NMSU notes on upcoming game against UTEP
NM State will head south Saturday to face off against UTEP in the I-10 rivalry game. The Aggies head into the game coming off of a win against Georgia State (34-31, Sept. 6) and are 2-0 on the season. The Miners are 1-1 thus far, having lost to Texas Tech Sept. 6, 30-26.
NM State is heading into the game having lost the last five meetings between the two teams, with their last win coming in 2008. NM State is 35-54-2 all time in the series, with the first matchup coming in 1914 where the Aggies won 19-0. The UTEP win last year came on Sept. 14, with the Miners walking away from Las Cruces, N.M. with a 42-21 victory over the Aggies.
The game will take place in El Paso, Texas, Sept. 13 at 6:00 p.m. (MT). The game will available on TV on the American Sports Network and be carried on radio at . . .
NM State Football Radio Coverage
Aggie fans can catch all NM State football games on the Aggie Sports Network with Hall of Fame announcer and ‘Voice of the Aggies’ Jack Nixon giving the play-by-play action on the Aggie Sports Network. Nixon is joined by former Aggie wide receiver Preston Williams, who is the color analyst for the second consecutive season.
KGRT 98.7 FM – Las Cruces (Flagship)
ESPN 101.7 FM – Rio Rancho/Albuquerque
KSVP 990 AM – Artesia
KRSY 1230 AM – Alamogordo
KAMQ 1240 AM – Carlsbad
KKVS 98.7 FM – Las Cruces (Spanish)
The New Mexico State flagship radio station for football and men’s basketball changed from 103.9 FM to 98.7 FM in Las Cruces. All football and men’s basketball games will be aired live and in their entirety on 98.7 FM from this point forward.
This move took effect for the first home football game on Thursday, August 28 at 6 p.m. (MT).
The pre-game show will begin at 5 p.m. with Jack Nixon and Preston Williams.
Purchase Single-Game Tickets at PicQuik 24/7
Single-game tickets for the NM State football home opener on Thursday, August 28, went on sale Thursday, August 21 at 10 a.m. (MT). Single-game tickets start at $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Pan American Center ticket office or any of the Las Cruces Pic Quik store locations. Additionally, fans can purchase tickets by phone at 575-646-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com.
All 21 local Pic Quik locations will have various tickets available for purchase on a game-by-game basis, significantly expanding locations Aggie fans can purchase tickets and can be purchased at any time, 24 hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.
The next home game is against Rio Grande Rival, New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. (MT). There is a Football Reunion set for Sept. 20 as well with former Aggie football players coming to campus to reunite.
Aggies on Social Media
The Aggies Athletic Department has a Twitter account at Twitter.com @nmstateaggies where fans and media can get all their in-game scores. The Aggies also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NMSUathletics. Don’t forget to follow NM State on Instagram @nmstateaggies for all the behind the scene info on your team.
Butler and Johnson Earn SBC Honors for Their Play versus GSU
New Mexico State sophomore linebacker Rodney Butler and senior place kicker Maxwell Johnson were named the defensive player of the week and special teams player of the week as announced by the Sun Belt Conference office, Monday, Sept. 8. Both honors are a first for each player.
Butler was crucial in the Aggies’ come-from-behind victory as he led the NM State defense with a career-high 12 tackles (6 solo, 6 assisted) to go along with his first career interception, which was returned (by Butler) 40 yards for a touchdown. It was also his first collegiate touchdown. The interception for a touchdown came when defensive end Jay Eakins tipped the ball behind the line of scrimmage on a 2nd-and-10 with 3:15 in the second quarter. After Eakins tipped the ball linebacker Rodney Butler snagged it out of the air returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. Johnson hit the point-after to make it a 17-10 ballgame in favor of Georgia State.
Johnson was a key component in the Aggies 3-point, come-from-behind victory as he hit field goals from 41 and 30 yards out. The 41 yard field goal, which was the longest of the season for any Aggie, came at the 4:15 mark of the second quarter giving NM State its first points of the game. His 30-yard field goal came after a 10-play 29-yard drive that started when the Aggies recovered a fumble with 2:43 left in the third quarter. Johnson scored a total of 10 points that included two field goals and four extra-point kicks, helping NM State to a 34-31 win.
The last time an Aggie was named a Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week was on Nov. 8, 2011 when former NM State quarterback Buck Pierce was named the offensive player of the week.
Looking Back
NM State football team walked away with a 34-27 win against Georgia State Saturday, Sept. 6 in Atlanta, GA, in their first Sun Belt Conference of the season. The Aggies moved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Georgia scored the first 17 points after a 68-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Arbuckle to receiver Donovan Harden. The Panthers remained in the lead until the fourth quarter when Aggie quarterback Tyler Rogers threw a five yard touchdown pass to Josep Matthews to take the lead 27-24.
The Panthers came back in the lead 31- 27 after 13 plays that moved them 86-yards. The game came to a final close when the Aggies made the winning touchdown with 15 seconds left on the clock. Rodgers threw an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Teldrick Morgan, securing the NM State victory 34-31.
Rodgers had 241 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interception on 25-of-44 passing. Rose recorded 89 yards on 17 carries with a long of 16. Morgan had eight receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns with a long of 36. He added one carry for 18 yards. Aggie place kicker Maxwell Johnson was 2-for-2 on field goals and 4-4 on PAT’s. Aggie linebacker Rodney Butler returned a 40 yard interception for a touchdown.
Coming back from 17 points was the first time the Aggies had come back from being down 14 or more points since 2002, when the Aggies overcame a 0-14 halftime deficit to beat Arkansas State 21-14. Butler’s interception return was the first time NM State returned an interception for a score since 2010 when former Aggie Donovan House returned an interception against Hawai’i.
Aggie Comeback Victories
The Aggies came back from a 17-0 deficit against Georgia State Sept. 6, winning the game 34-31 off a late touchdown from Tyler Rogers to NM State receiver Teldrick Morgan with 15 seconds remaining on the clock.
The last time the Aggies came back from 14 or more points down was in 2002 against Arkansas State. On Oct. 26 in Jonesboro, Ark., the Aggies were down early to the Red Wolves in the first half, 0-14. To end the second quarter the Aggies rattle off 21 straight points, giving them a 21-14 lead going into the half.
Former Aggie Julmar Howard sacked the Arkansas State quarterback in the opening minutes of the third quarter in what would be the final points the Aggies needed to put away the Red Wolves. After an Aggie field goal and a Red Wolves touchdown in the fourth, the game ended 26-21, capping off an impressive NM State comeback.
The come-from-behind win against Georgia State marked the Aggies second win of the season, putting them at 2-0 on the year and 1-0 in conference.
NM State Defense has Great Opening Game Performance
The NM State defensive performance against Cal Poly was one to remember as the six passing yards they allowed, which ranked first in the NCAA that week. The dominating effort also ranks amongst the top in school history right behind the No. 1 performance when NM State held Lamar to zero yards passing on Nov. 4, 1972.
The last time the Aggies held a team to 10 points or fewer came against Alcorn State on Oct. 4, 2008, in a 45-10 win. NM State also held the Mustangs to only six yards passing, with the last time they accomplished that feat being in 2008 against San Jose State.
Sun Belt Preseason Preview
The Sun Belt Conference released its preseason rankings and co-champions UL Lafayette and Arkansas State were projected at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Newcomers NM State and Idaho were projected toward the bottom of the conference, with Idaho getting the No. 9 spot while the Aggies were placed No. 11.
After UL Lafayette’s 121 points to earn first place, the second spot was much closer to the rest of the conference. Arkansas State earned 102 points, with South Alabama at No. 3 with 98 points, followed by five-time Sun Belt Champion Troy at No. 4 with 84 points.
The Aggies will play four of the five top ranked Sun Belt teams this season, starting with an away game at Troy, Oct. 11, and finishing with Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark. NM State will meet Louisiana Nov. 8 for the Aggies homecoming game.
Aggie Quick Hits
No. 18 Tyler Rogers, QB
Rogers has thrown for 399 yards in his first two games as an Aggie
43-71 passing with two interceptions
Five receiving touchdowns
Efficiency rating of 125.37 with a 60.6 completion percentage
Longest pass of the season is 36 yards
Rogers has an NCAA QB Rating of 128.19
No. 12 Larry Rose III, RB
As a freshman, Rose leads the Aggies in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns.
Rose has 240 yards on the ground, one touchdown, and 47 carries.
Rose is averaging 119 yards a game, through the first two games including missing almost the entire second half against Georgia State (Sept. 6).
Rose’s best performance to date was against Cal Poly (Aug. 28) where he rushed for 149 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries.
Rose is on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list.
No. 16 in the NCAA for rushing yards (238) and No. 22 in rushing yards per game (119).
No. 19 Teldrick Morgan, WR
Morgan has 14 catches for 140 yards and three touchdowns, with a long of 36.
He is the leading receiver for the Aggies in every receiving category.
Morgan has one rush for 18 yards on the season.
Season-high of 89 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions against Georgia State (Sept. 6).
Redshirted last year, this is Morgan’s first year on the field for the Aggies.
No. 89 Andrew Dean, TE
Dean had 11 receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown during the 2013 season.
Played in all 12 games last season and has started at tight end for both of the Aggies games this season.
Career high in receptions against No. 15 Texas (Aug. 31) and 33 receiving yards against Louisiana (Nov. 2) in 2013.
No. 7 Adam Shapiro, WR
Has recorded two receptions for 18 yards, with a long of 13 yards.
Played in all 12 games in 2013, averaging 12.3 yards a catch.
He recorded 35 receptions for 331 yards and two touchdowns in 2013, ranking second on the team.
Lead in the team in all-purpose yards as the Aggies No. 1 kick returner, with 975 all-purpose yards.
No. 51 Thomas McGwire, RT
Has played every offensive down for the Aggies (163) this season.
Recorded one pancake against Georgia State.
Had one knockdown against Georgia State.
No. 70 Andy Cunningham, RG
Has played every offensive down for the Aggies (163) this season.
Has three knock owns on the season, with the season high against Cal Poly (Aug. 28) of two.
Lead the team in 2013 with 89 knockdowns.
No. 55 Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C
Has played every offensive down for the Aggies (163) this season.
Recorded three pancakes on the season with a season high of two against Georgia State (Sept. 6).
Has a team high 12 knockdowns on the season, with a season high against Georgia State (Sept. 6) with seven.
Finished the 2013 season with 56.5 knockdowns.
Named to the Rimington Trophy watch list.
No. 62 Isaiah Folosa-Lutui, LG
Has played every offensive down for the Aggies (163) this season.
Has seven knockdowns on the season, with a season high of five against Georgia State (Sept. 6)
Finished the 2013 season with 55 knockdowns.
Named to the Inaugural Polynesian watch list.
No. 77 Houston Clemente, LT
Has played every offensive down for the Aggies (163) this season.
Recorded one knockdown against Georgia State (Sept. 6).
No. 29 Lewis Hill, DB
Hill has played in 13 games for the Aggies with eight starts
Set single game career-high of five tackles on four different occasions No. 13 UCLA (Sept. 21), Louisiana (Nov. 2), Idaho (Nov. 30) and Georgia State (Sept. 6)
Recorded 33 tackles last season
Currently leads the team with two pass breakups
No. 16 Kawe Johnson, DB
Tied for No. 1 on the team last year as a freshman with two interceptions
Johnson has played in 14 games as an Aggie with seven starts
Currently leads all defensive backs on the team with 10 tackles and one tackle for loss
Leading returning tackler from the secondary
Career-high 12 tackles against Abilene Christian (Oct. 26)
No. 9 Cassius Corley, DB
Has appeared and started in two games as a true freshman
Currently has three tackles and one pass breakup on the season
No. 4Winston Rose, DB
Has appeared in four games as an Aggie
Currently has four tackles on the season and is one of three Aggies to record an interception this season
No. 14 Jaden Wright, DB
Currently has five tackles on the season
Recorded a career-high five tackles against Cal Poly (Aug. 28)
No. 7 King Davis III, DB
Davis III has appeared in eight games for NM State with three starts including his first defensive start coming against Georgia State (Sept. 8) after making the transition from quarterback to defensive back
Recorded a career-high seven tackles against Georgia State (Sept. 8)
No. 53 Rodney Butler, LB
Has appeared in 14 games for NM State with six starts
Recorded his first interception and touchdown against Georgia State (Sept. 6)
Named Sun Belt Player of the Week (Sept. 8)
Leads the team with 23 tackles
Career-high 12 tackles against Georgia State (Sept. 6)
No. 3 Derek Ibekwe, LB
Has appeared in two games with one start as a true freshman for the Aggies
Currently second on the team with 20 total tackles
Recorded a career-high 14 tackles against Cal Poly (Aug. 28)
No. 31 Dalton Herrington, LB
Currently has eight tackles on the season
Has started in his first two games as a true freshman for NM State
Leads the team with one forced fumble
Tied his career-high of four tackles in each of his first two games, Cal Poly (Aug. 28) and Georgia State (Sept. 6)
Meet the NM State Backfield
The Aggies are looking forward to a successful year from their running backs, with high expectations for the ground game in the 2014 season. Headlining the backfield are sophomore back Xavier Hall and senior Brandon Betancourt, assisted by incoming freshman Larry Rose.
Rose led the way for the Aggie backfield, recording 149 yards on 30 carries and scoring one touchdown. Rose also had four receptions for 13 yards and another touchdown. Hall had six carries for 22 yards and a touchdown, while Bettencourt ran seven times for 42 yards.
Hall and Betancourt are Las Cruces natives; both having successful careers at Las Cruces High and Mayfield High respectively. Rose is coming off of his senior season at Fairfield High in Fairfield, Texas, where he rushed for 2,924 yards on 237 carries and recorded 49 touchdowns.
Last year Betancourt played in eight games for the Aggies, rushing for 415 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards a carry. He also caught 13 receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown, averaging 8.2 yards per catch. Betancourt rushed for a career-high 139 yards against I-25 rival New Mexico (Oct. 5). He followed that performance with 103 yards rushing on 17 carries against Rice (Oct. 19). Versus No. 13 UCLA (Sept. 21) he rushed for 95 yards and one touchdown.
Hall ran for 247 yards on 48 carries and two touchdowns during the 2013 season and recorded seven receptions for 47 yards in 11 games. He averaged 5.1 yards a rush and 6.7 yards a catch, starting the final four games of the year. His best game came against Boston College (Nov. 9), where Hall recorded career-high 95 yards on 14 carries and one touchdown. He also recorded four receptions for 32 yards in the same game.
NM State rushed for 1,701 yards last season on 444 carries. Averaging 3.8 yards a carry and 141.8 yards a game, the Aggies scored 14 touchdowns on the ground last season.
Las Cruces Aggies in the Backfield
Sophomore Xavier Hall and senior Brandon Bettencourt both hail from Las Cruces, N.M., and are a just a few of the local talent playing a big role for the Aggies this season.
In the season opener against Cal Poly, Bettencourt, who played for Mayfield High School, had seven carries for 42 yards, with an average of six yards a carry and a long of 17 yards. Hall, who played for Las Cruces High School, had six carries for 22 yards, with a 3.7 yard-average, one touchdown and a long of 13 yards. The two Aggie running backs combined for almost one-fifth of NM State’s total offense against the Mustangs.
NM State Receivers are a Talented Bunch
NM State boasts a talented receiving core that features five of last years top six receivers led by seniors Jerrel Brown and Adam Shapiro. The Aggies tend to spread the wealth amongst the receiving core, which makes any receiver capable of being a threat to make a play. Of the five receivers who return from a year ago, each of those players appeared in every game last season. Each player also managed to catch at least 20 passes and gain at least 200 receiving yards a season ago.
Although the Aggies have a lot of experience among their receivers, they still are receiving production from their younger wideouts. Redshirt sophomore, Teldrick Morgan led the way for the Aggies in their season opener against Cal Poly on Aug. 28, where he recorded six receptions for 51 yards and caught the first touchdown of the season for the Aggies on the initial drive of the game. Redshirt freshman, Gregory Hogan served as the full-time punt returner and kick returner for the Aggies in the first game, which appears to be his role going forward.
NM State Showing its Youth
The Aggies opened up the season against Cal Poly on Aug. 28, with six freshman starters, two on offense and four on defense. Throughout the course of the game, 11 freshmen received playing time for the Aggies. Eight of the 11 freshmen who played in the season opener were true freshmen while the other three were redshirt freshmen.
True freshmen, Derek Ibekwe and Larry Rose III made the biggest impact of the freshmen in their first game with NM State. Ibekwe led the team with 14 tackles while Larry Rose III led the team with 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Source: New Mexico State University Athletics Department
