The Fresno State football team is set for its second home game of the season against New Mexico State.
Coming off their 46-30 win against the Hornets at Valley Children’s Stadium, the Bulldogs will look to replicate their success at home against the Aggies.
The last game for Fresno State saw a high-flying offense led by quarterback Mikey Keene and wide receiver Mac Dalena.
Dalena ended the game with seven catches for 235 yards and one touchdown. His performance was the most yards in a game for a Bulldog receiver since Davante Adams in 2013.
As for Keene, he ended the game with 358 yards and 2 touchdowns but also threw 2 interceptions.
The defensive side of the ball also came up with explosive plays of their own, forcing two fumbles on the night.
Safety Camryn Bracha has made a big impact each of the first two weeks. He had a career-high 10 tackles in week one versus the University of Michigan. He followed it up with a red zone interception with under two minutes to go in the first half against Sacramento State.
The ‘Dogs were able to win off of explosive plays through the passing game, but Interim Head Coach Tim Skipper is still looking for more.
”We just need to clean up some things and establish a run game,” said Skipper in a post-game press conference.
Through the first two games of the year, running back Malik Sherrod has just 78 yards on the ground despite averaging 80-yards per game last season.
As for New Mexico State, the Aggies are coming to the Valley with a 1-1 record, losing to Liberty University 30-24 last week.
Sophomore quarterback Parker Awad struggled in the season opener but found his footing in his second start.
The running back room for the Aggies can prove to be a problem for the Bulldog defense. New Mexico State has three different running backs that they use on the ground but also in the passing game.
Seth McGowan has 153 rushing yards through two games, averaging nearly 6 yards per carry. Running back Mike Washington also has over 100 yards rushing on the season.
Monte Watkins had a 64-yard touchdown reception last game while McGowan had three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.
This three headed attack helps the Aggies average over 160 rushing yards per game.
On defense, New Mexico State thrives on forcing stops on third down. The Aggies are currently ranked 13th among FBS programs in third-down percentage.
Fresno State is favored by 19 points in this matchup. The last time these two squads met was in the 2023 Isleta New Mexico Bowl where Fresno State won 37-10.
Since that loss, the Aggies have brought in a new head coach along with 36 transfer players from the portal.
Skipper and the ‘Dogs will look to continue their dominance in this series over a newly revamped New Mexico State squad.
