RAINBOW WARRIORS OFFENSE

WO—7 Jordan Murray 6-5 240 Sr.

SB—3 James Phillips 5-9 160 Sr.

LT—75 Ilm Manning 6-4 295 Sr.

LG—69 Stephan Bernal-Wendt 6-1 325 Sr.

C—61 Eliki Tanuvasa 6-2 300 Sr.

RG—71 Micah Vanterpool 6-6 315 Sr.

RT—77 Austin Hopp 6-6 310 Sr.

TE—85 Caleb Phillips 6-5 230 Sr.

WO—9 Dior Scott 5-9 175 Sr.

QB—13 Brayden Schager 6-3 215 So.

RB—31 Dedrick Parson 5-8 205 Sr.

Whether it’s Joey Yellen or Brayden Schager in the shotgun, the football will be in Las Cruces’ thin air frequently on Saturday. The Warriors — one of three FBS teams without a TD pass — are seeking to air out an offense that runs on 59.3% of the snaps. Schager, who has fully recovered from a contusion, is embracing head coach Timmy Chang’s pledge to extend the offense vertically. “I’m ready to throw it,” Schager said. “The whole state wants to see us throw the ball. I’m ready to air it out for everybody, and hopefully throw some touchdowns.” As the story goes, the day Schager was born, his father placed a football in his hands. “I was always throwing things around,” said Schager, who also was a pitcher. In front-yard football in Dallas, Schager recalled, “I was playing quarterback for our team while the dads were playing quarterback for everybody else.” In the first four games, the Warriors are 2-for-20 on passes traveling at least 20 yards from the line of scrimmage. Only two completions netted at least 31 yards — both Jalen Walthall fourth-quarter catches. The Warriors will be without top receivers Jonah Panoke (collarbone) and Zion “Zebo” Bowens. But Jordan Murray has moved from tight end to wideout, where he can take advantage of his speed, frame (6-5, 240 pounds) and vise-like grip. “A great move,” Schager said. “We need to get him the ball a lot more. He’s a freak, and I don’t think anybody’s really been able to see that yet. We need to give him chances on the outside.”

RAINBOW WARRIORS DEFENSE

DE—7 Mataio Soli 6-4 230 Sr.

NT—55 Blessman Ta‘ala 6-2 305 Sr.

DT—90 John Tuitupou 6-4 300 Sr.

Dog—42 Jonah Kahahawai-Welch 6-2 230 Sr.

MLB—1 Penei Pavihi 6-3 245 Sr.

WLB—17 Isaiah Tufaga 6-1 230 Sr.

NB—9 Malik Hausman 6-0 180 Sr.

CB—23 Virdel Edwards II 6-2 210 Sr.

FS—28 Meki Pei 5-11 175 So.

SS—19 Kaulana Makaula 6-3 220 Jr.

CB—8 JoJo Forest 5-11 165 Jr.

After not earning a sack and forcing two turnovers in the first two games, the Warriors produced three sacks and four picks in the next two contests. Nose tackle Blessman Ta‘ala, who has missed only one possible tackle, has been a dominant two-gap canceler. While Mataio Soli averages a tackle a game, his bracketing and pressures have opened the way for the linebackers to swoop. Virdel Edwards II, who transferred from Iowa State with the intent of competing at safety, has emerged as a shutdown corner with a route-altering jab. Malik Hausman, who spent five years at Arizona, is a stickler for fundamentals and techniques. After dropping potential interceptions in training camp, he shows up ahead of practices to work on pass-catching drills. Hausman, who splits nickelback duties with Peter Manuma, made two end-zone picks against Duquesne. Meki Pei, who played in 10 games for Washington last year, joined the Warriors in June. It was an easy transition for Pei. “I was learning the same scheme at (Washington),” said Pei, an All-State linebacker as an ‘Iolani School senior in 2019. “When I came home, it was a little easier for me to pick up (UH’s defense).” At free safety, Pei defends slotbacks and space-seeking wideouts. “You’ve got to be more on top of your keys,” Pei said. “One second is the difference making the PBU or pick and not making a play at all.” Six of Pei’s nine tackles have been in the open field.

RAINBOW WARRIORS SPECIALISTS

PK/P—2 Matthew Shipley 6-1 180 Jr.

KO—46 Kyler Halvorsen 6-0 175 Fr.

LS—44 Solomon Landrum 5-11 215 Jr.

H—86 Ben Falck 6-6 230 Jr.

KR—22 Jalen Perdue 5-10 170 Sr.

PR—9 Dior Scott 5-9 175 Sr.

As a late starter — he played only one year of football at Antelope Valley High — Jalen Perdue is finishing his senior year as an aggressive and speedy returner. His 58-yard kickoff return set up a UH touchdown last week. He has no muffs in 12 returns. In high school, Perdue clocked 10.73 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.30 in the 200. (In contrast, 22.51 was the fastest 200 in the 2022 HHSAA state championships.)

AGGIES OFFENSE

X—6 Justin Powers 6-4 185 Jr.

SB—18 Jordin Parker 5-9 160 Jr.

LT—78 Gabriel Preciado 6-4 315 Sr.

LG—62 Jae’vone Brown 6-5 352 Fr.

C—56 Canaan Yarro 6-1 295 So.

RG—54 Isaiah Musalat 6-4 305 Jr.

RT—69 Doro Omeri 6-4 285 Gr.

TE—85 Thomaz Whitford 6-4 250 Jr.

Z—11 Kordell David 6-3 195 Jr.

QB—10 Diego Pavia 6-0 200 Jr.

QB—9 Gavin Frakes 6-4 220 Fr.

RB—3 Jamoni Jones 6-2 225 So.

Diego Pavia and Gavin Frakes are locked in a quarterback battle that nobody wants to win. They have combined for nine interceptions against one TD pass. Pavia has connected on 37.5% of his passes. Frakes is at 42.9% accuracy, but only 27.3% on third-down passes. “We wish one of them would emerge,” head coach Jerry Kill said. “But neither one of them will. It’s an issue.” The Aggies are averaging 8.0 points and 233.5 yards per game. Against Minnesota, the Aggies had 33 plays for 91 yards, averaging 2.8 yards per snap and 10.1 yards per possession. The Aggies have shown four-wide sets and an empty formation in which Pavia becomes the lone runner. When they go with three receivers, tight end Thomaz Whitford aims for a linebacker and circles into the backfield to block or pull, or stutter-steps before heading on a vertical route. Last year, Whitford caught 19 passes, including 12 for first downs, but has been targeted only once this year. Star Thomas is the leading rusher at 27.3 yards per game, but only two have been for double-digit yards. “I believe in running the football,” said Kill, who entered his first NMSU season eighth among active coaches in victories. The Aggies have left-side protection – tackle Gabriel Preciado is 315 pounds, guard Jae’vone Brown weighs 352 — and freshman AJ Vaipulu is the future at center. Vaipulu’s older brother is UH lineman Solo Vaipulu.

AGGIES DEFENSE

DT—94 Marcus Buckley 6-2 290 Sr.

NG—25 Lama Lavea 6-3 300 So.

DE—10 Lazarus Williams 6-5 270 Jr.

Stud—16 Donavan King 6-3 255 Sr.

WLB—3 Chris Ojoh 6-1 220 Sr.

MB—80 Trevor Brohard 6-3 235 Sr.

NB—8 Andre Seldon 5-8 180 Jr.

CB—6 Syrus Dumas 5-10 170 Jr.

FS—11 Dylan Early 6-0 180 So.

SS—32 Bryce Jackson 5-10 195 Gr.

CB—4 BJ Sculark 5-11 185 Jr.

Under 31-year-old Nate Dreiling, FBS’s second-youngest defensive coordinator, the Aggies are relinquishing 36.8 points per game and giving up touchdowns on 42.9% of full drives. Opponents average 5.2 yards per first-down rush. But the Aggies have a bring-it-on approach, placing as many as eight in the box against Wisconsin’s power running attack. Nose tackle Lama Lavea’s diagonal bursts make him difficult to block directly. Donovan King, who plays the stud position, can align as a fourth lineman or flex to drop into coverage or loop into the backfield. Chris “Mojo” Ojoh has ascended to the do-everything role. From 4 yards off the line of scrimmage, he can storm to fill a running lane. Last week, he positioned as a stand-up nose, powered through the A gap, pushed away a blocking back, and registered the sack. Strong safety Bryce Jackson is familiar with the Warriors, having played for UNLV the previous three seasons. In 2020, Jackson made a team-high seven tackles and recovered a fumble against UH. At the end of the 2021 season, cornerback Syrus Dumas entered the transfer portal. He ended up staying after Jerry Kill was hired as head coach. “I’m a good recruiter,” Kill mused. “He’s a good player, good person.”

AGGIES SPECIALISTS

K—84 Ethan Albertson 6-2 225 Jr.

P/H—35 Josh Carlson 6-0 185 Jr.

LS—44 Logan MacGregor 6-2 205 So.

KR—18 Jordin Parker 5-9 180 Jr.

PR—83 Lawrence Dixon 5-10 180 Sr.

If football were rocket science, it would be a breeze for kicker Ethan Albertson, who is majoring in aerospace engineering. But Albertson, who was the Aggies’ leading scorer a year ago, has missed three of four field-goal attempts. Albertson has had better results on his eight kickoffs, with four resulting in touchbacks. Opponents’ average drive starts on the 23 following an NMSU kickoff.