The New Mexico State Aggies have maintained their goal throughout the first half of the 2008 football season. That is, to contend for a Western Athletic Conference championship.
NMSU will open its WAC season today at 2 p.m., MDT, when it travels to Reno, Nev. to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. The Aggies enter the contest with a 2-2 overall record, while Nevada comes into play 3-2 overall, 1-0 in the WAC.
"It means a whole lot,"
running back Marquell Colston said about starting conference play. "We've gotten off to a pretty good start but this is real now. This is serious. It means a lot to us, our seniors. We haven't had a lot of up years at this school in football. We're trying to change that."
Nevada will be a stiff test, particularly on the road. Last year, the two teams played a memorable game in Las Cruces, a 40-38 Wolf Pack win, featuring the standout play of then-freshman quarterback Colin Kaepernick and a missed 44-yard field goal from Aggie kicker Paul Young in the closing seconds of regulation.
"I think we do (take something away from last year's game),"
NMSU coach Hal Mumme said. "(Nevada's) changed their defensive front but a lot of the other things they're doing is pretty similar, a lot of the players are similar. Sure, we'll look at last year's film and probably draw from it. I'm sure they'll do the same thing."
Points are expected to be in abundance in this weekend's contest as well. The Aggies rank No. 113 in the nation stopping the run, giving up 222.8 yards per game on the ground. That could be trouble against a Nevada team ranked fourth in the country in rushing offense. The Wolf Pack average 308 yards per game carrying the football, led by the versatile Kaepernick, who has gained 578 yards on the ground this year to go along with eight rushing touchdowns.
The Wolf Pack's leading rusher in 2007 was power back Luke Lippincott, who ran for 143 yards in last year's contest in Las Cruces. He is out for the season with a knee injury, however. His replacement Vai Taua has filled in admirably though, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while racking up 426 yards on the year and six TDs.
The Aggies showed improvement last week against Alcorn State, holding the Braves to minus-13 yards rushing on the afternoon. Still, the team realizes that Nevada will pose an entirely different challenge to the defense.
"The team we played last week and the team we play this week are both different,"
linebacker Jamar Cotton said. "You can't really compare Alcorn State to Nevada and you have to take precautionary measures when you face a team like Nevada."
The Aggies have offensive firepower as well, although while attacking the opposition much differently. NMSU continues to be a prolific passing team under Mumme, averaging 321.8 yards per game throwing the football, while the Wolf Pack rank No. 118 in the country defending the pass. In other words, big numbers could be in store for quarterback Chase Holbrook, wide receivers Chris Williams, A.J. Harris, Marcus Anderson and running back Marquell Colston.
Holbrook did say that he's impressed by what he's seen from the Wolf Pack early in the season.
"They're a lot like they always are,"
the QB said. "They get to the ball fast. They have a good D-line, linebackers, everyone. It's a solid defense."
At the end of the day it should be another duel between two of the conference's elite quarterbacks in Holbrook and Kaepernick. Both QBs went back and forth last season with Holbrook carrying the Aggies, throwing for 407 yards and four touchdowns despite playing with a banged up receiving corps. Kaepernick ultimately won the contest, throwing for 237 yards and two touchdowns of his own and running for an additional 136 yards on the ground and two long scoring runs.
It's a different scenario this season however, mainly the fact that it's an early season conference battle for two programs looking for a win.
"The best way to get in the conference race is to win the first conference game,"
Mumme said. "That's the way I'm looking at it and I hope that's the way (the entire Aggie team) is looking at it too."
Notes: The Aggies expect the return of safety Derrick Richardson to the lineup this week. Richardson sat out last week's Alcorn State game with an injured hamstring.... NMSU ranks No. 8 in the country is passing offense....Kaepernick ranks No. 1 in the WAC in scoring touchdowns while Anderson is tied for No. 2....Holbrook is No. 2 in the WAC in passing yards per game behind Boise State freshman Kellen Moore.
