The last time New Mexico State played in a bowl game it played in the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association with schools like Arizona State, Arizona, and Texas Tech, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president of the United States, and gas cost around 25 cents per gallon.
Now for the first time since it beat Utah State 20-13 in the 1960 Sun Bowl, the New Mexico State Aggies are primed to break college football's longest consecutive streak of not appearing in a bowl game.
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The 5-6 Aggies will host 4-7 South Alabama on Saturday with a chance to make history and send the school to its first postseason contest in 57 years.
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The Aggies have been a pleasant surprise since hanging tough against the Sun Devils in a week 1 loss, 37-31. Starting quarterback Tyler Rogers has scorched defenses for 3,374 yards and 24 touchdowns while one of the best running backs to ever play in Las Cruces, Larry Rose III, has a great shot to run for over 1,000 yards if NMSU can knock off the Jags this weekend to qualify for game #13 on the season.
The Aggies enter Saturday's showdown as 10-point favorites, and a quick look over the stats below tells you why Vegas likes their chances of reaching the 6 wins needed to become bowl eligible.
2017 is the final season the Aggies will be playing in the Sun Belt as it prepares to do battle next season as an FBS Independent. No doubt the team is finding extra motivation to make the postseason for a conference that showed them the door.
Potential landing spots if it can beat the Jaguars on Saturday? The Arizona Bowl on December 29 is a possibility where they would face a Mountain West squad like Wyoming. It could also find itself in the Camellia Bowl on December 16 against a MAC opponent.
First thing's first: Beat South Alabama on Saturday afternoon and break one of the longest streaks in college football. Not too shabby for a team playing without a conference next year.
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