New Mexico St. Will Beat CS Fullerton, Knoll Says

Never mind that New Mexico State has yet to win a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game in 13 tries, or that the Aggies entered the 1986 season with an eight-game losing streak. First-year Coach Mike Knoll has been busily prescribing, “Aggie attitude adjusters,” and believes his players will enjoy some enchanted evenings in the Land of Enchantment.

Knoll has even gone on record as saying that New Mexico State will get its first PCAA win tonight at Las Cruces, N.M., in Aggie Memorial Stadium when the Aggies play Cal State Fullerton. In a preseason assessment of his team’s fortunes, Knoll guaranteed it.

“When we line up Sept. 6 against Cal State Fullerton, we’re going to win our first PCAA game of the season,” Knoll told the Las Cruces Sun-News. “I believe in our players and our football team. Our players wish we were playing tomorrow.”

Knoll further predicted that the Aggies would be 2-0 going into their game against nearby Texas El Paso Sept. 13. He is already assured of being wrong. New Mexico State opened the season last Saturday with a 20-14 loss to Angelo State, an NCAA Division II team from San Angelo, Tex.