NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES O:6 D:6

Last season couldn’t have ended fast enough for new Head Coach Hal Mumme and his staff. They endured a terrible 0-12 season, and watched as their defense got ripped apart to give them the #116 ranked defense in all the land. That’s dead last people. However, the offense broke three school passing records and ranked second in the WAC with 266 passing yards per game. If only they hadn’t thrown 22 INT’s, rushed for 78 YPG, and allowed their QB to get crushed four times per game. The good news this season is that the offense gets an infusion of talent at two major positions; QB Chase Holbrook and WR Akieem Jolla (Miami transfer). Those two guys alone are good for another two TDs per game, so it’s within the realm of possibility that the Aggies double their scoring output from a year ago. HC Mumme’s spread offenses have always shown a dramatic increase in production in the second year, so better things are on the horizon in ’06. The defense returns six guys from last year’s atrocious unit, and gets an infusion of talent as well. They suffered an enormous loss when one of their recruits was killed in a drive by shooting, so look for the defense to rally in his memory. There’s also more speed on hand that will allow Defensive Coordinator Woody Widenhofer to utilize more of his defensive playbook. Defensive improvement should be expected. Look for the Aggies to turn the corner in ’06 as the team gains confidence by beating up on a couple of patsies, and hang in vs. some of the conferences elite. Still, bowl games and WAC Championships are still further along down the road.