Aggies seeking second-ever win over an SEC program.
Source: NMSU Athletics
Article By Michael Navarrette for NMSU
Photo: Courtesy
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State will face its toughest test of the season this weekend as it travels to College Station, Texas, to take on No. 15 Texas A&M in what will be the Aggies’ penultimate road game of the season. The game is scheduled to kick off at 5:45 p.m. MT and will air live on the SEC Network.
NM State is coming off its best rushing performance of the season and will look to use the run game to return to the win column after dropping the last two contests. The Aggies are seeking their second win in program history over an SEC team after knocking off Auburn 31-10 during the 2023 season. A win over the Aggies would also represent NM State’s first win over a ranked opponent since 1999 when they defeated No. 22 Arizona State 35-7 in Tempe, Ariz.
Following the matchup with the Aggies, NM State will close out its season with back-to-back Conference USA games as they will travel to Middle Tennessee on Nov. 23 before hosting UTEP on Nov. 30.
WEEK TEN
Who: NM State at No. 15 Texas A&M
Where: College Station, Texas – Kyle Field (102,733)
When: Saturday, November 16, 2024 – 5:45 p.m. MT
HOW TO FOLLOW
Watch: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave Neal
Analyst: Aaron Murray
Listen: 99.5 FM KXPZ / TuneIn App
Play-by-Play: Jack Nixon
Color Analyst: Danny Knee
Live Stats: NMStateStats.com
PICK SIX
100 – For the first time since 2016, a pair of Aggie backs finished with over 100 rushing yards. Mike Washington (153) and Seth McGowan (113) each eclipsed the century mark against WKU.
1 – NM State carries a 1-33 all-time record against SEC opponents into this weekend. The Aggies’
lone SEC victory came last season when they knocked off Auburn 31-10 in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
331 – NM State rushed for 331 yards its last time out to mark its highest single-game rushing total of its last 32 games.
2 – NM State came away with two interceptions against Western Kentucky to end its drought of four games without a forced turnover.
23 – The Aggies currently have 23 players on their roster who hail from the Lone Star State.
4.5 – NM State is currently averaging 4.5 yards per rush in CUSA games – a mark that ranks third among league opponents.
RUN AGGIES, RUN
NM State turned in its best rushing performance of the season as it tallied a total of 331 yards on the ground against Western Kentucky. This marks the Aggies’ highest single-game total since Sept. 24, 2022, when they rushed for 357 yards against Hawaii.
The attack which represents the most rushing yards in the last 32 games was led by the backfield duo of Mike Washington and Seth McGowan. Against the Hilltoppers, Washington compiled 153 yards on the ground to mark the first time since Nov. 27, 2021, that an Aggie rusher surpassed 150 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Seth McGowan added 113 rushing yards to signify the Aggies’ first game with multiple 100-yard rushers since Dec. 3, 2016, when Larry Rose III (170) and Conner Cramer (110) achieved this feat.
AGGIES V AGGIES
Saturday will mark the only meeting of the year between a pair of FBS programs that utilize the Aggie moniker. Aside from NM State and Texas A&M, Utah State is the lone program at the FBS level which uses the Aggie mascot.
LUCKY SEVEN
With a touchdown pass to Donovan Faupel in the fourth quarter of the Aggies’ game against Western Kentucky, seven different Aggies have now caught exactly one touchdown pass this season and are all tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions. This group includes Faupel, PJ Johnson III, Jerry Lydiatt, Seth McGowan, TJ Pride, Mike Washington and Monte Watkins.
100K
This weekend, the Aggies will take on Texas A&M inside Kyle Field which currently holds a stadium capacity of 102,733. Should the crowd exceed 100,000 on Saturday, it will mark the first time that the Aggies play in front of this many people since 2019 when they took on Alabama in front of 100,710 people.
According to records, the Aggie program has played in front of a crowd larger than 100,000 people just three times in program history. The largest reported attendance at an Aggie game came in 2009 when they traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to face No. 15 Ohio State in front of 104,719 people on Halloween night.
NM State has only played at Kyle Field one time in its history – venturing to College Station, Texas, in 2016. NM State fell to the ninth-ranked Aggies 52-10 with a crowd of 99,960 on hand.
RECORD AGAINST SEC OPPONENTS
NM State has collided with current SEC programs a total of 34 times in its history and following a win over Auburn in 2023, the Aggies now hold a 1-33 record against SEC foes. This will mark just the second time that the Aggies take on Texas A&M. Meanwhile, the Aggies’ most frequent SEC opponent in its history is Arkansas which they have seen a total of six times.
Prior to last season, the Aggies were winless against SEC opponents, however, NM State walked into Jordan-Hare Stadium and earned a dominant 31-10 win over Auburn to claim its first-ever SEC victory.
RECORD AGAINST POWER FOUR OPPONENTS
NM State will enter Saturday’s matchup with a 16-125-2 all-time record against programs currently residing in one of the four “Power” conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC).
MONEY MONTAÑO
Senior kicker Abraham Montaño continued his stellar season as he connected on attempts from 57 yards out and 53 yards out in the Aggies’ road tilt at FIU two weeks ago.
The 57-yarder he made in the second quarter is tied for the longest kick in program history and is tied for the fourth-longest kick in CUSA history. This is also the longest kick from any CUSA kicker since 2012 and is tied for the 10th-longest kick at the FBS level this season.
Later in the game against the Panthers, Montaño would make a 53-yarder to become the first Aggie kicker since 1978 to have two kicks of 50-plus yards in a single game. He also became just the second FBS kicker this season to make two kicks of 50 yards or longer in a single game – joining Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald who made a 59-yarder and a 52-yarder versus Georgia Tech on Aug. 24.
Despite a miss from 54 last week, Montaño still ranks tied for 27th in the nation in field goal percentage at 85.7% (12-14).
KEEP THE FOOT ON THE PEDAL
Despite the Aggies ranking 121st in the country in scoring offense, NM State has scored first in five of its nine games this season. Unfortunately, this hasn’t translated to wins as the victory over LA Tech marked the Aggies’ first victory of the season in a game which they scored first in.
AGGIE MEMORIAL MIRACLE
Arguably the play of the year for the Aggies came on the final play of regulation against LA Tech when defensive tackle Naki Fahina busted through the line to block a potential game-winning field goal from the Bulldogs. This blocked field goal marked the first time that the Aggies had blocked a field goal since Oct. 4, 2014, when they did so against Georgia Southern.
The blocked kick led to the Aggies earning a 33-30 double overtime win over the Bulldogs which marked NM State’s first double overtime game since 2005.
The block also marked the Aggies’ second blocked kick of the season which is good for 18th-most in the nation this year.
KALE’S COMING OUT PARTY
NM State defensive end Kale Edwards logged a total of four sacks in the Aggies’ victory over LA Tech. This equals the highest total sack mark for any individual at the FBS this season – matching the efforts of Suntarine Perkins (Ole Miss), Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Virginia Tech) and Cameron Whitfield (Louisiana). Impressively, Powell-Ryland has reached this mark twice this season.
This performance from the native of Couer d’Alene, Idaho, earned him recognition from the Conference USA office as he was named the CUSA Defensive Player of the Week. This was also just two sacks shy of the single-game program record set by Fredd Young when he recorded six sacks against LA Tech in 1983.
CAROUSEL OF QUARTERBACKS
This season, four different Aggie quarterbacks have now seen significant game action after Brandon Nuñez made his first start of the season against FIU two weeks ago.
With Nuñez’s contributions, he joins teammates Parker Awad, Santino Marucci and Deuce Hogan to become the fourth Aggie quarterback with at least five pass attempts this season.
This also makes the Aggies one of just two FBS teams with four different players that have at least five pass attempts – joining FIU as the only other team in the country to fulfill this statistic.
PJ AND TJ
While limited, this year’s passing game has gone through the duo of slot receivers, PJ Johnson III and TJ Pride. True freshman TJ Pride leads the team in both receptions (23) and yards (238) and has paced the Aggies in receptions four times this season.
Meanwhile, junior PJ Johnson III is now second on the team in receiving yards with 237 on 15 catches.
WHERE TO WATCH THE AGGIES
After eight of the Aggies’ 15 games were featured on national networks in 2023, including three of the final four contests, the Aggies will once again have their opportunities in the spotlight in 2024. Entering the year, NM State is slated to play six of its 12 games on a national network. This weekend, Aggie fans can tune in to ESPN+ to catch the Aggies’ Homecoming bout.
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE AGGIES
Once again, all games this season will air live on 99.5 FM KXPZ for those in Las Cruces and the surrounding areas. Additionally, all home games will be available in Spanish on 96.7 FM La Equis. Radio broadcasts for all Aggie games will also be available to listen to nationwide via the TuneIn App. Radio play-by-play will be provided by Jack Nixon with analysis provided by former Aggie running back Cory Lucas.
This week, the Aggie radio call will also air live on Sirius XM Channel 970.
ONE FINAL RIDE
NM State broadcaster Jack Nixon returns for his 45th and final year of broadcasting Aggie athletics for the NM State radio network. A legend on the Aggie airwaves, Nixon begins the 2024 football season with 500 games under his belt in addition to over 1,400 basketball games.
For much of the season, the “Voice of the Aggies” and NM State Hall of Fame selection, Nixon will handle the radio duties alongside former Aggie Cory Lucas, who joined the broadcaster ahead of the 2017 season.
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