New Mexico State football hoping to escape bottom of FBS in 2020

How will the Aggies fare in 2020?

The Aggies have a tough path ahead of them for 2020. The season will be full of unpredictable variables where injuries could derail their season or the allegations of abuse from Doug Martin could come more into the light.

Without putting the potential injuries, fatigue, or changes made to the team, here are the predictions for the Aggies in 2020.

• Game 1: at UCLA (L) – The Aggies start of 2020 with a tough road matchup against a determined Chip Kelly-led Bruins team.
• Game 2: at UAB (L) – They will continue the beginning of their season on the road against a UAB team that is projected to win the C-USA with 10 wins.
• Game 3: vs. Akron (W) – The Aggies catch a break against an Akron team that had the worst-ranked scoring, rushing and total offense and no wins last season.
• Game 4: vs. New Mexico (L) – The Lobos won last year’s matchup and projected to get even better in 2020 with a new set of experienced coaches.
• Game 5: at UTEP (W) – A loss against an underwhelming Miners offense and defense will devastate the Aggies’ season.
• Game 6: vs. Texas State (L) – A home-field advantage won’t be the difference-maker for the Aggies versus a Bobcats team, projected to be the worst team in the Sun Belt.
• Game 7: at Hawaii (L) – The Rainbow Warriors have too much firepower on the offensive side of the ball for the Aggies to stop.
• Game 8: at Fresno State (L) – Coming off a tough loss at Texas A&M, the Bulldogs will be motivated to get them to potential bowl eligibility.
• Game 9: vs. Louisiana (L) – The Ragin Cajuns are returning their star running back Elijah Mitchell and four offensive linemen on an offense ranked sixth in rushing yards per game (257.4).
• Game 10: at UMass (W) – The Aggies will travel to face a poor Minutemen team as they rebound from a three-game losing streak.
• Game 11: vs. Texas Southern (W) – New Mexico State will get their last chance for a win against an FCS team that went 0-11 last season.
• Game 12: at Florida (L) – The Aggies finish their season against a tough road loss against an elite SEC program.

Prediction: 4-8

While the Aggies would finish 2020 on their third-straight losing season in a row, there is potential for the program to grow. Five of the teams that the Aggies are projected to lose against encountered a winning record last season. The Aggies will be facing against four teams that were ranked among the last six teams in the FBS by Athlon Sports.

What determines a successful season for the Aggies is their durability to stay strong throughout the season. If they win three of the four matchups against Akron, Texas State, UMass or UTEP, then there will be a push for Martin to keep his job. Outside of the 2017 season, New Mexico State hasn’t won at least four games since 2011.

The lack of being in a conference will be tough once again for New Mexico State to handle for a third consecutive season. This will be a tough season for the Aggies to deal with if they cannot find some consistency on the offensive side of the ball or legitimate starters on defense. If the Aggies don’t win more than three games, expect a brand new coaching staff for 2021.