No game tonight for New Mexico State

The Golden Gopher Shame Mask wearing New Mexico State was scheduled to kick off their 2008 season tonight at home in Las Cruces, but unfortunately it was postponed due to Huricane Gustav. The Aggies planned to host I-AA Nicholls State, but Nicholls State is located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where on Saturday, Lafourche Parish ordered a mandatory evacuation. The school has cancelled classes and closed the campus until Monday, September 8, in order to assess and repair damage. In spite of the roof damage to several building, the university is ready to go, but electricity has not yet been restored to the campus, and they cannot say definitively when it will be, according to Thursday afternoon's press release.

A quick glance at the New Mexico State and Nicholls State schedules make it difficult to make up the game. The first week in which neither team has a game scheduled is December 6, but I doubt Nicholls State will say right now that they will forego the I-AA playoffs in order to make up this game. We'll see.

New Mexico State will therefore have to wait a week to begin their season with a trip to Lincoln where they will try to pass along the Shame Mask to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on September 13. Nicholls State next game is also scheduled for September 13 when they plan to host Div. II Bowie State.