Tony Sanchez ready for Aggie football opener

He talks fast, he thinks fast and the former New Mexico State wide receiver Tony Sanchez still moves fast.

As the first-year head coach maneuvers NMSU football through fast-changing times, the urgency and decisiveness with which he naturally operates could be beneficial. The Aggie program is coming off back-to-back bowl seasons, followed by what Sanchez called a “tumultuous” off-season that saw massive changes in the coaching staff and roster.

NMSU opens the season at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31 against Southeast Missouri State at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

“I’m excited,” Sanchez said earlier this week. “This is 26 years for me. That Game One. It keeps you young. It keeps you vibrant.”

For all of his success in the past two years at NMSU, one thing former head coach Jerry Kill could not accomplish was win the season-opener. It’s been nine years since the Aggies came out on top in their first game, and a fast start is the focus for Sanchez and his rebuilt program. Earlier this week, the coaching staff named Parker Awad as the starting quarterback. The 6-0, 190-pound sophomore transfer edged out another transfer, senior Deuce Hogan, for the job, although Sanchez said Hogan would also likely play in the opener.

“Coming out of the gate, when we looked at the big picture as an offensive staff, we talked about who we were going to be and how we were going to run this offense, we felt like Parker gave us a little bit of an advantage in some of things we would like to do,” Sanchez said.  “Parker has done a good job making decisions and he kind of has that dual-threat element that we’ve had the last couple of years.”

Awad, a Huntington Beach, Calif., native who played for Golden West College last year, will operate behind an experienced offensive line, some new, and at least one familiar face at receiver, senior Kordell David.

“Kordell has been around for a long time,” Sanchez said. “I don’t think we gave him enough opportunities last year, so I’m excited for him to be a focal point for this offense. I’m excited for this veteran offensive line which has been around and has so many career starts behind them. I’m excited for this new defense  … to see Coach (Joe) Morris and guys like Dylan Early and some of these new guys. That whole defensive line, with the exception of Buddha (Peleti), is pretty much new.”

Southeast Missouri State outscored North Alabama 24-0 in the second half last Saturday to win their season-opener, 37-15. The Redhawks forced four turnovers to spark the second-half run, so ball-security is an emphasis for the Aggie offense.

“Turnovers were the difference,” said Sanchez, the former UNLV head coach who spent the last two seasons on Kill’s staff as receivers coach. “I think it’s really important for us to establish the run and to stop the run and make them one-dimensional. Coming out of the gates, we want to create a physical presence out there.”

Early, the senior safety, said tackling well against the run game and covering screens will be critical on Saturday. He said the defense has had to come together quickly.

“With all the transfers, it was good to get them in the spring along with Coach Morris so we can build chemistry and play fast,” Early said. “Defense is all about playing fast and thinking less. In college football nowadays, guys come in and out every year so you have to be able to build chemistry and a bond with your teammates quickly and the coaches are the same way.”

While some might see Southeast Missouri State as having an advantage for having already seen game action, Sanchez looks at it a different way.

“Right now, where we’re at, I kind of like it,” said Sanchez. “We might be a little more of a mystery for them because our personnel is so new. I’m excited about some of these guys nobody has seen yet.”