The New Mexico State Aggies have been without a big part of their offense for the first three games of the 2016 season as running back Larry Rose III has been dealing with a sports hernia. However, the 1-2 Aggies will likely have him back on the field this weekend for their Sun Belt opener.
It was reported by Jason Groves of the Las Cruces Sun-News that Rose will make his season debut for the team when they travel to Alabama to take on the Troy Trojans. Head coach Doug Martin said that Rose and leading returning tackler Derek Ibekwe returned to practice this week and should make an impact for them on Saturday.
“I don’t know how good of football shape (Rose) is in right now,” Martin said. “I wouldn’t expect Larry to carry the ball 30 times, but I think certainly we can get a lot out of him and hopefully use him as much as we need to.”
Rose won the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year award in 2015 after he rushed for 1,651 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“Coach just told me he is going to rotate me so it’s really going to be up to him depending on how my body handles it but I don’t see it being a problem,” Rose said. “The process was just healing really and I’m healed basically. I’m just like I was before I got hurt.”
Having Ibekwe back will be a big deal as well after he led the Aggies with 92 tackles and also recorded 100 in 2014 during his freshman year.
The Aggies take on the Trojans at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday with the game airing on ESPN3.
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