As salty as I am on the loss, we have to put it behind us and refocus on a very good N Mex St team, I know the coaches and players have. They need our support and focus on conference title. No sharing this year!!!

Anyone have any thoughts on this next team???

I'm a little worried about NM State, but if our team that played Wake Saturday shows up vs the team that went to San Marcos we should be fine. I'm also a little worried about Idaho. Also, our last non-conference game, Umass, they're like 0 - 5?, but seem to be better than their record reflects. We need our running backs at full strength and for our OL to continue to improve. At least going forward the size matchups should be better, don't know that for a fact, but I'm guessing that's true.

Coastal ain't gonna be a pushover

NMSU probably has the best record of any team left on our schedule. They beat UTEP and New Mexico (UTEP's bad but New Mexico is okay) and had close losses to Troy and Arizona State.

I'm less worried about Coastal since they got drubbed by FCS Western Illinois this past week. WIU seems to be a very good team, but a 52-10 loss by the Chanticleers to any FCS team isn't a good look.

But looking across our schedule, I'm not overlooking anyone. Not after Texas State. There's not another team left that worries me less than Texas State did, and look how that turned out.

-GaSo looks terrible, but that's never a gimme game.
-Idaho's record is bad but their QB is a baller and they just beat South Alabama.
-UMass scared Tennessee this past week and has kept most of their games close.
-ULM seems to have some offensive talent.
-GaSt has Shawn Elliott, which has to count for something. And they had a bad first couple of games, but who knows if their shutout of Charlotte means they've figured thing out?
-And La-La has scored 40+ points in 3 of their 4 games this season, and had the other game (against Texas A&M) tied at half before A&M figured out how to shut them down.

Yeah to me NMSU is our toughest game left it seems.

If you'd asked me Saturday night, I would have a different answer, but I think we got our mojo back. If not for a few mental mistakes, we beat wake by 7-10 points. I think we've got that chip on our shoulder back. I also think it's time to throw to set up the run. Our offense looked as good as they have looked since Armanti Edwards walked off the field. Taylor balled out!

Also, how about TJ WATKINS?!? He's a weapon I wasn't aware we had. Hennigan and Williams are growing up fast, but Watkins had a great game also! Can't wait to see him get the ball more.

Our Strength of Schedule has actually gotten a boost with Idaho's win over USA and NMSU looking good. I still wish we got to play Troy and ASU but the schedule is looking better than it did a few weeks ago. I certainly hope we don't take ANYONE light. Let's finish with 10-2 (11-2 after the bowl game) and enjoy some Mountaineer football!

Yosef84 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:35 pm

Our Strength of Schedule has actually gotten a boost with Idaho's win over USA and NMSU looking good. I still wish we got to play Troy and ASU but the schedule is looking better than it did a few weeks ago. I certainly hope we don't take ANYONE light. Let's finish with 10-2 (11-2 after the bowl game) and enjoy some Mountaineer football!

USA playing like they did for most of last year save a couple inexplicable wins, while stAte will once again enter conference play still looking for their first FBS win.

NMSU can't be taken lightly. I think having a bye week prior will help App get healthy as there are a lot of banged up players currently. Maybe our 2 veteran wide outs will finally be available and Moore can be 100%. It also gives App time to correct whatever issues they have in the kicking game. Even with the loss to Wake, the team played by far their best game of the year so maybe the team will hit their stride starting with NMSU. App's D was downright sick during parts of the Wake game...5 straight 3 and outs after the field goal in the first half...that's downright nasty!!

sixtoes9134 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:56 pm

Coastal ain't gonna be a pushover

Coastal lost 52-10 to FCS Western Illinois.

NMSU is in a position to get to it's first bowl game since the 50s, good for them. Mass is better then their 0-5 record suggests. Idaho is a tough team to face on such a long road trip. Ga State is going to figure things out eventually. Ga Southern is going to want that game bad. ULL and CCU don't stand a chance. I think we going 8-0 from here on out, and I'm not too worried about any of them. But I would not be surprised to pick up a loss somewhere.

84 - I absolutely don't mean my comment to be smartass at all and it is not directed to you personally --- OK
Strength of Schedule from this point on means absolutely nothing - N-O-T-H-I-N-G
If we were 4-0 with wins over UGA and WF and had a shot at a non-SBC-tie-in bowl then it absolutely would - We can finish 10-2 or 8-4 (7-5) and will be in a SBC bowl and the only thing that will change which one is whether or not Louisiana or Monroe or Troy or Ark St finish bowl eligible because the "local" teams will be chosen first and SOS nor record will matter ---

WVAPPeer wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:19 am

84 - I absolutely don't mean my comment to be smartass at all and it is not directed to you personally --- OK
Strength of Schedule from this point on means absolutely nothing - N-O-T-H-I-N-G
If we were 4-0 with wins over UGA and WF and had a shot at a non-SBC-tie-in bowl then it absolutely would - We can finish 10-2 or 8-4 (7-5) and will be in a SBC bowl and the only thing that will change which one is whether or not Louisiana or Monroe or Troy or Ark St finish bowl eligible because the "local" teams will be chosen first and SOS nor record will matter ---

I think record could make a little difference in where we're picked in the Sun Belt selection order. For instance, if neither Louisiana school is eligible, I would think New Orleans would be more likely to pick us at 10-2 than at 8-4 or worse. Yes stAte and Troy are closer, but they aren't "local," and remember we were rumored to be next in line for NOLA last year had ULL not won their last game to get to 6-6.

Completely agree about SOS - means nothing at this point other than maybe as a message board talking point.

AppfaninCAALand wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:51 pm

NMSU is in a position to get to it's first bowl game since the 50s, good for them. Mass is better then their 0-5 record suggests. Idaho is a tough team to face on such a long road trip. Ga State is going to figure things out eventually. Ga Southern is going to want that game bad. ULL and CCU don't stand a chance. I think we going 8-0 from here on out, and I'm not too worried about any of them. But I would not be surprised to pick up a loss somewhere.

I agree with everything here except I wouldn't count ULL out. We're going to get everyone's best shot for sure.

Rick83 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:32 pm

Also, how about TJ WATKINS?!? He's a weapon I wasn't aware we had. Hennigan and Williams are growing up fast, but Watkins had a great game also! Can't wait to see him get the ball more.

TJ has been injured a fair amount IIRC.

Yes - every SB team will be after us - We are the defending conference champs and everyone wants to beat the champs - that started with Texas State and will continue with New Mexico State going forward ---

App is the hunted in the conference no doubt about it. Hopefully App will be the hunted for a while to come. That means other teams will get up for App games to knock off the league's best team and App is going to have to find a way to match that intensity. Fielding the most talented team with the best coaching staff, but lacking the focus and intensity will drop some unexpected L's on the season's tally. Any one of the teams left to be played can upset the Mountaineers.

I agree that this team seems to have gotten it's mojo in spite of the final outcome this past Saturday. Keeping that mojo through focus and determination is what it's going to take to put up 10 W's and hit the 3rd bowl in 3 years of eligibility. If it's Montgomery because of forces well beyond anyone associated with App State's control or influence? Then so be it, Mountaineer Nation invades Montgomery again and takes "The Yosef Invitational" for a 3rd straight year!

Watched a good bit of NMSU/Troy .It could have gone the Aggies way as I saw it, just didn't .So yes I expect a test

NMSU is a solid team and App will have to play well to win. Looking at our remaining schedule I would consider them and Idaho as our toughest future opponents. Idaho will be tougher since it is a road game (And such a long road trip). Also, they won a bowl game last year and seem to be heading to another bowl game this year.

App can't have a slip up, 8-0 and hope someone can beat Troy and A-State (they play each other at the end of the season...hopefully one of them or both of them will already have a loss). 7-1 and we will be sharing again or finishing 2nd.