Aggies aim to break longest bowl drought
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2015-16 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team. 2-6 Sun Sun Belt
6 New
Mexico State Doug Martin (10-39, entering fifth season; 39-91 overall) 3-9 overall, Belt; 10th in
New Mexico State made modest progress during the 2016 season, upsetting rival New Mexico during a season the Lobos earned a bowl bid. However, poor execution on defense and a lack of offensive production haunted the Aggies the rest of the season. an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA after missing the 2015 season due to injury.
While some departures will hurt, the Aggies return nine starters on defense. New Mexico State has to hope hard-earned experience helps the unit improve from dismal effort last season.
The Aggies were ranked No. 121 out of 128 FBS recognized teams in scoring defense (38.8) and total defense (496.7) last season.
The departures of award-winning team leaders in LB Rodney Butler, QB Tyler Rogers and OL Anthony McMeans will be a tough blow for New Mexico State to overcome.
The Aggies are in their final season in the Sun Belt conference before being forced to leave the league and operate as an independent team. Conference expansion elsewhere left New Mexico State without a home and will put the already cash-strapped program at a further disadvantage. The program has not made a bowl appearance since 1960, easily earning the nation’s longest bowl drought.
However, Martin is working with a team that is bigger, stronger and better than his 2016 squad. It’s just unclear whether that progress is going to translate into a substantial jump in wins.