The Vandals will face yet another familiar foe as it host New Mexico State for Homecoming on Oct. 18.
“We got them at home,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. “That was probably a game our defense played the best they played all year last year. We just dropped too many touchdown passes. But that will be a good game and a good game for us to win at home.”
Had Idaho been able to capitalize on those touchdown opportunities, it may have been able to change the final result last season as the Aggies defeated the Vandals 24-16.
New Mexico State will look much different in 2014. Not only did the Aggies lose five of the teams’ six leading tacklers to graduation, but the program also lost head coach DeWayne Walker less than two weeks before signing day — Walker left for the NFL and is now the defensive backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Unfortunately, I did not get the program as far as I would have liked from a wins-and-losses standpoint,” Walker said. “But we do have a better locker room, better kids and a better foundation for the program moving forward.”
In four years at NMSU, Walker went 10-40 including a 1-11 season in 2013. Former offensive coordinator Doug Martin was promoted to head coach.
Much like Idaho, the Aggies will be relying on underclassmen and junior college transfers to contribute in 2014, as both schools enter its first year in the Sun Belt.
For the most part, NMSU is fairly young at every position — with the receiving corps as an exception. The group is riddled with upperclassmen including seniors Joseph Matthews, Jordan Bergstrom and Adam Shapiro and junior Joshua Bowen. Despite all the returning experience, the Aggies will still be without Austin Franklin, who was the teams leading receiver last season with 52 receptions for 670 yards and seven touchdowns.
At running back NMSU will be led by Xavier Hall, who ran for 247 yards and two touchdowns last season as a freshmen. Hall won’t carry the load on his own, as Brendan Bentancourt, who ran for 415 yards and two touchdowns in 2013, returns for his senior season. Freshmen Royce Caldwell, Larry Rose and Marquette Washington add depth to the running game.
The Vandals will receive a much needed bye week after this game — Idaho will have played for eight straight weeks, five of which were on the road. Its next game will be on Nov. 1 against Arkansas State.