Stat Attack - New Mexico State
To say Louisiana Tech’s offense has struggled this season would be an understatement. The numbers are simply too bad to ignore: just 111 passing yards per game (10th worst in college football), and only 97 rushing yards per game (15th worst). Combine those two, and Tech averages just 208 total yards per game—making them the 4th worst in the nation.
But here’s the catch: New Mexico State isn’t far behind:
This could be blood in the water for Tech’s defense. In their standout performance in Death Valley, the Bulldog defense held the LSU run game to 2.1 yards per rush. That’s an average the Tigers have only been held to twice before in the Brian Kelly era – losses to Tennessee in 2022 and Texas A&M in 2024.
If Tech’s defense can stymie an SEC powerhouse, it’s fair to wonder what they can do against an offense like New Mexico State’s:
Once a force on the ground, New Mexico State’s run game has taken significant steps backward in each of head coach Tony Sanchez’s two years. In 2023, the Aggies finished 4th in the nation in rushing, but that success seemed to have left when former head coach Jerry Kill did.
And the strength of their early-season competition doesn’t offer much of an excuse. Like Tech, New Mexico State faced an FCS opponent in Week 1. However, while Tech was battling in Baton Rouge, the Aggies squared off against Tulsa—a team that finished last season just outside the Top 25 worst rushing defenses in the FBS.
But it’s not just that the Aggie run game “on average” tends to be poor, it’s that the rush plays tend not to be successful:
Success Rate measures how often a play moves the offense forward enough to stay on track: 50% of the needed yards on 1st down, 70% on 2nd, and 100% on 3rd or 4th down.
Tech’s run game, while certainly not ideal, has been more effective than the raw yardage numbers suggest. In contrast, New Mexico State’s success rate paints an even bleaker picture, with the Aggies being successful on nearly half as many rushes as the Bulldogs.
One of the biggest questions for Louisiana Tech heading into this week is whether the defense can maintain its level of play as the team heads into conference play. Playing with intensity against in-state foes is one thing; keeping that fire burning for ten (or more) additional games is another challenge entirely.
And if the Tech offense finally shows some signs of life, I won’t be too upset either.
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Nathan is also a contributor to gtpdd.dog, a lighthearted Louisiana Tech blog. Be sure to check out @gotechplsdntdie on Twitter.
