NM State is set to welcome Conference USA foe LA Tech on Tuesday night as it looks to put an end to a five-game losing skid. This will mark the only midweek home game for the Aggies this season and will be the second of three midweek tilts during the 2024 campaign.
Source: NMSU Athletics (Photo: Courtesy)
The Aggies and Bulldogs first met in 1967 and have shared a conference affiliation on three different occasions during the program’s respective histories – spending time together in the Big West, Western Athletic Conference and now CUSA.
WEEK SIX
Who: NM State vs. LA Tech
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Aggie Memorial Stadium (28,853)
When: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 – 7 p.m. MT
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch: ESPNU
Play-by-Play: Mike Corey
Analyst: Forrest Conoly
Listen: 99.5 FM KXPZ / TuneIn App / Sirius XM 973
Play-by-Play: Jack Nixon
Color Analyst: Cory Lucas
Live Stats: NMStateStats.com
PICK SIX
57 – This will be the 14th time that the Aggies meet up with the Bulldogs in a series that goes back 57 years to the first meeting in 1967. The Aggies are currently 5-8 all-time against LA Tech.
53 – Last week, kicker Abraham Montaño split the uprights from 53 yards out to equal the third-longest field goal in program history.
14 – NM State’s George Eberle currently ranks 14th in the country in yards per punt at an average of 45.6 yards per boot.
2 – With two interceptions this season, Josiah Cox ranks tied for 19th in the nation for interceptions among FBS players. He is also one of only three CUSA players with two interceptions in one game.
6 – On Tuesday, NM State will return home where it has won six of its last eight games.
131 – In 2023, the Aggies finished the year ranked 14th at the FBS level in rushing yards per game. This season, the Aggies offensive line room brings a combined 131 total starts to the table and will be the Aggies most experienced position group by a wide margin.
#WEEKDAYCUSA
The Aggies’ stretch of midweek games continues this week against LA Tech as they host what will be their only home midweek game of the season.
This marks the second season in a row that sees all October league matchups played on midweek evenings after a successful launch in 2023. CUSA’s broadcast partners will share the October weeknight football games on linear television across CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
In 2024, the Aggies were a perfect 4-0 with victories over FIU, Sam Houston, UTEP and LA Tech. During this stretch of games, the Aggies outscored their opponents by an average of 13.8 points per game. In general, October has been friendly to the Aggies as they began this year with a perfect 6-0 record in October across the last two seasons.
Thus far, the Aggies are 0-1 this season and will have two more midweek opportunities this season.
CROSSING CONFERENCE PATHS
This will mark just the second season that NM State and LA Tech are Conference USA opponents, however, this is the third different league patch that the two programs have shared.
The Aggies and Bulldogs first competed as conference opponents in 1995 as members of the Big West. Ten years later, the two programs would reside in the Western Athletic Conference and would spend time competing as league foes from 2005-12.
Finally, the two would cross paths again in 2022 as members of CUSA. In total, the Aggies hold a 3-7 record against the Bulldogs in their 10 matchups as members of the same conference.
COACHING MATCHUP
Both NM State Head Coach Tony Sanchez and LA Tech Head Coach Sonny Cumbie are serving as leaders of their second FBS program.
Sanchez earned his first opportunity at UNLV where he served as the head coach for five seasons (2015-19). Meanwhile, Cumbie was named the interim head coach at Texas Tech where he took over for Matt Wells during the back half of the 2021 season.
For Cumbie, this marks his third season at the helm of the Bulldog program while Sanchez is in his first at NM State.
Across his career, Sanchez has compiled 21 wins while Cumbie earned his 10th collegiate victory on Friday when the Bulldogs defeated Middle Tennessee.
