2008 SEASON IN REVIEW: With one of the top passers in the nation coming back for another year, the New Mexico State Aggies figured to have at least a few bright spots during their 2008 campaign, but it just wasn't meant to be. The team, led by quarterback Chase Holbrook, stepped out onto the playing field on September 13 for the very first time after the season opener with Nicholls State was postponed, and walked right into a 38-7 setback versus Nebraska in Lincoln. The squad managed to bounce back a week later with a narrow 34-33 win over UTEP, the first of three victories within a stretch of four games. A 35-24 loss to in-state rival New Mexico was followed up with a 45-10 lopsided triumph against Alcorn State, a game that served to fill in for the one missed against Nicholls State. October 11 saw NMSU throw a wrench into the Nevada season with a 48-45 victory in Reno as Holbrook earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for 409 yards and three touchdowns, while running for another score. As great as that game may have been, it served as the final highlight for the Aggies as they closed out the rest of the season against WAC opponents without a single victory. Once the dust finally settled the Aggies were facing a seven-game slide to close out the season, placing the team fifth on the list for the longest active losing streaks in the country entering the 2009 campaign.
Not only was 2008 the end of the line for Holbrook in Las Cruces, the same was true for head coach Hal Mumme who was replaced with former UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker.
2009 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: Coach Walker has some rebuilding to do this season on both sides of the ball. In one respect, the offense should be somewhat decent given that there is as many as five players from the offensive line that saw action in a starting role a season ago coming back to hold off the opposition. Aside from sophomore Mike Grady, all are juniors who will be using this year to toughen up and get ready for a real run in 2010.
As far as returning skills players are concerned, that list is extremely short and consists of just fullback Brandon Perez and wideout Marcus Anderson. In the case of Perez, he saw action in just six games for a program that was second-to-last in the nation in terms of yards per game on the ground with a pithy 54.2 ypg. Averaging a mere two yards per attempt and coming up with a league-low seven rushing touchdowns failed to instill fear into an opponents. Obviously that is something the new regime will work on because the passing offense will no longer be as dominant (10th nationally) as it was with Holbrook handling the ball.
"Offensively we want to be well-rounded,"
says coach Walker after outlining that he is bringing in a considerable number of junior college players to try and fill gaps. "I want to have a well-rounded football team, I don't want to be known for, we have a great offense or a great defense, I want to be good across the board."
Clearly, that will be a tough accomplishment given that the Aggies have to replace Holbrook and really don't have someone pegged to get the job done right out of the chute. The possibilities at quarterback range from transfer Jeff Fleming to redshirt freshman Trevor Walls and true freshman Tanner Rust
DEFENSE: One of the major changes that coach Walker is implementing this season is a different approach on the defensive side of the ball, one that sets up the players in a 4-3 as opposed to the 3-3-5 that the squad operated under Joe Lee Dunn in 2008.
"To me, you got to stop the run,"
is how coach Walker looks at the situation. "In this conference, guys know how to run the football. You can do a better job stopping the run with four defensive linemen versus three. All the defensive guys that I've worked with, we've always been a 4-3, that's what I know and I feel comfortable coaching it."
It doesn't take much to recognize that this team needs to do a better job at the point of attack, after placing last in the Western Athletic Conference and 115th in the country in 2008 with a monumental 220.2 ypg allowed on the ground.
The unit has as many as five linebackers who have seen time as starters at one time or another, but that doesn't mean they are all ready to step in and be the leaders for this group. Ross Conner and Jason Scott are safe bets to see considerable action in the middle of the field for the Aggies, while Justen Alford and John Finau will be up on the defensive line. Nick Paden is back in the mix after leading the program in tackles and placing third in the conference with close to nine stops per contest. Coach Walker considers safety Stephon Hatchett to be a key piece to the puzzle as well.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Chris Williams played a significant role for the Aggies when it came to taking the football and making something happen. As a receiver he led the program with more than seven catches per game, ranking him first in the WAC, while as a kick returner he was fifth in the conference with an average of 25.6 yards per chance. Unfortunately, the departure of Williams means that someone else will have to take the lead in those areas. Placekicker Kyle Hughes is listed as a returning starter for the program. Hughes made a huge impact as a freshman as he broke the school record for consecutive PAT conversions with 33 in a row. However, in terms of field goals, he was just 7-of-11.
OUTLOOK: "The cupboard is not bare,"
coach Walker has reiterated when it comes to the roster. "Hal (Mumme) did a good job of leaving me enough players, we think as a coaching staff, to be competitive."
Jumping off with a conference game against Idaho should have the squad amped up, but given than the Vandals won the most recent meeting the confidence will probably be coming from that sideline. The team should be able to put a tally in the win column in the second week of the season versus Prairie View A&M, the second of three straight visitors to kick off the new season. Unfortunately, with the slate giving the Aggies a home field advantage early on, it means there will be four road games in the final five, with trips to Ohio State, Hawaii and Boise State among them. The coaches of the WAC see NMSU finishing near the bottom of the conference and with all that will be happening in Las Cruces, that seems about right on the mark.
