Proud Aggies
New Mexico State is eager to reap the benefits of its first bowl game since 1960
The New Mexico State Aggies have rarely appeared on college football’s national radar in recent decades. This month has been an exception, and NMSU is trying hard to make it count.
Aggies coach Doug Martin, Arizona Bowl Executive Board member Kym Adair and NMSU players Conner Cramer and Cedric Wilcots II took part in a media conference Tuesday to discuss the program’s first bowl appearance since 1960 and the positive jolts it has provided.
New Mexico State (6-6) will take on Utah State (6-6) in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson on Dec. 29.
“This whole season has been about getting respect,” Martin said. “Nationally, we haven’t been on the scene in a long time. Now we’re on the national stage with clips on ESPN, Bowl Mania and so on. People are hearing about us and it’s an opportunity to get that respect.”
Martin gave the Aggies last week off for final exams, but the team returned to practice Tuesday to begin preparing for Utah State. Players enjoyed the break and the overdue attention that went along with it, but Cramer and Wilcots said the Aggies are ready to get back to work.
“It’s been exciting,” Cramer said. “Guys were singing the fight song in the locker room, watching Bowl Mania and seeing our team was fun. There have been a lot of distractions, but we’ll be well-prepared for the main thing, which is the game. The next two weeks are about building a game plan and getting ready to execute it.”
Still, there are off-the-field benefits to NMSU’s moment in the spotlight. After drawing an announced crowd of more than 26,000 to their season finale against South Alabama, the Aggies are suddenly the talk of Las Cruces, which is music to the ears of Arizona Bowl officials.
NMSU had sold more than 5,700 of its allotted 8,000 tickets for the game as of Tuesday. Adair said overall sales are ahead of last year, when the Arizona Bowl’s announced attendance topped 33,000 for an Air Force-South Alabama
matchup.
“We were keeping our fingers crossed that New Mexico State could become bowl eligible,” Adair said. “… We were hoping for a Utah State-New Mexico State matchup because of the history and the proximity of Las Cruces. We anticipate having a full, energetic stadium.”
Playing in Tucson is also a bonus for NMSU, which has several current players from the state — including quarterback Tyler Rogers — and numerous Arizona recruits.
“We’ve got several kids committed from Arizona already,” Martin said, “so this couldn’t be any better for us. We also had three recruits come on campus visits last week just because they heard about us on ESPN and in the national media. We’ve got two more coming this weekend in that same situation. Getting a little name recognition is great.”
Martin also is excited about the prospect of having extra practice time this month. In addition to making bowl preparations, NMSU can get a head start on preparing for 2018.
“It’s like getting two spring practices,” Martin said. “We have a redshirt senior at quarterback, so we know we’ll have a new starter at the quarterback position. We have three redshirt freshmen quarterbacks on our roster and they’ll get a lot more work in the next couple weeks. That’s a big benefit for them and for us as coaches.”
Adair pointed out some of the extras the Arizona Bowl includes for participating teams and fans, including a nacho festival and a players’ party at Old Tucson Studios, where numerous Western movies have been made. But Martin and the Aggies insist the month of college football celebrity won’t go to their heads.
“This is so exciting,” Wilcots said, “but no one in our locker room is satisfied with just getting to a bowl game. We want to go win it. We’re going to work to get it done.”