LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KTSM) – The last time New Mexico State went to bowl games in back-to-back seasons, second-year head coach Jerry Kill was still a year away from being born.
Those teams in 1959 and 1960 went a combined 19-3 (11-0 in 1960) under Warren Woodson, winning back-to-back Sun Bowls. This Saturday, if NMSU (6-3, 4-1 Conference USA) beats Middle Tennessee (2-6, 1-3 CUSA), the Aggies will officially be bowl-bound in back-to-back season for the first time in 63 years.
There’s much more on the table for the Aggies, too, including a berth in the CUSA championship game if they take care of business.
Kill said on Tuesday that he’s spoke about the potential scenarios in front of his football team as the Aggies enter the final month of the 2023 season. If the Aggies win out – other than a Nov. 18 road trip to face SEC foe Auburn – they’ll be assured of a spot in the CUSA title game, on top of a second straight bowl berth.
The thing is, they have to take care of business, a fact that Kill harped on repeatedly in his post-practice speech to his team on Tuesday morning and again in his press conference.
“We’ve gone to the worst football team in the country and in two years, we’ve been on TV four times and it’s great publicity for our team and Las Cruces. Anything from here on out is icing on the cake so we’ve got to see if we can get some icing on that cake,” Kill said.
All of NMSU’s goals are in their control. It starts on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. against Middle Tennessee at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
Read: Read More