However it's worked out, Idaho and New Mexico State have been strange bedfellows on the football field over the years.

They've met 20 times since 1971, with Idaho holding a 14-6 lead in the series. Since Idaho moved up to what was then called NCAA Division I-A (now Football Bowl Subdivision) in 1996, the Vandals and Aggies played every year but one (2004).

When Idaho left the I-AA Big Sky and joined the Big West in '96, there was New Mexico State, which had been in the Big West since 1989.

When the Big West stopped sponsoring football in 2001, Idaho and New Mexico State both landed in the Sun Belt Conference.

The two were Sun Belt brethren for four seasons, though they did not play each other in '04 (little did the schedule-makers know at the time what history they were interrupting).

In 2005, both Idaho and New Mexico State landed in the Western Athletic Conference, but after the 2012 season were left without a league when the WAC stopped sponsoring football (sense a trend here?).

Last year, both shifted into neutral and played as independents, as they waited for another league to join. Both only had to wait one season, as both landed back in the Sun Belt this year.

Since Idaho moved up to I-A in 1996, the Vandals have had four winning seasons - and only one (in 2009) since 1999. Since '96, New Mexico State has had two winning seasons - and none since 1999.

Last year as independents, New Mexico State finished with a better record (2-10) than Idaho (1-11) because of a 24-16 victory over the Vandals in the season finale in Las Cruces, N.M.

This year, New Mexico State is 2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt, and Idaho is 0-6, 0-4 as they meet today in Idaho's homecoming game at the Kibbie Dome.

When asked about the connection between the two teams, Idaho coach Paul Petrino wasn't sharing the warm-and-fuzzy feeling.

For one thing, it's only his second year at Idaho. Secondly, he's busy trying to find a way to win a football game - the Vandals have won just one since he took over in Moscow in 2013.

"They're a team that's been playing pretty well this year," Petrino said of New Mexico State. "Offensively they spread you out, throw a lot of screens, do a good job on the zone read game."

New Mexico State sophomore wide receiver Teldrick Morgan leads the Sun Belt with 53 receptions for 675 yards, and has caught five touchdown passes. Aggies quarterback Tyler Rogers has thrown for 1,743 yards and 11 TDs, with 12 interceptions.

"It should be tight," Petrino said. "We've just got to make sure we do all the things right to come out with a win."