Victorious Aggies hold out hope for bowl game

Win over Idaho lifts NMSU to 5-6 heading into the season finale

LAS CRUCES — Here’s something rarely uttered in the annals of New Mexico State football:

The Aggies are about to have a meaningful game in the month of December.

NMSU’s defense registered a school-record 11 sacks, and the Aggies inched closer to those magic two words — bowl eligible — with a gritty 17-10 victory over the Idaho Vandals before an announced crowd of 21,894 on Saturday afternoon at sun-splashed Aggie Memorial Stadium.

Bowl eligibility can be achieved if NMSU (5-6, 3-4 Sun Belt) beats visiting South Alabama (4-7, 3-4) next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Aggies are looking to end a much-publicized, 57-year bowl drought, dating to the 1960 Sun Bowl.

“We got a one-game playoff,” senior linebacker Dalton Herrington said. “Win or go home.”

An almost angry NMSU head coach Doug Martin phrased it another way.

“It’s about respect,” Martin said firmly. “More than the six

wins, more than the bowl game, that’s what these guys are after.”

Backup quarterback Nick Jeanty, a redshirt junior, completed 31 of 49 passes for 231 yards, and Larry Rose III rushed for 113 yards and two scores as NMSU never trailed against the Vandals (3-8, 2-5).

The Aggies defense forced turnovers on Idaho’s first two possessions, converting both into touchdowns.

Leon McQuaker’s interception of Idaho starting QB Mason Petrino set up a 25-yard scoring run by Rose six plays later and a 7-0 lead barely 100 seconds into the contest.

Sophomore cornerback Shamad Lomax’s strip of Idaho receiver Alfonso Onunwor on the next possession was also recovered by Lomax. Another five plays after that, Rose scored easily on a 3-yard run up the middle on a fourth-and-1.

By now, the Vandals had freshman Colton Richardson in the game, after Petrino was knocked out by NMSU’s Cedric Wilcots II on the first play of Idaho’s second offensive series.

And the Aggies swarmed Richardson, bringing him down 10 times after the QB listed at 6-foot-4, 230-pounds entered the game.

“We knew it wasn’t a mobile quarterback,” said Wilcots, who had 3½ sacks. “We knew we’d be able to get pressure on him, and we did.”

The Sun Belt Conference’s third-worst run defense also impressed, as the Aggies limited Idaho to a net total of 41 yards on the ground (which included the sacks). The leading rusher in the Sun Belt, Idaho senior Aaron Duckworth, was held to 40 yards on 13 carries.

“And they’ll have to do it again next week, too,” Martin said of his defense.

Conversely, NMSU’s league-worst run offense gained 172 yards, well ahead of its season average (100.7). The ground game and the defense eased the burden on Jeanty, who started in placed of the injured Tyler Rogers. The usual Aggie starter dinged his shoulder last week at Louisiana.

“Its a one-win season,” Jeanty said. “We’ll celebrate tonight and get back to work (Sunday).”

Martin said Rogers could have played Saturday, but preferred to hold him out and hope to have him at 100 percent for South Alabama. But Martin praised the work of Jeanty.

“He managed the game and got us a ‘W,’ and that’s what a backup is supposed to do,” Martin said.

Idaho finally broke through late in the first half, with Richardson throwing 25 yards to David Ungerer as the Vandals went into halftime trailing 14-7. The deficit closed to 14-10 on a short field goal midway through the third quarter.

NMSU picked up three crucial points with 12:29 left in the game on Dylan Brown’s 24-yard field goal. The Aggies had two field goals blocked earlier in the game.

“Inexcusable,” Martin said.

This is the first season since 2004 in which New Mexico State has won as many as five games.

“We want to earn respect across the country,” Jeanty said. “This next game is very big for us to get the respect we deserve.”