU with 13 tackles.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies show resolve in win over Fresno State

2011-11-13T20:45:00.001-08:00

The New Mexico State Aggies showed resolve in their 48-45 win over Fresno State on Saturday night.

The game seemed tailor made for an NMSU collapse — the team, which turned the ball over on downs, was trailing 45-41 with just under four minutes and thirty seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

Fans — and their weren't many to begin with in attendance — streamed for the exits, perhaps jaded by past experiences in the program's history.

But the defense showed up, forcing a three-and-out and getting the ball back.

The offense would score a touchdown — a Matt Christian fling to Taveon Rogers from 27-yards out put the Aggies up a field goal with just over a minute to play.

And then, once again, the defense held against a team with offensive weapons — and a good quarterback in Derek Carr — turning the Bulldogs over on downs.

A lesser Aggie team would have crumbled — this one responded.

And with that, the team took another step forward.

Yes, the Aggies are better this year — more competitive and just a more entertaining product to watch.

But it would have left somewhat of an empty feeling if NMSU had lost their final seven games of the season — after a 3-3 start to the 2011 campaign.

They needed a win — a home win — over an established Western Athletic Conference program like Fresno State late in the season.

A Fresno State team which had won all 17 of the meetings between the two programs going into Saturday night's affair.

The Aggies did it without two of their starters — standout safety Donyae Coleman and offensive guard Andrew Kersten were out because of injury. Coleman's replacement Justin Smith led the Agies with 13 tackles while true freshman Valerian Ume-Ezeoke started for Kersten and the offensive line continued it's good play.

In truth, Fresno State is down this year and the Aggies are up. NMSU matched up well with the Bulldogs — better than any other Aggie team in recent memory. They were the better team.

NMSU is now 4-6 overall, 2-3 in Western Athletic Conference play.

Dare I say it? They're still bowl eligible.

The final three games will be uphill battles.

But the season isn't over yet, either.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Predicting Aggies vs. Fresno State

2011-11-11T22:16:00.001-08:00

First off, this is a game the Aggies CAN win.

And it would be nice. Looking at their last four games on the schedule, their best chance at a W could be tonight against a down Fresno State team that, although traditionally solid, is not as strong this season. And with that being said, the Aggies are better. NMSU is 0-17 lifetime against Fresno State, but this is the best chance they’ve had in some time at knocking them off. It would be a good home win.

The Aggies should be able to score points on Fresno and it starts in the Bulldogs secondary. They play zone defense in the back-end and NMSU can exploit their lack of coverage skills.

On the other side of things, the Aggies are going to need to get stops. This should be a shootout and both teams are capable of scoring five touchdowns apiece. Whichever team gets there will win.

If the Aggies give up any scores or give away any points on special teams, it might cost them the game. The Aggies HAVE to at least hold their own in the special teams battle — they lose that, they lose the game.

Again, I expect a shootout.

My prediction: New Mexico State 35, Fresno State 31

Five keys to Saturday’s Aggies vs. Fresno State game

2011-11-10T21:45:00.001-08:00

Get stops: The Aggies should be able to score points on Fresno State — the question is, can they stop the Bulldogs when necessary? Last week the Aggie secondary struggled — Georgia appeared to go after Jeremy Harris and Ben Bradley in pass coverage — and this week will likely be without Donyae Coleman (shoulder). This unit could use a bounce-back performance against Fresno State sophomore quarterback Derek Carr, in what could very well be a shootout.

Contain Rouse: Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse is small in stature (5-foot-7, 185 pounds), yet big on production (1,080 rushing yards, 5.0 yards per carry and seven touchdowns). Rouse is a very good player and his 120 yards per game average leads the WAC. That could be a key number — if NMSU can keep him in that 120-yard ballpark, they’ve done a good job. The reality is that he’s capable of going off for more against a poor Aggies rush defense.

Aggie passing game: This is one area that can really flourish against the Bulldogs struggling secondary. Fresno State is primarily a zone team in pass coverage — they would prefer to not play man-to-man against opposing wide receivers — and rarely blitz multiple linebackers. There are holes in the Fresno secondary and the defensive backs have struggled to play the ball in the air. If the Aggie offensive line can hold up in protection — this unit has improved as the season’s moved along — it will allow quarterback Matt Christian time to get his playmaking wide receivers the ball. Then the ground game might get cooking. And then the Aggie offense will be in business.

Special teams: This appears every week in our keys and rightfully so. The Aggies continue to trot kicker Tyler Stampler out there and he continues to miss everything from field goals to extra points. And Fresno State has a good special teams unit — punt return man Devon Wylie is dangerous and the Bulldogs are notorious for blocking kicks. The Aggies can’t afford to give away any points in this one. Whoever wins this special teams battle might win the game all together.

Intangibles: Fresno State has owned the Aggies — a 17-0 lifetime record against NMSU. Both teams hold identical 3-6 records and Fresno State could come in tight — the Bulldogs have to win their final four games to remain bowl eligible. In the meantime, NMSU should be a loose bunch and could use a good victory in front of the home fans. Of the four remaining game on NMSU’s schedule — vs. Fresno State, at BYU, at Louisiana Tech and vs. Utah State — this one might be the most winnable.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies capable of beating Fresno State

2011-11-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Despite the eight-point spread in favor of the Fresno State Bulldogs football team this weekend, I think the New Mexico State Aggies are very capable of springing the upset in Las Cruces.

Fresno State has issues on defense — starting in their secondary — and the Aggies should be able to throw the football on them.

I think this game will be a shootout — both teams are capable of scoring four or five offensive touchdowns apiece.

BIG KEY FOR THE AGGIES: Will they keep Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse in check. He’s a very good player, and NMSU has to keep him around his 120 yards per game average. He’s capable of going for much more against NMSU.

That and special teams of course — punt return man Devon Wylie can do some damage for the Bulldogs.

The Aggies could really use another win or two to close out their season, and I think they have a good shot at getting one this weekend.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

2011-11-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

I see a light at the end of the tunnel for the New Mexico State Aggie football team.

NMSU is 3-6 this season and really could use another win or two in the final four games of their season. I think they have a VERY good chance to get a W this weekend against Fresno State.

But I also think this program is on schedule under head coach DeWayne Walker, who is in his third year in Las Cruces.

The Aggies enter the “new” WAC next season and I think a winning record will be attainable. NMSU should beat newcomers Texas-San Antonio and Texas State and the remaining four WAC schools — Idaho, San Jose State, Utah State and Louisiana Tech (maybe) — seem to be on relatively equal footing with the Aggies.

I do feel pretty positive about the Aggie football team. This is Walker’s third year — a critical year — and the team is better. Of course, they need to continue getting better — very important, obviously.

Here’s a quote from Walker about the time table for his team in his third season at the helm:

“When you look at our first year — there was no recruiting class in our first year — we pretty much had to play with what was here. You can almost cancel that year to a certain degree. If you look at it that way, really last year was our first year really getting our guys in and this year was our second year. If you look at it from that perspective, next year is really our third year. With the recruiting class we brought in this past year I thought really will give us a chance with another recruiting class to really get this program going. Talking with opposing head coaches, and there’s some good head coaches that we’ve gone against and their teams, they see it. And it’s pretty obvious that we’re better. When you’re competitive for the most part, you want to win all the games that you’re competitive in and it’s not going to work out that way all the time. We feel pretty good. We still have four games left to continue and evaluate this program so we’re not done yet. I think the jury’s still out and I’m anxious to see how this football team finishes up.”

Wendell McKines and the Aggie-UTEP rivalry

2011-11-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard, Aggie senior basketball player Wendell McKines tweeted a message to UTEP after the Miners lost to Eastern New Mexico the other night in El Paso. Click here to read about it.

First off, Wendell is a good Aggie and is a very public student athlete. His Twitter account has done good things for the Aggie hoops program and I believe his presence on the team will bring more people to the Pan American Center this year.

And his recent comments about UTEP could very well pump some life into a rivalry that has recently fallen flat.

I will also say — and this is just my opinion — if I were a coach I wouldn't want my players on Twitter.

It's an unnecessary distraction that can cause unnecessary distractions.

I don't think as a coach you want to give an opposing team bulletin board material and the Aggies haven't had a good record against their rivals in recent years. I would just rather see the team go out, play, and win. That's it.

But it also brings me to my next point….

This is a big year for the Aggie men's basketball team and I think there is pressure on McKines. He's the unquestioned leader of the team and fans and followers of the program have been waiting for his return. He's viewed as a key player. And I think this might be how he handles that pressure.

He's not going to sit around and internalize it. He's going to take it head on and put it on his shoulders. And, you know, he's going to bring it when the Aggies play the Miners, and likely every other NMSU game for that matter. The question will be, who else is coming with him? Perhaps his head-on approach will rub off on the Aggies — which would be a good thing.

It really boils down to that. Wins and losses. Could the Twitter comments take things up a notch when these two teams play? Yes. But it doesn't change the fact that the Aggies need to beat the Miners this year. Period.

Tweet or no tweet.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Thoughts following Aggies vs. Georgia

2011-11-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

The New Mexico State Aggies didn’t play their best football on Saturday at USC.

I didn’t think the Aggies would win, but I thought they would keep it within three to four touchdowns — instead they lost 63-16. I thought Georgia wouldn’t throw the ball as well as they did — starting quarterback Aaron Murray and backup Hutson Mason combined to go 26 of 33 for 369 yards and six touchdowns.

I thought the Aggie secondary had arguably their worst game of the season and the reality is that Murray surprised me — he played much better Saturday than he did last week against Florida.

Other than that, much of the game went how it could have been expected.

The Georgia offensive line is BIG and opened big holes for the Bulldogs in the running game.

Also, Georgia’s defensive line and linebackers came as advertised and the Bulldogs secondary is top notch. They have a very good overall defense without any weaknesses.

I thought Georgia would score between 38 and 42 points and that the Aggies would score between 14 and 21. Sixteen Aggie points was in the ballpark but Georgia’s 63 were much than anticipated. The Bulldogs scored 42 second-quarter points, 21 of which came in the last 4:30 of the period. That was the ballgame.

I thought Kenny Turner looked good (23 carries, 94 yards; eight catches 127 yards; two touchdowns) and freshman quarterback Travaughn Colwell held things together in a relief role. Colwell has good athleticism and good arm strength. He can be a real weapon for the Aggies if he keeps improving.

Predicting MHS vs. LCHS

2011-11-03T22:12:00.001-07:00

Friday night, the big rivalry football game of the year kicks off between Mayfield and Las Cruces High. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Aggie Memorial Stadium, expect 20,000-plus fans in the house for this one.

Lets start out by saying this is a tough game to predict. Both are very good football teams — Las Cruces is ranked No. 2 in the state while Mayfield is ranked No. 4. The Bulldawgs have beaten the Trojans four-straight times going into this one.

With that being said I like the Trojans in this one and here’s why: I think they match up well with LCHS. The Bulldawgs haven’t been able to throw the ball effectively downfield this year which is MHS’s weakness — defending the deep ball. I think LCHS quarterback Devin Perez is capable, but the Bulldawgs have to be willing to take some shots in the passing game and then the ball has to be delivered.

On the flip side, the Trojans are more balanced. Quarterback Axten Franzoy is a good player — experienced, a state title winner and playing fine football at the moment. Also, don’t overlook running back Ricky Milks — LCHS runner Xavier Hall gets the headlines but Milks could be overlooked and can rip off the big play.

My prediction: Mayfield 20, Las Cruces High 17

Keys to victory: Mayfield vs. Las Cruces High

2011-11-02T21:38:00.001-07:00

Rivalry game is this weekend folks.....Keys to the Friday's 7 p.m. contest between Las Cruces High and Mayfield at Aggie Memorial Stadium:

• The mental game: Las Cruces High has won four straight games in this series and the question becomes is LCHS head coach Jim Miller in the Trojans’ head? The past two years the Bulldawgs beat the Trojans in the second half. And then there’s the other variables — how will certain players perform in front of 20,000-plus fans and in what direction will the momentum shift? Simply put, this game is different than any other either team has played this year.

• Quarterback play: Mayfield has a fine QB in Axten Franzoy — a senior who won the state title last year, he’s playing at a high level. As for Las Cruces High, Devin Perez is a runner and the team’s passing game has underwhelmed at times. Perez has been most effective when throwing outside the pocket and Mayfield’s secondary has been susceptible in coverage this year. But will the Bulldawgs call some shots downfield, and, if so, will the throws be delivered accurately? Both teams must be balanced offensively.

• Who will get going first?: With Las Cruces High’s passing game, it stands to reason the Bulldawgs aren’t as equipped to come from behind. If Mayfield can jump out to an early lead, it be the deciding the factor.

• The weather: Forecasts call for possibly strong wind, which could have a major impact. In this case, it could very well favor Las Cruces High — such conditions could ground Mayfield’s passing attack and keep the game close. As for LCHS, they’re more than capable of winning a grinder with standout running back Xavier Hall leading a ball-controlled attack.

• Trenches, turnovers: You could say this about any Las Cruces High vs. Mayfield game. Expect a close contest and, whoever wins along the lines of scrimmage and comes out on top in the turnover battle will likely win the game. It could very well be that simple.

Three Georgia running backs to miss Saturday’s game, another injured

2011-11-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Georgia Bulldogs top three running backs were suspended for this weekend’s game against NMSU and top backup Richard Samuel will miss Saturday’s game with an injury.

Starter Isaiah Crowell and backups Ken Malcome and Carlton Thomas were suspended for unspecified violations of team rules.

This should make somewhat of a difference. Any SEC team the Aggies face would look to run over NMSU with the ground game. Georgia is still favored by 30-plus points with a fine quarterback in Aaron Murray, a good group of wide receivers and a very good defense.

This clearly isn’t the ideal situation for the Aggies — visiting Georgia in the middle of conference play. But would their ever be a good time for such a game? NMSU will get close to $1 million for the contest, which is A LOT of money for the school.

The Bulldogs are coming off a win over Florida and could be somewhat flat for this one. I think the Aggies can do some good things — I’m not suggesting a win is in order but I think they can keep moving forward and it could prepare them for the stretch run of their WAC season.

And that’s really the most important thing for NMSU at this point — to continue making strides and getting better. The Aggies really can win one or two more games this year and look to be primed to do big things next year in the new WAC.

Quotes to note

2011-10-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

Quotes from Aggie head football coach DeWayne Walker from WAC football teleconference on Monday

On last week's game against Nevada
We looked like we could definitely compete with the top teams in our conference looking at the first half. That was probably the best that we've looked and we really played off each other. Obviously against a offensive team like Nevada you have to be able to match them and we were able to get some stops in the first half. Our offense was really able to match touchdowns when they did score. Felt like we just broke down in the second half, we weren't able to match them in the second half offensively. Too many punts and too many interceptions and defensively we just couldn't hold up. We just couldn't keep us in the game. It was a team failure in the second half but at the token, that's the best we played Nevada since I've been here and coach (Chris) Ault was very complimentary of our performance. I'm not into moral victories but, we definitely made improvement, we've just got to keep going.

On playing Georgia
Well, no rest for the weary. From Hawaii to Nevada to Georgia. This is murderer's row here. We've just got to prepare our team. One thing, we're pretty healthy going into this game so that's going to be a plus for us. We've just got to get our guys to pony up and try to be as competitive as possible and we'll see what happens.

If being bowl eligible is motivation for the team
That's a good question. I know I haven't really gotten to that level. We came into this season where we wanted to be more competitive. I think we're probably another win away, maybe even two wins away to start talking about that piece of it. Right now, we're just trying to get us another victory and once we can get us a couple more, I think that's when the conversation can be taken a little bit more serious.

On getting close to $1 million for playing at Georgia
That's probably a question for our athletic….I would love for all that money to go to football, to be honest with you. But I don't think that's going to happen. That's probably more of a question that probably should be handled with our athletic director. I'm going to stay away from that one.

How do you feel about playing an opponent like Georgia....what are you looking to get out of it
You get a chance to see up front what a good Southeast Conference football team looks like. Kind of get our kids ready to go. We play Fresno State after Georgia so it really gives us a chance to work on some things that we probably will move over when we play Fresno. I just think it's a good test to see our guys fight against a nationally ranked football team. I know my first year we played Ohio State, really we played them pretty good for one half before it got away from us. I just think it's a good challenge for our kids to be able to get into a situation, you know, David versus Goliath.

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Looking back: Saturday's Aggies vs. Nevada game

2011-10-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

Lets start this post off by saying the halftime adjustments made by Nevada were the key to Saturday's game — a game NMSU lost 48-34.

The Aggies ripped through the Wolf Pack in the first half because Nevada elected to play a lot of man-to-man defense in the secondary without much help from their safeties. They brought the blitz but couldn't get to NMSU quarterback Matt Christian, who threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and Taveon Rogers had six grabs for 177 yards and two TDs. The Aggies couldn't run the ball, and it didn't matter early — they had their way offensively.

The Wolf Pack dropped their safeties to guard against the deep ball in the second half and played more zone coverage.

They were able to get to Christian more and NMSU still couldn't run the ball, taking the play-action pass out of the game.

NMSU gained just 173 yards in the second half while Christian was sacked three times and threw three interceptions.

Did Christian's injury affect his performance? The Aggie offense didn't look very good in the second half and Christian was pressured more and wasn't as decisive with the ball — it could have been Nevada's adjustments, his injured shoulder, or both.

The Aggies didn't run the option often on Saturday and in turn didn't run the ball nearly as effectively — 29 carries for 48 yards — as they have the past four weeks.

I want to say this: I do not think Christian should play next week at Georgia. What for? Someone has to get thrown to the wolves in that one, but it shouldn't be a hurt quarterback. I'm thinking about his health, first and foremost.

I thought Trevor Walls looked good when he stepped in there — I know, it was for just two throws. But he ran the screen pass well to Kenny Turner and hit tight end Jackson Kaka underneath. Gotta give Walls credit, a kid who came to NMSU as a QB and is now the team's tight end. He didn't leave, stuck with it and is still a player on the team.

Just back to Christian quickly — no doubt that he's a gutty performer that has put it on the line for the Aggies. He was on the money in the first half of Saturday's game.

Did the Aggie defense get tired?

I could understand why — they were on the field a lot in the second half.

Nevada ripped off two long runs and it seemed that the pressure on Fajardo tailed off as the game wore on.

Head coach DeWayne Walker said that defensive tackle Walton Taumoepeau couldn't go because of a knee injury and middle linebacker Alexander LaVoy didn't seem to see the field either.

Kicker Tyler Stampler missed two extra points.

The Aggies have looked at backup kicker Brock Baca in recent weeks, why not give him a shot? Could he do worse? He can make an extra point.

The Aggies gave up 683 yards of total offense.

The first half was one of the best two quarters I have seen the Aggies put together. They played right with the Wolf Pack and were on clicking offensively.

They gave Nevada a scare. The Aggies are playing in closer games and it would be nice if they could get one down the stretch of their season.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Predicting Saturday’s Aggies vs. Nevada game

2011-10-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here we go...Our weekly prediction.

I think the No. 1 key to this game is going to be the health of NMSU quarterback Matt Christian. He will start under center and his ability to run the option has been a BIG key in NMSU’s success in recent weeks. Surely, Christian will have to be careful and guard against the big hit. It could very well take away from part of NMSU’s attack.

Is Nevada what they were last year? No. But they’re still a good team and they run the pistol with running back Mike Ball and freshman quarterback Cody Fajardo. Both look like good players. The Aggies will see a heavy dosage of the ground game on Saturday.

NMSU will have to play mistake-free in this one. Christian cannot get hurt and needs to play close to 100 percent. The Aggies will have to WIN the special teams battle — something that hasn’t happened this year — can’t turn to ball over and can’t commit dumb penalties.

A key stat: Nevada is minus-five in turnover margin this year while the Aggies are plus-four.

One of the goals coming into the year was for the Aggies play in closer games and so far they have done that. Still, this 15-point spread in favor of Nevada feels about right.

My prediction: Nevada 40, NMSU 27

NMSU Gameday
Who: Nevada (4-3, 2-0) vs. NMSU (3-4, 1-2)
What: WAC college football game, NMSU homecoming
Where: Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Spread: NMSU +15
Radio: KGRT-FM 104; Vista 98.7 (Spanish)

5 keys for Aggies vs. Nevada

2011-10-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

• Christian’s health: Matt Christian has been a clutch player for NMSU. But the reality is that he’s a wounded quarterback — a hurt left shoulder had Christian playing last week with his arm hanging, tight to his body. So what will his game look like on Saturday? Christian’s mobility has been a key to his success, and now he must stay out of harms way. Certainly his injury will effect how the Aggies run the option and at the first sign of a possible big hit, Christian will need to pitch the ball — a quick read. And then there’s the rest of the season to worry about. It’s tough imagining Christian making it through the whole year and, if he goes down, the Aggies season will take a big hit as well.

• A mistake-free game: Can the Aggies beat the Wolf Pack? Their best chance is by playing a near-perfect game — limit turnovers and stupid penalties, win the special teams’ battle and get some breaks of their own. Nevada’s a fine football team. But the Aggies are much-improved, and have been competitive throughout 2011. Another round awaits Saturday — with NMSU as nearly two-touchdown underdogs.

• Strength vs. weakness: Last week NMSU faced a pass-happy Hawaii team which, ironically, was a good matchup for the Aggies — the team defends the pass better than the run because of their solid secondary in the back-end and a thin defensive line. Well, Nevada is a run-first team, averaging just over 250-yards per game on the ground while NMSU surrenders close to 200 per contest. Mike Ball is a good running back for the Wolf Pack — power, good balance and a strong stiff arm — and freshman quarterback Cody Fajardo is coming on. On paper, an obvious concern for the Aggies.

• Sneak attack: One of these weeks the Aggies could very well sneak up on someone. Is this it? NMSU hasn’t looked overwhelmed this year, has a higher talent level and has been competitive — a defined goal entering the season. Stay with the Wolf Pack and by the end of the contest, it could be anyone’s game. Perhaps the days of getting blown out are over for the Aggies.

• Special teams: We can hear the collective grown coming from the Aggie faithful. Outside of return man Taveon Rogers, this unit has hurt the Aggies in just about every game this year. NMSU has improved on its deficiencies this season — the offensive line, running game and pass rush have all gotten better as the season has gone along. If the Aggies get special teams straightened out, they’ll actually be OK in all three phases of the game. If they don’t, they’ll be hard-pressed to win.

Last week, compared to this week

2011-10-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

Last week the New Mexico State Aggies faced a University of Hawaii team that threw the ball early and often.

All things considered the matchup wasn’t bad for an Aggie defense that’s strength is on the third level — the secondary. In many respects, it was considered a strength vs. strength matchup.

Well, this week it is the exact opposite.

Nevada ranks second in the WAC with 251.6 yards rushing per game, while NMSU gives up 191.6 rushing yards per contest, which is seventh in the eight-team league.

Nevada has a good running back in Mike Ball (pictured) — who comes with power, good balance and a strong stiff arm.

In truth, you'd almost want the Aggies face a pass-happy team, as opposed to a run-heavy one. They just match up better.

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Key quotes from Tuesday’s NMSU football press conference

2011-10-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

Aggie head coach DeWayne Walker did not sound satisfied at his weekly press conference when talking about last weekend’s 45-34 loss at Hawaii.

“Not good enough. When you play against good football teams your margin for error is so close. Yeah, we played them hard, we played them better and all that. But to win a game against a good football team, we'll have to play better probably as a team.”

“Are we improved? Sure we are. But I'm not so flattered with that, we've got to win football games.”

“Defensively, we forced the oponent to punt three or four times in a row but, are we forcing them to punt when we need to get the ball back?”

“Obviously special teams, if they can just keep us out of harms way. And offense and defense, if they can just play a little better off each other, than I think we're going to start beating good football teams. That's what I'm hoping we can get done this week.”

On this weekend’s opponent, Nevada
“When you look at them in terms of what we've seen the last couple years — they're not as good as they've been. When you lose guys like Kaepernick and some of these guys that are in the NFL...I think one of the things that's impressive about coach Ault is that his teams, they do the things that we try to get our team to do. They don't make mistakes in critical situations and when one side of the ball needs to make a play, they do. That's why they have a good football team.”

“I think for us to play at a certain level — they're beatable. They are beatable this year. But, at the same token, if we don't play at their level, we're not going to put ourselves in a position to win the game.”

On preparing for Nevada coming off a game against Hawaii
“They're a running offense. When you play against Hawaii, they throw the ball all the time. This week it's a little different. Our focus is going to be on stopping the run. Therefore, when they do pass, they really take advantage of the opponent because there is an emphasis on stopping the run. It's a different style of offense. We do have to control their run game but at the same time we cannot let them hit us with explosive passes.”

“Coach Ault is a no-nonsense head coach and that's the type of team he has. We're going to have to match all of that.”

On special teams
“We gotta get better. In two weeks, they've contributed to 28 points. That is not acceptable.”

On the health of the Aggie quarterbacks
“Matt, we just have to put some Krazy Glue and Band-Aids on him and — lets go. Travaughn, he could be a day-to-day thing. He probably won't practice today. We're just wait and see where he's at by the end of the week.”

Walker also added that tight end Trevor Walls will continue to get snaps as an emergency quarterback and that middle linebacker Alexander LaVoy could return this week after suffering a broken foot four weeks ago at San Jose State.

“Oh yeah. Big-time possibility,” he said of LaVoy.

Now, some interesting stuff from quarterback Matt Christian

On wide receiver Todd Lee’s first quarter touchdown throw vs. Hawaii
“He said he had it and I just sort of trusted him. I told him not to mess it up. If he messed it up, it would ruin our passing stats as a team.”

On why he played better in second half of Hawaii game
“I really don't know. I had a rough start to the game, the humidity was tough....I don't know what happened to tell you the truth, sometimes you're just not on your A-game and I had a real rough start to the game. Your right, when I came back in I did play better.”

On how injured left shoulder affects his performance
“The hardest thing is the brace I have to wear now just because it's a real restrictive brace. It was the first time I had to play with it in my life so that was tough. I practiced with it but — practice and games are different and it's the same thing when you wear the brace....No excuses.”

Does it affect his accuracy or arm strength?
“Accuracy more so than anything.”

On if he thinks about it when he’s scrambling
“I try not to. One of the worst ones was when I slid and a guy fell on top of me.”

On if shoulder affects him on option run or on a high snap when in shotgun formation
“I can pitch with my left hand. If I get a high snap, I've got a really, really good right hand....We ran option a couple times left, it's not that big of a deal. I mean, I it's a little different but I can make the pitch no problem. And I told (center Mike Grady) not to snap it high and left, so I'm not worried about that.”

On trying to protect himself as a runner
“They've encouraged me to slide more and get out of bounds more. Not really fight for that yard like I used to....We're thin at the position. I definitely have to be intelligent about what I do with it.”

On sideline activity when he re-entered the game for the injured Colwell
“At halftime I was shut down. I was wrapped up. It was kind of a makeshift sling just because of the pads, the hassle. They kind of wrapped me up and said ‘we need to shut it down, you're shoulder is hurting.’ It was pretty bad. When Tra went down, we thought at first it was (a) broken (foot) just off of what he had said — which ended up not being true....But when he said it was broken — before anyone said anything I told the trainers ‘go get my helmet out of the locker room.’ By the time they got back Tra had gone back to the locker room, we had the ball so there wasn't a whole lot of options there.”

On if his shoulder can get any worse
“I have not idea, to tell you the truth. The extent of damage to me is really kind of unknown. Even for the doctors — it's tough to do an MRI with all the metal in there. That's something I'll worry about after the season. Senior year, I just kind of deal with it, really. It's one of those things, I think the team benefits with me being on the field. So I'm going to be on the field, you know?”

Looking back: Saturday's Aggies vs. Hawaii game

2011-10-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

Lets start out by saying a 45-34 loss for the Aggies at Hawaii isn't a bad thing.

NMSU moved the ball and it's defense was creative and gave good effort. I thought they played well.

We've been saying that the Aggies are an improved team and this game further showed that — tough road test in a place they have typically been beat thoroughly and they were competitive in this one. I think it's a good sign.

I will also say special teams continues to kill the Aggies.

Hawaii had a blocked punt for a touchdown to make the score 14-0 in the first quarter. CAN'T happen.

The punting in general throughout the night was just not good.

If you take out Taveon Rogers from the kick return game, the Aggies special teams has been bad all year.

Surrendering a punt-return touchdown against Ohio.

A missed field goal at Minnesota.

A game lost to UTEP in which the special teams unit was a big reason why and then it almost cost the team last week against Idaho.

On Saturday special teams didn't lose the game for the Aggies but it didn't help either. They lost by 11 and if you take away the blocked punt they're in it late.

It's killin them.

Matt Christian is TOUGH. He played with his left arm and shoulder heavily wrapped because of injury.

It's tough to imagine at this point Christian (pictured) lasting the rest of the year. It seems he's going to play until he simply can't anymore but if he goes out the Aggies are going to be in trouble.

Backup Travaughn Colwell looked like a freshman Saturday night — I still like his game and potential. But it was a different world going against Hawaii than it was Idaho.

Truthfully, I liked Trevor Walls at quarterback but he's a tight end now and hasn't taken any snaps — from what I've seen — all year at the position. Tough spot there and I can understand the Aggies not playing him the other night for that reason. Although it was scary watching Christian running around with one arm, at one point getting helicoptered into the endzone. Again, he's tough and I credit him for the gutsy performance, but I'm just worried about what happens if/when he goes down.

I thought the defense played pretty well in this one and was creative in defending Hawaii.

It was strength on strength — Hawaii's pass offense vs the Aggies secondary.

Hawaii hits teams with the run when the opposition brings in passing personnel — five and six defensive backs on the field and UH gives it up the middle to their big back Joey Iosefa.

The Aggies had five sacks in this one and now have 14 on the season.

NMSU also had more passing yards than Hawaii (284 to 276).

I feel like the chemistry is good for the Aggies. A couple points here:

• Christian could have checked out this year when he wasn't named the starter but stayed ready and has been a very valuable player to NMSU. Impressive to me.

• Then Robert Clay — who hasn't gotten a carry at running back for weeks — was active on special teams against Hawaii. Again, impressive.

We talked about quarterback depth for the Aggies and it really goes for the whole team.

NMSU has a tough second-half of the schedule including road games at Georgia and BYU. This is a big concern here — how will NMSU stay healthy the rest of the way? A couple big injuries and the Aggies will be in deep trouble.

Watched the entire Nevada vs. Fresno State game on Saturday in Reno — Nevada, who comes to Las Cruces this weekend won 45-38.

The win puts the Wolf Pack in the driver's seat to win the league — which I picked in preseason (side note).

Here's what I saw from both teams Saturday:

Nevada has a VERY good running back in Mike Ball: short, powerful, good balance, very good stiff arm.

Freshman quarterback Cody Fajardo looked very good to me to and Nevada's defense is better this year. While Hawaii spreads teams out and throws the ball, the Wolf Pack are going to pound you. Different look for the Aggies this week.

As for Fresno State, they're a big-play team.

Like their quarterback Derek Carr, little running back Robbie Rouse, and wide receivers Devon Wylie and Jalen Saunders.

Fresno will also give up the big play though — teams can throw on them and they didn't tackle well against Nevada.

Louisiana Tech won at Utah State too. I've said it before, the WAC is better than advertised this year. A lot of young quarterbacks in the league that look good too.

Schedule will be tough for an improved Aggie team.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Predicting Saturday’s Aggies vs. Hawaii game

2011-10-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

The beginning of this football game will be KEY.

Hawaii will look to get out quickly on NMSU and if the Warriors are successful it could get a little out of control. If the Aggies can stay competitive for the first two quarters this will be a good football game. At that point, who knows where it will go?

Which brings us to the main question surrounding the contest: can the Aggies hang around? If they can, they have a shot. I do not see them blowing Hawaii out, so their hope is to pull out a close one. If they’re in the game they can win it late — it would be anyone’s ballgame at that point.

An early big moment — forced turnover, TD, whatever it may be — would be very beneficial for Aggies as it would stem Hawaii’s momentum.

I believe the Aggies are more equipped now than they have been in the past to beat Hawaii. Does that mean they will? No, it doesn’t mean that. But they’re capable of doing so, where in the past I don’t think they were.

One thing that’s obvious: if they want to win here, they have to play a good game. Seriously. They’re not going to have a chance if they’re not on top of things.

The travel for this game is killer. And the fact the Aggies will be playing a game that’s a 10 p.m. kickoff in Las Cruces. Hawaii typically gets charged up and plays faster on its homefield.

My prediction: Hawaii 37, New Mexico State 27

Game info
Who: New Mexico State (3-3, 1-1) at Hawaii (3-3, 1-1)
What: WAC football game
Where: Honolulu, Hawaii
When: Saturday, 10 p.m.
Spread: NMSU +22
Radio: KGRT-FM 104; Vista 98.7
Internet: ESPN3

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Donyae Coleman having big year

2011-10-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

The senior safety is having a great season for the NMSU football team.

Coleman is on the field A LOT for the Aggie defense and is playing with confidence — that will take you a long way as a player.

Coleman came to NMSU two years ago and initially played wide receiver. That same year NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker moved Coleman to cornerback and that offseason the team moved him to safety. He did play defensive back in high school.

Just take a look at Coleman’s box score the other night from the Idaho game: 11 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass breakup. He filled it up.

He led the team in tackles a season ago and is back at it again this year with 60. He also leads the Aggies with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He leads the WAC in interceptions with four.

NMSU is plus-four in turnover ratio this year — a statistic that’s synonymous with winning football. Teams that win the turnover battle typically win games.

Simply looking back at the team’s turnover margin in some recent season: minus-21 (in the 2005 season); minus-10 (2006); minus-15 (2007); minus-6 (2008); minus-nine (2009); minus-four (2010). The Aggies aren’t used to being on the positive end of turnover margin — they have forced 12 this year as a team.

Coleman’s been in the middle of plenty.

•••

Another player who's come on for the Aggies is running back Kenny Turner. To read a story I wrote on Kenny that appeared in Tuesday’s Sun-News, click here.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Defending Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz

2011-10-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz is the best QB the Aggies will have faced up to this point of the season.

He had an off game last week against San Jose State — he threw three interceptions — but he’s a proven player, a perfect fit for Hawaii’s run-and-shoot offense, and should bounce back this week.

Hawaii is going to throw the football. The team lines up in four wide receiver sets with a single back and throws on virtually every down. Last weekend they threw the ball 46 times and ran it 17, with their running plays featuring draws and misdirections.

Moniz wants to get out of the pocket — that’s when he’s going to hit his big plays, particularly with his running ability. Hawaii’s offensive line doesn’t appear as dominant as in years past so....The Aggies are going to have to cage Moniz in. Make him be a pocket passer or a runner up the middle — something that he will do but it’s not his forte.

This contest will be the Aggies biggest challenge of the year up to this point — and toughest road test of the season through the first eight weeks of 2011. Hawaii enjoys a HUGE homefield advantage — they’re an entirely different team at home. I believe the beginning of the game will be critical — if Hawaii jumps on the Aggies early, NMSU could be in trouble. If NMSU can keep it close for a quarter, two quarters, they can make it a competitive football game.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Christian, Colwell could both take snaps Saturday...And some interesting stuff

2011-10-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

New Mexico State Aggie head football coach DeWayne Walker said he expected quarterback Matt Christian to play on Saturday at Hawaii and for freshman Travaughn Colwell to get playing time as well.

Christian injured his left shoulder last week but is ready to go on Saturday.

“Yes, for sure,” Walker said when asked if both players will see action against Hawaii. “We’ve got to find a way to take hits off Matt and....(Colwell) proved last week that the game’s not too big for him. We’ll continue to manage him and protect Matt as much as we can.”

Walker added that tight end Trevor Walls — who played quarterback for the Aggies in 2009 — is next in line behind Colwell on the depth chart.

Speaking of quarterbacks, here are some comments from wide receiver Kemonte Bateman regarding both QBs — most specifically Colwell — during Tuesday’s press conference. Found them interesting....

On Colwell’s performance
“Honestly, when he first came in I was, like, jittery. But like coach Walker said, we’ve got to gather around him and let him know ‘we got your back.’ Even in the huddle, we would talk, but he was kind of nervous. He finally put his foot down and told us, ‘just be quite. I’ve got this. Just make sure you’ve got my back.’ We all told him, ‘we got you. Just play your game.’ First series he was kind of nervous. Just told him to calm down, just go through the reads. I guess one of the defensive players got to him and he just turned into a whole different player, just started playing ball. Everything just settled down for the offense.”

Did that help your confidence when you saw he was more confident?
“Actually it did. They didn’t think he could pass. But they also couldn’t send the blitz because of the tempo we have in our offense, that kind of helped as well. Once they found out he could pass, and they think he can run, they have to respect him. No doubt. Once he saw that, he took advantage.”

The difference of when Christian’s in the game as opposed to Colwell
“Matt takes his time and actually goes through the defense. That’s something Tra has to do and we tell him all the time. Even in practice, he rushes the cadence and he thinks he goes through the defense. There were a few plays in the game where he was supposed to audible, or flip the play or what not. It happens. He’s a freshman. That’s a correction we’re going to make over this week.”

Does he have less leeway than Christian to change the play?
“He has actually has the leeway to make the changes.”

Does he not recognize when to make the change?
“He recognizes it, it’s just that he’s a freshman. He was just happy to be out there playing. He knows when to audible or not. He does it every time in practice. It was just the first, actual game for him that he had to take control of.”

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Quarterback status and other ramblings....

2011-10-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Wrote a story on Matt Christian's status and also Andrew Manley. It looks like Manley will get a medical redshirt this season. For story, click here.

On a side note, Walker said on the Western Athletic Conference media call Monday that he would like to bring Manley to Hawaii this weekend and make the sophomore quarterback an honorary captain. Manley is from Wahiawa, Hawaii.

A few other things of note from Monday's call:

Walker on starting season off with Kenny Turner at H-back before moving him back to running back:
“Our thoughts were trying to get the best guys on the field. At that stage of it Robert Clay had done some good things and we had recruited some good receivers. When Robert went down out mindset was the same. ‘Hey, we've got to get our best guys on the field.’ Kemonte Bateman, who's emerged, Austin Franklin who's starting to emerge. We thought we could get by moving those guys to receiver and moving Kenny back to running back and now we got Robert back so that gives us even more depth.”

Walker on having Turner carry the load against Idaho (29 carries, 171 yards, touchdown):
“It was definitely good against Idaho. I'm not going to say that's going to be the perfect formula week in and week out cause I'm sure we're going to give Robert Clay some carries too to take some of the load off of Kenny. But it was good he was able to carry us on his back a little bit and help us get a W.”

Walker on Hawaii losing on the road to San Jose State last weekend:
“I try not to read into that too much. These are 18, 19, 20-year-old kids, man. You never know what you're going to get. I've said that before. But at the same token, it is a more competitive conference in terms that there's more parity. I know I was talking to Robb Akey after the game, he said himself, ‘anyone can beat anyone in 2011.’ We're just going to prepare and go fight, see where we are in the fourth quarter.”

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Looking back at Saturday's Aggies vs. Idaho game

2011-10-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

First off, quotes following Saturday's game: Click here.

For the game itself, it was odd at times and not particularly pretty. Upon leaving the stadium I realized it was also entertaining.

And the Aggies needed the win. We all know that the second half of the season is tougher for NMSU — the team will likely be underdogs from here out.

By beating Idaho, the Aggies now move to 3-3 on the season, 1-1 in conference play. They let one get away against UTEP earlier this year — they really should have four wins. OK, now they're going to have to upset a team or two. I think four wins would be a very good season for the Aggies and five would be a great season.

Much of the first half was tough to watch.

It was literally about breaks on special teams: a fumbled kickoff by Idaho led to NMSU's second TD; moments later, a muffed Aggie punt by true freshman Austin Franklin inside the NMSU 10-yard line led to a short Idaho scoring run; and then the ensuing kickoff was returned 101 yards by Taveon Rogers to put NMSU back up two scores.

It was 21-7 with just over five minutes into the game, and the teams had combined for just 100 yards at that point….Strange.

Quarterback Matt Christian got hit and came down on his left shoulder — he left the game and did not return.

True freshman Travaughn Colwell played well in the second half — particularly when considering that he's a young player.

He managed the game and showed athleticism — threw on the run, good play-action fake.

I liked his 1-yard TD throw to Kemonte Bateman and he later hit Bateman deep for a 50-yard gain. All tolled, Colwell threw for 100 yards and led the team to 10 second half points.

I give the defense the game ball in this one — thought it was arguably their best performance of the season.

A goal line stand to win the game — that says a lot right there. Forcing four turnovers and, really, special teams was responsible for all three Idaho touchdowns.

Safety Donyae Coleman is having a good year — his four interceptions lead the WAC and he stripped and recovered Idaho's fumbled kickoff early in the game.

Kenny Turner was huge for the Aggies.

He was a workhorse running back for NMSU — 25 carries, 171 yards and a touchdown. Don't think the Aggies win this one without Turner.

Since being moved back to running back three games ago he has rushed for 409 yards on 66 carries and has scored three touchdowns. He looks at home.

Idaho is not a very good team.

A few things I noticed:

• Quarterback Brian Reader came off a shaky outing against Louisiana Tech and he didn't play well last night against the Aggies. He overthrew a bunch of WR in the intermediate and deep passing zones. He connects on those, it's a different ballgame.

• Why kick it to Taveon Rogers? He kills teams on kick returns. This isn't a secret at this point — it's Week 7. Rogers returned a TD 101 yards to the house on Saturday.

• I like running back Princeton McCarty but felt he was underutilized. He led the Vandals on the final drive downfield and finished the night with 116 yards on 25 carries and had a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD.

Special teams nearly cost NMSU the game.

Having a kick and punt returned for touchdowns? Unacceptable.

Muffing a punt inside your own 10? Not good.

Tyler Stampler missed another field goal — this one from 39 yards out.

I thought punter Jake Capraro was good — he's improved. And Rogers is obviously a beast in the return game.

We've said it 100 times, the Aggies aren't good enough to be bad on special teams.

If they want to steal a game or two down the stretch, they NEED to get better here. Have to.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Quotes following Saturday night's NMSU win over Idaho

2011-10-16T08:06:00.001-07:00

Aggie head coach DeWayne Walker
On the team's defensive performance
I'm just happy for those guys. Defense is playing without three D-lineman, without a starting linebacker. These guys work their tail off. Try to put together schemes, walk throughs, meetings. They do it all. Anytime you have coaches on that side of the ball who work their butts off — you like to see them have success. And it was a great game for them.

On Aggies goal line stand
I mean, shoot…I was worried about, (like) when they played Virginia, that they score a touchdown and try to go for two. I didn't want to go through that. I was hoping and praying that the defense would keep them out of the endzone. They did.

Did you feel like they under utilized Princeton McCarty?
Robb (Akey) had mentioned in the paper that he wanted to turn run the ball more…..They only ran it 29 times and we ran it 41 times. They threw it 35 times so….They were playing from behind quite a bit too. Maybe that had a little bit to do with it. They were pretty close to 50/50.

Was quarterback Matt Christian able to go back into the game?
Yeah, he just hurt his shoulder a little bit. Doug (Martin) and I talked about it and I just said ‘hey, we're going to need him next week.’ The youngster (freshman quarterback Travaughn Colwell) was doing his thing, he was getting ripped on the phone from coach Martin (chuckle). He kept us in it and it was a great game for him to get his feet wet….If it had got to a two-minute situation where we would have had to put Matt in there, maybe in that situation, than we probably would have done that. But it was good to see the youngster get some snaps and do a good job.

On special teams
There's always something to work on. I know coach Murphy — and I love him to death — he kept his distance from me most of the game. That's an area we're definitely going to have to get fixed. Again, we're going to enjoy this one, but Hawaii is a good football team. I'm already thinking about next week, personally.

On second half of schedule
You know, I wasn't going to say anything about this — but this is deja vu. My first year, were in the same situation. We were 3-3 and our last seven games weren't very good. Now we're sitting in that same situation. And I'm looking forward to these last seven games regardless of who we are playing. Because we know what it feels like to experience the other part. We want to get a chance to compete in these last seven games better than we did in 2009.

On Kenny's performance
Yeah, he said at halftime, he said…I brought the whole team up and said, ‘look, guys we're going to support our freshman quarterback.’ And Kenny pulled me aside and said, ‘coach, give me the ball.’ Any time a player wants to put the team on his back, you've got to give him a lot of credit. Kenny had a helluva game.

Aggie quarterback Travaughn Colwell
On experience of playing quarterback
It was exciting. I've been working on it in practice, been working hard, just getting ready for when my time comes. It was pretty exciting.

On quick turnaround — Christian hurt, Colwell in
Basically, it was just me doing what I've been coached to do. That's what I did. That's how the touchdown play happened.

On if he surprised some people
One thing I have been doing is staying after practice and working on things I haven't been comfortable with. It shows in a game. Coach Martin tells me all the time…A lot of drills I do to warm up, I'll see in a game.

How would you grade your performance
I think it was bad. I got a lot of stuff to work on. It's just fundamental stuff, getting everything right….I feel pretty confident though.

Running back Kenny Turner
On what win means to team
It means a lot to the team. One-and-one in the conference, 3-3 — fresh start for the season. It means a lot.

On feeling at home at running back
That's what I was recruited to play. That's what I do.

On success Saturday night
Same thing every week. Hitting the holes hard. Since the spring I was in the slot. The first two games back at running back, it was kind of just hit the holes. Tonight, I was more reading the holes and hitting it when I see space.

How do you build off this game for next week
This is the first time in a long time that the Aggies own two-straight games. We feed off that. That's momentum. We just take that momentum to the next game. The things we do good, we do better and the things we're not doing good, we get better at now.

Aggie defensive back Donyae Coleman
On defensive performance
We just did what we had to do. We made up our minds, we set up a goal, and we did it. Coach showed us America's Game last night. We were watching the '85 Bears. And that defense was amazing. We went off that and we wanted to be like them. We made up our mind and just went out there and played ball.

More on performance
We rep this every day in practice. Our amazing offense, they win some, we win some. We were just geeked about it. We knew it was going to come down to us. Travaughn came in, we knew Matt was down and we knew we couldn't let them score no more. We have a freshman quarterback up in there, we had to protect him, make him feel at ease so he can ease into it. We just did what we had to do. Fourth-and-1, we were pretty geeked about it.

On the defense forcing four defensive turnovers
Every day in practice. On the kickoff, I just ran down there, I just kind of took it from him. On the interception, I was just doing what I was coached to do.

On how he's taken his game to the next level
A lot of prayer and work. I set out a goal this year to get interceptions. Believe it or not, this is the first time in my career to get interceptions in a game. I'm pretty excited about that. I'm just trying to keep that going.

Predicting the Aggies vs. Vandals game

2011-10-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

First off, this is a big game for both teams.

The Aggies need this one — a winnable conference game at home. If they want to hit the five-win plateau this season, this is a must-win game. At 2-3, they have a shot at getting back to the .500 mark overall and in conference play.

Idaho needs the win badly too. At 1-5 overall, 0-2 in the WAC they’re going to come in ready to play.

Idaho quarterback Brian Reader is a player to watch. He hasn’t progressed this year and hasn’t been accurate. His play will be a key element in determining a winner Saturday night.

Idaho hasn’t been able to score points. Last week the team scored 11 total and none offensively — a punt-return touchdown, a field goal and a safety.

NMSU has to stop the run, get off to a quick lead and put the game in Reader’s hands.

Idaho has a good special teams unit. Running back Princeton McCarty has hurt the Aggies through the years.

Defensively, the Vandals have shown they’re a better than in past years and will bring the blitz.

The Aggies are coming off their big win at UNM followed by a bye week. I think the team will be OK here.

My prediction: New Mexico State 23, Idaho 17

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Game info
Who: Idaho (1-5, 0-2) at NMSU (2-3, 0-1)
What: College football, Week 7
Where: Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces
When: Saturday, 6:07 p.m.
Weather: Sunny, temperatures in the low 80s at kickoff
Spread: Aggies -1
Radio: KGRT-FM 104; Vista-FM 98.7 (Spanish)
TV: AggieVision

Five keys for Aggies vs. Idaho

2011-10-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

1) Idaho quarterback Brian Reader: Reader hasn’t progressed this year and was down last week against Louisiana Tech, completing just 19 of 47 pass attempts while tossing three interceptions. Still, Reader has shown in pockets that he is capable — a senior QB, he replaced Nathan Enderle, who is now a backup with the Chicago Bears. Reader’s performance in today’s game will likely dictate which team comes out on top.

2) Aggies fast start: We write this in every game preview, so why stop now? The Aggies have shown when they get up early on the opposition, they’re in the driver’s seat. They took a 14-point first-half lead on Minnesota and led from start to finish. They were up 21-0 two weeks ago against New Mexico and never looked back. Idaho is a similar situation: get up early, and give a run-deficient defense some cushion. With that being said, you can bet the Vandals will be looking to do the same.

3) Playing at home: Truthfully, the Aggies haven’t played particularly well in Las Cruces. A 44-24 loss to Ohio in the season opener wasn’t competitive until too late. A 16-10 loss against UTEP was one the Aggies let get away. This one should feature a nice-sized crowd — mainly because of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign surrounding the game. It’s also a very winnable game for the Aggies. They have to do it for the home fans.

4) Matching Vandals intensity, physicality: You know the way followers of the Aggies view the Vandals as a winnable game? Well, reality check: Idaho views NMSU as the same thing. This is going to be a desperate team in must-win mode, meaning they will come out ready to go from the opening whistle. Head coach Robb Akey has done a fine job at Idaho and his teams play hard and with confidence. The Aggies must match that mindset.

5) Score more points: This might be the most obvious key we’ve ever come up with. Allow us to explain: The Aggies last time out on Oct. 1, they dropped 42 points on New Mexico — their best offensive output in some time. Can they replicate that? As for Idaho, their offense has struggled this year, but will this be the week it gets healthy? The Aggie defense has to step up and hold down the Vandals.

The “new” Pan American Center and Aggie hoops in general

2011-10-12T23:04:00.001-07:00

The Pan American Center is shrinking!

NMSU recently announced the decision to reduce seating capacity for men’s basketball games at the Pan Am — formally seating around 13,000 fans, it will now seat just under 9,000. Essentially, the four “corners” in the upper deck will be blocked off.

First off, I can understand the reasoning behind it. The Aggies aren’t selling those seats — last year the team didn’t even average 4,000 fans — and it just doesn’t look good. I love the Pan Am, and it’s sad when its on TV and the entire east side seating is empty. The reality is that the seats that are blocked off, no one was sitting in them anyway. This is a move designed to condense the crowd and create supply and demand for the seats that are for sale.

But I will also say this: there have been times when Aggie basketball has drawn very well and the product should be THE ticket in town. It should be the buzz sport in town. I think there are a lot of reasons for fans not showing up to the Pan American Center — the economy, ticket prices, a new day and age for the young sports fan and a general disconnect between the fans and the program are a few. I also believe it can be cyclical and if fans can get into the program, they will support the team. AND that place can rock.

With all that being said, if I had to prognosticate I’d say the team isn’t going to average more than 9,000 fans per game this year. And if they did I think that’s a problem the Aggies would be willing to have.

•••

As for the team, lets take a look at the squad with practice opening up later this week.

First off, I think the team has a good talent level.

The Aggies have put a lot on Wendell McKines, their senior forward who missed all of last season with a broken foot — he is their heart and soul, is extremely athletic, plays extremely hard and has charisma. Some players play better in the spotlight and with greater responsibility on their shoulders, and I think McKines is the type that can handle it. And I will say this: I would be hard pressed to find a better athlete to ever play in an Aggie uniform. Maybe there have been over the years, it's just hard for me to see it.

Outside of him, the team has bodies in the front court — Hamidu Rahman and Chili Nephawe are big while newcomer Sim Bhular is 7-foot-4!!! Still not sure if Bhular will play this year....Is the team going to get improved play out of Rahman this year? He was a non-factor in 2010 — injuries hurt here. I think Rahman can average a double-double but at this point he’s a role player.

I thought B.J. West and Renaldo Dixon showed flashes last year and wouldn’t mind seeing more playing time for them. Tyrone Watson has a role — a hustler who makes a positive impact on the game.

At this point the backcourt is thin.

Senior point guard Hernst Laroche is a steady player and will run the team. He isn’t flashy and he won't take your breath away, but he won’t turn the ball over either.

The Aggies do need a shooter/scoring punch next to Laroche and have some new players — Remi Berry, Eric Weary, Terrel de Rouen — who might be able to supply some help. Christian Kabongo, who brought intensity and fight to the court, returns at shooting guard.

I do want to say this: the Aggies have been a spotty defensive team the last few years and that needs to improve. They have had the athletes to be a better defensive and rebounding team and I think they HAVE to improve in this area. You know, teams win on the road with defense and rebounding. No reason the Aggies shouldn’t be better here. If a player can’t commit to playing on that end of the floor, just cut his playing time. That'll make him better, or you don't need him anyway. It's worked in basketball before….

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggie expectations and the key quarterback

2011-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Wrote a story on expectations for the Aggie football team going into the second half of the season. You can read it by clicking here.

Just expanding on this a bit:

I really believe quarterback Matt Christian's play is a key for the Aggies. The team needs the offense to lead the way and the unit has looked good the past two weeks.

Christian's ability to run has opened up the team's overall running game. He's a savvy player and good decision maker.

If the Aggies can run the football, take early leads and put the defense in favorable position, they will be in games.

Currently at 2-3, how many wins do you think the Aggies will have by the end of their 13-game schedule?

Comment and vote in the poll along the right-hand column.

Mike Dunbar resurfaces with high school team

2011-10-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

Former New Mexico State Aggies offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar has resurfaced in football — high school football, that is — as the offensive coordinator at Tenino High School in Olympia, Wash.

Dunbar abruptly retired in early March, after just one season with the Aggies.

Dunbar has been a college football coach for nearly 25 years.

“My wife and I, we talked about it a lot on and off,” Dunbar said to the Sun-News on March 6. “For us, this is the time.”

Click here to read the latest story on Dunbar from The Olympian, a newspaper in the Pacific Northwest.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Aggies need to play well at home

2011-10-06T21:56:00.001-07:00

Do the New Mexico State Aggies need to have a good showing for the home fans next Saturday against Idaho? I believe they do.

The Aggies need the win — first and foremost. And NMSU needs to play well for the home fans in a game that should feature a decent crowd — it will mark the Tough Enough to Wear Pink game in Las Cruces, and will be a big game for the team.

We all know attendance has been an issue for NMSU and fans are slow to buy into the team. Both of NMSU’s wins this year have come on the road and the team lost a disappointing home game to UTEP in Week 3.

The Aggies are an improved team and have a legitimate shot at having a solid second half of the season. But they need the win against Idaho.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

The Aggies going forward

2011-10-05T19:39:00.001-07:00

What are the expectations for the New Mexico State Aggies going forward? It’s actually tough to tell.

The team is on its bye week with a 2-3 record and play Idaho on Oct. 15. It will be a tough game for the Aggies, but a winnable one as well.

On paper, the second half of NMSU’s schedule is tough and I think the WAC is a tough league this season.

Hawaii and Fresno State both look strong behind quarterbacks Bryant Moniz and Derek Carr, respectively.

I don’t think there are any bad teams in the league this year — NMSU, Utah State, San Jose State and Louisiana Tech are better and I still believe Idaho isn't bad.

In truth, it’s hard to predict the Aggies win/loss record the rest of the way. I do think they can be in the hunt. Next weekend against Idaho, they have a chance at winning. The following week, they go to Hawaii in a big road test. These are two key games right on the horizon where should can learn a lot about the team.

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Bye week comes at good time for Aggies

2011-10-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here’s why:

• The team can get healthy — Taveon Rogers (hip/tailbone), Robert Clay (shoulder), Alexander LaVoy (broken foot) and B.J. Adolpho (ankle) all could use the week off.

Head coach DeWayne Walker originally said LaVoy could be out three-to-four weeks but that could be optimistic. As for Adolpho, Walker said the team hopes to get him back for Idaho.

• The bye comes at the right time of the schedule — just before the midway point before a big home game against Idaho. The first five games for the Aggies were tough from a mental and emotional standpoint — season opener, a road BCS game, the conference opener and two rivalry games. The off week can give them a chance to recharge and catch their breath.

On paper, the second half of the schedule looks harder and the Idaho game is big — the Aggies can get momentum with a win that would bring them back to 3-3 on the year. Now, they have two weeks to prepare the Vandals on a high note after thrashing UNM last weekend

• In recent history the Aggie bye week hasn’t come at a good time.

Last year the team didn’t even have a bye — their off week came Week 1 and they played 12-straight games.

In 2008 it was the same thing — remember the Aggies’ Week 1 game against Nicholls State was cancelled because of Hurricane Gustav hitting the Gulf Coast and NMSU had to reschedule a game against Alcorn State for later in the year, during what was supposed to be their bye.

And the 2007 campaign saw NMSU’s bye come the second-to-last week of the season — it didn’t do a whole lot.

This year’s off week comes at a much better time — when the Aggies could actually use it.

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Recapping the Aggie-Lobo game

2011-10-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

By now we all know about the Aggies 42-28 win at the University of New Mexico on Saturday night.

Is a 14-point win a blowout? For the Aggies it is. And it sure felt like a blowout with the team up 21-0 after the first quarter, 28-7 at halftime and 35-7 in the third quarter.

Every team needs to win big once in a while and for the Aggies it hasn't happened in a long while. Frankly, NMSU has been on the other side of that result too many times.

No need to apologize for the big win.

Quarterback Matt Christian is playing like a senior. He was on target on Saturday and ran the offense very well.

WIth Christian and running back Kenny Turner in the game the Aggies have ran the ball better the past two weeks than they have all season, out of the run-option offense.

No knock on Andrew Manley — I wrote at the beginning of the season that the Aggies could win with either quarterback in the game — but Christian is just a bit more dynamic at this point.

He's fast, mobile and a good decision maker — the system has brought variation to the offense and has allowed the line to protect the passer better. Defensive coordinators now have more to consider when game planning for the Aggies. They have to be more honest — defend more of the field without bringing the blitz as much.

Coordinator Doug Martin needs credit in this. He has reinvented the offense the last two weeks with his backup quarterback and running back in the lineup and has catered to his players' strengths — Christian's running ability, Turner's speed and ability as a gamebreaker on the edge. Martin has adapted the offense and the Aggies have looked very good the last two weeks.

I wrote during fall camp about the Aggie wide receiving corps — this unit was upgraded the most in the offseason.

We all know about Taveon Rogers and Todd Lee.

On Saturday Rogers didn't play (hip/tailbone) but it did not matter.

True freshman Austin Franklin is going to be a monster (five catches, 115 yards, touchdown) and Kemonte Bateman (two catches, 41 yards, TD) and Jerrel Brown (four catches, 51 yards) stepped up. Brown has been seeing action in practice — he was right at the edge of the Aggie depth chart — and is now getting playing time. He caught two balls last week at San Jose State.

We knew going into the game that the Aggie receivers would have a major edge on a woeful UNM secondary and they played well.

The Aggies had to jump out on the Lobos quickly and did exactly that.

The reasons were two-fold:

For starters, the Lobos are a down team and the faster NMSU got up on them, the better. There was no need to give UNM a chance at believing they could win.

Also, the Aggie defense has had its struggles. When the Aggie offense can lead the way and get up by a couple scores on the opposition, it helps the defense. We saw that in both Aggie wins this year — at Minnesota and this past Saturday at UNM.

There is no getting around the fact that the Lobos are just awful. Their defense is bad and the Aggies did whatever they wanted to with the football. UNM didn't generate a pass rush and it's secondary can't cover or tackle — poor coaching.

It's incredible that a school with so much more resources than NMSU can be so much worse at football. This game really showed how bad the Lobos are — NMSU looked entirely too good.

The Lobos have hit rock bottom.

With that being said, any time the Aggies can win three straight over UNM it's a big accomplishment — no matter the circumstances.

Great way for NMSU to enter their bye week.

Now they can rest up and get a boost heading into a big Oct. 15 home game against Idaho.

Week 5 of the season in the books.

And the Aggies are still going.

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Unpredictable: Saturday’s Aggies vs. Lobos football game

2011-09-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

The New Mexico State vs. New Mexico football game on Saturday is a hard one to predict.

The reasons being....

Both teams appear fairly even.

The Aggies have been inconsistent — they have been more competitive this year in the early portion of their schedule — and could have another win on their season to this point.

The Lobos have been bad, outscored by an average of 43-17.

The Aggies are 1-point favorites going into the game, on the road at University Stadium in Albuquerque.

NMSU has won the past two meetings in the rivalry series.

UNM just fired its head coach Mike Locksley and could have newfound life under interim head man George Barlow. No telling how the Lobos will respond — we’ll only find out come kickoff.

Both teams haven’t had good play along the offensive lines.

The Lobo defense has been bad.

UNM should be ready for this game — their head coach was just fired, they’re home underdogs to their in-state rival and are facing the possibility of a winless season.

But there have been some rules of thumb for the Aggies this year:

As always, I think the team needs to get off to a good start and have their offense lead the way. I think the Aggies would greatly benefit by taking a 10-to-14 point lead right off the bat, which in turn would help a defense that has had problems versus the run.

The Aggies should have the better play at quarterback and their wide receivers should be able to beat the UNM secondary. Taveon Rogers and Todd Lee could both have big games and should be able to do things after the catch — UNM’s defensive backs have been poor in coverage and in tackling.

I also liked the fact that NMSU was able to find its running game last week out of the run-option — the team still couldn’t run the ball up the middle but had success on outside runs. If the Aggie offense plays like it did last week at San Jose State, I like their chances.

My prediction: New Mexico State 24, New Mexico 17

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Big key: Who will get out of the blocks first

2011-09-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

A big key going into Saturday night’s Aggies vs. Lobos football game is which team will get off to a fast start.

For the Aggies, it’s about jumping out to a 10 to 14 point lead early. UNM is down and the Aggies can break their will by taking the early advantage.

On the flip side of the coin, if UNM gets off to a fast start it could breathe life into their team. If the Lobos don’t play hard this week they never will — their head coach was just fired, they’re playing at home as two-point underdogs to their in-state rival who’s beaten them the past two years, and UNM is facing the possibility of a winless season.

This has been a key for the Aggies all year — their offense has to lead the way. They did so against Minnesota, jumping out to a 14-point lead and controlling the tempo. This week is no different, perhaps even more important.

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Aggies have been improved

2011-09-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

So far, the New Mexico State Aggie football team has been improved this year.

The team has better personnel at some key positions, is better offensively and is more entertaining.

And the Aggies have been more competitive. The team won on the road at Big Ten Minnesota — the Gophers haven’t looked good this year — and beat itself against UTEP. But this brings up an interesting point: the Aggies were actually good enough to beat themselves. Usually the team just got beat. This year they lost a game they should have won.

At the beginning of the year many fans said they wanted to see the Aggies be in games and hopefully get some wins along the way. With that being said, it feels like the team is moving in the right direction.

NMSU still has to go to Hawaii, Georgia, BYU and Louisiana Tech. They still host Nevada, Fresno State and Utah State. The tough part of their schedule awaits.

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Rogers will likely play, LaVoy looks to be out vs. UNM

2011-09-27T22:20:00.001-07:00

Wide receiver Taveon Rogers (tailbone) will likely play this weekend against the University of New Mexico while it seems like the Aggies will be without linebacker Alexander LaVoy (broken foot).

For the full story from today’s Sun-News, click here.

We all know what Rogers brings to the offense — he’s a big-time player and the Aggie passing attack would take a big hit if he wasn’t in the lineup. I think he can have a big game against the Lobos secondary, which has had trouble this season.

As for LaVoy, of course the Aggies could use him as well. He’s helped the linebacker corps from a personnel and depth standpoint as the team’s starting middle linebacker.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter who the Aggies have at linebacker if the defensive line struggles. Take last week against San Jose State — the Spartans offensive line beat the Aggie defensive line, got to the second level and the team was able to run the ball. That hurt more than LaVoy being out.

We knew the Aggie defensive line would be affected this year with the loss of Donte Savage, Augafa Vaaulu and Tommy Stuart. They play hard, they just doesn’t have personnel.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Food for thought: another wrinkle to the Aggie offense?

2011-09-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

Aggie head football coach DeWayne Walker said on Monday that when Robert Clay returns — which could be this week at UNM — that Kenny Turner would remain at running back. Tough to disagree.

Turner had his best game of the season last week at San Jose State (17 carries, 129 yards, TD; receiving TD as well). Turner is a space player and did good things in the Aggie offense which implemented the run-option with quarterback Matt Christian in the game. Turner has good speed and is fully effective outside, one-on-one with a defender.

The offense also worked because it caught San Jose State off guard. The Spartans hadn't seen the run-option in any Aggie game film up to that point and focused mostly on Turner. They weren't aware that Christian had good-enough speed and could run the ball, which he did as well (13 carries, 58 yards).

This week the Lobos will not be surprised by it. Which means the Aggie offense has to add another wrinkle to the package. Perhaps the side/middle screen-passing game?

Again, it would catch UNM off guard — it hasn't been utilized much if at all — and would be an adjustment for the upcoming week.

And, as stated before, it would help the offensive line while curtailing the defensive pass rush.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

On Locksley firing

2011-09-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

New Mexico Lobo football coach Mike Locksley getting fired on Sunday shouldn't come as a surprise.

He had a long list of off field issues, culminating in Saturday's episode with a minor — who claimed to be a UNM recruit — driving Locksley's SUV under the influence of alcohol before the Lobos played Sam Houston State in Albuquerque.

The fact the team lost to Sam Houston, an FCS school, seems almost irrelevant at this point.

Sure the Lobos have been bad the last three years — very bad actually.

Locksley took over for Rocky Long — who I thought did an excellent job at UNM. Locksley talked about adding another digit to the scoreboard — a way of touting his offensive philosophy — and there was talk of his recruiting prowess.

None of it happened — the team went 2-26 in his two-plus years at the school.

But the off field problems was a big elephant in the room — punching an assistant coach during a meeting, a sexual harassment lawsuit, and other brushfires along the way.

Administration can look past poor performance on the field if they believe in the coach — they can always cry for more time to build the program, more experience, more recruits, patience.

What they can't cry is ignorance, or look past repeated egregious behavior.

UNM put up with more than enough trouble.

Perhaps the only surprise was that it took them this long.

Thoughts following San Jose State game

2011-09-25T00:13:00.000-07:00

It looked like the loss of Alexander LaVoy in the second half of the Aggies 34-24 loss at San Jose State on Saturday really hurt NMSU.

I think it hurt in both stopping the run and the pass — LaVoy is a better pass defender than run stopper but is a big body none-the-less. Frankly, it looks like he should be beastly against the run. He's been an upgrade in the middle of the Aggie D and has provided a nice one-two punch with Boyblue Aoelua at linebacker. The Aggie defense couldn't get stops in the second half and SJSU used running back Brandon Rutley and tight end Ryan Otten to do damage.

LaVoy had a boot on his left foot following the game although that can mean a lot. We'll have to see where his status is early this week.

Realistically, the Aggies gave up two big plays that really hurt them in this one.

Brandon Rutley started the game with a 66-yard touchdown run off a simple run up the middle. He went completely untouched on his way to the endzone.

Then Otten's 64-yard touchdown to start the second half.

Did these two plays decide the game? There's no denying they were two huge plays in the contest and gave SJSU 14 of its 34 points.

It's worth mentioning that Otten dropped a ball on the exact same play later in the third quarter.

The Aggies were penalized eight times for 76 yards while San Jose State was penalized once for five yards.

I thought quarterback Matt Christian played pretty well.

He threw the ball pretty good and ran well.

There's no denying his third-quarter interception hurt. It came late in the quarter with each team going back-and-forth on the scoreboard — the score was tied at 24 at the time. San Jose State would take over at midfield and score the go-ahead touchdown — a Rutley 2-yard run.

The Aggies didn't do anything offensively after that, granted No. 1 receiver Taveon Rogers was out of the game after falling hard on his tailbone.

Also, Christian is going to get hurt too if he keeps taking hits. He took some shots on Saturday — he ran the ball a lot out of the run-option and was effective doing it but he's also at risk. He got down once before being hit and, frankly, didn't look comfortable doing it. And I thought he was lucky not to get dinged a few more times during the game. I don't know what the plan is if Matt goes down but he was cramping during the fourth quarter and the team didn't seem eager to bring in a backup at that point. He either has to stop running or needs to be more careful. The team ran the ball better on Saturday out of the run-option — 185 yards on the ground — and Christian had something to do with that. He also had a nice touchdown run in the third quarter to tie the score at 17.

Kenny Turner had a good game on Saturday — 129 yards rushing including a 78-yard scoring run in the third quarter to put the Aggies up 24-17. He also scored on an 18-yard TD reception in the second period. This helped take away from the sting after his performance last week against UTEP. Sort of.

Taveon Rogers is a big-time player — five receptions for 120 yards and really some fine receptions downfield. He still produced at a high level despite the quarterback change and was a go-to player once again. Hopefully his tailbone injury isn't serious.

Boyblue would have had another interception this season but the play was wiped out because of a Donyae Coleman defensive holding. Three plays later, NMSU recovered a San Jose State fumble.

I wrote in last night's blog entry that the Aggies had to hold San Jose State to under 21 points and they'd have a shot at the win. They weren't in the ballpark.

NMSU has to beat New Mexico this week.

The Lobos lost to Sam Houston State — an FCS school — 48-45 in overtime on Saturday night to move to 0-4 on the season.

Then, the Mike Locksley nightmare continued when four minors were found intoxicated while driving his SUV before Saturday's game.

Things keep getting worse for the Lobos, even when it seems impossible for things to get any worse. How is this even possible? And how does Locksley still have a job there?

Anyway, I think it's a scary game for the Aggies because there is going to be pressure on them to win. It can't get any worse for UNM — they just lost to Sam Houston and their head coach looks to be halfway out the door. And they've lost to the Aggies the last two years. NMSU is expected to win the game. Again, in an odd way, there is pressure on NMSU going into this weekend's contest.

Two weeks ago, we were talking about the Aggies possibly being 5-1. Now, they're 1-3 and desperate going into their rivalry game against the Lobos.

Aggies need defense to continue steady play

2011-09-23T18:13:00.001-07:00

Going into Saturday's game against San Jose State, the Aggies need their defense to continue its steady play.

The Aggie defense has played better since the first three quarters of the Ohio game, when the team gave up 44 points.

NMSU played tough in its 28-21 win over Minnesota and gave up just 16 points to UTEP last weekend.

Granted these were good matchups for the Aggies — both teams didn't have good quarterback play and the Miners weren't able to run the ball going into last week's game.

But with that being said, the Aggies are playing the teams on their schedule and have improved.

NMSU has four sacks this year, which is better than last year when the team had just nine total. And the Aggies have forced six turnovers this season, which is halfway to last year's total of 12.

The team needs its defense to perform well again against San Jose State — particularly with NMSU minus starting quarterback Andrew Manley and running back Robert Clay.

On paper it seems like a good matchup once again for the Aggies. San Jose State doesn't have good offensive numbers this year, averaging just 11.3 points per game. I do think the team has some talent — I like the group of receivers and think quarterback Matt Faulkner throws a decent ball. He splits snaps with Dasmen Stewart, who's a running quarterback.

The Spartans are a tricky team to figure out — blown out Week 1 by Stanford, an elite program, before losing close games to UCLA and Nevada, two programs considered down, but still, in my eyes, are fair teams at least. SJSU enters Saturday's game against the Aggies as 10 1/2-point favorites, which I think is high.

I could see a low-scoring game between the Aggies and Spartans. The magic number is 21 — if the defense can hold SJSU to 21 points, the Aggies can win.

Robert Clay doubtful against San Jose State

2011-09-22T20:02:00.001-07:00

Aggies starting running back Robert Clay will likely not play this Saturday against San Jose State after he injured his shoulder last week in NMSU’s loss to UTEP.

Does the loss of Clay hurt? It does — he’s the team’s starting running back and could have helped grind out yards on the ground against San Jose State this weekend.

But the Aggies haven’t had a rushing attack this year with or without Clay. No matter who’s running the ball for the Aggies, the team has to improve its scheme, and block better.

To me the loss of Clay doesn’t really affect Matt Christian — I’m still not worried about the veteran QB. It’s not like the team is throwing a rookie in there under center.

Kenny Turner has been getting snaps at running back this weekend — he played H-back in the Aggie offense up until last week when he had a bad game against UTEP. Turner’s a space player — good in the open field — and I don’t see him as a between-the-tackles pounder.

Victor Johnson is a big back who showed something against Minnesota two weeks ago. And freshman Brandon Betancourt could get his shot this weekend against SJSU.

The Aggies will also start Sioeli Fakalata at right guard this week and rotate Valerian Ume-Ezeoke and Andrew Kersten at the other guard spot.

Clay’s a good running back and will be missed, but the team has to get better in the running game as a whole with or without him.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Scouting San Jose State

2011-09-21T19:27:00.001-07:00

The San Jose State Spartans have some talent on their football team, and I expect a dogfight this Saturday when the Aggies travel to SJSU.

Here’s what you can expect from the Spartans going into Saturday’s game:

Offensively, the team runs a two-quarterback system.

Matt Faulkner is listed as the starter and the team is more apt to throw with him in the game. The Spartans have some talent at wide receiver — Noel Grigsby (5-foot-11, 170), Chandler Jones (5-foot-11, 174) and Jabari Carr (6-foot-180) all look good. Faulkner originally signed with Fresno State before heading to Mount San Antonio College and then SJSU.

The Spartans other quarterback is Dasmen Stewart and they become a running team with him in the game.

SJSU runs plays out of a pistol formation — quarterback three yards behind center, running back directly behind him. The team will also line up in an I-formation when close to the goaline or when trying to work the ball out from deep in their own territory.

They have an athletic offensive line — not too big.

Defensively, the Spartans have a big-time defensive back in senior safety Duke Ihenacho. Keith Smith was a good, young linebacker for them last year — WAC Freshman of the Year — and he returns as a starter. SJSU returned 11 starters on their defense from a season ago.

Expect San Jose State to blitz the Aggies this week after what UTEP did to NMSU last week.

Team can win with Christian — if they protect him

2011-09-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

I’m not surprised Andrew Manley got hurt against the UTEP Miners.

He’s been taking a pounding early on this season — very few quarterbacks are going to get hit like that and stay healthy for the duration of the schedule.

Can the offensive playcalling make an adjustment here? It has to. Matt Christian CANNOT get hurt. Lets say this — the team can still win with Matt. They’re going to San Jose State this week. Well, Matt beat San Jose State last year — on a last-minute drive no less. He’s a veteran and I believe he knows how to win. He should have something to prove. He can step in and run the offense.

Things will change for the Aggies and how opposing teams defend the offense. Andrew has a big arm and defenses had to account for that. Expect safeties — who were deep in the defensive backfield with Manley in the game — to line up closer to the line of scrimmage. Cornerbacks who played 10 yards off the line of scrimmage in zone coverage will now play tighter with the NMSU wide receivers.

The Aggie passing attack will likely operate more in the intermediate range — crossing patterns could be incorporated more as well as running backs in the passing game.

With that being said, there are some benefits to Christian being in the game. Again, he’s a vet and will run the offense, he knows what he’s doing. He’s mobile and can get away from the rush. And again, the Aggies have to make adjustments to curtail the rush.

Some things offensive coordinator Doug Martin must be considering. If the team did some of this last week against UTEP they either didn’t do enough of it or didn’t do it well enough. In my estimation, it was both.

• Stop doing five-step drops if its obvious the opposing team is blitzing. Use hot routes and three-step drops and get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. That was brutal watching the other night. MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. Matt should help here because, again, he’s a veteran player and will know what’s coming his way if the opposition is bringing the blitz. Heck, everyone at Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday night could see it coming.

• If something’s working, stick with it. NMSU hit Jackson Kaka the first two passes of the game off play action vs. UTEP, then didn’t go back to it. The Aggies scored in the two-minute drill to end the second quarter against the Miners, then didn’t go back to it in the second half. Why not? IT WORKED. It clearly curtailed the Miners pass rush and it was ran well by Manley.

• Use variation in the running game. Use screens, draws, misdirections and run the ball outside. The Aggie offensive line isn’t overpowering enough to just line up and run over the opposition. It needs help. Plays such as this might get the running game going — it’s been bad this year. And it will take some of the pressure off the quarterback because pass rushers will have to consider such plays and can’t just pin their ears back and rush the backfield. It was too predictable against UTEP.

• If Matt goes down, then the team’s in trouble. His backup is true freshman Travaughn Colwell and then there’s former QB and current tight end Trevor Walls. Does the loss of Manley hurt? Of course it does. He was having a strong year and was improving every game. He improved a TON from last year to this year. He’s a player with potential and someone the program can build around — if healthy. Big loss. But the season is not over. If Christian goes down, it will be. He has an injury history — he missed four games last year and parts of two others because of injury. The team has to be careful how they use him as a runner because he will take the big hit. If he goes down, the Aggies will go down. Keep him upright, keep him healthy. No choice.

The day after: some more thoughts

2011-09-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

Wrote a column on the Aggie running game for Monday's Sun-News. To read it, click here.

I wrote that variation in the Aggie running game would curb opposing team's pass rush on Aggie quarterback Andrew Manley — screen-passes to RBs, draw-run, misdirection and toss-sweeps would not only keep defenses off balance in the run game but would also have them think twice about just coming after the Aggies drop-back quarterback.

Saturday night saw UTEP blitz, blitz and blitz some more.

A few other things that could help….

More short drops. It seemed like the team was still doing long pass patterns downfield despite the fact that UTEP was bringing the heat. A quick passing game and some hot routes would seem help in this regard.

The team also went away from the no-huddle attack after it worked well in the two-minute drill just before halftime. NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker said following the game that he thought there were moments in the second half where the Aggies could have went back to that. UTEP looked uncomfortable defending it and it would surely have disrupted their blitz if ran effectively.

•••

Kenny Turner has taken some criticism for his goal line fumble in the first quarter and drops/route running during the game. No doubt that Kenny didn't have a good game and those plays were big. The goal line fumble could have changed the complexion of a low-scoring game.

A few things to consider….

It's possible the first-quarter fumble affected his game thereafter. Judging from the results I think we can say it's possible.

Also, Kenny, to me, is a space player, on the edge of the defense, one-on-one with a defensive end or a linebacker. Putting him in on goal line situations — in some cases without a true lead blocker — doesn't seem like his game. It's a different world running the ball between 300-pound defensive tackles on the goal line. Just saying. I think the team could have considered Robert Clay and/or Victor Johnson in those situations.

The variation in the running game I mentioned above, to me that's Kenny.

•••

I want to say that despite the loss on Saturday the Aggies are an improved team. I thought the team played hard. These are positive things I'm trying to point out here.

Entering the four-game stretch following the Minnesota game I said four wins would be great, three of four would be fine. The latter is still possible.

Is this a great team? After Saturday's loss the answer has to be no. They had their chances to win a very winnable game and didn't get it done. We talked about the botched goal line chances — not just the fumble but a missed 21-yard field goal. And they settled for three when inside the 10 as well. The Aggies really could have won that game and would have been 2-1. It would have been a giant win. Now they're 1-2 and the general feeling will be ‘here we go again,’ at least from the general fan base in the community.

I still believe this is an improved team.

•••

Some other scores of interest from Saturday….

Ohio — who beat the Aggies 44-24 in Las Cruces — beat Marshall 44-7 in Akron, Ohio. The Bobcats look like a very good team.

Hawaii lost big to UNLV 40-20 at UNLV. Hawaii was BIG favorite in this game and it was a huge upset. Hawaii can have the occasional letdown game when coming to the mainland and this smells like one of those.

San Jose State almost beat Nevada 17-14. Nevada could be down this year — tough to replace Colin Kaepernick. The Aggies play at San Jose State this Saturday.

Louisiana Tech, up on Houston 34-7 in third quarter, lost 35-34. Pretty unbelievable.

UNM lost 59-13 to Texas Tech in a game in Albuquerque. Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege completed 40-of-44 passes for 401 yards and five touchdowns. Sounds like a video game.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg

Manley's injury and rehashing the Aggie-UTEP game

2011-09-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

Lets hope quarterback Andrew Manley's injury isn't as serious as it initially looked.

It looked like Manley was limping during the third quarter of the game and he was down for a moment in pain after being sacked on the Aggies last offensive play of the game. He was grabbing around his knee. It actually looked like Manley wasn't hurt on the hit but on planting to throw the ball before the hit came. Again, it looked bad.

It didn't look like he fumbled that ball on replays — it looked like the ball had come out after he was down. NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker alluded to that during the post-game press conference.

After the game Manley was seen on the field talking and walking and he looked fine. Here's to hoping it was just cramping and that he's going to be OK.

This game hurt because it was a winnable one for the Aggies. Neither team looked very impressive and the Aggies left points on the field. The first quarter saw Kenny Turner fumble the ball on the goal line, Turner looked like he slowed down on a deep pass where was open and the team going three-and-out after getting the ball at midfield.

UTEP wasn't very good but outperformed the Aggies on special teams and ran the ball just well enough.

The fake punt was the key call of the game. UTEP had the ball at their own 29 yard line late in the third quarter and snapped the ball directly to Joe Banyard who ran with it all the way down to the Aggie 6-yard line.

Yes, the Miners scored the go-ahead touchdown shortly thereafter, but the momentum of the game changed after that play too. It was the key play of the game.

UTEP had the edge on the Aggie offensive line.

This unit played much better last week in the team's win over Minnesota but didn't play as well on Saturday. The Miners blitzed the Aggies frequently and Manley was under pressure. NMSU never got a running game going — 16 yards on 29 carries. The team went with Turner on the goal line and I wouldn't have minded seeing Robert Clay or Victor Johnson on those chances — two hard runners.

The Miners only chance was to pressure Manley because the Aggies moved the ball well through the air when he had time. He overthrew some receivers but I thought he played pretty well when he had time. UTEP blitzed frequently but even got after him on three-man rushes too.

I thought Manley operated the two-minute drill very well at the end of the first half and I thought the Aggies could have gone to with the no-huddle more in the second half.

I thought Pierre Fils played a good game for the Aggies on the defensive line.

I thought UTEP defensive back Antwon Blake covered well in the secondary.

UTEP's top receiver Donovan Kemp wasn't a factor — one reception for five yards.