LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New Mexico State begins Conference USA play Thursday night with an opportunity to put its rivalry loss behind it when the Aggies host Western Kentucky at Aggie Memorial Stadium for the first implement of Weekday CUSA.
NMSU enters the matchup at 1-3 after falling 42-18 to New Mexico in the 116th Rio Grande Rivalry. Western Kentucky comes in at 1-2, with its three losses coming against Nevada, Georgia and Indiana before the Hilltoppers responded with a dominant 52-7 win over Mercyhurst.
For NMSU head coach Tony Sanchez, the focus entering conference play is on correcting the mistakes that have prevented the Aggies from finishing drives.
“I think the biggest things are kind of the things that we need to allude to. We’ve got to be a better red-zone offense,” Sanchez said. “We need to be able to put up seven points on the board.”
The Aggies will need a quick response after struggling with turnovers against New Mexico. NMSU committed costly mistakes that helped the Lobos turn a close game into a 35-3 advantage in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Adam Damante provided some late momentum, throwing two touchdown passes to Myles Libman.
James Jones will be one of the key players to watch for NMSU in Thursday’s 6 p.m. game. The running back has rushed for 355 yards on 57 carries through four games, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He is coming off a 112-yard performance against UNM and already has two 100-yard games this season.
The Aggies also have plenty of production through the air. Starting quarterback Trey Hedden has thrown for 887 yards and five touchdowns, while TK King leads the team with 265 receiving yards. Josiah Thomas is another player to watch after recording a career-high 90 receiving yards against New Mexico.
Sanchez also emphasized the importance of getting King more involved in the offense as NMSU begins conference play.
“We really got to start thinking about players, not just plays. TK King has to touch the ball more,” Sanchez said.
That could make King a key factor Thursday night. His ability to create plays with the ball in his hands could give the Aggies another dimension against a Western Kentucky defense that will have to account for both NMSU’s rushing attack and its receivers.
Western Kentucky presents a different challenge. The Hilltoppers have already faced three Power Four opponents and will bring a passing attack that produced 413 yards and six touchdowns in their win over Mercyhurst. That could put pressure on an NMSU secondary that will need to limit explosive plays.
For NMSU, the biggest question is how the Aggies respond to adversity. Conference play provides a fresh start, but the margin for error will be small against a Western Kentucky team coming off its most convincing performance of the season.
With both teams entering conference play looking to establish momentum, Thursday night’s matchup could come down to turnovers, red-zone execution, quarterback play and whether NMSU can get its playmakers involved early.
Kickoff: 6 p.m. MT
Location: Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces
TV: CBS Sports Network
Weather: Mostly clear, around the upper 70s at kickoff with light winds.
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