Boise State @ New Mexico State preview
Aggie Memorial Stadium
Last Meeting ( Dec 5, 2009 ) New Mexico State 7, Boise State 42
Now that Boise State has passed the glamour part of the schedule, it’s time for the Broncos to worry about the style-points’ portion of the season.
No. 3 Boise State won’t have any margin for error – or close games – while in pursuit of a national title-game appearance, beginning with Saturday’s Western Athletic Conference opener at New Mexico State.
The Aggies (0-3) are bad – real bad – and have lost each of their games by 20 or more points, meaning anything short of a Boise State shellacking hurts the Broncos’ bid to be participants in the BCS championship game.
Boise State (3-0) won two much-hyped September games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State and walloped Wyoming by 45 points, a margin of victory that will be expected to be the norm against most of the WAC schools, save for a late-November game at Nevada.
New Mexico State is one of those opponents Boise State is expected to crush. The Aggies are 3-13 under second-year coach DeWayne Walker, who relinquished his duties of overseeing the defense earlier this week. Linebackers coach Dale Lindsey will run the defense Saturday.
The timing of the move was interesting with the powerful Broncos, averaging an even 500 yards per game, coming to town. But perhaps the move was necessary with New Mexico State allowing 41.7 points and 519.7 yards per game.
The yardage allowed is second worst in the nation, and the expectation is that Boise State’s well-oiled offense will have a field day against the Aggies.
Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore has already passed for eight touchdowns and been intercepted just once. Moore has completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 873 yards.
Titus Young has 15 receptions for 310 yards and leads the WAC in all-purpose yards at 208 per game. Austin Pettis has 13 catches for 223 yards and four touchdowns.
Doug Martin leads the Broncos with 326 rushing yards but the team suffered a blow when backup D.J. Harper tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee for the second consecutive season.
But here’s how loaded Boise State is: Third-teamer Jeremy Avery, who rushed for 1,151 yards in 2009, moves up to second string behind Martin.
So, yes, stopping Boise State’s offense will be tough for a New Mexico State squad that has yet to force a turnover or record a sack this season.
Boise State’s special teams have struggled – one example being the 54-yard punt return score last Saturday by Oregon State’s James Rodgers – and New Mexico State has a player who could capitalize in that area in Taveon Rogers.
Rogers is averaging 28.8 yards per kickoff return and set a school record with 219 kickoff return yards (on six attempts) last Saturday in a 42-16 loss at Kansas.
Aggies quarterback Matt Christian is completing 53.2 percent of his passes with three touchdowns against one interception. His favorite target is Marcus Allen, who is averaging 20.6 yards on 13 receptions.
New Mexico State’s running game has struggled with lead backs Seth Smith (100 yards) and Kenny Turner (70) averaging 3.2 and 3.3 yards, respectively. Gaining yards on the ground figures to be tough with Boise State ranked second nationally in defending the run (61.7).
Boise State will be without safety Winston Venable for the first half. Venable was suspended by the WAC for a flagrant hit on Rodgers that forced the Oregon State star out of the game with a concussion.