This is the Depth Dossier: the New Mexico State Aggies, Week 9.

New Mexico State got shut out at home for the first time since 2010, and somehow it happened despite running for 192 yards. The passing game just never showed up in a 24 to nothing loss to Jacksonville State, and now the quarterback job is suddenly up for grabs.

Running back James Jones carried for 112 yards and TJ Washington Junior added 70 more, so the ground game did its part. But quarterback Adam Damante finished just seven of 20 passing for 25 yards with an interception, and kicker Kyah Francone missed two short field goals that would have at least gotten the Aggies on the board. The game turned in the third quarter. Defensive back RJ Chapman picked off a pass and returned it to great field position, but three plays later New Mexico State was down 17 instead of cutting into the lead, after Damante threw another interception and Jacksonville State running back Caden Creel broke off an 84-yard run. Creel finished with 211 yards rushing, and the Aggies fell to 3 and 5.

Let's put that shutout in context. New Mexico State hadn't been blanked at home since a 45 to nothing loss back in 2010, and this is the first time they've been shut out in a Conference USA game since joining the league. Their defense came in allowing the fewest rushing yards per game in conference play, and then gave up 322 on the ground, with Creel alone matching the Aggies' entire rushing output by himself.

That third-quarter sequence really is what decided the game. Chapman's interception gave the offense a golden chance deep in Jacksonville State territory, but on the very next play Damante threw into double coverage and got picked off again. Creel broke his 84-yard run right after that, and a 10 to nothing game became 17 to nothing in the span of three plays, without the Aggies even getting another offensive snap in between.

Francone's two missed field goals, both pulled wide left, sting even more in a game decided by 24 points. And on defense, Josiah Charles intercepted Creel on the opening drive, which means New Mexico State has now forced a turnover in every conference game this season. It just wasn't nearly enough to make up for a run defense that got gashed and a passing attack that never found any rhythm.

Now to the depth chart, and the receiving corps takes the biggest hit. Tight end Josiah Thomas is out with a broken collarbone, and wide receiver TK King is sidelined long-term with a knee injury, which wipes out the top two pass-catching options. Wide receivers Donovan Stanley and Brody Malone-Bradford, who led the team with three catches, are stepping into bigger roles out of necessity.

The bigger story, though, is at quarterback. Head coach Tony Sanchez has called that job wide open after Damante's rough night throwing it, and backup Kalani Norris is now squarely in the competition heading into the game against Liberty. Nothing's been decided, but Damante's hold on the starting job clearly isn't secure anymore.

There's also a competition brewing at kicker after Francone's two misses, something worth watching in practice reports before that Liberty game. Jones was seen limping late in the game, though he still finished with 112 yards and there's no indication of anything serious right now. And after giving up 322 rushing yards, a defense that had been a strength all season will likely see more rotation up front as the coaching staff works to tighten things up. With the quarterback and kicker jobs both unsettled, the Liberty game is going to tell us a lot about who this coaching staff trusts going forward.

This was the depth dossier. For everything college football, be it depth charts, data or dossiers, head over to C F B Depth dot com. We will be back next week. This was an AI-generated podcast from content developed by real human beings passionate about college football.