Post by CrimsonPhantom on Aug 10, 2012 7:32:01 GMT -7
La Tech getting notice before season starts
By Jack Nixon
The opening week of the football season starts early for five WAC teams, including the Aggies. The match-up for New Mexico State is the Hornets from Sacramento State. The game is a great one to start a bowl season.
The Hornets are opponents that will give NM State a test, but also an opportunity to work out the kinks and jitters at home. Not having to travel is a huge plus, since it allows the team to focus on the game plan. The timing also gives head coach DeWayne Walker and his staff extra time to prepare for week two’s trip to Ohio. Other WAC games on Aug. 30 send Eastern Washington to Idaho, Southern Utah faces Utah State in Logan, Utah, and UTSA travels to Mobile, Ala., to take on the Jaguars from South Alabama.
The two best matchups of the WAC’s first week involve Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M meeting in Shreveport, La., and the Spartans of San Jose State driving up the freeway to Stanford.
Louisiana Tech is getting some votes for national rankings in the preseason and has the depth and talent to make those predictions a reality. The Bulldogs return eight starters on offense, six on defense and both kickers. They do not have their starting quarterback returning, freshman Nick Isham who played in 10 games last year. His place will be taken by Colby Cameron. Cameron started some last year and the year before and was the starter in the Bulldogs bowl game last year as well.
A&M is playing for a new coach, Kevin Sumlin, with a freshman quarterback named Johnny Manziel. They return 13 starters on both sides of the ball as well. The game is a great opportunity to make those national rankings closer to reality for La.
Tech.
San Jose State was a surprise success story last year doing it with defense. Stanford has a new quarterback in the offense with the departure of Andrew Luck, but do return 1,300-yard rusher in Stepfan Taylor.
The Spartans appear to be the underdog but their head coach Mike MacIntyre has shown he can do a lot with what has been on hand in the past.
Viva Los Aggies: New Mexico State Spanish broadcasters Martin Cortez and Bob Sherman are hosting a get together at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at Paisano Cafe in Mesilla. Their presentation is for football fans that are more conversant with Spanish than English, but all are welcome. There are few people in the Mesilla Valley who know more about football than Sherman in any language.
If you want to gain a better knowledge of the overall football game, drop in Saturday. Aggie football games are carried in Spanish on 98.7-FM “La Grande.”
From- www.lascrucesbulletin.com/ee/lascrucesbulletin/default.php?pSetup=lascrucesbulletin