Ags fizzle on road

N.M. State falls 27-20 to Texas State, a team that entered the game with one win. Story

SAN MARCOS, Texas — The New Mexico State Aggies struggled to finish drives Saturday and as a result their hopes of a second straight bowl appearance are finished.

Willie Jones III threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as Texas State pulled away from New Mexico State, 27-20, on Saturday night.

Despite outgaining the Bobcats 428 yards to 343, the Aggies managed only one offensive touchdown.

New Mexico State punted five times, turned the ball over on downs twice and quarterback Josh Adkins threw a pair of interceptions, including one in the Texas State end zone.

Adkins finished 29-of-59 passing for 275 yards without a touchdown. Jason Huntley rushed for 83 yards and a TD and had five receptions for 56 yards.

After the Bobcats (2-6) forced New Mexico State to punt on the opening series, Hutch White popped a 45-yard punt return to give Texas State the ball at the Aggies’s 28. Three plays later Jones scampered 19 yards for the touchdown.

Anthony J. Taylor ran 3 yards for a score late in the quarter to put the Bobcats up, 13-0 after one.

Parker Davidson sandwiched field goals around a 5-yard run by Huntley to get New Mexico State even at 13-13, but Jones found Javen Banks with an 18-yard touchdown pass to make it 20-13 at the half and padded the lead with a 39-yard strike to Jeremiah Haydel in the third quarter.

Linebacker Shane Jackson returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown for the lone secondhalf touchdown for the Aggies (2-7).

New Mexico State had a final shot to even the score after Texas State missed a field goal in the closing minutes.

But the Aggies’ last-ditch drive ended when an Adkins pass fell incomplete on fourth down from the Bobcats’ 25-yard line with 1:29 left.

With three games remaining this season, New Mexico State is eliminated from bowl eligibility. The Aggies advanced to the Arizona Bowl last season, breaking a bowl drought that stretched back to 1960.