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FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Stadium (30,343) -- Las Cruces, New Mexico. Television: ESPN3.com. Home Record: Ohio 0-0, NMSU 0-0. Away Record: Ohio 0-0, NMSU 0-0. Neutral Record: Ohio 0-0, NMSU 0-0. Conference Record: Ohio 0-0, NMSU 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: New Mexico State will open its season against a new foe, as the Aggies host the Ohio University Bobcats at Memorial Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the two squads.

The Bobcats are coming off their second consecutive winning slate, but it was not a complete success in 2010 for Frank Solich's squad. Sure, Ohio did claim eight victories, but the team fell short of a Mid-American Conference title berth with setback to Kent State in the regular-season finale. The loss came on the road, but considering Ohio defeated its top two competitors in the East Division (Temple and Miami-Ohio) on foreign territory, the outcome was a bit shocking. Regardless, the Bobcats took part in their second straight bowl game, and have high hopes for the new campaign.

DeWayne Walker's tenure in Las Cruces has been a turbulent one to say the least. Since his arrival, the Aggies have gone just 5-20. However, winning has been a problem long before Walker stepped onto the sidelines at Memorial Stadium, as NMSU has not enjoyed a winning campaign since 2002. There are plenty of reasons for reserved optimism this season, but New Mexico State's chances at posting a solid campaign could be determined by its performance on Saturday.

The Bobcats had trouble producing points last year, and coach Solich will need to figure out a way to light up the scoreboard with just a few starters returning. Phil Bates gives this team another dimension on the field with his speed, but he is still not accurate as a passer, so coach Solich will let Tyler Tettleton start the year as the team's signal caller.

Tettleton has some athletic abilities of his own, but he is more of a traditional quarterback and should give the Bobcats a better chance to win Saturday. The top two pass catchers from last year are gone, but the Bobcats should receive a boost with the return of LaVon Brazill. Brazill missed most of last year with an injury, but if healthy, he is capable of duplicating his performance from two years ago when he posted over 700 yards receiving.

Bates played a large role in the rushing attack last year from the quarterback position, and even though Tettleton is starting, Bates could see some time under center to utilize his speed. There are plenty of capable backs on the roster, with Donte Harden representing the best of the bunch.

While coach Solich had to fill holes offensively, the bigger losses come on the defensive side of the ball where the Bobcats have excelled over the past few seasons.

Taking care of business against the run has been key to Ohio's success, but with an entire new line, Saturday's matchup against NMSU will shed light on this unit's ability to continue the program's success in that area.

Much like the defensive line, the backfield for Ohio will likely endure growing pains, with only Travis Carrie returning to his starting role. With that said though, change could be good for this unit. Sophomore Xavier Hughes will get a chance to shine at the safety position with the start on Saturday, while Omar Leftwich should be a nice complement to Carrie on the opposite side.

The cupboard is not completely bare for coach Solich mainly because he has a strong core at the linebacker position. All three starters return from 2010, and the Bobcats also get Noah Keller back, who missed a significant amount of time with injuries a year ago. Look for Keller to get right back to business at the middle linebacker position.

The Aggies averaged well below 20.0 ppg a year ago, so coach Walker realizes that something had to be done to shake this unit up. For Saturday's game, Walker has elected to start Andrew Manley, who was not very impressive last year. In five games, Manley tossed just one touchdown and finished with six interceptions, but coach Walker is clearly fond of his signal caller and has given him a second chance in 2011.

Manley will benefit from having the top two receivers from a year ago back in the fold in Taveon Rogers and Todd Lee. However, the Aggies finished 99th in the country in passing in 2010.

Robert Clay only carried the ball 54 times in 2010, but it is likely the tailback will see much more action this year.

The Aggies have been unable to stop teams from pouring on the points recently, and if Walker wants to remain in Las Cruces, this is an area that NMSU will need to improve and quickly.

That's easier said than done though. The biggest area of concern is the team's inability to get to the quarterback. NMSU finished 119th last year in sacks, something that definitely needs to change.

That solution could come in the form of Pierre Fils. Fils is a defensive end who played 12 games a year ago and is a solid presence up front for NMSU. B.J.Adolpho also has an opportunity to shine after posting 7.5 TFLs in 2010.

Now a senior, Donyae Coleman led the team in tackles a year ago with 92 from his safety position. He will be one of the leaders on the defense all season long.

The Aggies are home, but a home crowd will not be enough for them to open the season with a win. NMSU is starting a quarterback with only one touchdown pass from last year and defensively the team will not be able to cover up all its weaknesses. Ohio is far from perfect, but the Bobcats have far less uncertains heading into this matchup.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ohio University 38, New Mexico State 24