LAS CRUCES, N.M. - After piecing together arguably its most complete performance in a Wednesday win over FIU, NM State will welcome fellow CUSA newcomer in another midweek bout as Sam Houston makes the trip to the southwest on Wednesday night.

Game Information
NM State (3-3, 1-1 CUSA) vs. Sam Houston (0-5, 0-2 CUSA)
Date: October 11, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
TV: CBS Sports Network

• Carter Blackburn (PxP)
• Robert Turbin (Color Analyst)

Radio: The Aggie Radio Network, Powered by LEARFIELD

• Jack Nixon (PxP)
• Cory Lucas (Color Analyst)

PICK SIX
20 - With 20 completions against FIU last Wednesday, Diego Pavia set a new career-high in completions.
174.4 - Entering Wednesday, Diego Pavia ranks 15th in the nation in passing efficiency at 174.4. This comes on the heels of a 2022 season in which he finished with a 133.5 passer rating.
16.6 - By posting an average of 16.6 yards per completion, the NM State offense ranks sixth in the nation among FBS teams in this category.
3 - With just three fumbles lost this season, NM State is tied for first in Conference USA for fewest turnovers by way of fumble this season.
7 - The Aggies' seven sacks as a team on Wednesday against FIU marks the most sacks for an Aggie defense since 2018 when NM State racked up eight sacks in a win over UTEP.
4 - With seven games remaining on the schedule, the Aggies are in need of four wins to become bowl eligible for the second straight season.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
The Aggies and Bearkats have met several times as conference foes as they shared time in the WAC last season, however, Wednesday will be the first time that NM State will face off against Sam Houston on the gridiron.
 
This will also mark the first time that NM State faces off with a brand new opponent since they did so in the 2022 Quick Lane Bowl when they battled Bowling Green for the first time.
 
Being that the Aggies and Bearkats are now CUSA foes, the 2023 collision should be the first of many.
 
DOMINANT DEFENSE
Last Wednesday, the Aggies held FIU rushers to a combined 87 yards. This marks the second time NM State has held an opponent to fewer than 100 rushing yards in a game this season and the fourth time under Head Coach Jerry Kill.
 
Earlier this season, the Aggies held Western Illinois to just 32 rushing yards. The Leathernecks' output marked the lowest combined rushing yards for an Aggie opponent since Dec. 2, 2017, when South Alabama accumulated just 22 yards of offense with its rushing attack.
 
KINGS OF NEW MEXICO
For the first time since 2017, NM State tallied a win in Albuquerque as they defeated the Lobos 27-17 on Sept. 16. This also marked the second consecutive win over the Lobos and makes Jerry Kill the first Aggie coach since Dewayne Walker to begin his career with a perfect 2-0 record against the Aggies' in-state rival.
 
In the win, the Aggies were led offensively by Albuquerque native Diego Pavia who finished the night with 203 passing yards, two throwing touchdowns and 99 rushing yards. The 99-yard rushing total marked the most by any Aggie at that point in the season.
 
BRADY BOOM
In year two with the program, sophomore wide receiver Jonathan Brady has emerged as one of Aggies' go-to targets in the passing game. With six games in the books, the Las Vegas native paces all Aggie receivers with 273 total receiving yards.
 
His 109-yard receiving game against New Mexico marked the second time that Brady has eclipsed the century mark this season. With the performance against UNM, Brady also becomes the first Aggie receiver with multiple 100-yard receiving games since Jared Wyatt did so in 2021.
 
Brady's hot start puts him in elite company as he is the first NM State wideout to have two 100-yard games in the first four outings since Teldrick Morgan did so in 2014 when he had receiving totals of 202 yards in the third game of the season before posting 122 yards in game four.
 
 
SPECIAL TALENT
Since his arrival in 2019, Ethan Albertson has established himself among the top kickers in the country. Two weeks ago, Albertson received recognition for his performance against New Mexico as he was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
The award came on the heels of a Saturday performance in which he made a pair of field goals and went a perfect 3-for-3 on PAT attempts.
 
Amid his senior season, the San Diego, Calif., native ranks inside the top-ten in NM State history for field goals made (4th, 36), field goals attempted (7th, 46), field goal percentage (1st, 78.3%), extra points made (T-6th, 85), extra points attempted (6th, 89) and extra point percentage (1st, 95.5%).
 
DUAL THREAT
After an impressive first season in the Crimson and White, quarterback Diego Pavia already finds himself among the Aggie greats. He currently ranks 19th all-time in program history in career passing yards (2,779) and third in career rushing yards by a quarterback (822).
 
AIR IT OUT
Between Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck and Wide Receivers Coach Tony Sanchez, the Aggies have formed an offensive attack that produces big play after big play in the passing game. Currently, the Aggies rank sixth in the nation in passing yards per completion - averaging nearly 17 yards per reception (16.6). Thus far, the Aggies have compiled 16 passing plays of 25 yards or more in just six games.
 
BLOCK THAT KICK!
On Sept. 9, the hand of Gabe Peterson helped NM State's special teams unit came up with a blocked point after attempt for the first time since since Dion Henrique did so at Florida on Sept. 5, 2015.
 
BIG PLAYS ONLY
Jordin Parker has put together one of the most unique seasons in all of college football as he has now caught three touchdown passes on just four receptions on the season.
 
His stat line gets even stranger when you look at his total receiving yards this year. Following yet another big catch against FIU, Parker now ranks second on the team in receiving yards with 194. That is good for an astonishing 48.5 yards per reception.
 
Parker's running mate Jonathan Brady also has a thing for the big play as he averages 21.0 yards per catch to rank 20th in yards per reception among FBS players with at least two catches per game. Of the players ahead of him on that list, only five individuals have caught more passes than Brady.
 
 
 
 
SATURDAYS ARE FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL... Just not in Las Cruces
NM State is in the midst of a stretch of 63 days in which it will not play a home game on a Saturday. For seven consecutive weeks, the Aggies will either be on the road or hosting a midweek contest.
 
During this period, the Aggies welcomed FIU on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and will now host Sam Houston on Wednesday, Oct. 11.
 
NO LIMITS ON THE AGGIES
As the Aggies enter the heart of their conference schedule, some of NM State's numbers stack up against the best of the best in the new league.
 
Currently, the Aggies have six individuals who rank inside the top five in the conference in a total of 20 statistical categories.
 
Diego Pavia
Pass Efficiency (2nd, 174.4)
Passing TDs (2nd, 12)
Passing Yards (3rd, 1,329)
Passing Yards per Game (5th, 221.5)
Passing Yards per Completion (2nd, 16.21)
Total Offense per Game (4th, 273.8)
Yards per Pass Attempt (2nd, 10.38)
Rush Yards per Carry (3rd, 5.23)
Completion Pct. (2nd, 64.1%)
Completions Per Game (5th, 13.67)
 
Jonathan Brady
Receiving TDs (t-3rd, 3)
Combined kick return yards (5th, 124)
Yards per Reception (3rd, 21.0)
 
Star Thomas
Rushing TDs (3rd, 4)
Total TDs (2nd, 5)
 
Ethan Albertson
Field Goal Pct. (2nd, 80%)
Field Goals Per Game (1st, 1.33)
Scoring (1st, 45 pts)
 
Trent Hudson
Receiving TDs (t-3rd, 3)
 
Jordin Parker
Receiving TDs (t-3rd, 3)
 
AGGIE FOOTBALL AND ESPN+
With the offseason shift to Conference USA, the Aggies were also recipients of a change in their media rights deal.
 
This season, all Aggie home football games that are not produced by ESPN or CBS Sports Network will be produced in-house by AggieVision on ESPN+ with Saturday's contest versus the Leathernecks being the first of this nature.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES (SAM HOUSTON)
NM State continues its string of midweek games as Sam Houston enters Aggie Memorial Stadium on Wednesday night. The Bearkats head to the City of Crosses still in search of its first win this season and first win at the FBS level after transitioning from the FCS level where they dominated for many years.
 
At the helm for the Bearkats will be K.C. Keeler who is a household name around college football and is currently ranked fourth in wins among active FBS coaches. Just three seasons ago, Keeler led the Bearkats to an FCS national title when they finished the season with a 10-0 record.
 
Offensively, the Bearkats will rely heavily on its passing attack as over 70 percent of their total yards this season have come through the air. Leading the way will be senior Keegan Shoemaker who has compiled 731 passing yards and four passing touchdowns this season. Entering Wednesday, Shoemaker's number one target has been Noah Smith who has accounted for 30 of Shoemaker's 75 completions this year. Smith, a redshirt junior from Houston, is coming off back-to-back games in which he tallied exactly 97 receiving yards and double-digit receptions. In the backfield, Sam Houston will look to John Gentry to carry the load. Outside of Shoemaker, Gentry is the only Bearkat to record 20 or more carries this season.
 
Defensively, NM State will be tasked with minimizing the affect that lineback Trevor Williams can have on the game. At just 5-9, Williams paces all Bearkats with 58 tackles - a number that is 28 tackles better than the next closest defender. Up front, Chris Smith will likely be the focal point of the Aggie offensive line. Thus far, Smith leads the Bearkats in both sacks (2) and tackles for loss (3).
 
LOCAL TIES
The Aggies' current roster features 25 student-athletes from the state of Texas, including four players from the nearby Sam Houston area. Dylan Early, Jayvhion Gipson and Cedric Claiborne are each from Houston while Malachi McLean hails from Manvel, Texas, just outside of Houston.