Aggies host Sam Houston in another Wednesday night game

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.

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 in other sports 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.

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.
  
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, Nevada, native paces all Aggie receivers with 273 total receiving yards.

His 109-yard receiving game against New Mexico marked the second time Brady has eclipsed the century mark this season.

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.

Amid his senior season, the San Diego native ranks inside the top 10 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.
  
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. On Oct. 18, another Wednesday, the Aggies will be in El Paso to renew the I-10 rivalry with conference stakes on the line.
 
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 effect linebacker 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).