Say What? NMSU Head Coach Doug Martin Talks UTEP v. NMSU

"We have to rebound this week against a tough rival team.  I think UTEP is an excellent football team, I think they are really well coached.  Just a sound, good football program so we've certainly got our work cut out for us this week."

On Aaron Jones' injury

"First of all I hate to hear that, any player, but especially one like him.  He is gifted; he is a special football player.  It won't affect a lot, they are still going to try to run the football they're not going to change their offense just because of one guy not being there. They've got good running backs behind him.  Obviously he is a key loss, but they have other guys that are going to run the ball."

"Last year we were not good in stopping the run.  So you got to anticipate that they are coming here test us to run the football and we got to be able to hold up."

"We will move our front a lot which we do anyway.  You have to tackle well, that's the main thing, and I'm not sure we've tackled well as we would have liked to see so far."

On Mack Leftwich

"They've got a quarterback back there that can throw the ball.  He's a coach's son, he knows the game.  He knows pass protections, he knows how to manage a game.  He's certainly capable of going out there and executing whatever they want to do."

"Taking care of the ball was a big emphasis for us we've done that this year.  Getting steady quarterback play, we've gotten that the first two weeks.  We've run the ball effectively, so we're making strides.  We have more talent here than we've ever had.  Realistically we have had two recruiting classes here, realistically we need one more to get this program really where we want it to be.  But we have certainly upgraded the talent in a lot of different ways. It's a process."

"The next deal for us is to win.  We have to get over that hump, our players just have to experience winning, learn how to win, get a taste for it, then get hungry for it."

"I think they are a very physical team.  I think Sean does a great job coaching there.  And they are kind of molded in his personality.  He's tough, he's a strong personality and that's what he gets out of his football team."

"We have to match their physical nature.  We've been just out physicaled for the last, probably seven years. In my mind it comes to playing physical and standing in front of them and being man enough to take it and give.  Honestly I don't think our guys have been physical enough in this football game to win it, and that's proven by the score."