LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- It's finally here.

After not playing a home game inside Aggie Memorial Stadium for 644 days, the NM State football program makes its triumphant return to AMS Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. when the UTEP Miners visit for the 98^th installment of the Battle of I-10 rivalry.

Serving as the season opener for both sides, Saturday's opener will also be the Aggies 2021 Hispanic Heritage Day presented by Coors Light. The festivities begin at 3:30 and will feature a Mariachi band performance, Luchador wrestling and more.

HOW TO WATCH:
The contest will be broadcast live on FloFootball with Adam Young (play-by-play), Danny Knee (analyst) and Stephanie Shields (sideline) bringing Aggie fans all of the action. Fans can also catch the game live on BallySports Arizona, KVIA ABC-7 (El Paso) and Comcast New Mexico.

LISTEN UP:
Fans can enjoy every Aggie football game this season via the Aggie Sports Newtwork. NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon returns for his 42nd year behind the mic and will be joined by color analyst Cory Lucas.
The broadcast can be heard over the air on NM State's flagship station KXPZ (99.5 FM). Fans can also listen on the brand new VARSITY NETWORK an application from LEARFIELD and SIDEARM Sports and the following Aggie Sports Network affiliates:
Almagordo          103.7 FM KNMZ
Artesia                  990 AM KSVP
Carlsbad               1240 AM KAMQ
El Paso                  1380 AM KHEY
Gallup                   94.9 FM KYVA, 1230 AM

COACH SPEAK (HC DOUG MARTIN):
"Playing UTEP to open the season certainly adds to the excitement of the game. I like playing a rival as the first game because it gives our players something to think about and shoot for during the summer because they know there's a really important game from the start. We haven't played since 2019 so that should be an extra incentive for our guys too."

Rivalries RENEWED
After not facing off with either New Mexico or UTEP during the COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season, the Lobos and Miners return to the Aggies schedule in 2021. UNM and NM State didn't meet in football for the first time since 1945, while the Aggies and Miners didn't face off for just the third time since 1945, when World War II necessitated the cancellation of that season. NM State will hit I-25 on Sept. 11 for the matchup against UNM.

EITHER "OR"
The Aggies first two-deep of the season features five "or" as the competition of fall camps extends to game week. The most notable "or" on the NM State depth chart is at the quarterback position where junior Jonah Johnson and redshirt freshman Weston Eget continue to battle for a starting spot.
 
A transfer from Fresno City College, Johnson started and appeared in both of the Aggies spring contests. Named a 2020 Top-11 Impact JUCO Transfer QB by Athlon Sports, Johnson completed 36-of-60 passes in the spring for 358 yards and a touchdown. Also an adept runner, Johnson ran for 64 net yards and a pair of scores.
 
The Aggies other option to start at quarterback, Eget, made his collegiate debut in the spring finale against Dixie State. The Santa Clarita native was electric in his debut, completing six-of-eight passes for 61 yards and a score. Eget also rushed for 26 yards including a 21-yard scamper.
 
The Aggies other three battles include the right-guard position that is down to either Isaiah Mursalat or Carson Pharris, the running back positon (O'Maury Samuels/Juwaun Price), and the strong safety position (Devlin Kirklin/Dalton Bowles).
 
NEW YEAR, NEW AGGIES
NM State welcomed 40 newcomers to Las Cruces this summer. In total, 14 different newcomers cracked the opening week two-deep, paced by Dom Gicinto and Eli Johnson.
 
A transfer from Missouri, Gicinto arrives in Las Cruces after two seasons with the Tigers where he hauled in 19 passes for over 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Gicinto is listed as the starter at the Aggies
"X" position is will also factor in the return game.
 
Johnson is set to start at center for the Aggies and boasts 16 career starts, including all 12 for Ole Miss during the 2019 season.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES (UTEP):
Under the guidance of fourth year head coach Dana Dimel, the UTEP Miners enter the 2021 season with a lot of optimism after tripling its 2019 win total in 2020.
 
Led by quarterback Gavin Hardison, running back Deion Hankins and wide receiver Jacob Cowing, the Miners recorded a 3-5 2020 campaign.
 
A native of Hobbs and a product of New Mexico Military Institute, Hardison, returns for his third season at UTEP. Taking the reigns as the Miners starter for the first time in his career, Hardison threw for 1,419 yards and recorded five touchdowns and five interceptions in seven games.
 
One of the breakout stars of the condensed 2020 season, Hankins rushed for 592 yards and nine touchdowns in seven games. The redshirt freshman was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team and recorded three 100-yard rushing games, and ran for at least 70 yards in five games. The El Paso native also added three multiple touchdown performances including his three touchdown output at ULM.
 
The third UTEP star of the 2020 season, Cowing, returns for his third season with the orange and dark blue. Through his first two Miners' campaigns, Cowing, has recorded 72 total receptions for 1,241 yards and six touchdowns. A 2020 All-Conference USA Second Team selection, Cowing averaged 86.4 receiving yards a game in 2020, and averaged 5.1 receptions per game. Cowing was named to the 2021 Biletnikoff Award Watch list, and was named to the 2021 Preseason All-C-USA First team.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Miners are mostly an enigma as defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Pevto enters his first season as the man in charge of the UTEP defense. A veteran who has amassed over 30 years of coaching experience, Pevto spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons coaching linebackers at Texas A&M for head coach Jimbo Fisher.
 
Despite losing top tackler Stephen Forester (62 tackles, 5.0 for loss) and former Conference USA All-Freshman (2016) selection Jayson Vanhook to graduation, the Miners return Tyrice Knight who finished second on the 2020 Miners squad with 54 total tackles. Also back for UTEP is Marshall transfer Breon Hayward who notched 16 tackles in the Miners season finale against North Texas.
 
In the secondary the Miners boast a stable of 23 defensive backs with redshirt junior Justin Prince and senior Dy'vonne Inyang serving as the Miners most notable returners in the secondary. Prince recorded 31 tackles and played in all eight of UTEP's 2020 contests, while Inyang produced 32 tackles, a pass breakup and forced a pair of fumbles in 2020. 
 
Not to be discounted are the Miners newcomers, led by Kansas State transfer Walter Neil Jr. who spent four years with the Wildcats and appeared in 30 contests during his time in Manhattan. Neil Jr. was named to the 2021 Senior Bowl Watch.
 
Also back for the Miners in 2021 is redshirt sophomore defensive end Praise Amaewhule who led the Miners in sacks (7.0), tackles for loss (8.0) and pass breakups (9). The Katy, Texas native was named a 2020 All-Conference USA Second Team selection and was named to the 2021 Chuck Bednarik preseason watch list and was a Phil Steele All-C-USA First Team Preseason selection.
 
UP NEXT:
The Aggies hit the road for the first time in 2021 next Saturday when they head to California for a matchup with San Diego State in Carson, Calif. Kick-off between the Aggies and Aztecs is set for 8:30 p.m. (MT) and fans can watch the game live on the CBS Sports Network and listen on the Aggie Sports Network.