This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
New Mexico has been great on the road this season, but I believe the Lobos' success will end today. The Lobos are just too one dimensional with their run game and the Aggies are too good with their run defense to allow an upset. That being said, here are a few keys going into today's matchup.
1. Keep taking care of the ball. Utah State fans may not like how the Aggies have tightened up the offense with Kent Myers running the show, but it's hard to argue with the results. The weather isn't supposed to be great today so ball security will be job No. 1 for Myers and the rest of the offense. The last thing they want to do is turn the ball over and give the Lobos a short field. The Aggies handled the icy conditions well at Wyoming, so no reason to doubt they can't do the same thing today.
2. Strike early. The Aggies need to dictate this game and the best way to do that is with an early lead, then let the defense do its thing. It would be nice if the Aggies can break a big play in the opening minutes. The good thing about this team is there are a lot of ways they can do that. Both Hunter Sharp and JoJo Natson have shown they are capable of creating big plays as is the defense. Interception returned for a touchdown anyone?
3. Stay focused. The Hawaii-Wyoming road swing was identified by the coaches as being the top concern for this team. My only worry then is the Aggies could have a mental letdown going into today's game. They can't afford to do that. With a freshman at quarterback, the Aggies really want to avoid playing from behind and putting Myers in some big pressure situations. Hopefully that won't happen and the Aggies will take the Lobos seriously from the start.