Rose III has Career Night as NMSU Falls to New Mexico

Larry Rose III had a career-high 260 rushing yards as the NM State football team fell 38-29 to Rio Grande rival New Mexico at University Stadium on Saturday night.

Rose III used 21 carries to garner 260 of the Aggies’ (0-4) 303 rushing yards. He had a long rush of 67 yards and averaged 12.4 yards per carry. Additionally, the sophomore scored a career-high three touchdowns.

Tyler Rogers chipped in 41 rushing yards on 11 carries. Rogers also completed 12 of his 24 pass attempts for 108 yards. Tyrian Taylor caught three of these throws for 44 yards.

Derek Ibekwe led the NM State defensive efforts with 13 tackles, which included 10 unassisted tackles. He also racked up two tackles for loss. Terrill Hanks collected nine tackles with one tackle for loss and his first career interception.

Parker Davidson hit a career-high three field goals. The freshman collected a 41-yard field goal, a 25-yard field goal and a 39-yard field goal.

Lamar Jordan led New Mexico (3-2) with 157 yards on 16 carries. The quarterback also completed 5-of-17 passes for 45 yards. Defensively, Lee Crosby had nine tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The Aggies scored on the first drive of the game to take an early 7-0 lead. Rose III rushed for a first down and then used his speed to collect a 63-yard touchdown.

On the Lobos’ first drive, Jordan ran for a 70-yard touchdown to knot the game a 7-7 with 12:46 left in the first quarter. Crosby then forced a fumble and recovered the ball in the end zone as New Mexico took a 14-7 advantage with 6:38 left in the first quarter.

With 5:30 left in the first quarter, Rose III capped a three-play, 75-yard drive with a 67-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14. On the next drive, Hanks grabbed his first career interception. Davidson then completed the four-play drive with a field goal as the Aggies took a 17-14 lead with 2:35 left in the first quarter. At the beginning of the second quarter, NM State maintained the lead as New Mexico missed a 29-yard field goal attempt.

Rose III continued his career-night as he capped a two-play, 30-second drive with a 51-yard run for the touchdown. Davidson then added a 25-yard field goal for the Aggies with 1 second left before the break to give NM State a 26-14 advantage going into the locker room.

Taylor forced a fumble and then recovered it for the Aggies to give the visiting team the first drive of the half. Davidson completed the eight-play, 11-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal as NM State stretched the lead to 29-14.

New Mexico then cut into the lead as Richard McQuarley rushed six yards into the end zone. The Lobos completed a two-point conversion to cut the Aggie lead to 29-22 with 6:30 left in the third quarter. On their next drive, Jhurell Pressley used a 32-yard run to knot the game at 29-29 with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter.

The Lobos took their first lead since the first quarter with 10:19 left in the game. Teriyon Gipson ran 36-yards up the right side of the field and into the end zone as the home team took a 36-29. The home team then added a safety as they secured the victory.

The Aggies take the field again on Saturday as they travel to Oxford, Miss. to square off with No. 3 Ole Miss at 10 a.m. MT.