Next year's independents collide

The Independence Bowl has been played every December since 1976.

But today's Idaho-New Mexico State game at the Kibbie Dome is an independence bowl of sorts. With the demise of the Western Athletic Conference as a football conference after this season, both teams will play as Football Bowl Sub-division independents in 2013.

Idaho is hoping to get invited to another conference in the next year or two. The Vandals also have a standing offer to return to the Big Sky Conference in football. The Vandals are slated to join the Big Sky in all other sports next year.

DeWayne Walker, who is 10-33 in his fourth season as New Mexico State coach, said the Aggies hope to land in another conference as soon as 2014.

The future is on both teams' minds, though Walker said both are obviously focusing on today's matchup, which features "two teams starving for a victory" in New Mexico State (1-4, 0-1 WAC) and Idaho (0-5).

“I think the future of our programs, I know (Idaho) coach (Robb) Akey is a good friend of mine, we don’t have any say over that,” Walker said. “I know I’ve been pretty tight-lipped, but you look at the two teams that are struggling in our conference, which is us and Idaho, are two teams are without a conference. And all the teams that are having success in our conference, they have conferences to go to, and the resources to continue to build.

“Robb and I are in tough situations, but at the same token, the most important thing for both of us is, we’re both starvin’ for a ‘W’, and we’re going to do whatever we can to accomplish that this weekend.”

New Mexico State quarterback Andrew Manley played in just three games last season before an injury ended his season. This year, he’s passed for 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns, with four interceptions.

Austin Franklin, the Aggies’ top receiver (33 catches, 627 yards, seven TDs), has been added to the Biletnikoff Watch List.

New Mexico State has lost four straight games, including a 35-14 setback at home last week to Texas-San Antonio in its inaugural WAC game.

“I’m not concerned about their struggling,” said Akey, 19-48 in his sixth season at Idaho. “I’m concerned about my guys getting something going and coming out of this smiling and feeling good, not only this week but many more weeks to come.”

Since Idaho joined the WAC in 2005, the Vandals have won five of the seven meetings with New Mexico State.

Last year, Idaho lost 31-24 at Las Cruces, N.M., after driving to the Aggies’ 1-yard line in the final minute, then throwing an incomplete pass on fourth down.

“We’ve got a score to settle with them,” Akey said.