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It’s rivalry week in the Borderland, featuring a game with its future in doubt.
New Mexico State (3-8, 2-5 Conference USA) takes on UTEP (2-9, 2-5 CUSA) Saturday at home. Kick-off is at 2:30 p.m. It’s only the second time the Aggies and Miners have met as conference foes in the 21st century, but they’ll have to play each other as non-conference opponents soon. UTEP announced on Oct. 1 it will join the Mountain West Conference in 2026, and there are currently no games scheduled between it and NM State for that season and beyond.
CUSA will almost certainly schedule the Aggies and Miners in conference play for next season, but the Battle of I-10 is uncertain after that. NM State coach Tony Sanchez hopes it isn’t over.
“I think it’s good for our fans, it’s good for both teams,” Sanchez said Monday. “I think it’s good to have that. It’s good for (gate revenue), it’s good for our fans, good for our two communities. Hopefully, the game stays.”
Sanchez mentioned the New Mexico-NM State rivalry, one played in non-conference since 1951, and the cordial relationship between the Aggies and Miners’ athletic departments as reasons the rivalry can continue. NM State’s non-conference slate is full for 2027, but one or more spots are open for 2026 and 2028-future.
But the game is active this season, and the Aggies hope it results in a positive ending to their season. NM State is coming off a 36-21 victory last Saturday against Middle Tennessee, arguably its best game of 2024 after finding a balanced offense and earning multiple takeaways. The Aggies recorded more passing yards than rushing yards for just the third time this season, led by two scores for the first time since facing Liberty on Sept. 7 and snagged multiple interceptions for the third consecutive game.
A 4-8 finish would still be below its preseason expectations, but a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nmsu-coach-sanchez-hopes-utep-090903651.html
Author : Las Cruces Sun-News
Publish date : 2024-11-26 09:09:00
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