Tuesday, December 16, 2025
42.0°F

Containing No. 4 could lead to win No. 2 for Vandals

MARK NELKE | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years AGO
by MARK NELKE
Mark Nelke covers high school and North Idaho College sports, University of Idaho football and other local/regional sports as a writer, photographer, paginator and editor at the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has been at The Press since 1998 and sports editor since 2002. Before that, Mark was the one-man sports staff for 16 years at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint. Earlier, he was sports editor for student newspapers at Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University. Mark enjoys the NCAA men's basketball tournament and wiener dogs — and not necessarily in that order. | November 30, 2013 8:00 PM

Austin Franklin, a junior wide receiver from Dallas, leads New Mexico State in receiving (46), receiving yards (606) and touchdown catches (5) this season - despite having played in just seven games.

All-time, Franklin ranks fourth on the Aggies in catches (154), fifth in yards (2,375), fourth in TD receptions (17) and third in 100-yard receiving games (11).

So, as you might expect, Franklin has the attention of today's opponent, the Idaho Vandals - even if they know him only by his jersey number.

"No. 4, I think he's a great player," Idaho coach Paul Petrino said of Franklin. "I think their receivers in general are very talented, very athletic, offensively they do a nice job moving the ball. ... the biggest thing, right off the bat, is we've got to make sure we don't let No. 4 beat us. We've got to do everything we can to stop him."

Both teams bring records of 1-10 into today's season finale at Aggie Memorial Stadium, in the regular season finale for both teams. Idaho and New Mexico State, left on the outside when the Western Athletic Conference did not sponsor football this fall, are playing this season as independents, and are scheduled to join the Sun Belt Conference in football only in 2014.

New Mexico State has been one of the few teams Idaho has been competitive with in recent years.

Of the Vandals' 20 victories over the past six seasons, four have come against New Mexico State - more than against any other foe during that time. All told, Idaho leads the series 14-5 - 11-5 since 1996, and the teams have met every year but once since.

The lone win this year for New Mexico State, under first-year coach Doug Martin, came 34-29 on Oct. 26 over Abilene Christian, which is transitioning this year from NCAA Division II to the Football Championship Subdivision. The Aggies' money games were at Texas (a 56-7 loss) and at UCLA (a 59-13 loss).

ARTICLES BY MARK NELKE

BIG SKY FOOTBALL KICKOFF: Vandals expect big things from Priest River's McLain
July 23, 2025 1 a.m.

BIG SKY FOOTBALL KICKOFF: Vandals expect big things from Priest River's McLain

BIG SKY FOOTBALL KICKOFF: Vandals expect big things from Priest River's McLain

Former Clark Fork High star athlete undergoes successful heart transplant surgery
July 10, 2025 1 a.m.

Former Clark Fork High star athlete undergoes successful heart transplant surgery

The former Windy Eagle, a star athlete at Clark Fork High, had been awaiting a new heart since 2022, when she was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease which attacks the electrical system of her heart.

PREP FOOTBALL: Post Falls runs past Sandpoint
September 6, 2024 11:30 p.m.

PREP FOOTBALL: Post Falls runs past Sandpoint

Sandpoint (2-1) hosts Davis High of Yakima on Friday.