New Mexico State vs. Louisiana Tech: Pavia, Smoke Harris lead storylines for Tuesday football
The New Mexico State Aggies will take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a Week 9 matchup. Diego Pavia, the quarterback for the Aggies, has been the subject of much discussion recently.
Pavia was named the CUSA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 16 for his big performance against Sam Houston and received recognition as one of the Manning Award's Stars of the Week for the second time. He was the first Aggie this season to record a 100-yard rushing game and have over 400 yards of total offense since 2017.
Pavia recently made headlines for different reasons after a video appeared to capture Pavia urinating on New Mexico’s Lobo logo inside the school’s indoor practice facility before the rivals played each other in a Week 7 matchup on September 16th. Pavia was also seen on the video showing his middle finger to a separate logo.
A spokesperson for New Mexico State confirmed awareness of the situation but did not disclose if any punishment was administered to Pavia, citing federal privacy laws.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have not lost to New Mexico State since 2006 and are not letting Pavia’s distractions hinder their pursuit of a seventh consecutive win in the series against the Aggies. The Bulldogs are favorites as they head into the Week 9 match-up against the Aggies.
🏈 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK 🏈
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🏅1️⃣ Diego Pavia, @NMStateFootball#NoLimitsOnUs | https://t.co/ANao22STem pic.twitter.com/xkV0JPMYfn— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) October 16, 2023
NCAAF Standings 2023: Conference USA
Who is Diego Pavia?
Diego Pavia is the quarterback for the New Mexico State . He had also received offers from Jackson State and Saint Francis but decided to play for the Aggies.
Pavia spent his freshman and sophomore years at New Mexico Military Institute before joining the New Mexico State team in 2022 as a Junior, where he appeared in 12 games and started eight of them as the team's quarterback.
QB1 has been on another level this season.😤#AggieUp x #HHLP pic.twitter.com/l9DPMhuD3g
— New Mexico State Football (@NMStateFootball) October 20, 2023
Pavia completed 117 of 189 passes for a 61.9% completion rate and 16 touchdowns in the 2023 season before Week 9.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that despite having a good 2023 season, Pavia has not spoken to the media for three weeks after a video of him urinating on the New Mexico Lobo logo surfaced. Head coach Jerry Kill mentioned that it is unlikely that Pavia will speak to the media again this season.
What to watch for Louisiana Tech:
Louisiana Tech are fifth in the Conference USA standings with a 3-5 overall record for 2023 heading into Week 9. The Bulldogs boasts a strong wide receiver corps led by Smoke Harris, who ranks second among FBS players in the nation in receptions with 59. Harris has 614 receiving yards and three touchdowns for the 2023 season thus far.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have won their last four meetings against New Mexico State by an average of 29 points, giving them an advantage in the Week 9 matchup.
THE SMOKE EFFECT 🌬️
It's not too late, @biletnikoffawrd ✍️ pic.twitter.com/9vrwerJORO— LA Tech Football 🏈 (@LATechFB) October 19, 2023
How to watch New Mexico State vs. Louisiana Tech, TV and streaming:
The New Mexico State Aggies (5-3, 3-1) kick-off against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-5, 2-2) at 7:00 p.m., ET on CBS Sports Network. You can also watch via Fubo.
How to watch: Catch football action this season on Fubo
College Football Odds Week 9: New Mexico State vs. Louisiana Tech Lines, betting trends:
The Bulldogs are favorites to defeat the Aggies, according to the BetMGM college football odds.
Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps.
Spread Favorite: Louisiana Tech (-2.5)
Moneyline: Louisiana Tech (-128), Mexico State (+108)
Total: 51.5 points
The New Mexico State Aggies football 2023 schedule and results:
Week 1: New Mexico State 30-41 Massachusetts, Final
Week 2: New Mexico State 58-21 Western Illinois, Final
Week 3: New Mexico State 17-33 Liberty, Final
Week 4: New Mexico State 27-17 New Mexico, Final
Week 5: New Mexico State 17-20 Hawaii, Final
Week 6: New Mexico State 34-17 Florida International, Final
Week 7: New Mexico State 27-13 Sam Houston, Final
Week 8: New Mexico State 28-7 UTEP, Final
Week 9: Tues. 10/24: New Mexico State vs. Louisiana Tech, 7:00 p.m., ET, CBS Sports Network
Week 10: Sat. 11/04: New Mexico State vs. Middle Tennessee, 6:00 p.m., ET, TBD
Week 11: Sat. 11/11: New Mexico State vs. Western Kentucky, 3:30 p.m., ET, TBD
Week 12: Sat. 11/18: New Mexico State vs. Auburn, TBD
Week 13: Sat 11/25: New Mexico State vs. Jacksonville State, 4 p.m., ET, TBD
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football 2023 schedule and results:
Week 1: Louisiana Tech 22-17 Florida International, Final
Week 2: Louisiana Tech 14-38 SMU, Final
Week 3: Louisiana Tech 51-21 Northwestern State, Final
Week 4: Louisiana Tech 37-40 North Texas, Final
Week 5: Louisiana Tech 14-28 Nebraska, Final
Week 6: Louisiana Tech 24-10 UTEP, Final
Week 7: Louisiana Tech 28-35 Western Kentucky, Final
Week 8: Louisiana Tech 23-31 Middle Tennessee, Final
Week 9: Tues. 10/24: Louisiana Tech vs. New Mexico State, 7:00 p.m., ET, CBS Sports Network
Week 10: Sat. 11/04: Louisiana Tech vs. Liberty, 6:00 p.m., ET, CBS Sports Network
Week 11: Sat. 11/11: Louisiana Tech vs. Sam Houston, 3:30 p.m., ET, TBD
Week 12: Sat. 11/18: Louisiana Tech vs. Jacksonville State , TBD
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to watch New Mexico State vs. Louisiana Tech game: TV info, schedule, odds