Aggies in search of starting quarterback and other takeaways from NMSU’s spring game

Apr. 6—LAS CRUCES — Tony Sanchez’s immediate impressions of New Mexico State’s spring game?

“Little wind blowing today,” the Aggies’ head coach laughed, gesturing around Aggie Memorial Stadium.

Under the strain of nearly 20-mile-per-hour winds, NMSU closed its first practice session under Sanchez with a spring game on Saturday morning.

Sanchez takes over the Aggies program from Jerry Kill, who resigned in December after leading NMSU to a 17-10 record, back-to-back bowl games and unprecedented success over the last two seasons. Sanchez was the wide receivers coach under Kill.

Here’s few takeaways from the Aggies’ final scrimmage until August, with notes on the quarterback room, defense and a notable position change.

Still looking for a starting quarterback

No quarterbacks — among them, transfers Deuce Hogan, Brandon Nuñez, Parker Awad — were made available after NMSU’s spring game. This was by design, because in the eyes of the coaching staff, nobody is ahead in a quarterback battle that’s now set to carry over at least into fall camp.

All are looking to replace Diego Pavia, last season’s Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. Pavia entered the transfer portal after Kill’s resignation. Both Kill and Pavia are now with Vanderbilt.

With no official stats, (mostly) even reps among Hogan, Nuñez and Awad and shifting personnel (Hogan received reps with the second-team offensive line, Nuñez with the third, etc.), Awad probably had the most productive day, throwing a pair of touchdowns against what looked to be the third-team defense. As with Hogan and Nuñez, some of his throws fell victim to unrelenting gusts that whipped in and out of Aggie Memorial Stadium.

Some of them fell victim to a defense that had finally hit its stride. More on that later.

Sanchez said the problems he’s seeing the most are based in…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/aggies-search-starting-quarterback-other-035900807.html

Author : Albuquerque Journal, N.M.

Publish date : 2024-04-07 03:59:00

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