2identity shift
New Mexico State: the fanbase's identity shifting.
Tony Sanchez begins his second season at New Mexico State with a 4-8 losing record to address, as the program's identity hinges on reclaiming its Conference USA legacy.
New Mexico State4-8The New Mexico State faithful are all the way in.
belief cooled ↓ 10.2vs prior week
Fanbase belief
Bullish
63/100 · 21 mentions · top 7% of FBS
~ our readVolatility
Chaotic
σ 40 pts
Credible bullish
~ our readThe model
#135
CFB Zeitgeist · -10.2
✓ measured2Hope-Doping·Offseason
New Mexico State is the program that went 57 years between bowl games and survived everything college football could throw at it — a borderland school whose triumph is that it's still standing at all.
Standard GapAn undefeated 1960 Sun Bowl team and Jerry Kill's stunning 2023 run agai…
Fans are tired of being college football's punchline for losing — the program everyone schedules as a guaranteed win — and remember that Jerry Kill's 2023 team walked into that reputation and won ten…
offseason · quiet
Roster Reload - New Mexico State
2026 snapshot - 2026-08-06Returning Production56%Moderate continuity
Talent Composite#130 nationally247 composite 402.9
Portal Additions25Primary repair: IOL
Portal Losses24Primary pressure: LB
Draft Loss0No NFL Draft departures recorded
Recruiting Reload#134Depth class
IOLin 5 - Armond Owensout 2 - BJ ToloNeed Filled
current room: 301 lbs avg (2025 roster)
Sin 2 - Tayden Barnesout 4 - Armahn HaleStarter Risk
current room: 189 lbs avg (2025 roster)
CBin 4 - Javon Gillespieout 2 - Dakerric HobbsNeed Filled
current room: 185 lbs avg (2025 roster)
TEin 3 - Carson Su'esu'eout 3 - Gavin HarrisEven
current room: 242 lbs avg (2025 roster)
DLin 3 - Jordan-Lebron Downeyout 2 - Ezra ChristensenUpgrade
current room: 280 lbs avg (2025 roster)
WRin 3 - Lyndon Ravareout 2 - Donovan FaupelUpgrade
current room: 189 lbs avg (2025 roster)
Belief EKG
WinLoss · hover for score
Approaching
23 days
until kickoff · at Florida State · Sat Aug 29 · 23:00 UTC
The experience
New Mexico State is the Conference USA program whose 2023 10-5 + Conference USA championship game appearance + Aggie Memorial Stadium + Jerry Kill era define what historic-Southwest-borderland-football looks like.
Offense: PoorRun/Pass: Pass-first, spreadDefense: Strong
New Mexico State faces a challenging 2026 season with moderate continuity and balanced portal-ch
The team's moderate continuity and balanced portal churn suggest a narrow range of outcomes, with a base projection of 5-7 and a ceiling of 8-5.
- Roster reloadNew Mexico State has a returning_total_pct of 56% and a transfer_in_total of 25, indicating moderate continuity and balanced portal churn.
Data as of 2026-08-03
·
Validated against program evidence
Pistol Pete is patient.
New Mexico State · the story right now
8 storylines developing
What New Mexico State's offseason is really about
the open questionwhere does it go from here?
program_outlookthis cycle~readnew
New Mexico State enters 2026 — the 4-8 record and #130 talent rank contrast sharply with the 2023 10-5 season that defined its historic Southwest-borderland identity under Jerry Kill.
what happenedNew Mexico State enters 2026 rated No. 123 in 2025 SP+ (-15.5). ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Tony Sanchez enters his second season with a 4-8 losing record to uphold, as New Mexico State's identity hinges on its historic Southwest borderland roots and Aggie Memorial Stadium legacy.
what happenedNew Mexico State: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
identitythis cycle~readnew
Tony Sanchez begins his second season at New Mexico State with a 4-8 losing record to address, as the program's identity hinges on reclaiming its Conference USA legacy.
what happenedNew Mexico State: the fanbase's identity shifting. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
money downthis cycle✓ factnew
Donovan Faupel is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Donovan Faupel is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Glynn Johnson Jr is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
closerthis cycle~attributednew
Kadarius Calloway: a closer signal screened this season.
narrative tension · our read
program_outlookthis cycle~readnew
New Mexico State enters 2025 at No. 123 in SP+ — the 4-8 record under Tony Sanchez in his second year raises questions about sustaining Jerry Kill's historic-Southwest-borderland-football legacy.
what happenedNew Mexico State enters 2025 rated No. 123 in SP+ (-15.5). ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
How past storylines here turned out
AnsweredNew Mexico State's head-coaching hire held for another season.
Died downNew Mexico State's defensive coordinator change has died down — no clear next chapter yet.
ReplacedNew Mexico State's offensive coordinator spot turned over again the following season. See who's next →
The story
The Offseason Ledger · New Mexico State
3 verified updates · portal · recruiting · staff · news- News
Trey Hedden named NM State QB1
Sanchez has his answer at QB for a program still finding its FBS footing — Hedden takes the reins on a roster sitting 131st in class rank with LB depth still a question mark behind him.
- Coaching
NM State fires assistant coach Cobb
Losing your GM before fall camp even opens is exactly the wrong kind of roster news when your class sits 131st nationally and LB depth is already thin — Sanchez needs stability, not front-office turbulence.
- News
CUSA announces 2026-27 conference schedule
CUSA locking in the 2026-27 slate matters more for the Aggies than most in the league — a class ranked 126th nationally and thin at LB means Sanchez needs favorable conference draw, not a gauntlet, to let that SP+ climb hold.
Transfer portal snapshot
-2.0 net portal points
(raw ledger: +12.0 — unweighted, no position adjustment)IOL+12.3
need not filled
LB-10.4
starter risk
RB+7.1
need not filled
S-7.1
starter risk
CB+6.6
need not filled
DL+5.6
WR+4.9
OT-4.6
starter risk
QB-4.3
starter risk
P+2.3
TE-1.4
K+1.0
low confidence
EDGE+0.0
Top 3 commits
2026 class
★★★☆☆
Xavier Rucker
#1308 national
Profiles like a typical incoming running back — 16 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Balanced Back archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
★★★☆☆
JaDarius Sanders
#1474 national
Profiles like a typical incoming wide receiver — 19 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Possession Receiver archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
★★★☆☆
Caleb Pyfrom
#92 national
Fan vs. market↑
93rd
Fan percentile
(FBS mood rank)
(FBS mood rank)
4.5
Vegas O/U wins
(11th among FBS)
(11th among FBS)
Fans 82pp more bullish than market implies
Win total consensus · 3 books
Market outlook
Season expectations
Win total3 booksO/U 4.5
CFP championship#126 in field+100000
C-USA title#7 in market+1500
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
New Mexico State · Next-Season Outcome Band
New Mexico State · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 3-9
Base 5-7
Ceiling 8-5
floor3-9No postseason.
base5-7No postseason.
ceiling8-5Bowl game.
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
How the room reacted
Following now · New Mexico State · Season outlook Confidence
New Mexico State is near the bottom of the model. The math is the story.
New Mexico State enters 2026 rated No. 123 in 2025 SP+ (-15.5). SP+ describes what the program HAS done, not what it will do. The season is the field test. The preview consensus leans in — but preseason ratings reward the recent past, not the season ahead.
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
New Mexico State enters 2026 — the 4-8 record and #130 talent rank contrast sharply with the 2023 10-5 season that defined its historic Southwest-borderland identity under Jerry Kill.
Next · what to watch
The non-obvious read on this rating isn't the number — it's the schedule. A team at this level has 2-3 games where the model says they're overmatched, and those are the games that define the narrative. Watch whether the model holds through the first month of the schedule. The boards are already there — one thread raises exactly this.
Source of record: New Mexico State enters 2026 rated No. 123 in 2025 SP+ (-15.5).
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
🎪The circus“New Mexico State Fires Important Football Coach On Day 2 Of Fall” — the saga that won't quit.›
The off-field storyline driving the noise right now. Not analysis — the soap opera, and that's the point.
“New Mexico State Fires Important Football Coach On Day 2 Of Fall Camp After Mysterious Investigation”
BroBible · 2026-08-01 · read ↗
📣Believers1 bullish items -- the case it's working.›
The 'the projection is underselling us' read -- fans betting the season beats the preview number.
“Shayna Whieldon Adds to NM State Staff”
New Mexico State University Athletics · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“NM State Announces 2026 Cross Country Schedule”
New Mexico State University Athletics · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“New Mexico State athletics announces enhanced football game day experience”
KVIA · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The 'the model has seen the tape' counter -- efficiency ratings reward what a program has actually done, not hope.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
💬The boards12 board mentions — too thin to call a stance.›
Only 12 of 40 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
"Aggie Up! This is one of our favorite teams to talk about. We have a lot of history using this program in our dynasty modes in NCAA 14 especially. It's time to head down to Las Cru"
r/nmsu ~ fan take
"Hi! So I'm going to NMSU in the fall, but REALLY don't want to take many (or any) Pre-reqs and Gen eds that have nothing to do with my major there since they're super expensive. I'"
r/nmsu ~ fan take
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Following now · New Mexico State · Developing Confidence
New Mexico State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
New Mexico State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Tony Sanchez enters his second season with a 4-8 losing record to uphold, as New Mexico State's identity hinges on its historic Southwest borderland roots and Aggie Memorial Stadium legacy.
Source of record: New Mexico State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
🎪The circus“New Mexico State Fires Important Football Coach On Day 2 Of Fall” — the saga that won't quit.›
The off-field storyline driving the noise right now. Not analysis — the soap opera, and that's the point.
“New Mexico State Fires Important Football Coach On Day 2 Of Fall Camp After Mysterious Investigation”
BroBible · 2026-08-01 · read ↗
📣Believers1 bullish items -- the case it's working.›
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
“Shayna Whieldon Adds to NM State Staff”
New Mexico State University Athletics · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“NM State Announces 2026 Cross Country Schedule”
New Mexico State University Athletics · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“New Mexico State athletics announces enhanced football game day experience”
KVIA · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
💬The boards3 board mentions — too thin to call a stance.›
Only 3 of 40 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
"Aggie Up! This is one of our favorite teams to talk about. We have a lot of history using this program in our dynasty modes in NCAA 14 especially. It's time to head down to Las Cru"
r/nmsu ~ fan take
"We recently sat down with Adam Young, Director of Broadcasting & Play by Play Broadcaster for New Mexico State Athletics, to preview the 2026 New Mexico State Aggies Football Team."
r/nmsu ~ fan take
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cold
One of five. The film room is busy this week.
Streak L1Last 5 · 1-4Last 10 · 2-8
The forecast
Opens Aug 29
vs Florida State · away
Season line4.5 winsover -105
PoorPass-first, spreadStrong
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Rival pulse
New Mexico
Mixed-1
Rio Grande Rivalry
Fan mood index · most recent r/cfb data
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
11
TX · 4CA · 2CO · 1FL · 1GA · 1HI · 1NE · 1
TX leads the 2026 class with 4 commits. National footprint reaching 7 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
85 signees across 21 states, 2023-2026. CA leads the pull.
r/cfb this year
[Postgame Thread] New Mexico State Defeats Bryant 19-3
[Postgame Thread] WKU Defeats New Mexico State 35-16
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
National spotlight
4 games with TV coverage: 3 cable, 1 conference network
Kickoff windows: 1 afternoon, 3 primetime
Fumble luck
47% recovery rate on their own fumbles — below the ~51% league baseline.
7 of 15 own fumbles recovered themselves; 8 of 15 forced fumbles recovered, 2025 only.
Takeaway conversion
24% of tipped/broken-up passes have turned into picks — about the ~19% league average.
14 interceptions of 58 disrupted passes (44 deflected, 14 intercepted), 2025 only.
Penalty battle
74 penalties committed, 98 drawn on opponents — netting a 266-yard field-position edge.
653 penalty yards committed vs. 919 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
The Pulse on New Mexico State
63
Δ -10.2 vs last wk
21
mentions this week · conversation velocity
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
Kickoff
Season opener in 16 days
kickoff
"Las Cruces"
— New Mexico State fanbase · recurring line
Fanbase Signals
Cohort Divergence0 pctSpread between sub-fanbase cohorts in the Pulse window.
The Fever Year
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
Cr/CFB
GGoogle News
UUnderdog Dynasty
CCampus paper
BBluesky
YYouTube
What little we hear
Only 2 cohort(s) cleared the signal floor this week, so we won’t stage a split we can’t back. Here’s the honest read:
National take+0.32
Millennials+0.32
How New Mexico State fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
The crowd’s loudest take by upvotes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.
85 mentions · 6 sources · week 2026-01. Counts, sources and the divergence rank are measured (fact). Cohort labels and sentiment are a source-weighted model read (our read) — never a quote attributed to a person.
Belief checklow signal
~ our readNot enough New Mexico State chatter this week to read the room.
We read 21 New Mexico State posts this week — not enough to call the room. Check back during the season.
Season storylines
Week 6
“Second-Half Struggles Lead to Aggies’ First Loss of Season New Mexico State University Athletics”— google_news_new-mexico-state
Week 2
Week 9
Week 12
“Defense Shines as Bears Claim OT Win at NMSU missouristatebears.com”— google_news_new-mexico-state
Week 8
“This is a mess of a game when I have work in the morning. I now up it to 9-7 in 10OTs.”— r/CFB
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
Radio, beat writers & editorial14 posts
News & campus coverage7 posts
Fanbase Health Index · New Mexico State · high confidence
Fanbase Health Index · New Mexico State · high confidenceGrowing (54)
DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 4-8 (33% win rate)50
Volume — 223 effective signal-N77
Cohort Engagement — Divergence 0.00 — quiet35
Key stats — 2025 — FBS rank
Points/game#109 / 138 · 22nd pct21.6
Pts allowed/game#82 / 138 · 41st pct27.6
Total yards/gm#118 / 136 · 14th pct327.8
Rush yards/gm#136 / 136 · 1st pct77.4
Pass yards/gm#62 / 136 · 55th pct250.3
Yards allowed/gm#79 / 136 · 43rd pct402.1
Rush yds allowed/gm#80 / 136 · 42nd pct165.2
Sacks#113 / 136 · 18th pct18
Interceptions#14 / 136 · 90th pct15
3rd-down conv#45 / 136 · 68th pct41.7%
All 98 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team3933327.8/gm4.75/play#118 / 136 · 14th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct
Opp4825402.1/gm5.64/play#79 / 136 · 43rd pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Rush yards
Team92977.4/gm1.12/play#136 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp1982165.2/gm2.32/play#80 / 136 · 42nd pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Rush carries
Team35629.7/gm#130 / 136 · 5th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct
Opp44837.3/gm#58 / 136 · 58th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Rush TDs
Team90.8/gm#125 / 136 · 9th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp141.2/gm#34 / 136 · 76th pct#25 / 70 · 66th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Net pass yards
Team3004250.3/gm3.63/play#62 / 136 · 55th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#6 / 11 · 55th pct
Opp2843236.9/gm3.32/play#78 / 136 · 43rd pct#43 / 70 · 40th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Pass attempts
Team47239.3/gm#21 / 136 · 85th pct#11 / 70 · 86th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#4 / 11 · 73rd pct
Opp40834.0/gm#87 / 136 · 37th pct#43 / 70 · 40th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Completions
Team27623.0/gm#42 / 136 · 70th pct#26 / 70 · 64th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#6 / 11 · 55th pct
Opp26021.7/gm#96 / 136 · 30th pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Pass TDs
Team171.4/gm#82 / 136 · 40th pct#47 / 70 · 34th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct
Opp252.1/gm#120 / 136 · 12th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Passer rating
Team117.5117.5#121 / 136 · 12th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct
Opp134.6134.6#75 / 136 · 46th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#6 / 11 · 55th pct
Interceptions thrown
Team161.3/gm#5 / 136 · 97th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
Opp151.2/gm#116 / 136 · 15th pct#57 / 70 · 20th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct
Sacks (def)
Team181.5/gm#113 / 136 · 18th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#7 / 9 · 33rd pct
Opp342.8/gm#119 / 136 · 13th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#6 / 9 · 44th pct
Tackles for loss
Team605.0/gm#100 / 136 · 27th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#8 / 9 · 22nd pct
Opp776.4/gm#114 / 136 · 17th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#5 / 9 · 56th pct
First downs
Team24420.3/gm#89 / 136 · 35th pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct
Opp25921.6/gm#86 / 136 · 38th pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
3rd-down conv
Team786.5/gm#29 / 136 · 79th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
Opp746.2/gm#101 / 136 · 26th pct#57 / 70 · 20th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#6 / 11 · 55th pct
3rd-down att
Team18715.6/gm#27 / 136 · 81st pct#10 / 70 · 87th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct
Opp18015.0/gm#75 / 136 · 46th pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct
4th-down conv
Team70.6/gm#124 / 136 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Opp80.7/gm#6 / 136 · 96th pct#4 / 70 · 96th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
4th-down att
Team171.4/gm#116 / 136 · 15th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct
Opp171.4/gm#10 / 136 · 93rd pct#7 / 70 · 91st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Time of possession
Team361:1030:06/gm#93 / 136 · 32nd pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Opp358:1829:52/gm#20 / 136 · 86th pct#9 / 70 · 89th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Kicking & Punting
Field goals#76 / 135 · 44th pct19/25 (76.0%)
Extra points26/27
Punting#86 / 136 · 38th pct42.5 avg · 61 punts
Turnovers & special teams
Turnovers
Team242.0/gm#4 / 136 · 98th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Opp231.9/gm#113 / 136 · 18th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Fumbles lost
Team80.7/gm#25 / 136 · 82nd pct#9 / 70 · 89th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Opp80.7/gm#90 / 136 · 35th pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
INT return TDs
Team10.1/gm#36 / 135 · 74th pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
Opp10.1/gm#61 / 136 · 56th pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
INT return yards
Team16413.7/gm#38 / 136 · 73rd pct#21 / 70 · 71st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Opp21818.2/gm#117 / 136 · 15th pct#61 / 70 · 14th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Punt ret yds
Team927.7/gm#96 / 136 · 30th pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct
Opp957.9/gm#54 / 136 · 61st pct#35 / 70 · 51st pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
Punt ret TDs
Team00.0/gm#43 / 135 · 69th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#3 / 8 · 75th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 9 · 100th pct
Kick ret yds
Team28223.5/gm#102 / 136 · 26th pct#47 / 70 · 34th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct
Opp37531.2/gm#63 / 136 · 54th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Kick ret TDs
Team00.0/gm#40 / 136 · 71st pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 8 · 75th pct
Opp10.1/gm#97 / 135 · 29th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#3 / 9 · 78th pct
Penalty yards
Team65354.4/gm#79 / 136 · 43rd pct#37 / 70 · 49th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#6 / 11 · 55th pct
Opp91976.6/gm#131 / 136 · 4th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Other
Red zone pass rate#6 / 154 · 97th pct#3 / 70 · 97th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct0.60.0/gm
Interceptions (def)#14 / 136 · 90th pct#11 / 70 · 86th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct151.2/gm
First down pass rate#29 / 215 · 87th pct#5 / 70 · 94th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct0.50.0/gm
Fumbles recovered#33 / 136 · 76th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct80.7/gm
H2 epa per play opponent#54 / 143 · 63rd pct#32 / 70 · 56th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct0.10.0/gm
H1 epa per play opponent#59 / 167 · 65th pct#32 / 70 · 56th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct0.20.0/gm
Kick ret (opp)#60 / 136 · 57th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct201.7/gm
Punt returns#61 / 136 · 56th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct171.4/gm
Penalties#75 / 136 · 46th pct#33 / 70 · 54th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct746.2/gm
Fumbles rec (def)#86 / 136 · 38th pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#6 / 11 · 55th pct80.7/gm
Kick returns#101 / 136 · 26th pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct151.2/gm
Punt ret (opp)#108 / 136 · 21st pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct201.7/gm
H2 epa per play#110 / 142 · 23rd pct#57 / 70 · 20th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct0.10.0/gm
Penalties (opp)#126 / 136 · 8th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct988.2/gm
Recruiting rating#126 / 138 · 9th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct97.28.1/gm
Passes intercepted opponent#131 / 136 · 4th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct161.3/gm
Fourth down go rate#132 / 138 · 5th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct0.20.0/gm
H1 epa per play#135 / 162 · 17th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct0.00.0
Situational
3rd-down conversion
Off41.7%#45 / 136 · 68th pct#28 / 70 · 61st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
Def41.1%#95 / 136 · 31st pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
4th-down conversion
Off41.2%#121 / 136 · 12th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Def47.1%#42 / 136 · 70th pct#21 / 70 · 71st pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Turnover margin#77 / 136 · 44th pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#4 / 11 · 73rd pct-0.08/gm
Sack rate (def)#120 / 136 · 12th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#7 / 9 · 33rd pct4.4%
Red Zone & Drive Efficiency (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Red zone trips
Team373.1/gm#102 / 167 · 40th pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Opp363.0/gm#63 / 166 · 63rd pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Red zone score %
Team75.7%75.7%#101 / 167 · 40th pct#54 / 70 · 24th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct
Opp66.7%66.7%#10 / 166 · 95th pct#4 / 70 · 96th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Points / drive
Team1.30.1/gm#132 / 167 · 22nd pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp1.70.1/gm#49 / 166 · 71st pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Yards / drive
Team39.43.3/gm#95 / 167 · 44th pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Opp39.03.3/gm#54 / 166 · 68th pct#29 / 70 · 60th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Plays / drive
Team6.60.5/gm#83 / 167 · 51st pct#44 / 70 · 39th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 11 · 91st pct
Opp6.30.5/gm#46 / 166 · 73rd pct#16 / 70 · 79th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct
Three-and-out rate
Team12.7%12.7%#69 / 167 · 59th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct
Opp14.9%14.9%#61 / 166 · 64th pct#33 / 70 · 54th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Scheme Identity (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Rush rate over expected#134 / 145 · 8th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct-9.4%-9.4%
Havoc rate
Team15.7%15.7%#71 / 140 · 50th pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct
Opp20.9%20.9%#137 / 140 · 3rd pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Standard-downs success
Team43.3%43.3%#126 / 154 · 19th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
Opp50.2%50.2%#109 / 172 · 37th pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Passing-downs success
Team28.7%28.7%#101 / 153 · 35th pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Opp28.2%28.2%#39 / 149 · 74th pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct
Line yards / carry
Team2.12.1#142 / 143 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
Opp3.03.0#94 / 155 · 40th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Stuff rate
Team26.2%26.2%#138 / 143 · 4th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct
Opp19.0%19.0%#70 / 155 · 55th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Power success rate
Team68.6%68.6%#78 / 137 · 44th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct
Opp61.8%61.8%#26 / 141 · 82nd pct#13 / 70 · 83rd pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct
Efficiency
Completion %
Off58.5%#105 / 136 · 24th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#5 / 11 · 64th pct
Def63.7%#96 / 136 · 30th pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct
Yards / attempt
Off6.4#115 / 136 · 16th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#7 / 11 · 45th pct
Def7.0#58 / 136 · 58th pct#37 / 70 · 49th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#3 / 11 · 82nd pct
Yards / completion
Off10.9#96 / 136 · 30th pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#8 / 11 · 36th pct
Def10.9#38 / 136 · 73rd pct#28 / 70 · 61st pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Yards / carry#136 / 136 · 1st pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct2.6
Yards / play#127 / 136 · 7th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#10 / 11 · 18th pct4.75
Scoring margin#108 / 136 · 21st pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#4 / 11 · 73rd pct-6.0/gm
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
Player stats — 2025 season
Quarterbacks
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Passer · +0.06 EPA/play | 4 | 10 | 203 / 361 | 56.2 | 2232 | 6.2 | 11 | 12 | 111.6 | 30.2 | 4.6 | 5.7 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt6.4 bottom 18th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Completion %56.9% bottom 15th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like View Logan Fife's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Pocket Passer · +0.16 EPA/play | 14 | 4 | 70 / 104 | 67.3 | 711 | 6.8 | 5 | 4 | 132.9 | 32.9 | 5.4 | 4.6 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. The most common profile in its group this season — 97 of 183 classified this way. Played in 4 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Adam Damante's full player page | |||||||||||||
Running Backs
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workhorse · -0.10 EPA/play | 1 | 12 | 117 | 450 | 3.8 | 3 | 29 | 7.5 | 13 | 19 | 7.0 | 8.6% (30/350) | |
Yards by week → WorkhorseBuilt to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 52 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight220 lb 82th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / carry3.7 bottom 9th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Kadarius Calloway's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Satellite Back · -0.17 EPA/play | 8 | 11 | 73 | 297 | 4.1 | 2 | 57 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 23.5 | 4.4 | 6.3% (22/350) | |
Yards by week → Satellite Back· Boom-or-bustDeployed as a receiver as much as a runner. Value is in space, not between the tackles. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 50 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Receiving share24.7% 98th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / carry4.1 bottom 13th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Dijon Stanley's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Workhorse · -0.11 EPA/play | 37 | 11 | 42 | 158 | 3.8 | 2 | 36 | 6.3 | 4.4 | — | — | — | |
Yards by week → WorkhorseBuilt to take 20+ carries per game. Volume is the value. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 52 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight220 lb 82th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / carry3.5 bottom 4th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Isaiah Rudison's full player page | |||||||||||||
Receivers
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot Technician · +0.42 EPA/play | 5 | 10 | 61 | 661 | 10.8 | 7 #38 FBS | 55 | 12.1 | 14.2 | 22.6% (79/350) | |
Yards by week → Slot Technician· Boom-or-bustRuns precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 97 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Reception volume61 92th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Yards / reception11.0 bottom 26th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like our readTwo-star recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.39 EPA/play | 12 | 8 | 41 | 588 | 14.3 | 3 | 64 | 10.9 | 8.9 | 14.0% (49/350) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception14.9 65th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.4 bottom 37th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 68th percentile among FBS WRs, up from the 22nd | |||||||||||
| Move TE · +0.34 EPA/play | 2 | 12 | 36 | 514 | 14.3 | 1 | 34 | 13.9 | 10.1 | 18.0% (63/350) | |
Yards by week → Move TELined up out wide as often as inline. Creates mismatches downfield. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 34 of 223 TEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception14.8 86th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 91st percentile among FBS TEs, up from the 42nd | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.42 EPA/play | — | 10 | 27 | 335 | 12.4 | 3 | 40 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 11.4% (40/350) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. The most common profile in its group this season — 332 of 558 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · senior · 3-star, 2021 class View Glynn Johnson Jr's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.83 EPA/play | 19 | 9 | 22 | 242 | 11 | 2 | 41 | 3.6 | 1.1 | — | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception9.0 bottom 12th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.8 93th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Brodrick Malone's full player page | |||||||||||
| +0.30 EPA/play | 7 | 9 | 8 | 103 | 12.9 | 1 | 34 | 2 | 3.8 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.24 EPA/play | 6 | 6 | 8 | 81 | 10.1 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 3.2 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
Defensive Line
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Versatile End | 6 | 11 | 61 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. The most common profile in its group this season — 139 of 200 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · senior our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 90 | 11 | 41 | 21 | 11 #74 FBS | 5 | 10 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate26.8% 90th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Ezra Christensen's full player page | |||||||
| Pressure Merchant | 16 | 10 | 32 | 12 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 9 |
Pressure MerchantCollapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 23 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Hurry rate0.3 81th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Gabe Peterson's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 96 | 11 | 29 | 14 | 2 | 1.5 | 4 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · senior our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Versatile End | 8 | 10 | 21 | 8 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. The most common profile in its group this season — 139 of 200 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Bradley Vislisel's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 54 | 10 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · junior View Ta'Avili Tuitama's full player page | |||||||
| Versatile End | 25 | 9 | 16 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 4 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. 139 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate3.1% bottom 7th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Obinna Okeke's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 44 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 7 of 21 games this season · junior View Enzo-Pierre Tayou's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 97 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 7 of 21 games this season · junior View Henry Davis III's full player page | |||||||
| 30 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Linebackers
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 12 | 12 | 87 | 39 | 48 | 4.5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume87 90th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles TFL rate5.2% bottom 28th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Tory Gethers's full player page | |||||||||
| Coverage 'Backer | 14 | 11 | 68 | 34 | 34 | 5.5 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
Coverage 'BackerCarries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 99 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate5.9% 88th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Tackle volume68 73th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 13 | 10 | 43 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · sophomore · 3-star, 2023 class View Quincy Davis's full player page | |||||||||
| Coverage 'Backer | 35 | 4 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Coverage 'BackerCarries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage. 99 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate11.1% 100th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Tackle volume27 bottom 20th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Tyler Martinez's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 34 | 10 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume24 bottom 17th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate0.0% bottom 18th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Zaiden Davis's full player page | |||||||||
| 47 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Defensive Backs
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rover | 4 | 12 | 92 | 7 | 3 #56 FBS | 1.5 | 0 |
Rover· Takeaway threatHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. the kind of DB who takes it back the other way Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate7.6% bottom 48th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score climbed from the 0th percentile to the 98th among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Box Safety | 5 | 12 | 61 | 3 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume61 82th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score moved from the 25th to 51st percentile among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Rover | 9 | 12 | 53 | 3 | 4 #23 FBS | 3 | 0 |
RoverHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate5.7% bottom 38th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readTwo-star recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 2 | 12 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · senior View Armahn Hale's full player page | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 1 | 11 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. The most common profile in its group this season — 141 of 270 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · sophomore our readBreakout: his CFB Index score climbed from the 7th percentile to the 70th among FBS CBs | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 31 | 10 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. The most common profile in its group this season — 141 of 270 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · junior View Lorenzo Smith's full player page | |||||||
| Ball Hawk | 23 | 7 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Ball HawkReads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away. 44 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate27.8% 93th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Stilton McKelvey's full player page | |||||||
| Ball Hawk | 21 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 2.5 | 0 |
Ball HawkReads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away. 44 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate35.3% 99th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Zechariah Rodriguez-Brown's full player page | |||||||
| 3 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 20 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Kicking
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 17 | 10 | 16/22 | 72.7 | 22/22 | 70 | 50 |
| 92 | 3 | 3/3 | 100 | 4/5 | 13 | 46 |
Punting
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 32 | 11 | 55 | 2325 | 42.3 | 59 | 20 | 3 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
Kick Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.39 EPA/play | 12 | 8 | 10 | 195 | 19.5 | 0 | 38 |
Punt Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.39 EPA/play | 12 | 8 | 7 | 60 | 8.6 | 0 | 34 |
| +0.30 EPA/play | 7 | 9 | 10 | 32 | 3.2 | 0 | 15 |
2025 stat leaders
final
2025 stat leaders
1.
Naeten Mitchell
S
92.0 tot (def)
2.
Tory Gethers
LB
87.0 tot (def)
3.
Sone Aupiu
LB
68.0 tot (def)
4.
Nicolas Sessions
S
61.0 tot (def)
5.
Jamall Thompson
DE
61.0 tot (def)
Roster
2025
27
players carry a qualified CFB Index Score this season.
Naeten Mitchell
S
#12 of 544
Bernock Iya
S
#72 of 544
Gavin Harris
TE
#22 of 156
Donovan Faupel
WR
#99 of 485
Cole Schnettgoecke
IDL
#76 of 330
Jamall Thompson
EDGE
#102 of 420
+21 more
New Mexico State · 2025 schedule & results4-8Soft slateAverage opponent win rate 44% · 1 AP top-25 opponent on the schedule.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 31 | #266 | #218 | -19.5 | Bryant | W 19–3 63 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 7 | #252 | #103 | +3.5 | Tulsa | W 21–14 148 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #250 | #128 | +10.5 | @Louisiana Tech | L 14–49 132 | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #255 | #109 | +17.5 | @New Mexico | L 20–38 136 | 2-2 | 0-0 |
| 6 | Oct 3 | #253 | #137 | +2 | Sam Houston | W 37–10 122 | 3-2 | 1-0 |
| 8 | Oct 14 | #229 | #65 | +10.5 | @Liberty | L 27–30 135 | 3-3 | 1-1 |
| 9 | Oct 23 | #198 | #145 | +2.5 | Missouri State | L 17–24 135 | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #203 | #121 | +7.5 | @Western Kentucky | L 16–35 145 | 3-5 | 1-3 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #205 | #109 | +11.5 | Kennesaw State | L 21–24 156 | 3-6 | 1-4 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #199 | #16 | +41.5 | @Tennessee | L 9–42 149 | 3-7 | 1-4 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #207 | #183 | +4.5 | @UTEP | W 34–31 145 | 4-7 | 1-4 |
| 14 | Nov 29 | #198 | #184 | -3.5 | Middle Tennessee | L 24–31 150 | 4-8 | 1-5 |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29 | Middle Tennessee | L 24–31 | 395 | 3 | 29:27 | +0.047 | 40.3% | 89.8% | One-score loss |
| Nov 22 | @UTEP | W 34–31 | 470 | 2 | 36:44 | +0.231 | 41.7% | 141.7% | One-score win |
| Nov 15 | @Tennessee | L 9–42 | 340 | 2 | 35:39 | -0.220 | 31.0% | 123.1% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Nov 8 | Kennesaw State | L 21–24 | 316 | 3 | 30:44 | +0.033 | 38.6% | 122.5% | One-score loss |
| Nov 1 | @Western Kentucky | L 16–35 | 176 | 1 | 26:14 | -0.129 | 24.2% | 106.6% | |
| Oct 23 | Missouri State | L 17–24 | 289 | 4 | 27:25 | -0.036 | 44.3% | 87.3% | One-score loss |
| Oct 14 | @Liberty | L 27–30 | 388 | 2 | 33:53 | +0.182 | 45.9% | 109.4% | Best success rate |
| Oct 3 | Sam Houston | W 37–10 | 350 | 1 | 29:39 | +0.259 | 44.6% | 130.0% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Sep 27 | @New Mexico | L 20–38 | 304 | 1 | 27:55 | -0.114 | 27.9% | 176.9% | Most explosive |
| Sep 13 | @Louisiana Tech | L 14–49 | 309 | 3 | 24:30 | -0.073 | 28.6% | 174.0% | Defense's roughest night |
| Sep 7 | Tulsa | W 21–14 | 291 | 1 | 30:50 | +0.115 | 38.2% | 132.1% | One-score win |
| Aug 31 | Bryant | W 19–3 | 305 | 1 | 28:10 | +0.022 | 27.9% | 150.3% | Best defensive stand |
| Season average (12 games) | 328 | 2.0 | +0.026 | 36.1% | 128.6% | ||||
How They Play · 2025
How They Play · 2025New Mexico State fields a struggling pass-first offense behind a strong, bend-don't-break defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
How New Mexico State actually scores
9th percentile quality, 87th percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
New Mexico State's 4th-quarter offense, before and after garbage time
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 32nd percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it climbs to the 56th — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
Does New Mexico State hold up once the down-and-distance turns against them?
16th percentile success on standard downs, 33rd on passing downs — a 17-point gap between the two.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
New Mexico State by half
1st-half offense ranks 17th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 23rd — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
How much of New Mexico State's number is the schedule?
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.03; 10th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's -0.01. The widest gap came in week 2: 0.07 raw vs. -0.01 adjusted.
New Mexico State reads strongest in rushing epa allowed (top 13%) and explosive plays allowed (top 30%); the crux lives in rushing epa, where New Mexico State sits at the 1st percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
ELITE · 90+STRONG · 70+AVERAGE · 40-70CONCERN · 10-40BOTTOM · <10
Most Similar Programs · New Mexico State
Most Similar Programs · New Mexico StateReads Like
CharlotteTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontColorado StateTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontEast CarolinaTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up front
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · New Mexico State · 2018-present
Elite
51% home win rate vs 21% on the road. margin runs +20.0 better at home. Aggie Memorial Stadium seats 28,853, averaging 43% full (12,502 attendance, 20 games reported).
Home20-19Away10-36
Positional competition · RB room
The carries are split. The job isn’t.
Kadarius Calloway and Dijon Stanley split the carries (100/169 vs 69/169) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
Kadarius CallowayDijon Stanley
Carries
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
Q4, leading (competitive)
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-carry share
concentration alone -- EPA/carry doesn't corroborate, read with caution
Screened 3 claims, 0 survived, 3 falsified
Positional competition · WR/TE room
The targets are split. The job isn’t.
Donovan Faupel (WR) and Gavin Harris (TE) split the targets (68/126 vs 58/126) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Gavin Harris produces mainly when the game's already decided; Gavin Harris produces in bigger chunks.
Donovan FaupelGavin Harris
Targets
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
3rd-down targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Garbage-time share
p = 0.016 -- real, not noise
Top-5-catch share
concentration and EPA/target agree -- a real boom/bust split
Screened 3 claims, 2 survived, 1 falsified
What changed
New Mexico State’s play-calling, before and after the change
Offense: Tyler Wright / Andrew Mitchell (interim) (2024) → David Yost (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved up 26 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defense: co-Nate Dreiling / co-Melvin Rice (2022–2023) → Joe Morris (2024–2025)
The biggest shift: 4th-down go rate moved down 13 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
4th-down go rate
Season by season
How New Mexico State’s current staff calls plays, year over year
Defense: Joe Morris (2024–2025)
1st-down pass rate
2024: 31% → 2025: 53% · 23-pt range · #7 of 189 · more than most
Red-zone pass rate
2024: 32% → 2025: 58% · 26-pt range · #9 of 189 · more than most
4th-down go rate
2024: 19% → 2025: 20% · 1-pt range · #189 of 188 · less than most
Defensive identity · pass zones
What this defense gives up, by zone.
On short passes, New Mexico State’s defense allows a completion rate above the FBS mean (66.5% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 190-play sample) — mid-pack, 80 of 133 qualifying defenses.
We won’t show a deep-ball leaderboard here: at the defense level, most teams face well under 30 rich-feed deep targets all season — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess.
Screened 133 claims, 133 survived · 2025 only, in the 399 games with the detailed play-text feed; n=190 short-zone plays faced, raw rate 66.8%
Venue texture
75°F average kickoff temp; 3% of games had measurable precipitation; 8 mph average wind.
Based on 60 home games with weather data.
The CFP Era
11 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
TRAJECTORY · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program Quality
AP Rank (inverted)
CFP Appearance
New Mexico State's 2014–2025 record is 46-91. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
342-627-14
since 1931 · 91 seasons · .347 win rate
HOME
224-240-6
AWAY
113-385-7
NEUTRAL
5-2-1
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
The program, in full — read the essay
New Mexico State went 57 years between bowl games — 1960 to 2017, the longest drought in FBS history. The program survived conference homelessness, near-extinction, and decades of losing. In 2023, Jerry Kill won ten games here. In 2025, Tony Sanchez went 4-8. The question in Las Cruces is which of those sentences is the real one.
New Mexico State's identity is endurance. A land-grant university in the Chihuahuan desert near the Mexican border, playing football since 1888, keeping the lights on through decades when there was no conference to play in and no promise anyone would notice. Warren Woodson's 1960 team went 11-0 and won the Sun Bowl — a perfect season that would stand as the program's high-water mark for 63 years. The 57-year bowl drought that followed is not embarrassment; it is the story. The Aggies outlasted everything the sport threw at them and kept fielding a team.
Jerry Kill arrived in 2022 and produced the 2023 miracle: 10 wins, a Conference USA championship-game appearance, a bowl victory — the best modern stretch in program history and proof that the borderland Aggies could compete in a real league. Then Kill stepped away, Tony Sanchez was elevated, and the program went 3-9 in 2024 and 4-8 in 2025 (2-6 Conference USA). The post-Kill regression is the live wound — not because losing is unfamiliar in Las Cruces, but because 2023 raised the expectation that the floor was finally higher. It wasn't. The internal fracture is the sharpest it's been: the faction grateful the program exists at all versus the faction that tasted the Kill season and refuses to accept the old floor as acceptable again.
The 2026 question is structural: can New Mexico State build something that survives a coaching change, or is the program's ceiling defined by whoever happens to be the right coach in the right year? The 1960 season and the 2023 season share the same answer — peak years driven by a singular architect. Until Las Cruces produces a second good year in a row, that pattern holds.
How they play
Scrappy and opportunity-driven — a program that wins when it wins through schemed advantages and execution, not roster depth. The Aggies have never had the resources to dictate terms against Conference USA competition, which means the brand of football tilts toward quick-strike passing concepts and aggressive special teams rather than a power ground game. Kill's offense leaned on a hot quarterback reading a simplified scheme fast — Sanchez has retained the framework without the same results. The defense is the unit that will determine whether 2026 looks more like 2023 or 2025.
Steady
New Mexico State 2015–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (+0.04 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 2.
CFP Era · New Mexico State
11 seasons on file
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 4-8
Season Standing · 2025 · 4-8FBS sub-.500
New Mexico State: Below .500 in FBS play. The rebuild bar.
R0R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9
Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
Conference USA Standing · 2025
9th in the Conference USA
New Mexico State is 9th of 10 in the Conference USA at 1-5. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on bowl access and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennesaw State | 6-1 |
| 2 | Jacksonville State | 6-2 |
| 3 | Western Kentucky | 5-2 |
| 4 | Florida International | 5-3 |
| 5 | Missouri State | 4-2 |
| 6 | Delaware | 2-4 |
| 7 | Liberty | 2-4 |
| 8 | Middle Tennessee | 2-6 |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 1-5 |
| 10 | Sam Houston | 1-5 |
Coaching Era · New Mexico State
Coaching Era · New Mexico StateTony Sanchez
Tony Sanchez in year 3 of the rebuild. The methodology is taking shape.
Era Tony Sanchez · 2024–presentPrev: Jerry Kill (2022–2023)OC: David YostPrev OC: Tyler Wright / Andrew Mitchell (interim) (2024)DC: Joe MorrisPrev DC: co-Nate Dreiling / co-Melvin Rice (2022–2023)
3
years · era
Rituals
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
Jerry Kill 2023 Run
since 2023
Jerry Kill's 2023 10-5 + Conference USA championship game appearance + Quick Lane Bowl championship — coming off DECADES of bowl-game droughts (1960 Sun Bowl was the previous bowl) — was the modern peak. Kill's program-rebuilding methodology + the post-pandemic reset + the Conference USA entry (2023) opened the modern era.
Aggie Memorial Stadium
since 1978
Aggie Memorial Stadium (built 1978, 30,000 capacity) — Las Cruces NM borderland setting + the desert geography + Conference USA conference identity create a venue distinct from larger flagship-state programs. The Aggie identity + the 1888 founding date make NMSU one of the older football programs in the Southwest.
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
The 1960 perfect season
New Mexico State goes 11-0 and wins the Sun Bowl — the last bowl it would see for 57 years
2017
The drought ends
The Aggies win the Arizona Bowl, ending the longest bowl drought in FBS history at 57 years
Moment of the Year · New Mexico State · 2025
Moment of the Year · New Mexico State · 2025Lost 9-42 at Tennessee
Week 12 of 2025. A reckoning loss — the data point the next season must answer.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Bowl / Postseason LedgerRecent postseason (2017-2023): 2-1
Most recent: 2023 — loss 37-10 (away). Last 5 postseason: 2-1.
202320222017
Unit lineage
New Mexico State’s offense and defense, by coordinator
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Offense2014–2025
2014 · Gregg Brandon2015–2021 · Doug Martin2022–2023 · Tim Beck2024 · Tyler Wright / Andrew Mitchell (interim)2025 (ongoing) · David Yost
Defense2014–2025
2014 · Larry Coyer2015 · Zane Vance2016–2021 · Frank Spaziani2022–2023 · co-Nate Dreiling / co-Melvin Rice2024–2025 (ongoing) · Joe Morris
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Chronicle Visuals
Average 2025 continuity (56% back) — offense anchors it, qb room is the stress point.
The portal upgraded the WR room but opened a hole at S.
New Mexico State converts recruit talent into draft picks better than its class rank suggests.
r/cfb moments
820
[Postgame Thread] UMass Defeats New Mexico State 41-30
251
[Postgame Thread] Tarleton State Defeats New Mexico State 43-17
175
[Postgame Thread] New Mexico State Defeats Valparaiso 65-3
All-time top community posts · ranked by upvotes
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