2010 New Mexico State Predictions
New Mexico went just 3-10 in the first season under head coach DeWayne Walker
, and were just 1-7 in WAC play, finishing tied for last with San Jose State. The Aggies are hoping to turn things around in 2010, as they welcome back 15 starters from the 2009 season. Check out what the Aggies will bring to the table on both sides of the ball, plus my thoughts on where they will finish the year in the WAC.
Offense:
The Aggies bring back junior starting quarterback Jeff Fleming, but his job is definitely not safe after he threw for just 789 yards with four touchdowns to 12 interceptions. The other candidates to take over the starting job are junior college transfer Matt Christian and red-shirt freshman Tanner Rust. I think Fleming gets the first crack at starting, but if he struggles he could be pulled as soon as week 1.
Senior running back Seth Smith led the Aggies with 1,016 yards on the ground, but really struggled to find the endzone with just one touchdown. Smith returns as the starter, and it will be a big key for him to find away to put more points on the board this season.
The Aggies return three starters in the passing game, as junior Todd Lee and senior Marcus Allen are back at two of the receiver positions, and junior Kyle Hipp returns at the tight end spot. Junior Taveon Burke is expected to find his way in the starting lineup as the other starting receiver, but don't expect huge numbers in from this unit, as Allen led the Aggies with just 308 yards and two scores last season.
There is some concern surrounding what kind of production the Aggies are going to get from the offensive line. They have three starters back, as they have to replace both the left guard and right tackle spot before the season gets underway. This unit did not perform all that well last year, and it would be a big plus if they figured things out this season.
Defense:
The Aggies had just four starters back on defense last season, but was still able to lower their opponents scoring average from 34 points to just under 32 points a game. Not a huge difference, but the hope is that with seven back in 2010, the Aggies can make a much bigger improvement this season.
The Aggies should be much better up front on the defensive line, as they return three starters from the 2009 season, led by senior defensive tackle John Finn and junior defensive end Donte Savage. The only change comes at defensive tackle, where sophomore Tommy Stuart is expected to team up with Finn in the middle.
A big concern for the defense comes at the three linebacker positions, as the Aggies have no starters back from the 2009 season. Junior Frank Padilla is expected to step in and start in the middle, while sophomore BJ Adolpho and senior Kenny Evore look to take over the two outside spots. If the new starters struggle, the Aggies will likely take a big step back on this side of the ball.
The Aggies should also make some nice improvements in the defensive backfield this season, as they have all four starters back from the 2009 season, including one of the best starting corner duos the WAC has to offer in junior Jonte Green and senior Davon House.
WAC Prediction - 8th: It is going to be hard for the Aggies to make significant improvements in 2010 with what looks like a weak offensive line and a big question mark at the three linebacker spots. I think the Aggies will struggle to top their one conference win in 2009, as they only game the Aggies figure to be favored in, is at home against San Jose State.
For a complete look at how the conference will play out this season, check out our
2010 WAC Predictions.
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college football odds this season, be sure to stop back each week for our expert
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2010 New Mexico State Predictions
By: Jimmy Boyd
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