FACTS & STATS: Site: Aggie Memorial Stadium (30,343) -- Las Cruces, New Mexico. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: FSU 5-1, NMSU 4-2. Away Record: FSU 2-3, NMSU 0-6. Neutral Record: FSU 0-0, NMSU 0-0. Conference Record: FSU 5-2, NMSU 1-6. Series Record: Fresno State leads, 13-0.

GAME NOTES: Undefeated in 13 previous meetings against New Mexico State, the Fresno State Bulldogs try to maintain perfection in Las Cruces Friday night, as the squads collide in the regular-season finale for both Western Athletic Conference programs. The Bulldogs, who finished a disappointing 4-8 a year ago and failed to make it to the postseason, are back on track for coach Pat Hill in 2007. The squad is 5-2 in WAC play, losing only to undefeated Hawaii and nationally-ranked Boise State, and has won two of the last three games. Last Saturday, the Bulldogs entertained Kansas State at home and easily knocked off the Wildcats in a 45-29 decision to make their case for a postseason bowl bid that much stronger. As for the Aggies, they've had to endure countless injuries to key players this season, resulting in unfavorable results to say the least. The team opened the campaign with two wins in three tries, but then the roof began to cave in on Hal Mumme and his troops. NMSU has fallen in four straight and six of the last seven games, the most recent of those setbacks being a 35-17 loss to Utah State on November 17th at home, a game that snapped USU's 16-game losing streak. Dating back to 1972 when the Bulldogs posted a 49-17 victory here in Las Cruces, FSN has never lost to the Aggies, adding a 23-18 triumph at home last year to the list.

Coming out of obscurity, Tom Brandstater put together one of his strongest games for the Bulldogs last Saturday as he threw for a career-high 313 yards and logged a pair of TD passes in the win over Kansas State at home. Brandstater, who has been rather pedestrian in his efforts this season, missed on just six of his 29 pass attempts in the victory, didn't throw an interception and escaped being sacked. Marlon Moore proved to be the QB's favorite target, reeling in nine balls for 134 yards and both scores. Will Harding stepped up and carried the ball 22 times for 115 yards and a score as he carried the load to allow Ryan Mathews to rest a sprained ankle. Listed as probable for this week's game, Mathews leads the team with his 767 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground and with tight end Bear Pascoe looking more and more like a spectator for this contest with an ankle injury of his own, Brandstater will need players like Mathews to take some of the heat. The signal-caller has managed to convert 61.8 percent of his pass attempts for 196.7 ypg and 14 touchdowns so far this season.

In the first quarter the defense for the Bulldogs looked rather frazzled, allowing scoring runs of 67 and 45 yards to Kansas State, but eventually the unit settled in and played a solid game. In fact, the run defense allowed a total of just 126 yards on 17 attempts, which is quite impressive considering the Wildcats covered 112 of those yards on just two plays. KSU was held to 382 yards of total offense on 59 plays, 21 fewer snaps than Fresno State. Registering a rare interception for the Bulldogs was Moses Harris, while Damion Owens was credited with a team-best eight tackles. Because of the secondary's inability to pick off passes, Fresno State is currently ranked eighth in the conference and 107th in the nation in turnover margin with a minus-.82 per game. However, not all is lost for the Bulldogs on this side of the ball because the group is second in the WAC in both sacks and tackles for loss with 2.9 sacks per contest and 7.6 TFLs per outing, the latter ranking them 14th in the nation this week.

In line for another huge season, quarterback Chase Holbrook has been slowed by a number of issues, not the least of which has been his own health. He's missed time under center due to bruised ribs, and yet he's still completed 71.3 percent of his pass attempts for 322.1 ypg and 25 touchdowns. However, having to bring his team back from deficits so often has forced Holbrook to make rash decisions and attempt to squeeze passes in where they don't fit, resulting in 18 interceptions. All of those picks have dropped the Aggies to last in the conference and 113th in the nation in turnover margin with a minus-1.25 turnovers per contest. Losing wideout Chris Williams to a broken collarbone has meant that Holbrook has had to abandon his comfort zone and seek out alternate options, the most popular of those being A.J. Harris who has a team-best 73 catches for 525 yards but has just two touchdowns to his credit. Taking a back seat week after week is the running game for the Aggies, one that is averaging a mere 91.2 ypg to rank seventh in the conference and 109th in the nation.

It used to be that NMSU was okay with allowing a boatload of points because the offense was right there to respond, but that isn't the case nowadays. Averaging only 24.1 ppg this season, Holbrook and the offense simply cannot bail out the defense all of the time. The pass defense for New Mexico State has been especially weak, giving up 266.7 ypg to rank second-to-last in the WAC and 104th in the country this week. As far as the pass efficiency defense is concerned, a number that takes into account everything conceivable from a passing perspective, the Aggies have a ranking of 149.49 which places them eighth in the conference and 115th in the nation at the moment. Part of the problem is that the big boys up front are not getting enough penetration and are averaging a mere 4.6 TFLs per game (115th nationally). With his 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage, Dante Floyd (115 tackles) has twice as many TFLs as anyone else on the roster and is also first with four sacks. Floyd is also sixth in the conference with just over nine and a half tackles per game.

Certainly both of these teams would like to finish the regular season on a high note, but with so many injuries on both sides it won't be easy. As much as the Bulldogs would like to keep their perfect mark against NMSU alive, Holbrook is going to come out gunning and with nothing left to lose he'll be tough to stop.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: New Mexico State 35, Fresno State 24

Friday, November 30th, 8:00 p.m. (et).