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Twitter GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The NM State football team opens the 2015 season on Saturday as they take on the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 5:30 p.m. (MT) in a nationally-televised game on the SEC Network. Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer and Maria Taylor will be on the call for the SEC Network.
The game, which will also be broadcast on AM 570 in Las Cruces, marks the second time the Aggies and the Gators have met on the gridiron. The two teams first squared off in Gainesville on Sept. 3, 1994 when the Gators captured a 70-21 victory.
In 2014, junior quarterback
Tyler Rogers had a career-high 2,779 passing yards on 436 attempts to rank sixth in NM State's all-time individual single season high passing yardage. Rogers will lead the Aggies again this season.
"I think Tyler has made exceptional progress as quarterback (through fall camp)," said head coach
Doug Martin. "He's learning how to manage the game and play down and distance and not turn the ball over, and that's going to help us win football games."
Also returning on offense is sophomore running back
Larry Rose III, who rushed for 1,102 yards in 2014. With this, Rose III became the first 1,000-yard rusher for NM State since 2011 and the first true freshman to accomplish the feat since 1995.
Despite NM State's youth, the Aggies have 22 starters returning with nine on offense, 10 on defense and three on special teams. Four of the starting offensive linemen will return to block for Rogers.
"The returning offensive line gives us a lot of cohesiveness," said Martin. "Those guys have a lot of experience and we have some depth in the offensive line probably for the first time in a long time around here. We have a lot of leadership too.
Andy Cunningham is one of our captains, and he's one of those guys who is returning so I think the offensive line could be a strength for us."
Defensively, the Aggies are one of three schools in the nation to have at least three starting linebackers returning for the 2015 season.
Rodney Butler,
Derek Ibekwe and
Dalton Herrington led the team in 2014 as they amassed 119 tackles, 102 tackles and 85 tackles, respectively. Additionally, NM State has several newcomers to watch for on defense.
"
DeMarcus Owens is going to be exceptional at corner," said Martin. "We also have
Javahn Fergurson at linebacker and
Jassavia Reese at defensive end. Those three in particular on defense are outstanding."
Notables- NM State will open the season on the road for the first time since 2013 when they dropped a 56-7 decision at Texas… This is just the second time the Aggies have opened the season on the road since 2008.
- The Aggies are 65-50-3 all-time in season-openers… The team is 2-3 when playing on Sept. 5.
- NM State begins the season with two of its first three games at home… Following the contest in Gainesville, the Aggies will host Georgia State in the Stuff the Stadium campaign on Sept. 12… They will then host the Battle of I-10 rivalry game against the UTEP Miners on Sept. 19.
- NM State opened the 2014 season 2-0, which is the first time the team had captured two wins to open the season since 1999 when they defeated New Mexico Highlands at home and New Mexico on the road… The Aggies finished the 1999 season with a 6-5 record.
- NM State's roster features 18 players from the state of New Mexico.
- NM State also has 30 players from Texas… This ranks sixth nationally among FBS programs outside of the Lone Star state… Only Oklahoma State (66), Oklahoma (45), Kansas (43) and UL-Monroe and Tulsa (37) have more players from the state of Texas.
