Texas State and New Mexico State will put on a very interesting match on Saturday. The game is definitely worth keeping an eye out for because these two teams have the worst defenses in the Sun Belt conference. When you study the college football championship picks, that fact becomes difficult to deny.
So how will these two teams, with struggling defenses, do against one another? Both teams are 2-7 on the year. However, when they meet at Aggie Memorial stadium on Saturday, the fact that Texas State is 0-5 in League play will be a difficult fact to ignore.
Aggies Head Coach Doug Martin wants everyone to realize that they have a new mindset courtesy of the new coaching staff. Their 1-4 record isn’t likely to change anytime soon, though, not even with the changes behind the scenes.
The Aggies are obviously the better team. At the very least, they seem proficient enough when it comes to moving the football. The Bobcats’ 16.4 points per game place them at the bottom of the conference when it comes to scoring.
Their 266 yards per game also place them last in total offense. What the Aggies need to do is to show up offensively and try to get a fast start. They have shown that they can, at least, stand up against sides like Louisiana-Lafayette and Georgia Southern; but those run-based teams were hardly a threat.
The Aggies still have a decent defense to fall back on. This places Texas in a very difficult position. They are as one-dimensional when it comes to offense as they come. The fact that they love to throw the football might help them, though they shouldn’t hold out too much hope.
Texas State actually looked somewhat decent in the beginning. However, things seemed to fall apart in the last couple of games. They have problems running, though Quarterback Tyler Jones looks in decent enough shape.
With 230 yards per game, a passing competition rate of 65 percent for 2,071 passes, Jones is currently sixth in the tournament in passing. That should be a source of hope, but you cannot ignore the fact that he has been sacked 33 times.
The Aggies coaching team seemed to suggest that they were not counting Texas State out as a threat. The side had few things going for them, and if they could just focus on their strengths, they would present a serious challenge.
They still have issues in protection. The Aggies are looking to Larry Rose III who could ensure their victory if he continues his progression and dominance. Rose’ 391 yards with 3 touchdowns in the previous games with Texas State makes him the one they really have to watch.
And the Bobcats are already allowing too many yards. But it would be a mistake to presume that the Aggies are so much better off, not when they are last in scoring defense and passing defense in conference games.
These are two teams with more problems than they know how to fix. That means their game on Saturday will be far more unpredictable than most.
