2022-08-31 NM State at Minn. Preview Graphic

Aggies Head North For First Road Test at Minnesota

Wednesday 08/31/2022 | By: NM State Athletics Media Relations

Jerry Kill becomes the first former Minnesota coach to battle the Golden Gophers since 1947

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - For the first time since 1947, a former Minnesota head coach makes the trip back to Minneapolis to take on the Golden Gophers. That man is none other than NM State head football coach Jerry Kill. A former Big Ten Coach of the Year at Minnesota, Kill makes his return to the Twin Cities on Thursday night after seven years away from the program.

Game Day Information NM State (0-1) at Minnesota (0-0; 0-0 Big Ten) Date: Thursday, September 1, 2022 Time: 7:00 p.m. MT TV: Big Ten Network

Mark Followill (PxP)
Matt Millen (Analsyt)
Elise Menaker (Sideline)

Radio: Aggie Radio Network from LEARFIELD

Jack Nixon (PxP)
Cory Lucas (Analyst)
- Las Cruces – 99.5 FM KXPZ (Flagship)
- El Paso, Texas – 1380 AM KHEY
- Alamogordo – 103.7 FM KNMZ
- Gallup – 1230 AM KYVA
- Carlsbad – 1240 AM KAMQ

-The Varsity Network App The Series Minnesota leads the all-time series 2-1 with the Aggies winning a 2011 meeting in Minneapolis.

Pick Six
1 - In program history, NM State has notched one win over Big Ten opponents - A 2011 victory over the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. The Aggies sit at a 1-8 all-time record against Big Ten teams.
5 - In the season opener against Nevada, the Aggies turned the ball over five times - Four interceptions and a fumble.
7 - The Aggies return seven defensive starters from the 2021 season finale - LB Chris Ojoh, CB DJ McCullough, CB Syrus Dumas, LB Nick Giacolone, S Dylan Early, LB Trevor Brohard, and LB James Blowers. NM State only returns four offensive starters.
37 - Through the first week of the season, NM State's Justice Powers leads all FBS players with an average reception of 37.0 yards per catch. Who is in second? None other than former Aggie Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda (Nebraska) who is averaging 30.0 yards per reception.
67 - For his first collegiate completion, Gavin Frakes found Justice Powers for a 67-yard catch-and-run. Frakes capped off his opening drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kordell David.
2014 - Coach Jerry Kill was named the 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Minnesota to an 8-4 record in the regular season with conference wins over Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue, Iowa, and No. 21 Nebraska.

News and Notes
EL CAPITAN

In NM State's season opener against Nevada, quarterback Diego Pavia and linebacker Trevor Brohard represented the Aggies at the coin toss as captains.

TOUGH TESTS AHEAD

The Aggies will square off with No. 18 Wisconsin on September 17 in Madison. The Aggies will also face off with six opponents who participated in a bowl game last season - Nevada (Quick Lane), Minnesota (Guaranteed Rate), UTEP (New Mexico), Wisconsin (Las Vegas), Missouri (Armed Forces), and Liberty (LendingTree).

IRON CLAD DEFENSE

Minnesota finished the 2021 season with the third-ranked defense across FBS football. Allowing just 278.8 yards per game, Minnesota trailed just Wisconsin (239.1) and eventual national champions Georgia (268.9).

FEELS LIKE 2011

NM State has taken down Minnesota in the past - September 10, 2011 in Minneapolis. Coach Jerry Kill was roaming the sidelines in that contest, leading the Golden Gophers. The 2011 victory is the lone win over a Big Ten team in NM State history.

NEW YEAR, NEW AGGIES

Coach Kill and company have added 45 new players to the NM State roster for the 2022 season. When Coach Kill accepted the head coaching role with the Aggies, he did not inherit a single incoming player from the previous staff.

YOUNG GUN

As Nate Dreiling prepares to take over as the NM State Defensive Coordinator, he also becomes the second youngest DC among the FBS ranks. Only Austin Armstrong of Southern Mississippi (29) will be younger than Dreiling (31) at the beginning of the season.

Dreiling is tied for the third youngest coordinator in FBS, regardless of offensive or defensive. Armstrong (DC - Southern Miss.) and Tommy Rees (OC - Notre Dame) are the lone coordinators who are younger than Dreiling. The Kansas native joins Zach Kittley (OC - Western Kentucky) as the only 31-year old coordinators.

THE HONORABLE MR. JACKSON

Bryce Jackson earned Pro Football Focus Team of the Week honors after a big game against Nevada. Leading all players with eight tackles, Jackson made a massive impact in his first game as an Aggie.

WOMEN BELONG IN SPORTS

In her first season as the NM State equipment manager, Paulina Mihelich becomes one of just four lead equipment managers across the FBS level. Under Mihelich, the Aggies join Nevada, New Mexico, and Temple as the lone schools to be powered by women.

With Rachel Phillips also serving as the Aggies' Director of Football Operations, NM State and Temple are the only two programs that feature women at both the head equipment manager and DFO positions.

Phillips is one of just eight female DFOs around the country, joining women at Temple, Notre Dame, TCU, Kansas State, Maryland, Bowling Green, and FAU.

Also new to Las Cruces is Associate Athletic Trainer Sam Graff. With Graff leading the way for the Aggies, NM State becomes one of 12 schools at the FBS level with a female lead athletic trainer for football - Rice, Georgia Southern, Bowling Green, Troy, Kansas State, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Iowa, Virginia, BYU, and UCF are the other 11.

"EITHER OR"

Eight different position groups found themselves with an "OR" listing on the week zero two-deep. Throughout the offseason, Diego Pavia and Gavin Frakes have battled for the QB1 position and a starter will not be named until Saturday night.

Offensively, Jamoni Jones and Star Thomas are both still competing for the startingrunning back spot while Kordell David or Dominic Gicinto could get a Week Zero start at the "Z" receiver.

On the flip side, four different players - Marcus Buckley, Justin Segura, Sterling Webb, and Noah Arinze - find themselves battling for the top two spots at defensive tackle. At cornerback, BJ Sculark and Linwood Crump remain locked in a battle for the top spot on the depth chart.

STEELE LIKES THE AGGIES

Led by Chris Ojoh and Trevor Brohard, the Aggies were well represented on Phil Steele's Preseason All-Independent team. In addition to the linebacker duo, tight end Thomaz Whitford, punter Josh Carlson, and kicker Ethan Albertson all earned spots on Steele's list.

MOJO FOR OJOH

After being named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-Independent team, Ojoh was also named to the Bednarik Award and Rotary Lombardi Award watch lists.

The Chuck Bednarik Award is given annually to the top defensive player in college football. One of just 77 players across the nation on the Rotary Lombardi watch list, Ojoh finds himself among the nations best at one of the more unique awards.

The Lombardi award is open to players on both sides of the ball - offensive and defensive linemen, backfield members, and linebackers.

THE LAST MEETING

Minnesota and NM State have not met since the 2018 season when the Golden Gophers trounced the Aggies 48-10.

After one quarter, the Aggies and Golden Gophers remained deadlocked at seven. NM State got on the board with a 13- yard touchdown pass from Matt Romero to Izaiah Lottie.

Early in the second quarter, the Aggies took the lead when "Downtown" Dylan Brown drilled a 45- yard field goal.

From there, it was all Golden Gophers. Minnesota rattled off 41 unanswered points to take down NM State in the Twin Cities.

NOTABLES: LAST GAME (Nevada)

On Saturday night, the Aggies opened the Jerry Kill era with a 23-12 loss inside Aggie Memorial Stadium. With 23,371 fans filling the seats, it was the largest home crowd since the 2019 season.

After a scoreless first quarter, NM State got out to a 2-0 lead when an errant snap sailed over the Nevada quarterback's head, falling in the end zone for an eventual safety.

The remainder of the first half was all Wolf Pack though. Three interceptions and a fumble from quarterback Diego Pavia led to 17 unanswered points, all coming off of turnovers.

In the third quarter, Kill turned to true freshman QB Gavin Frakes, who immediately connected with Justice Powers for a 67-yard connection. Frakes capped off his first collegiate drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kordell David, who made a highlight reel snag in the end zone. Frakes continued to impress throughout the second half, going 9-13 through the air for 143 yards.

The Aggies hung in the contest until a late Nevada field goal pushed it to a two score game. Hoping for a miracle, Frakes and friends marched down the field before an eventual interception in the end zone halted the Aggie momentum with just 32 seconds remaining.

DELAYED FLASHES

In the first quarter of NM State's week zero contest with Nevada, the game came to a screeching halt when lightning struck within eight miles of Aggie Memorial Stadium forcing the teams to clear the field. After a 35-minute delay, action resumed without any further issues.

NATION'S BEST

NM State wide receiver Justice Powers currently leads all FBS receivers, averaging 37.0 yards per catch.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES (MINNESOTA):

Like many teams around the country, Minnesota is still waiting to play in their first contest. The Aggies become an oddity around college football playing twice within the first six days of the college football season.

Despite a disappointing 14-10 loss to Bowling Green, PJ Fleck and the Golden Gophers tallied a nine-win season in 2021. Minnesota pushed Ohio State in their season opener and responded to the Bowling Green disappointment with four straight wins over Purdue, Nebraska, Maryland, and Northwestern. Fleck and Co. found themselves in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, knocking off West Virginia 18-6.

Following the NM State contest, Minnesota will round out its non-conference slate against Western Illinois (FCS) and Colorado.

TURNOVER BUG

For the first time since 2007, NM State threw four interceptions in a contest against Nevada. The Wolf Pack defense ranked first in FBS football with a +16 turnover margin throughout the 2021 season and jumped out to a +5 margin after week zero.

AGGIE ADDITIONS

When HC Jerry Kill replaced Doug Martin, the Aggies cleaned house for the remainder of the coaching staff as well. In fact, just one staff member remains from the 2021 team - Defensive Graduate Assistant Quinn Thomas. As Thomas begins his second season, he is joined by 10 new assistant coaches, three new graduate assistants, and an almost entirely new support staff.

The new Aggie staff includes:

• Tim Beck - Offensive Coordinator

• Nate Dreiling - Defensive Coordinator

• Chuka Ndulue - Defensive Line

• Bobby McMillen - Inside Linebackers

• Cliff Odom - Cornerbacks

• Melvin Rice - Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

• Andrew Mitchell - Offensive Line

• Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford - Running Backs

• Tony Sanchez - Wide Receivers

• Tyler Wright - Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends

• Jack Jarnigan - Graduate Assistant (OL)

• Isaiah Washington - Graduate Assistant (WR)
• Aaron Cheatwood - Graduate Assistant (Def.)

• Rachel Phillips - Director of Football Operations

• Brian Hernandez - Chief of Staff

• Pecos Fort - Director of Video

• Sam Graff - Associate Athletic Trainer

• Paulina Mihelich - Equipment Manager

AGGIE ALUM

Tony Sanchez begins his first season on staff with his alma mater. A former Aggie football player and undergraduate assistant, Sanchez returns to Las Cruces to take over as the wide receivers coach on Jerry Kill's staff.

Sanchez, the former head coach at UNLV, racked up 741 yards of receiving and five touchdowns throughout his two years in the crimson and white. The wide receivers coach holds a pair of degrees from NM State - A bachelors degree in 1998 and a masters degree in 2003.

CRACK OPEN A COLD ONE

New Mexico State is one of only a handful of collegiate institutions in the United States to have an officially licensed beer.

Pistol Pete's 1888, a collaboration between NM State and Bosque Brewing Co., was released throughout the state of New Mexico in the fall of 2017 before the canned version was released in August 2018. The beer is available for purchase inside Aggie Memorial Stadium.

A brilliant pale straw-colored ale with a light malt sweetness and just enough late addition hops to add flavor and aromatic nuance, Pistol Pete's 1888 received a bronze medal at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival (GABF). It was recognized in the Golden or Blonde Ale beer-style category.

Bosque is headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., with two locations in addition to its newest addition in the Bernalillo area. The brewery also has locations in Las Cruces.

ADDING TO THE COLLECTION

Just before football season, NM State officially added Wobble On Water to the university's expansive catalog of licensed products. Wobble On Water will be distrib- uted statewide by Admiral Beverages and made its official debut on August 11.

The Aggies become one of just six colleges to have an officially licensed bottled water, joining Stanford, Washington State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, and Idaho.

With the addition of the bottled water, NM State now has officially licensed beer, wine, whiskey, tequila, candles, nuts, and more. Fans may recognize the name from the popular stanza in the NM State fight song - "And we'll drink it to the Aggies 'til we wobble in our shoes..."

INTRODUCING THE VARSITY NETWORK

NM State Sports Properties and its parent company LEARFIELD, has announced the creation of "THE VARSITY NETWORK" an interactive application that features free live gameday broadcasts, original content, and national college programming such as College Sports Now, College Football Biltz and the new College Football Saturday Night.

Fans can download the app for iPhone or android and will gain instant access to free gameday audio streams, including NM State football brought to you by Jack Nixon and Cory Lucas, and receive push notifications to remind them of games starting or upcoming audio broadcasts.

BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

NM State broadcaster Jack Nixon returns for his 43rd year of broadcasting Aggie athletics for the NM State radio network. A legend on the Aggie airwaves, Nixon has broadcast over 400 Aggie football contests and over 1,000 Aggie men's basketball games. An NM State Hall of Fame selection, Nixon will handle of the radio duties with former Aggie Cory Lucas, who joined the broadcaster ahead of the 2017 season.

For complete coverage of NM State football as the Aggies prepare for year one under head coach Jerry Kill and his staff, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of NM State athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFootball).

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Jerry Kill becomes the first former Minnesota coach to battle the Golden Gophers since 1947

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