Second-Half Struggles Lead to Aggies’ First Loss of Season

RUSTON, Louisiana (KVIA) -- What began as a competitive first half quickly unraveled for the Aggies, as LA Tech erupted for 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to hand the Aggies a 49-14 road loss Saturday night at Joe Aillet Stadium. The Bulldogs generated 574 yards of total offense and capitalized on three NM State turnovers to pull away in the second half of the Conference USA opener for both teams.

The NM State offense showed promise on its first drive as Fife opened the game with completions on three of his first four attempts to help move the ball over midfield. However, the Aggie movement would stall and the Aggies would settle for a 53-yard field goal attempt that came up just short.

Moments later, LA Tech would tally the game’s first points as it split the uprights with a long field goal of its own, making good on a 55-yard attempt. The Bulldogs would add to their total on their second drive of the game, as the Aggie defense gave up its longest reception of the season, allowing LA Tech to record a 40-yard passing touchdown and take a 10-0 lead with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter.

NM State would have an opportunity for another long field goal later in the first stanza, but the 51-yard attempt would fall in the end zone before reaching the goal post once again. 

The Aggie climb would get a little steeper on the next two LA Tech drives as it pushed its way into the end zone twice to hand the home side a 24-0 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter.

Finally, the Aggie offense was able to generate some explosive plays and put some points on the board. On the first play of the next Aggie drive, Logan Fife found Gavin Harris on a tight end screen that ultimately went for 34 yards to set the Crimson and White up at the Bulldog 41-yard line. Fife then connected with true freshman Brodie Malone-Bradford in the end zone on the very next play to cap off a two-play, 75-yard drive.

LA Tech then consumed nearly 10 minutes of the clock and threatened to extend its lead when senior captain Tyler Martinez intercepted a pass at the goal line to keep the Bulldogs astray and keep the door open for the Aggies. This would prove to be a 14-point swing as the Aggies used just four plays to find the end zone once again. The possession would be highlighted by a pair of deep balls to PJ Johnson III, who accounted for 78 yards and the touchdown on the touchdown drive.

The high-scoring first half would continue as LA Tech tacked on another field goal to make the Aggie deficit 13 points at the half.

After the two sides combined to score 41 points and generate 656 yards of offense in the first half, the two defenses that entered the game as two of the stiffest in the country began to show their worth. During the third quarter, the two defenses forced seven punts and allowed zero points. During the period, the Aggie offense produced 57 total yards, while the Bulldog offense accumulated just 56 yards, with both sides earning two first downs each.

Ultimately, the fourth quarter would prove to be the difference as the Aggies produced just one yard of total offense in the final 15 minutes of action. Meanwhile, LA Tech rattled off 22 unanswered points to pull away from the Aggies for good.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Saturday marked the first time that the Aggies allowed an opponent to score first this season.
• PJ Johnson III finished with a career-high mark in both receptions (7) and receiving yards (157), while becoming the first Aggie pass catcher to go over 150 receiving yards in a single game since Jaleel Scott did so against Arkansas on Sept. 30, 2017.
• Brodie Malone notched his first collegiate touchdown, hauling in a 41-yard pass from Logan Fife.
• Naeten Mitchell posted a team-high and career-high 11 tackles to serve as one of three Aggies with 10 or more tackles on the night.
• Jamall Thompson Jr. continued a strong start to his Aggie career, turning in a career-high 10 tackles. Thompson Jr. currently ranks second on the team in total tackles.
• Tory Gethers also turned in a double-digit tackle effort as he finished the night with 10 tackles, including two for loss and a sack.
• True freshman Zaiden Davis recorded a career-best five tackles, including a share of a tackle for loss.
• Tyler Martinez recorded the first interception of his impressive Aggie career.
• Nick Session concluded the game with a career high in tackles with seven.
• NM State set new season highs in passing yards (281) and total offense (308).
• LA Tech accumulated 353 yards of rushing offense to mark the highest total by an Aggie opponent since Liberty rushed for 393 yards on Dec. 1, 2023. Meanwhile, the Aggies were held to a season-low 27 yards.

UP NEXT

Following a bye week, the Aggies will make the trip up I-25 to take on in-state rival New Mexico in what will be the 115th all-time playing of the Rio Grande Rivalry. The battle between the Aggies and Lobos is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. MT and will stream live on the Mountain West Network. Additionally, fans can tune in to the Aggies’ radio broadcast on 99.5 FM Zia Country with play-by-play provided by Adam Young and in-game analysis provided by Danny Knee.

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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