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2009 New Mexico State Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

new mexico state 61709 It has been 49 years since the New Mexico State Aggies last played in a bowl game. While bowl talk is still likely a few years away, find out why there is reason to be excited about New Mexico State football in this 2009 college football predictions article. Get a special $500 match bonus at BetUS!

Offense – Following a 3-9 season, 1-7 in league play, the Aggies are starting over again under former UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. That means former head coach Hal Mumme’s pass-heavy offense will be replaced by Walker’s desire for a more balanced attack. To give you an idea of how pass-heavy the Aggies were last season, they only gained 651 yards on the ground as a team.

With quarterback J.J. McDermott transferring, the Aggies are inexperienced under center. Junior college transfer Jeff Fleming and freshmen Trevor Walls are left to battle for the job. Both quarterbacks possess above average athletic ability to make plays with their legs if called on to do so. With Walker’s new approach, we’ll get a chance to see what running backs Tonny Glynn and Marquell Colston are really made of. Colston is the top returning ball carrier, toting 82 times for 384 yards and four touchdowns in 2008. Gone, along with McDermott, is first-team All-WAC wide receiver LaVorick Williams who also transferred. That leaves senior wide receiver Marcus Anderson to take over as the team’s No. 1 receiving option. He caught 50 balls for 617 yards and nine scores in 2008.

The offensive line returns five players with starting experience, but this unit has to be much better than it was a season ago when it allowed 45 sacks. The offensive front should benefit, however, with teams not able to key on the pass nearly every down.

Defense – It’s no surprise that the program went after a defensive coach after watching the Aggies allow 34.1 points per game (105th nationally) in 2008. Walker will waste no time putting his stamp on this side of the ball, changing from a 3-3-5 scheme to a more traditional 4-3 defense. This scheme change alone should help the Aggies defend the run much better than they did last season when they ranked 115th in the nation by allowing 220.2 yards per game on the ground. Much like Walker did at UCLA at times, he will try to make up for his lack of size by taking advantage of his team’s speed and athleticism.

The linebacker unit and the secondary show promise. Despite the loss of safety Derrick Richardson, who led the country with 12.5 tackles per game, the Aggies should be okay with seven players returning with starting experience in the back seven. Look for linebackers Nick Paden and Jason Scott, who averaged 8.9 and 7.0 tackles per game respectively, to emerge as the stars of the defense.

Prediction: 8th WAC – New head coach DeWayne Walker has the odds stacked against him, inheriting a program that is just 4-28 in WAC play since joining the league in 2005. But I like the changes he is making on both sides of the ball. If he can bring in the recruits, he has a chance to make the Aggies very competitive a few seasons down the road. With that said, winning two games in the WAC will be a major accomplishment this season. Bet the WAC at BetUS and get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!

Do your college football betting on Jimmy Boyd’s award-winning football picks in 2009 for guaranteed results against the football odds.

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