That quarterback answer matters because NMSU's offense was broken last year. The Aggies scored just 21.6 points per game, second-lowest in Conference USA, and were tied for the most turnovers in the league with 24. A home date against an FCS team that just moved up in class is exactly the kind of game a staff needs to fix bad habits before Florida State and Hawaii show up on the schedule.
Defensively, NMSU actually has some continuity to lean on. Linebackers Tory Gethers (87 tackles, 3 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss) and Sone Aupiu (68 tackles, 4 pass breakups) both return after ranking among the team's top tacklers a season ago. Against a Mercyhurst offense that was competitive but inconsistent in NEC play last year — capable of grinding out a 16-15 win over Saint Francis one week and getting shut out 37-0 by Duquesne the next — that front seven should be able to set the tone without much resistance.
Mercyhurst isn't walking into this totally overwhelmed. The Lakers beat Wagner and Robert Morris last season and pushed Central Connecticut, the eventual NEC champ, to the final possession in a 35-28 loss. But an FCS team picked to finish mid-pack in its own conference stepping up to an FBS venue is a jump in speed and depth that shows up fast, especially up front. New Mexico State is reportedly banking a $360,000 guarantee just for hosting this one, which says plenty about how this matchup was designed from the start.