What to Watch For In New Mexico State’s 2017 Season

The pre-season football preview magazines have finally hit store shelves, signaling that the offseason is finally coming to a slow end.

With the magazines being released, fans can’t help but get a sense of excitement and optimism for their team; whether they are coming off a bad year or in the hunt for the CFP.

For me, reading the magazines made me realize that the New Mexico State football team’s 2017 season could be really exciting for a lot of reasons, something I thought all fans should be aware of even if it is still mid-July. Here are some things Aggie fans should keep tabs on this fall:

Larry Rose III and the Career Rushing Record

Larry Rose III has been a huge bright spot for the Aggies every year he has played on the team. As one of the most underrated rushers in the country, Rose has a chance to do something special this year in becoming the Aggies’ all-time leading rusher. Rose already sits third on the list with 3,618 yards, just 1,074 yards shy of Denvis Manns record of 4,692. If Rose can stay healthy and find some holes, he should easily be able to break the record and cement his legacy as one of the all time greatest Aggies.

FBS Record for Postseason Drought

In my opinion, this is the biggest reason to get excited for 2017 if you are an Aggies fan because of what breaking this record would mean.

You see, since 1960, the New Mexico State football team has made it to the postseason exactly zero times. In other words, in the last 56 years, the Aggies have not played in a bowl game. Unsurprisingly, that is the longest streak in the country. The last time they did play a bowl game, they were ranked #17 and beat Utah State 20-13.

But with a tough coach, some talented offensive players (at all the skill positions), a good offensive line, exciting defensive backs, and some key defensive line additions, this just might be the year that NMSU surprises the entire country and makes it to a bowl game.

Tyler Rogers Career Passing Mark

Much like LRIII, Tyler Rogers has a chance to move up the career passing yards list in his final season.

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

If Rogers is able to throw for 1,132 yards, he will move into second on the Aggies’ career passing yards list. Rogers has currently thrown for 6,348 career yards and sits at #3 on the list. While I don’t see him breaking the all-time record set by current coach and former Aggie QB Chase Holbrook (11,846 yards), he does have a very good chance at reaching the second place spot, held by Cody Ledbetter (7,480 yards).

Aggie Extras

In other news, the Aggies have added another running back to the 2017 roster. Eli Anderson, a 5’11”, 210 pound running back from La Habra, California, announced his decision via Twitter over the weekend. He will be eligible to play this fall. You can see his Hudl highlights here.