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| Photo by: Zack Ponce |
The 2011 season is in the books for the New Mexico State football team. The Aggies experienced their share of ups and downs throughout the year, finishing with a 4-9 record.
There are reasons for optimism heading into next season; there is also room for improvement. Here is what we learned from Aggie football in 2011 and some storylines to keep with during the offseason.
Improved offense: In his first year as offensive coordinator, Doug Martin provided a much needed spark to the Aggie offense. In 2010 the NM State offense only scored 15.7 points per game and averaged 296.5 yards per contest. This season the Aggies averaged 24.8 and picked up 398.2 yards per game. The biggest improvement came in the passing game. NM State ranked 25th in the nation in passing yards in spite of playing three different quarterbacks throughout the year because of injuries to sophomore Andrew Manley and senior Matt Christian.
Defense still has flaws: Although the Aggie defense came up with stops when it needed to in certain games, it still has a lot of room for improvement before next season. The NM State defense allowed an average of 457.8 yards and 37.8 points per game this season. As it did in 2010, the Aggie defense struggled in preventing big plays this year. The team gave up at least one play of 40 yards or more in 9 of 13 games this season. Fortunately for the Aggies, defense seemed to be optional in the WAC and points were at a premium most weeks.
Rogers and Coleman broke out: Wide receiver Taveon Rogers and strong safety Donyae Coleman had breakout seasons in 2011. Both players were named first team All-WAC selections for defense and special teams respectively. Rogers leaves NM State as the all-time leader in kick returns for a career, kick return yardage and most kick returns for a touchdown. Coleman finished the season with 133 tackles and led the conference in interceptions and fumble recoveries. There is a good chance both Rogers and Coleman will get invited to an NFL training camp to see if they can make it at the next level.
In need of consistent field goal kicking: NM State had success kicking field goals in 2010, connecting on 16 of 19 attempts. The Aggies were 7-12 in field goals this season, including four missed extra points. Considering the number of close games the Aggies played in this year, opportunities to score points cannot be lost in the future.
Holes to fill: The Aggies had 20 seniors on the roster this season, which means there will be holes to fill in 2012. The team will need to replace the production of player like Taveon Rogers and Todd Lee on offense; as well as, players such as Donyae Coleman and Jonte Green on defense. After an impressive freshman year, look for receiver Austin Franklin to take on a larger role in the offense next season as a sophomore. On defense Jeremy Harris and BJ Adolpho may be called to fill in the holes left by Coleman and Green.
Offseason changes in coaching staff: NM State coach DeWayne Walker announced Monday that defensive coordinator Dale Lindsey, defensive line coach Jessi Williams and offensive line coach Jason Lenzmeir will not return next season. A national search for their replacements will begin immediately.
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| Photo by: Zack Ponce |
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