Can Dixie Spring an FBS upset?

[wapiti]

I see Dixie St is scheduled to play New Mexico state on March 7 @ 3PM.

Tarleton already did it and Dixie beat Tarleton. Can FCS be 2 and 0 against FBS?

[caribbeanhen]

they sure can

[Laker]

They can. I'm sure that NMSU isn't overlooking them after Tarleton beat the Aggies.

[lionsrking2]

New Mexico St is FBS in name only. As presently constituted this spring, they would struggle in D-2.

[POD Knows]

What is the line in this game, Dixie would have to be favored I would guess.

[Preferred Walk-On]

Yes.

[TheKingpin28]

Failure to win will be an upset by NMSU

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[bonarae]

Close fight by the Trailblazers... or NMSU will salvage a win this time.

[VandalBasher]

https://www.sportsbookreview.com/betting-odds/college-football/

NMSU opened at a 7 point favorite but is still holding at 3 points.

[melloware13]

For NMSU, the big factor is how important is ending the spring on a positive note to get ready for the fall. For Dixie its do the come in confident off the win against Tarleton or arrogant about the transitive results so far.

[Libertine]

New Mexico St is FBS in name only. As presently constituted this spring, they would struggle in D-2.

That's the thing. Outside of 2017, NMSU has a long history of football futility and then saw the bulk of their productive players, especially on offense, disappear into the transfer portal when they cancelled the fall season. I agree that they would struggle in D-2 this year and I'd like to say they'll be back eventually but, in their case, "back" is still relative.

None of that, of course, is meant to downplay Tarleton's win. An FBS scalp makes a great welcome mat for their new house in FCS.

[NY Crusader 2010]

New Mexico State is playing a two game spring season, with a third game against D-II New Mexico Highlands getting cancelled. These games are basically spring scrimmages. Sounds like they had a mass exodus of transfers when they cancelled fall football. Only other FBS school to do so was UConn if I'm not mistaken.

Noticed NMSU is playing these games at the Sun Bowl. Is that so they can allow in more fans? I know Texas is "fully open" now but even with adequate social distancing, you could get 5-10K into the Sun Bowl with plenty of breathing room.

[smilo]

Old Dominion also cancelled its 2020-21 season.

I'm not certain of present New Mexico regulation, but UNM was not permitted to play its fall games in the state either, and as I heard were basically living, practicing and playing in Nevada. Probably the same situation.

[wapiti]

Dixie lost 29 to 36. Bummer.

[Libertine]

Noticed NMSU is playing these games at the Sun Bowl. Is that so they can allow in more fans?

No, smilo's right. It's New Mexico's COVID regs. NMSU can't even practice in-state and El Paso is only an hour away.

As for the spring, NMSU is in a weird situation as they're the only FBS program who cancelled their fall season to be playing this spring. ODU and UConn shut down completely for the 2020-2021 year and UMass changed their mind and "played" 4 games in the fall (in which they were outscored 161-12). Given their personnel losses, it's probably better for NMSU to be treating these games as glorified spring scrimmages.