This is the first meeting between the Aggies and next Saturday’s opponent, Kentucky.
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The Wildcats are 19 point favorites for good reasons, but this much is certain. “I believe in these players and I hope the fans do as well”. Either that, or the Lobos were intentionally faking cramps to slow the Aggies no huddle down.
“We’ll prepare well and give everything we’ve got Saturday”, the fourth-year Aggies coach said.
Not to mention NMSU is the confident team after a come from behind victory over a rival.
It took nearly a complete practice-week cycle for Kentucky’s head coach to confirm what most fans expected: That Stoops “will be more active with play calling”, as he said Thursday night. “Not only did we win, but the way we won it”. Eliot got a raise last February and his contract runs through June 2018, but his job status is shaky at best moving forward.
Two players are central keys to this game. They’ve allowed 89 points, 60 first downs and 1,084 yards. Anytime you can get a coach like coach Stoops to coach with your players and be involved in the game plan, it’s a good thing. The Wildcats then lost four straight and finished 5-7 on the season and 2-6 in SEC play. Tickets can also be picked them up on game day beginning at 10 a.m.at the Commonwealth Stadium ticket office, located between gates 9 and 10.
“We have to be able to control the run first”. “They covered us, they disrupted us”.
Rose was a Third Team All-American and the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 1,651 yards and 14 touchdowns on 240 carries last season.
“I was surprised that he didn’t respond much better”, Stoops said of Barker.
“It’s going to be a real task for us”, Martin said.
With 26 seconds left in the second quarter against Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles scored on a 71-yard touchdown pass.
“Getting that ball out of the end zone was one of the biggest plays of the game”, Martin said. “We have to be able to protect the quarterback”.
If Larry Rose III were on the field, I would feel good about the Aggies rushing for at least 200 yards, but it appears as if it will be a committee effort again.
New Mexico State signal caller Tyler Rogers leads the Aggies in passing yards (411) and rushing (84 yards).
Rogers has been effective moving the chains with his feet and as long as he makes enough plays through the air without turning the ball over, the Aggies should continue to survive on the ground until Rose returns.
What Baity said harps on the fact that the defense has not performed up to standards along with Gran’s offense. “If I could, I would apologize to the whole BBN”, Baity said. “Like I said early in the week, you can’t beat anybody until you stop beating yourself”. Doxtater had interest from Buffalo, Nevada and Texas Tech and offers from Stony Brook and Illinois State. “That is surprising. You don’t see that coming. That’s been one of our problems, I think more than we anticipated”, Eliot said Wednesday.
NMSU also has a full allotment of scholarship players this season for the first time in Martin’s tenure, which can only help against a physical SEC foe. We can’t play that way. “Vicki and I are both graduates of Kentucky. He’s definitely being more hands-on with us”. Wildcats QB Drew Barker has completed 50 percent of his passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns but he has thrown four interceptions.
Kentucky has only had two of their six scoring drives of the season last seven or more plays.
In acknowledging his disappointment Monday, Stoops said defensive backs had listened to all the positive things he said about them this summer.
That means big play potential against what has been a relatively untested NMSU secondary.
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Not get in the right spots? He’s raw and young and doesn’t have experience but you get experience by playing. “He’s been good. He’s been working hard. We are looking for four (corners) and when you get four, you look for a fifth”.
