Aggies Drop Season Finale

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Despite outgaining the Miners by 543 yards to 298, NM State (3-9, 2-6) dropped its 2024 finale as it fell 42-35 to UTEP (3-9, 2-6) at Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

From a yards perspective, the Aggie offense had its best day of the season as Parker Awad threw for 340 yards and found three different receivers for touchdowns while Mike Washington ran the ball 26 times for 133 yards and one touchdown. However, UTEP recovered two fumbles for touchdowns while also tallying a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown that proved to be the difference maker.

FIRST QUARTER

After forcing a UTEP punt on its first drive, the Aggie offense began moving down the field before the Miner pass rush got home and forced a sack fumble which they returned for a touchdown for the game’s first score.

With the ball back in their possession, NM State moved the ball into Miner territory, but the drive stalled at the 37-yard line. Rather than punt, Head Coach Tony Sanchez elected to send out the kicking unit to try a 59-yard field goal. Senior Abraham Montaño rewarded this decision as he easily cleared the crossbar to set a new program record and put the Aggies on the board. Following the play, Montaño would suffer an injury that would affect him and the Aggies for the remainder of the game.

Following another empty UTEP drive, the Aggies used just two plays to move the ball 75 yards up the field and into the end zone. This included a 54-yard pass from Parker Awad to PJ Johnson followed by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Seth McGowan along the right sideline.

After taking the lead, the NM State defense bowed up and forced a turnover on downs as the Aggie secondary forced an incompletion on 4th-and-1 from the NM State 38-yard line. With the ball back in their hands, the Aggies leaned on junior running back Mike Washington who rushed for a combined 46 yards on the drive, including a nine-yard rushing touchdown to put the Aggies ahead 17-7 with 57 seconds left in the quarter.

Scoring plays: UTEP - B. Thompson 33-yard yard fumble return for a touchdown (Kick by B. Flabiano); NMSU - A. Montaño 59-yard field goal; NMSU - S. McGowan 21-yard receiving touchdown (Kick by C. Zilmer); NMSU - M. Washington 9-yard rushing touchdown (Kick by Montaño)

End Q1: UTEP 21, NM State 24

SECOND QUARTER

For the second straight possession, the Aggie defense forced a turnover on downs. This time, the duo of Sone Aupiu and Dylan Early met UTEP running back Jevon Jackson at the line of scrimmage to set the Aggie offense in enemy territory. Once again, this would turn into Aggie points as Parker Awad found TJ Pride along the left sideline for a 35-yard passing touchdown to mark Pride’s second touchdown of his freshman campaign. This capped off 24 unanswered points for the Aggies to set the home side up with a 17-point advantage with 12:36 left to play in the half. In these four possessions, the Aggies gained 216 yards on just 22 plays for an average of 9.8 yards per play.

UTEP would respond with its first offensive scoring drive of the afternoon as it used eight plays to drive 75 yards down the field to score a touchdown and trim the Aggie lead to 10 points.

NM State eventually had one more opportunity to add points to the board, however, a 57-yard field goal would miss the uprights to leave the score at 24-14 entering the halftime break.

Scoring plays: NMSU - T. Pride 35-yard touchdown reception (Kick by Montaño); UTEP - J. Jackson 2-yard rushing touchdown (Kick by B. Flabiano)

End Q2: UTEP 14, NM State 24

THIRD QUARTER

Following NM State’s dominant stretch of play, the Miners took complete control of the game in the second half, beginning with a quick four-play 72-yard touchdown drive on their first drive of the half to reduce the Aggie lead to just three points.

The Aggies did move the ball deep into the Miner side of the field, however, they would ultimately turn the ball over on downs to end the following drive. UTEP would then score just five plays later as Kenny Odom got beyond the Aggie secondary for a 30-yard receiving touchdown. This would put UTEP back in front for the first time since the 11:45 mark of the first quarter.

NM State’s offense continued to move the ball, but would come up empty once again as Montaño’s injury kept him sidelined and the Aggies would miss a 33-yard field goal to end the quarter trailing by four points.

Scoring plays: UTEP - J. Jackson 3-yard rushing touchdown (Kick by B. Flabiano); UTEP - K. Odom 30-yard receiving touchdown (Kick by B. Flabiano)

End Q3: UTEP 28, NM State 24

FOURTH QUARTER

After a sack from Noah Arinze on the final play of the third quarter breathed some life into the Aggies, NM State’s offense would go three-and-out and punt the ball back to the Miners. The ensuing punt would be returned 93 yards for a touchdown by the Miners to put the visiting side ahead by 11 points with 13:20 remaining in the game.

Two plays into the Aggies’ next drive, UTEP’s Bryton Thompson would tally his second touchdown of the night as he returned another Aggie fumble to the end zone and increased the Miner lead back to 18 points.

After back-to-back possessions which ended in fourth-down stops by both defenses, the Aggies would take advantage of a drive that began near midfield as Awad found PJ Johnson III in the end zone to breathe some life into Aggie Memorial Stadium. Following a successful two-point conversion, the Aggies moved within 10 points with 7:22 left on the clock.

Later, the Aggies would generate a 20-play, 93-yard drive that resulted in a field goal and included a pair of drive-extending penalties. This would bring the Aggies back within seven points with 24 seconds left on the clock. A failed onside kick attempt would be the final gasp for the Aggies as they fell to the Miners.

Scoring plays: UTEP - K. Thomas 93-yard punt return for a touchdown (Kick by B. Flabiano); UTEP - B. Thompson 5-yard fumble recovered for a touchdown (Kick by B. Flabiano); NMSU - P. Johnson III 30-yard receiving touchdown (2-pt attempt rush by Mike Washington); NMSU - A. Montaño field goal

FINAL: UTEP 42, NM State 35

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• With a 59-yard field goal in the first quarter, Abraham Montaño broke the program record for longest field goal, surpassing the previous mark of 57 yards held by himself and former Aggie Andy Weiler. 
• Parker Awad closed his first year with NM State recording season highs in completions (22), passing yards (340), and passing touchdowns (3). His 22 completions are also the most by an Aggie this season. With 24 yards on the ground, Awad has produced 20+ rushing yards in his last five contests.
• Seth McGowan, TJ Pride and PJ Johnson III each nabbed reception touchdowns on the afternoon, the most different Aggies to catch a touchdown this season.  
• Mike Washington finished with 26 carries and 133 yards and a rushing touchdown, making him the first Aggie to post 130+ yards multiple times in a season since Juwuan Price accomplished this feat in 2021.
• The Crimson & White tallied 543 total yards and 33 first downs, the most in each category this season.
• Junior defensive end Noah Arinze posted his first career sack on Saturday, the only sack recorded by NM State in the game.
• Third-year Aggie receiver PJ Johnson put up a career-high 90 receiving yards, including a career-long 54-yard catch and his second touchdown reception on the season.
• True freshman TJ Pride had himself a career day, posting career-best in receptions (6), and hauling in 81 receiving yards.
• In his final game as a member of the Crimson & White, Jordan Smith racked up a career-high in receptions (3) and reception yards (43). 

UP NEXT

The Aggies will now turn the page as they begin to prepare for the 2025 season.

For complete coverage of the NM State football program, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFB).

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