This is a series taking a look at the teams on Liberty’s 2023 schedule. It will be run over the next month, and we now move to Liberty’s second game of the season and the Conference USA opener against New Mexico State.
Previous:
Bowling Green
When
Week 2, Sept. 9, 6 pm (ESPN+)
Location
Williams Stadium – Lynchburg, VA
Last year’s record
7-6 FBS Independent
Coach
Jerry Kill, 7-6 in one year
Returning starters
13 (nine on offense, four on defense)
Post-Spring SP+ Ranking
They are 122nd in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings after the spring. They’re 112th on offense and 116th on defense.
NMSU story line
The Aggies averaged just two wins per season over four years but seemingly turned the corner last season under first head coach Jerry Kill. New Mexico State started 0-4 before finishing 7-2 down the stretch that included an emphatic 49-14 win at Liberty and bowl win over Bowling Green. They ended a 21 game road losing streak last season and there is an energy around the program as they join Conference USA and hope to compete for a conference title.
A Liberty win would mean
A win would be some slight revenge for what happened in last year’s regular season finale. That was such a strange game with news of Hugh Freeze and Auburn being a likely match breaking just hours before kickoff. This will be both team’s conference opener in their new home as they move out of the FBS Independence life. A Liberty win could help the Flames’ conference title hopes alive and well.
A Liberty loss would mean
A loss would hurt the Flames’ early season prognostications, but NMSU will come in expecting to get the win behind quarterback Diego Pavia. A loss wouldn’t end the conference title hopes but it would seriously dampen them in just the second game of the year and first CUSA contest.
Up next
at Buffalo
