Before MTSU football (2-9, 1-6 CUSA) heads west for its final game of the season against the New Mexico State Aggies (4-7, 2-5 CUSA), Nick Coppola of the Las Cruces Sun-Times sat down to give a look at the Aggies.
After starting the season on a two-game winning streak, NMSU has dropped seven of its last nine contests. Most recently, the Aggies took down the University of Texas at El Paso in the Battle of I-10 rivalry, 34-31.
The opposing coach: Tony Sanchez
A two-year wide receiver for NMSU in the 1990s, Sanchez made his return to campus in December 2023 after being hired as the Aggies’ 36th head coach.
“[He’s brought] a lot of passion and a lot of energy,” Coppola said. “… He does really care about the program.”
Sanchez spent five years as the head man for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While leading the Rebels from 2015-19, Sanchez picked up 20 wins. Between his time at UNLV and NMSU, Sanchez served as an offensive analyst for Texas Christian University in the 2021 season.
Since taking the job at his alma mater, Sanchez has guided the Aggies to seven wins in 23 games through his first two seasons.
“Last year was difficult because it was a coaching transition,” Coppola said. “A lot of new players, and things like that. This year they thought the team was better, but just a lot of close losses. Part of that does have to come down to coaching.”
Sanchez led New Mexico State to a 3-9 record in his first campaign, which was his sixth overall as a Division I head coach. The 2024 edition of the Aggies was more run-oriented on offense, with running backs Mike Washington and Seth McGowan both earning second-team All-CUSA selections.
This year hasn’t been as kind to NMSU in the ground game, as it’s the only team in CUSA with fewer rushing yards than MTSU. The offense as a whole has struggled this season, averaging 21.4 points per game under Sanchez’s guidance.
MTSU wide receiver Amorion Walker celebrates a first down against Sam Houston, at Floyd Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025 (Ephraim Rodenbach)
Players to watch
Quarterback(s)-Logan Fife and Adam Damante
The Blue Raiders will once again be preparing to see multiple quarterbacks from their opponent.
Sanchez said during his weekly press conference that the program is unsure of the status for the senior Fife, who missed last week’s contest due to injury. He said that if Fife were to play, the team plans to run a two-quarterback system that would also employ the redshirt sophomore Damante.
Coming off his first start with NMSU, Damante led the Aggies to victory over UTEP with 253 passing yards and three touchdowns. He took care of the football in the win as well, throwing just one interception.
“It didn’t really feel like they went that far away from their game plan with Adam Damante,” Coppola said. “They didn’t ask him to throw the ball deep or anything like that … It just feels like a difference in what they are calling because they knew they had a backup on the field.”
The start against UTEP was the most Damante has played since transferring to NMSU from Northern Arizona University. He has three other appearances on the season, including picking up 153 yards during a loss to the University of Tennessee.
Fife carries a lot more experience with the Aggies’ offense than Damante, with 10 starts this season and four years of college football under his belt prior to 2025.
“There was a lot of hype around him, certainly from the coaching staff,” Coppola said. “… They thought he would be a massive upgrade to the quarterback position.”
Across those starts, the former Fresno State University and University of Montana quarterback compiled 2,238 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. Fife has struggled with turnovers this season, as the defense has intercepted 12 of his passes.
The Tracy, California, native has also been one of the most inaccurate quarterbacks in CUSA, as he is ninth out of 11 qualified passers with a 56.4% completion percentage.
While Fife hasn’t set the world on fire during his time in Las Cruces, New Mexico, he has still been an improvement over what the squad had last year. NMSU had three different quarterbacks play in six or more games last year.
“He is an upgrade from what they had last season,” Coppola said. “Last season the quarterback play was just terrible. This year he’s been better than that, but from fan expectations, it feels like he’s missed the mark.”
Fife’s play hasn’t been as bad as some pundits or NMSU fans have made it out to be, as it fits more in the category of being average, Coppola said.
Wide receiver- TK King
After missing the first four games of the season due to a hamstring injury, King has stepped in and played a large part in the Aggies’ aerial attack.
“He’s been a bit of an explosive playmaker,” Coppola said. “He caught the game winning touchdown last week against UTEP. They like opening up their vertical passing game to him down the field.”
With only seven games under his belt this year, King is third on the Aggies in receiving yards with 410. He’s averaging 58.57 yards per game, which is second on the team.
If Damante gets majority of the snaps for NMSU at quarterback, King may not play as big of a role since he is more of a weapon in the deep passing game, Coppola said. King was still able to make an impact with Damante at quarterback, with his score against UTEP being his lone receiving touchdown of the year.
Defensive tackle- Ezra Christensen
Christensen has wreaked havoc along the line of scrimmage for the Aggies this season.
In ten games, the redshirt senior is leading the team in sacks with six, and tackles for loss, with 10.5. These marks place Christensen towards the top of CUSA, as he’s second in sacks and third in TFL’s.
“He’s been one of the best defensive tackles in the conference this year,” Coppola said. “He’s one to watch.”
Christensen could stand out for the Aggie defense against MTSU’s offensive line, which has struggled with injuries at times. This includes the loss of freshman guard Otto Janse Van Rensburg to a season-ending injury against Western Kentucky.
Where to watch
The showdown between the Blue Raiders and the Aggies will be broadcast on ESPN+ with a 2 p.m. CDT kickoff. A radio broadcast will also be available on WGNS Radio.
Odds/Point spread
MTSU enters as a +3.5-point underdog for the matchup against NMSU.
Editor Picks
Willie Phaler, Lead sports reporter (8-3)
NMSU 30, MTSU 27
Brett Walker, Co-sports editor (9-2)
MTSU 31, NMSU 28
Jacob Burgess, Co-sports editor (8-3)
MTSU 28, NMSU 24
Nick Coppola, Las Cruces Sun-Times (Guest pickers 7-4)
NMSU 24, MTSU 17
