Aggie Football Notebook: The Passing Game

By: Anthony Esparza

The New Mexico State offense featured one of the more potent passing games in the Western Athletic Conference in 2011.

NMSU was third in the WAC in passing yards per game with 273.1. Only Hawai’i (308.8) and San Jose State (276.8) averaged more yards through the air. The Aggie receiving corp was led by Taveon Rogers, who had a breakout year in 2011.

Rogers recorded 59 catches for 1048 yards and 9 touchdowns his senior season. He finished third in the conference in receiving yards per game with 87.3, and second in average yards per catch with 17.8.

Fellow senior Todd Lee was the team’s second leading wide receiver. Lee had a productive year, finishing with 39 receptions for 592 yards and three touchdowns.  

With Rogers and Lee gone, a new duo will have to emerge as the No. 1 and No. 2 options in the passing game.

Sophomore Austin Franklin has the potential to be the team’s top receiver this year. As a sophomore in 2011, Franklin grabbed 34 catches for 524 yards and three touchdown, making him the team’s third leading receiver behind Rogers and Lee.

Senior Kemonte’ Bateman could also have a good year. Bateman caught 28 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns in 2011, his first season at NMSU after transferring from Pasadena Junior College. Although he played in all 13 games, he only started twice for the Aggies. That number is likely to be significantly higher this season, as Bateman is listed as a starter in the preseason depth chart.

Junior Jerrel Brown played in 12 games for the Aggies last season. As a sophomore, Brown caught six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown came in the final minutes of NMSU’s 42-28 over New Mexico in Las Cruces.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Andrew Manley will once again conduct the Aggie air attack. Last year, Manley threw for 894 yards and six touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the season.

The Aggies will likely have a strong passing attack once again this season, which is a necessity in the offense-driven WAC.

Doug Martin was able to establish an impressive offense in his one year as the Aggies' offensive coordinator, especially in the passing game. With Martin now at Boston College, new offensive coordinator Jerry McManus, who was on Martin's coaching staff at Kent State, is in charge of the NMSU offense.

At spring practice, Manley said McManus' coaching style and strategy is very similar to Martin's, which has made the transition much easier.

NMSU Passing by the Numbers in 2011

Total Passing Yards: 3, 550 (3^rd in WAC)

Passing Yards Per Game: 273.1 (3^rd in WAC)

Average Yards Per Catch: 7.9 (T-2^nd in WAC)

Passing Touchdowns: 24 (3^rd in WAC) 

Please check back tomorrow for a preview of the Aggie secondary.