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. 

Aggie Football Notebook: Defensive Line

By: Anthony Esparza

The New Mexico State defensive line is going to look a lot different in 2012 after losing four players from last year’s starting unit.

David Niumatalolo, Pierre Fills, David Mahoney and Dejuan Yates finished their Aggie careers by playing in all 13 games in 2011.

Niumatalolo finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 84, while Fills finished with a team-high three sacks on the year. Mahoney and Yates combined for 54 tackles, 34 and 20 respectively.

The defensive line experienced its share of struggles and setbacks last season. The Aggies had trouble stopping the teams of the offense-heavy Western Athletic Conference, especially those with good rushing attacks.

NMSU was last in the conference in rushing defense and sixth in total sacks. Injuries throughout the season added additional salt to the line’s collective wounds. However, the Aggies will have decent depth on the defensive line in 2012.

The key player returning to the Aggie defensive line this year is redshirt senior Donte Savage, who missed all of last season after being ruled academically ineligible. During spring camp, Savage said having to sit out the year humbled him and made him appreciate the game more. Savage has All-WAC talent and is poised for a big year.

Fellow senior Walton Taumoepeau started in seven of the final nine games of 2011. Taumoepeau had a productive season, recording 25 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass break ups.

Sophomore Stephen Meredith was one of the players who attempted to fill the void left by Savage’s absence last year. The 6-foot-4-inch lineman from Garden Grove, Calif. played in 12 games and recorded 21 tackles, eight of which were solo efforts.

NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker also added a few junior college transfers to the defensive line, including Nick Olivia, Kevin Laudermill and Kalvin Cruz. Walker also inked Las Cruces native Matt Romando, who transferred from Michigan State.

Olivia played two seasons at College of the Canyons, where he was named first team All-Northern Conference. The 6-foot-4-inch junior finished with 32 tackles and three-and-a-half sacks last season.

Laudermill enters his first season at NMSU after transferring from West Los Angeles Community College. Laurdermill recorded 40 total tackles, 20 solo tackles and four sacks for West LA last season, earning second team all-conference honors.

Cruz begins his Aggie career after playing two seasons at Ventura College. The junior from Littleton, Colo. recorded 40 total tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and six sacks last season, earning him second team all-conference honors.

In charge of putting everything together is Romeo Bandison, who is entering his first season as the Aggies’ defensive line coach. Before arriving in Las Cruces, Bandison was the defensive line coach at Colorado from 2005-2010. He held the same position at Boise State from 2001-2005.

After allowing more yards per game than any team in the WAC last season, the Aggie defensive as a whole should be much improved from a year ago, especially if the defensive line plays up to its potential.

Aggie Defense by the Numbers in 2011

Total Yards Allowed Per Game: 462.2 (8^th in WAC)

Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 218.8 (8^th in WAC)

Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 243.4 (4^th in WAC)

Points Allowed Per Game: 36.8 (8^th in WAC)

Check back tomorrow for a preview of the Aggie passing game

Aggie Football Notebook: The Running Game

By: Anthony Esparza

It was difficult to determine what to make of the New Mexico State running game three games into the 2011 season.

The Aggies finished with a total of six rushing yards in a 44-24 loss to Ohio in the season opener, but bounced back the following week and rushed for 133 yards in a 28-21 win at Minnesota.

In week three, NMSU finished with just 16 rushing yards on 29 attempts in a six-point home loss to UTEP. To make matters worse, starting running back Robert Clay injured his shoulder in the game.

However, the turning point for the Aggie ground game came the following week at San Jose State. With Clay injured, Kenny Turner got the start at running back and never looked back. Turner went on to finish the season with 1074 yards and 10 touchdowns on 219 carries, and earned second team All-WAC honors.

Hampered by injury all season, Clay finished with 133 yards and one touchdown on 42 carries. He also recorded four passes on 57 yards, and returned five kicks. 

With Turner gone, Clay is projected to be the starter once again this season. The Aggie senior has a chance at redemption in 2012, especially if he stays healthy and has a decent offensive line to create space for him. 

Accompanying Clay in the backfield will be Akeelie Mustafa, a junior college transfer from Compton, Calif. Mustafa is similar to Turner in size and possesses many of the same skill sets. Both are quick, elusive backs who can also catch passes and return kicks.  

Mustafa was a duel threat his lone season at Santa Ana College. He ran for 1, 055 yards and 16 touchdowns, and caught 32 passes for 456 yards and five touchdowns. 

At the signing day press conference last spring, NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker acknowledged that Mustafa and Turner have similarities in size and running style, but said he believes Mustafa is the faster of the two backs.

If Mustafa can adjust quickly to the Division I level, he and Clay will provide the Aggies with a good combination of power and speed in the backfield.

The only other running back on the roster that saw action for the Aggies last season is Brandon Bentancourt. The Las Cruces native played in five games as a freshman in 2011 and is now listed as a running back/wide receiver.

Overall, the Aggies had a respectable running game last season. NMSU was fifth in rushing in the Western Athletic Conference in 2011, a notable improvement from 2010 when the Aggies finished last in the conference in rushing.

NMSU Rushing by the Numbers in 2011

Total Rushing Yards: 1625 (5^th in WAC)

Rushing Yards Per Game: 125.0 (5th in WAC)

Rushing Attempts: 446 (4^th in WAC)

Average Yards Per Rush: 3.6 (6^th in WAC)

Rushing Touchdowns: 16 (7^th in WAC)

Please return tomorrow for a preview of the defensive line

2012 WAC Football Preview: Louisiana Tech

By: Zack Ponce

2011: 8-5 (6-1, WAC Champions)

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs won the program’s second WAC championship in 2011 thanks to a potent offense, and a defense that combined for 32 quarterback sacks and 21 interceptions.

The Bulldogs are loaded with talent and must be considered the early favorite to win the WAC once again.

Louisiana Tech only loses three offensive starters from last year’s team – lead running back Lennon Creer, No. 2 receiver Taulib Ikharo, and lineman Kris Cavitt.

The other eight all return as seniors looking to end their collegiate playing careers on a high note.

Quinton Patton will lead a Bulldogs receiving core that is fully intact, sans Ikharo.

 

Patton was a first-team All-WAC and All-Louisiana selection last year, and was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List entering 2012.  Patton caught 79 passes for 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading the team in all categories.

Four of the starting five offensive lineman return, including center Stephen Warner who was named to the first-team all-WAC.  He enters 2012 on the Outland Trophy, Rimington Trophy, and Lombardi Award Watch Lists.

The Louisiana Tech defense returns six starters from 2011, including four of the five members of the secondary.

However defensive lineman Matt Broha and Christian Lacey, possibly the two most important members of the defense, will not be returning.  Broha and Lacey combined for 16 of the team’s 32 sacks.

Louisiana Tech’s kicking game is just as strong as their other two units.

Bulldogs punter Ryan Allen won the 2011 Ray Guy Award, becoming only the second Louisiana Tech player to win any sort of national award.

Field goal kicker Matt Nelson was named to the All-WAC second team. Nelson converted 15-of-21 field goals and kicked a season-long field goal of 47 yards.

Louisiana Tech retains their whole coaching staff for the third straight year.  They are one of only 14 FBS schools to not make a single coaching change entering 2012.

The experience and talent of the players and coaches should carry the Bulldogs to another bowl game and potentially another WAC title.

2012 WAC Football Preview: Utah State

By: Zack Ponce

2011: 7-6 (5-2 WAC, 2nd)

The new-look Utah State Aggies have a re-designed image, jerseys and all, entering the 2012 season in preparation for a move to the Mountain West Conference in 2013. 

The Aggies hope to use the improvement seen in 2011 as a foundation to compete for a 2012 WAC championship.

Last year head coach Gary Andersen led Utah State to its first bowl appearance in 15 years, finishing with a 7-5 regular season record.  The Aggies received a birth to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they fell 24-23 to the Ohio Bobcats.

This year, Utah State will seek its first back-to-back bowl appearances since 1960-61.

However the loss of two key players from last year’s team will place a burden on the Aggies.

Running back Robert Turbin, the WAC Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time all-WAC honoree, was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.  Three-time all-WAC linebacker Bobby Wagner, who led the team in tackles, graduated.

But all hope is not lost in Logan, Utah.

Utah State’s speedy running back Kerwynn Williams returns for his senior season.  He played in all 13 games last year and received 81 touches as the third-string running back.  Williams also started on special teams as the number one kick returner.

Matt Austin and Chuck Jacobs, two of the Aggie’s three top receivers in 2011, also return for a final year in Logan.  The two combined to catch 54 balls for 683 yards and eight touchdowns.

Senior defensive stars safety McKade Brady and linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu will anchor that side of the ball for Utah State.

Brady, the team’s leading returning tackler, finished with 86 tackles and a forced fumble last season.  Filimoeatu compiled 41 tackles and three sacks while playing both linebacker and defensive end positions.

Utah State will begin the year without a clear number one quarterback.  Senior Adam Kennedy and sophomore Chuckie Keeton return after both starting games for the Aggies in 2011. 

Keeton began the year as the starting quarterback as a freshman but lost the job by midseason.  Kennedy solidified his role as the starter by the San Jose State game in mid-November and never relinquished the job. 

Kennedy showed the ability to elude pressure in the pocket and rush the ball in his game at New Mexico State.  Kennedy ran for 95 yards on 15 attempts against the crimson Aggies and led Utah State to a close 24-21 victory in Las Cruces.

Keeton should receive another chance to re-claim the starting role, but the coaches will give the job to Kennedy if he gives the team the best shot to win.

Utah State has a strong team and will challenge for a WAC championship in their final year in the conference regardless of who earns the starting quarterback position.

Please return tomorrow for our final team preview featuring the 2011 WAC champion Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

2012 WAC Football Preview: Texas State

By: Zack Ponce

2011: 6-6 (FCS Independent)

There will be a lot of excitement in San Marcos, Texas this year as the Texas State Bobcats join the Western Athletic Conference as an all-sports member for the 2012-13 academic year.

Dennis Franchione will lead Texas State in his second season as the Bobcats’ head coach.  

Franchione was previously the head coach of Texas A&M during the mid-2000’s.  He led the Aggies to three bowl games over his five-year tenure in College Station.  Franchione’s long coaching resume also includes a stint as head coach of the New Mexico Lobos from 1992-97.

The Bobcats will have an experienced team in 2012. Texas State returns a total of 17 starters from last year’s team, eight on offense and nine on defense.

The running back tandem of senior Marcus Curry and sophomore Terrence Franks will lead a run-heavy Texas State offense that rushed the ball nearly twice as many times as they threw it in 2011. 

Franks led the Bobcats in rushing last year as a freshman with 911 yards on 146 carries with nine touchdowns.  Curry added 669 yards and three touchdowns on the ground on 127 carries. 

Offensive lineman Thaddeus Watkins (senior) and Charlie Will Tuttle (sophomore) are the only returning starters on the line and will be key if Texas State can find running success.

On defensive the Bobcats return two of their three top tacklers from a year ago. 

Junior safety Xavier Daniels led the team with 77 tackles and three interceptions.  His teammate senior cornerback Darryl Morris compiled 62 tackles and an interception. 

Senior Joplo Bartu will lead the line-backing unit.  Last year he accumulated 51 tackles, sacked the quarterback four times, and forced two fumbles.  Three of the four Texas State defensive line starters will return for another go-around.

Texas State won four of their six home games in 2011.  The Bobcats will need a significant home field advantage if they hope to beat any WAC foes besides Texas-San Antonio in 2012.

Please return tomorrow for a preview of the Utah State Aggies. 

2012 WAC Football Preview: San Jose State

By: Zack Ponce

2011: 5-7 (3-4 WAC, T-4th)

Mike MacIntyre enters his third season as the head coach of the San Jose Spartans. 

MacIntyre led San Jose State to a 5-7 record in 2011, including a one-point win at home against Hawai’i.  The Spartans also welcome two new position coaches to their 2012 squad, Fred Guidici and Brian Lindgren.   

Guidici, an alumnus of San Jose State, was most recently the head coach of Menlo College in Atherton, Calif. from 2009-11.  He will be the acting Spartans special teams coordinator and running backs coach.   

Lindgren joins the San Jose State staff as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  He held the same positions at Northern Arizona for three seasons from 2009-11.

Junior receiver Noel Grigsby headlines a young and dangerous receiving core that will be the Spartans greatest strength in 2012.  

Grigsby was named to the All-WAC Second Team last year as a sophomore, catching 89 passes for 886 yards.  Grigsby’s 89 receptions set a San Jose State school single-season record in that category.  He enters this year ranked 12th nationally among FBS players for career catches per game.

Senior tight end Ryan Otten, junior receiver Chandler Jones, and sophomore receiver Jabari Carr round out the Spartans deep threats.  The trio, along with Grigsby, accounted for 235 of 297 receptions and all 13 Spartans touchdowns in 2011.  

Otten was named to the All-WAC First Team, and was one of only two FBS tight ends in 2011 to rank in the top-100 in receptions per game, receiving yards per game, and total receiving yards.  He finished the year catching 52 passes for 739 yards and five touchdowns. 

Quarterback play could be the only thing holding back the San Jose State receivers this year. Last year’s starting quarterback Matt Faulkner graduated, leaving an opening for junior Dasmen Stewart.   

Stewart was the backup last season and completed 40 percent of his passes in four appearances.  He will be protected by senior tackle David Quessenberry, who in 2011 was named to the All-WAC Second Team and has started in every game since the 2010 season.

In total, San Jose State returns seven offensive starters and five defensive starters.

Seniors defensive end Travis Johnson and safety James Orth, and junior linebacker Keith Smith return to the Spartans defense after finishing 2011 as three of the team’s top four tacklers.  

Smith was the team’s leading tackler with 50 and was named to the All-WAC Second team.  Orth was second with 44 tackles and led the team with four interceptions.  Johnson was named to the 2011 All-WAC First Team.

The Spartans return punter Harrison Waid but lose their starting kicker Jens Alvernik.  Alvernik finished last year 18-for-25 on field goal tries, including 4-for-8 on attempts between 40-49 yards.  Waid begins this season ranked 12th among active FBS punters with a career average of 43.38 yards per punt as a junior.

The Spartans will be a competitive team if their underclassmen can perform at a high level, and a possible dark horse to win the WAC if their passing game lives up to its potential.

Please return tomorrow for a preview of the Texas State Bobcats.