It’s rivalry week in New Mexico.
New Mexico State (1-3, 0-2 Conference USA) takes on in-state foe New Mexico (0-4, 0-1 Mountain West) in the 114th edition of the Rio Grande Rivalry at 6 p.m. this Saturday at home. It’s a chance for both the Aggies and Lobos to get back on track after starting the 2024 season slow, with the former on a three-game losing streak and the latter winless.
Bragging rights are on the line, but both UNM and NM State are itching for a victory.
“Both teams have an opportunity to go and reignite their season,” said Aggies coach Tony Sanchez on Monday. “They’re in there trying to figure out how to solve their problems. We’re trying to solve our problems. This is a big opportunity for us to go out there, get a win, start feeling good about all the hard work we put in and get moving in the right direction.”
NM State is coming off a decisive 31-11 road loss to Sam Houston last Saturday in its first CUSA road game and are only two weeks removed from a 48-0 blowout loss to Fresno State. The Lobos also fell to the Bulldogs 38-21 last Saturday, and are on their worst start since beginning the 2020 season 0-5.
Like NM State, UNM has a first-year coach in Bronco Mendenhall, who went 36-38 with a 2019 Orange Bowl appearance at Virginia from 2016-21. Sanchez called Mendenhall a “great hire” for the Lobos and believes they’ve improved every week despite their winless record. UNM has been handed a tough draw so far this season, falling to the now-No. 3 ranked FCS team in Montana State and two Power 4 teams in then-No. 21 Arizona and Auburn.
Sanchez is preparing for a fight, especially in a game like this.
“The progression from game one to where they’re at now, they’re continuing to get better,” Sanchez said. “He’ll get those guys going.”
Both the Aggies and Lobos have many first-year transfers on their rosters, with the Aggies having more than 30. Many players on both sides will play in this game for the first time. They’re also learning about the rivalry, and believe they’ll have the necessary energy to compete in it.”
“All the guys who’ve been around tell me this game means a lot to them,” said sophomore safety and Arizona State transfer Josiah Cox. “I’ve seen the turnover from Saturday from us losing after the game and being upset, to Sunday and them being focused and locked back in. It’s time to shine.”
More: New Mexico State’s offensive struggles rear ugly head once more in Sam Houston defeat
Marucci remains the starting quarterback
Junior quarterback Santino Marucci earned his first start of the season against the Bearkats, throwing for 79 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.
Marucci is the third quarterback that’s played for NM State this season after sophomore Parker Awad and the now-injured senior Deuce Hogan. Sanchez trusted Marucci to throw the ball more with a season-high 29 passes, but he didn’t provide the spark he hoped for.
Sanchez believes after more practice time with the Aggies’ starters, Marucci will improve for the Lobos.
“When you are a (backup), you just don’t get the reps that the No. 1 guy does,” Sanchez said. “Now that he’s the No. 1 guy, he’s getting all those reps. He’s seeing different looks, and it’s easier to adjust and identify. That’s the biggest thing. We have to make sure we give him a menu that he can execute.”
More: New Mexico State men’s basketball: Aggies announce full schedule for 2024-25 season
Aggies working on offense, defensive takeaways
NM State has scored on every red zone trip it’s taken this season. However, the Aggies struggle to get there.
NM State crossed midfield on just two of 13 drives against Sam Houston and registered 152 total yards. The passing struggles largely continued, while the Aggies averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on the ground.
Sanchez and redshirt freshman tight end Jerry Lydiatt both believe “winning at the line of scrimmage” and improved offensive line play is the key to improvement.
“Dominating the line of scrimmage is huge,” Lydiatt said. “We know we’re good in the red zone, so we’ll be fine. It’s just getting down there. We got to figure out ways how we can move the ball.”
NM State also struggled to generate takeaways before playing Sam Houston, having recorded just one in three games heading into Huntsville. Cox snagged two interceptions last week, and Sanchez is ramping up “takeaway circuits” in practice to increase the amount.
“We’ve definitely been emphasizing takeaways since we haven’t been getting them so much,” Cox said. “We’ve been trying to practice how we’re trying to play, so we’ve been emphasizing that a lot of practice, and we’ve been going at it.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-23 21:08:00
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