This week's picks

New Mexico vs. San José State Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 31, 2026
Site
Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

Share as an image

Image style

New Mexico at San José State

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 4:00 PM ET, CEFCU Stadium.

The numbers say: New Mexico, 88% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 4:00 PM ET
TVMW+
WhereCEFCU Stadium
Weather66°, cloudy, wind 6 mph
LineNew Mexico −14.5, total 42.5
Line movementHasn't moved since it opened.
SeriesSan José State leads 16–5–1
Last meetingSan José State 35–28 in 2025

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+New Mexico by 18.190%35
PRIMENew Mexico by 18.290%
EloNew Mexico83%
The lineNew Mexico −14.542.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, New Mexico or San José State?

The numbers say: New Mexico. 88% chance to win

Which matchups decide New Mexico vs. San José State?

All three ratings favor New Mexico, by 18.1 to 18.2 points, and it isn't close. New Mexico's best matchup is its scoring defense, 1st in points allowed, against San José State's scoring offense at 117th. San José State's way back in is its pass rush, 20th in sack rate, against New Mexico's pass protection at 129th.

New Mexico with the ball

San José State with the ball

Who's out for New Mexico and San José State?

New Mexico

San José State

How New Mexico and San José State compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; New Mexico and San José State are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How New Mexico's and San José State's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate New Mexico and San José State?

On a neutral field, SP+ has New Mexico 20.6 points better (36th to 114th). PRIME also has New Mexico ahead, by 20.7. Elo, which only sees results, also has New Mexico ahead (35th to 102nd).

New MexicoSan José State
SP+ overall9.3 (36th)-11.3 (114th)
SP+ offense26.8 (68th)15.9 (126th)
SP+ defense17.6 (20th)27.0 (75th)
SP+ special teams0.0 (68th)-0.2 (92nd)
PRIME net7.7 (34th)-13.0 (120th)
PRIME offense-0.39 (66th)-10.79 (135th)
PRIME defense7.55 (20th)-0.81 (74th)
PRIME SOS-8.1 (126th)-6.8 (111th)
PRIME SOR1.2 (36th)-1.3 (107th)
Elo1680 (35th)1352 (102nd)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

New Mexico's offense ranks 53rd in adjusted EPA per play, and the San José State defense it faces ranks 58th in EPA per play allowed. San José State's offense ranks 96th against New Mexico's 15th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge. The biggest edge on the board is New Mexico's run game: 30th in adjusted EPA per rush, against San José State's 80th-ranked defense.

New MexicoSan José State
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.12 (53rd)+0.06 (96th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.18 (79th)+0.17 (83rd)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.12 (30th)+0.04 (91st)
Success rate (adjusted)39.0% (103rd)35.8% (130th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)44.5% (109th)44.6% (105th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)29.9% (81st)25.9% (131st)
Explosiveness (adjusted)1.00 (6th)0.94 (64th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.97 (62nd)2.93 (84th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.26 (33rd)0.99 (112th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.00 (15th)+0.09 (58th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.13 (33rd)+0.14 (37th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)−0.01 (13th)+0.08 (80th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)36.7% (16th)43.0% (88th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.96 (110th)0.91 (26th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.52 (4th)3.00 (82nd)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.13 (73rd)0.96 (18th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, New Mexico or San José State?

New Mexico is better running (31st in EPA per rush) than throwing (96th). San José State's run defense ranks 70th, so that's an edge. San José State is better throwing (69th in EPA per pass) than running (111th). New Mexico's pass defense ranks 2nd, so the defense has the better of it.

New MexicoSan José State
EPA per play+0.16 (57th)+0.09 (88th)
EPA per pass+0.12 (96th)+0.22 (69th)
EPA per rush+0.18 (31st)+0.01 (111th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.58 (37th)+0.34 (100th)
EPA per play allowed−0.18 (1st)+0.07 (56th)
EPA per pass allowed−0.11 (2nd)+0.12 (51st)
EPA per rush allowed−0.16 (4th)+0.07 (70th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.15 (12th)+0.24 (23rd)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, New Mexico or San José State?

New Mexico outscores FBS opponents by 25.7 a game, and San José State is outscored by 2.1. New Mexico's offense ranks 19th in scoring, and the San José State defense it faces ranks 55th in points allowed. San José State's offense ranks 117th against New Mexico's 1st-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is New Mexico's offense against San José State's defense.

New MexicoSan José State
Points scored37.0 (19th)20.4 (117th)
Points allowed11.3 (1st)22.5 (55th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

New Mexico's best matchup is its run game: its offense ranks 54th in yards per carry, and San José State's defense ranks 81st in yards per carry allowed. San José State has no clear edge here. Its best is explosive play rate, 92nd, against a defense ranked 33rd in explosive plays allowed.

New MexicoSan José State
Pass yards / game150.3 (128th)234.1 (64th)
Rush yards / game208.8 (25th)138.8 (102nd)
Yards per play5.99 (83rd)6.06 (74th)
Yards per carry5.38 (54th)4.64 (108th)
Yards per attempt7.91 (57th)7.97 (53rd)
Completion %55.3% (111th)66.4% (47th)
Success rate40.6% (98th)40.2% (101st)
Explosive play rate12.2% (67th)11.4% (92nd)
3rd down conversion39.0% (77th)33.3% (112th)
Sack rate (taken)10.9% (129th)7.1% (100th)
INT rate (thrown)3.5% (110th)2.5% (80th)
SUPLEX51.5% (102nd)52.6% (93rd)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

New Mexico's defense is best placed to keep offenses behind schedule: it ranks 1st in success rate allowed, and San José State's offense is bottom-40 in success rate (101st). That's a mismatch. San José State's defense is best placed to get home: it ranks 20th in sack rate, and New Mexico's offense is bottom-20 at avoiding sacks (129th). That's a mismatch.

New MexicoSan José State
Pass yards allowed / game163.3 (12th)240.1 (108th)
Rush yards allowed / game103.0 (8th)159.1 (81st)
Yards per play allowed4.78 (11th)5.49 (53rd)
Yards per carry allowed3.94 (16th)5.01 (81st)
Yards per attempt allowed6.13 (29th)6.40 (38th)
Success rate allowed30.8% (1st)41.9% (68th)
Explosive plays allowed9.9% (33rd)10.5% (55th)
3rd downs allowed32.0% (22nd)35.4% (46th)
Sack rate (generated)9.6% (10th)8.5% (20th)
INT rate (generated)8.1% (1st)2.7% (62nd)
SUPLEX allowed37.8% (2nd)51.7% (53rd)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

New Mexico has the better number in 12 of 12. The biggest gap is line yards allowed per carry, where New Mexico ranks 2nd and San José State 89th.

New MexicoSan José State
Big Uglies: offensive line49.8 (76th)48.2 (87th)
Big Uglies: defensive front75.7 (1st)50.2 (66th)
Line yards per carry3.08 (64th)3.05 (69th)
Line yards allowed per carry1.76 (2nd)3.05 (89th)
Second-level yards per carry1.15 (54th)1.02 (94th)
Open-field yards per carry1.36 (50th)0.74 (119th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)15.9% (37th)17.8% (72nd)
Stuff rate (defense)32.6% (1st)17.6% (86th)
Power success (short yardage)80.8% (23rd)70.4% (83rd)
Power success allowed50.0% (2nd)72.1% (79th)
Front-seven havoc allowed8.6% (53rd)9.5% (84th)
Front-seven havoc17.8% (2nd)9.6% (67th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

New Mexico is +2.6 in turnover margin a game and San José State is 0.0. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 13-point edge for New Mexico. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it.

New MexicoSan José State
Interceptions thrown / game0.57 (40th)0.86 (84th)
Fumbles lost / game0.14 (3rd)0.29 (20th)
Giveaways / game0.71 (18th)1.14 (52nd)
Interceptions / game2.14 (1st)1.00 (22nd)
Fumbles recovered / game1.14 (2nd)0.14 (121st)
Takeaways / game3.29 (1st)1.14 (67th)
Turnover margin / game+2.6 (1st)0.0 (67th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

San José State has the more talented roster (110th in the 247Sports talent composite; New Mexico is 112th). But New Mexico plays further above its talent: +15.2 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to San José State's −5.4.

New MexicoSan José State
Talent composite568.2 (112th)569.3 (110th)
Blue-chip ratio3.0% (110th)6.0% (92nd)
Players on roster112 (58th)103 (119th)
Rated by 247Sports67 (106th)67 (106th)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players2 (106th)4 (88th)
3-star players57 (86th)57 (86th)
Below 3-star8 (8th)6 (20th)
2026 transfers in19 (84th)21 (67th)
Transfer share28.4% (73rd)31.3% (59th)
SP+ vs. talent+15.2 (8th)-5.4 (100th)
Returning production58.2% (44th)3.8% (128th)
Returning passing production74.0% (58th)-7.6% (129th)
Returning rushing production71.4% (47th)35.5% (74th)
Returning receiving production43.2% (59th)2.7% (129th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)87 (87th)129 (129th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes152.5 (138th)115.5 (120th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Where did each team's wins come from?

New Mexico is +2.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (+1.4). San José State is 0.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (+1.4).

New MexicoSan José State
RECEIPTS (total)+2.5 (8th)0.0 (82nd)
Schedule RECEIPTS+1.4 (18th)+1.4 (22nd)
Roster RECEIPTS-0.5 (102nd)-0.9 (126th)
Coach RECEIPTS+1.3 (18th)-1.0 (108th)
Luck RECEIPTS+0.2 (53rd)+0.4 (42nd)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

New Mexico at San José State: questions people ask

New Mexico vs. San José State prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick New Mexico, 88% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. New Mexico's best matchup is its scoring defense, 1st in points allowed, against San José State's scoring offense at 117th.

Where can I watch New Mexico vs. San José State, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 4:00 PM ET at CEFCU Stadium. It's on MW+.

What's the projected score of New Mexico vs. San José State?

SP+ projects New Mexico 27–9. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for New Mexico at San José State?

DraftKings has New Mexico −14.5, total 42.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the New Mexico vs. San José State series history?

San José State leads 16–5–1. Last meeting: San José State won 35–28 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in New Mexico vs. San José State?

New Mexico: Toa Faavae (793 passing yards), Scottre Humphrey (450 rushing yards) and Cade Keith (265 receiving yards). San José State: Luke Weaver (1,632 passing yards), Jabari Bates (564 rushing yards) and Carson Clark (555 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in New Mexico at San José State?

New Mexico's is Toa Faavae (793 passing yards this season); San José State's is Luke Weaver (1,632 passing yards this season).

Who's out for New Mexico at San José State?

San José State: Cooper Hoch (WR) hasn't played since Week 6.

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

New Mexico and San José State: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.