LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Fresh off a bye week, the New Mexico State football team continues Sun Belt Conference play this Saturday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. (MT) on ESPN3 when the Aggies square off against the Vandals of Idaho inside the Kibbie Dome.
 
NM State Athletics Hall of Famer Jack Nixon will have the call with former NM State football player, Preston Williams, serving as the analyst on the Aggies' flagship station 99.5 FM KXPZ in Las Cruces. Aggie fans can also listen to the game live with their mobile or tablet device on the TuneIn app for free.
  WHERE TO WATCH
On top of Saturday's game being shown on ESPN3, Aggie fans in the Land of Enchantment can catch the game on the CW.

Channels
Over the air – 7.2
Time Warner: 13
Comcast: 14
DirecTV: 8
Dish: 17
AT&T U-Verse: 19

THE MATCH UP
The Aggies and Vandals are both 1-1 in SBC play heading into this weekend's match-up. Idaho sits at 3-3 overall on the year while NM State stands at 2-3 after the bye week. The Aggies trail the all-time series 15-7, but won the last meeting in Las Cruces in a thrilling 55-48 victory on Halloween night behind the widely known "Ankle-ception."
 
New Mexico State is averaging 27.8 points through five games while Idaho checks in at just 20.0 points per game. On the ground, the teams are fairly similar with NM State averaging 3.8 yards per rush to Idaho's 4.0 yards per rush. The Aggies lead Idaho in the air with 1,487 passing yards to its 1,151 to go with an extra game played. NM State has also aired it out eight times compared to Idaho's four while tallying 438 yards of total offense per game to Idaho's 329.8 total yards of offense per game.
 
Matt Linehan has started under center for the Vandals all six games with both backups seeing time on the field as well. Linehan has accounted for five of Idaho's 12 touchdowns this year with four coming through the air and on the ground himself.
 
Aaron Duckworth leads Idaho in rushing with 442 net yards to go with his four touchdowns. The 5-8 junior is averaging 73.7 yards with a long of 55 yards. Denzel Brantley is second on the team in rushing with 162 yards on 31 attempts. The 212 pounds running back has started in one game for the Vandals and picking 5.2 yards per rush.
 
Despite Deon Watson (251 yards) leading UI in receiving yards, it is the Vandal's tight end, Trent Cowan, who leads the receiving core with two catches to the house.
 
THE "ANKLE-CEPTION"
After a roaring comeback by the Aggies in the fourth quarter led by Larry Rose III, the 2015 All-American running leaped in the game-winning drive to put NM State on top 55-48. However, it was the incredible interception by Terrill Hanks with his feet that everyone will remember most.
 
Here's another look at last year's play that landed at No. 2 in ESPN's Top-10 Plays – Click here.
 
FAST AND FURIOUS
The NM State offense is no short of fire power this season as the Aggies scored TDs in five separate occasions where it took less than a minute.
 
UNM – 2Q – 4 Plays, 21 Seconds
UNM – 2Q – 2 Plays, 17 Seconds
UK – 1Q – 2 Plays, 23 Seconds
UK – 1Q – 1 Play, 8 Seconds
UK – 2Q – 3 Plays, 20 seconds
 
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
So far this season, the Aggies have had plays of 30-yards or longer 10 separate times. Of those 10, two have resulted in touchdowns - both coming against Kentucky. These explosive plays have come from seven different players with Royce Caldwell, Johnathon Boone and Tyrian Taylor each registering two.
 
FEELIN' GOOD AT HOME
With its win against UL-Lafayette on Oct. 1, the Aggies tallied their second-straight win at Aggie Memorial Stadium and the first time since 2007 where NM State has started the year 2-0 at home.
 
THE HUNT FOR "CRIMSON" OCTOBER
With a win on Saturday, Doug Martin and company could sit at 3-3 on the year, the first time NM State has had a .500 record or better midway through the season since 2011. A win will also keep the Aggies undefeated in the month of October (2-0). The last time an Aggie football team went undefeated in the month of October was in 2002.
 
NOTHING BUT HOGAN
Redshirt junior Gregory Hogan has been a favorite target for quarterback Tyler Rogers this season. He's targeted the 6-1 wide out 19 times this season, second-most on the team behind OJ Clark (22), and Hogan and rewarded him for his confidence – hauling in a team-best three TD catches. The Houston, Texas, product also leads the team in receiving yards with 250 while the next closes player is Clark, who has 179 receiving yards.
 
ENTER THE HALL
In the absence of All-American running back Larry Rose III, senior Xavier Hall fulfilled the mantra of next man up. The Las Cruces native currently paces the team with 38.8 rushing yards per game with one rumble into end zone. He also picked up a career-high 45 reception yards at Troy with a long rush of 16.
 
WEEKLY ACCOLADES
Linebacker Rodney Butler has earned two Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors this year while kicker Parker Davidson earned week two special teams player of the week. The two earned the weekly honor following the Aggies' 32-31 victory over Battle of I-25 rival New Mexico at home. Butler earned his second honor in week five after he recorded 18 tackles, a forced fumble and interception against UL-Lafayette.
 
IN THE NATION
Through five games in 2015, several players as well as the team rank in the top-25 nationally amongst Football Subdivision Teams. The Aggies as a team rank No. 16 national in fourth-down conversions, completing 5-of-7 (.714) attempts this season. The two defensive touchdowns for NM State is also good for 12th in the country while its 297.4 passing yards per game is good for 24th in the nation.
 
Despite having a bye week, senior linebacker Rodney Butler still leads the nation in total tackles with 75 (15.0/game). Fellow linebackers Terrill Hanks (50) and Dalton Herrington (49) are also ranked in the top-25, sitting at No. 16 and No. 20, respectively. The three Aggies also claim the top five spots in the Sun Belt Conference, checking in at Nos. 1, 3 and 5 respectively. In the solo tackles department, Butler checks in at No. 14 with 29 (5.8/game). The two forced fumbles for Butler and Hanks also places them in 18th-place amongst FBS players.
 
Offensively, Tyler Rogers is ranked No. 23 in the country with 291.2 passing yards per game while his total of 1,456 has him sitting just outside at No. 28. His 22.80 completions per game is also good for 18th in the country and second in the SBC.
 
Freshman Peyton Theisler has been stellar for the Aggies as well, averaging 44.6 yards per punt – which sits him at No. 17 in the country.
 
AROUND THE BELT
Entering week seven of the 2016 season, Tyler Rogers leads the conference with 291.2 yards per game and 1,647 yards of total offense. Peyton Theisler is also leading all punters with 44.6 yards per kick, narrowly edging out South Alabama's Brandon McKee by 0.1 yards per kick.
 
Terrill Hanks' 6.0 tackles for loss so far ties him for fifth in the Sun Belt Conference while Rodney Butler sits in a tie for 14th with 4.5 TFLs. Jaden Wright's pick against ULL was his second of the season, tying him for sixth and is just one of three defensive players to record a pick six this season in the SBC.
 
Staying with the defense, Butler and Jacob Nwangwa holds the top-two spots for tackles in a single-game with 24.0 and 19.0, respectively. Both Hanks and Butler are tied for the most sacks in a single-game this season for the SBC at 3.5, both came at UTEP.
 
Gregory Hogan's 172 receiving yards against the Ragin' Cajuns is the most this season in the conference while teammate Tyrian Taylor has the second-most reception yards in a game with 157 yards at Troy. Hogan's career-high 11 receptions ties Deondre Douglas of Troy for the most receptions in a game this season.
 
WILD FINISH IN LAS CRUCES
The Aggies' last home game against UL-Lafayette finished in dramatic fashion as both teams teetered back-and-forth on winning drives. To start, the Aggies had a chance to win the game in regulation on a missed 20-yard field goal by Parker Davidson. Then in the first overtime period, NM State scored first in their possession. On the Ragin' Cajun's drive, Darius Hoggins fumbled the ball and just so luckily landed on it in the end zone to send the game into a second overtime period.
 
With ULL starting the second-overtime period, the Ragin' Cajuns settled for a 22-yard field goal. However, the kick was no good as it ricocheted off the left post and set the Aggies up for another game-winning drive. In a turn of events, it was the Aggies turn to fumble the ball near the end zone as Sebastian Anderson leaped onto the ball in the end zone to give NM State the 37-31 victory.
 
The last double-overtime game for NM State came in 2005 against Idaho, a heartbreaking 38-37 loss. The two other times the Aggies played in a double-overtime game was in 2000 at Idaho and in 1998 at home against Utah State on homecoming, both of which resulted in losses.
 
BEYOND THE TROJANS
Needless to say, Aggie fans wish the last two games against Troy could be erased from their memory. However, should last year's trend hold true, the Aggies are in store for a three-game winning-streak. NM State notched a win in the very next game against UL-Lafayette and looks to follow that trend this week at Idaho before returning home against Georgia State (Oct. 22) to match last year's rally.
 
SHOOTOUT IN LEXINGTON
Aggie fans were in for a treat in week three of this season as NM State entered Commonwealth Stadium guns a blazing against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Aggies scored on their first drives of the game and took a 21-14 lead after one quarter of play before heading into the locker room tied 35-35. New Mexico State would leave the Bluegrass State with a 62-42 loss, but gave UK a run for its money 'til the bitter end.
 
Up Next
The Aggies return home the following week for another Sun Belt Conference showdown with Georgia Southern on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. (MT) for its annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink game. Saturday's game is also part of the Ag Day celebration on campus as well. Fans can purchase tickets now for the Georgia Southern game by calling 575-646-1420 or stop by the Pan Am Center Ticket Office on the north side of the building.