Jason Groves

Las Cruces Sun-News

LAS CRUCES – Doug Martin concluded New Mexico State football practice on Thursday telling his team that eventually there would be an Aggies team that walks down the tunnel into Aggie Memorial Stadium that would beat New Mexico.

It turns out, Martin and the Aggies didn’t need to wait long.

The Aggies (1-1) snapped a four-game losing streak to in-state rival New Mexico with a 32-31 come from behind victory on Saturday in what was easily Martin’s best win in his four years at NMSU and his first over either UNM or UTEP.

“It feels great, but I’m more excited for our team and our players because they worked hard to get to this point,” Martin said. “It took a lot of work to get us to where we can compete with anybody. This has to be the one that launches us.”

Martin hopes that the Aggies clad fans among the 17,852 announced in attendance will return to AMS when the Aggies host Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 1.

“We need the people to be here for that game so that we can keep this thing going and if we can, this will be the game we look back and say that was the one that turned this program,” Martin said.

Greg Hogan hauled in a perfect back shoulder throw from NMSU quarterback Tyler Rogers to give the Aggies a 32-31 lead over the rival Lobos with 5:46 to play.

It was NMSU’s first lead of the night. It was their first lead of the season.

It could be a program changer.

“We have been building up to this point since Coach Martin has been here,” said Aggies senior running back Xavier Hall, a Las Cruces High graduate who was previously 0-3 against the Lobos. “This is our turning point. If there is going to be one, it’s going to be tonight.”

Aggies senior middle linebacker Rodney Butler (24 tackles) broke up a pass play from UNM quarterback Austin Apodaca on UNM's next possession to tight end Michael Walsh down the seam that would have put the Lobos closer to a potential game-winning field goal attempt.

“(Butler) was running for his life and he made that play so I have to tip my hat to him,” NMSU linebacker Terrill Hanks said.

UNM reached midfield, where Aggies sophomore cornerback DeMarcus Owens dropped a sure interception to set up fourth and 15.

Apodaca hit Teriyon Gipson underneath and Hanks (eight tackles) and Dalton Herrington converged to make the tackle at the NMSU 38 with 1:28 to play.

“We had to be patient and make a play,” Hanks said. “We rallied to it.”

It was a Hanks interception, his fourth of his career, that gave the Aggies the ball at the Lobos 27 with 8:37 to play. Hanks dropped back and Apodaca obviously did not see him.

“When they first came out, they were in tight so I didn’t think they were going to throw the ball right where I was,” Hanks said.

Hall (11 carries, 61 yards, touchdown) converted a third-and-3 with a 4-yard run to the 16. Another Hall run put the ball at the Lobos 10 and Rogers leaned forward for two yards to the 8, where he hit Hogan on third down with 5:46 to play.

“This is my fourth year here, I’m a senior and haven’t won one rival game yet and to win this one like we did, you can’t write this in books,” Hall said. “I have no idea what my stats were but we got the win against UNM and I was a part of that.”

Hall converted one more clock killing run on the final possession of the game and Rogers was able to take a knee to seal his third win as an Aggies starter.

“It has been long due,” Rogers said. “I’m just proud of our team how we fought all team. We were down and we just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Rogers completed 21 of 35 for 205 yards with two touchdowns as the Aggies ended up with 307 yards while allowing 336 yards to the Lobos triple option.

“I haven’t won a game here since my first year,” said Rogers, whose season ended last year with a broken thumb against the Lobos. “Getting this win for me personally with my guys was an amazing feeling. The lockerroom hasn’t felt that way for a while.”

UNM rushed for 221 yards on 4.9 yards per carry. The Lobos rushed for 167 yards in the first half and led 17-15.

“If they get the dive going, it will be a long night because they will be in third and 1 all night,” Martin said. “We were able to get them in third and long quite a bit. We started bringing a little more penetration and a few more stunts to move our defensive line and help them get off blocks a little better.”

UNM also attempted 23 passing attempts for 115 yards.

“We are still a little suspect in our secondary so they probably saw a few things there that they liked,” Martin said. “I thought our secondary stepped up and made some plays and stepped up.”

It appeared deep into the third quarter as if the Aggies couldn’t get out of their own way.

NMSU closed to within two for the second time of the game with an impressive 14-play, 63-yard drive that Hall capped with a 1-yard plunge to make it 24-22 late in the third. But the Lobos quickly answered with the help of a 56-yard Teriyon Gipson kickoff return and an Austin Perkins late hit gave the Lobos a short field at the Aggies 28 yard line. Gipson punched it in from a yard out on fourth and 1 to put the Lobos up 31-22 with 14:04 to play.

The Lobos' biggest lead stood at 14-3 and UNM went up 17-9 with 28 seconds left in the first half, which proved to be plenty of time for the Aggies to reach the end zone for the first time of the game and make it a two-point game at the break.

Tyrain Taylor put the Aggies in business with a 31-yard kickoff return and Rogers found the speedy Royce Caldwell behind the Lobos secondary for 49 yards to the UNM 20 with 13 seconds left. Monster red zone target Jaleel Scott drew a pass interference call to edge the Aggies close and Rogers hit Scott on a slant pattern four seconds left to make it 17-15 at halftime.

“I was shocked that they gave us the big pass there at the end of the half,” Martin said. “When we saw they were lined up in man coverage, we took the shot.”

NMSU reached deep inside Lobos territory on three of their first four possessions but had to settle for Parker Davidson field goals of 45 (a career high), 41 and 37 yards before a Herrington strip fumble and some poor Lobos clock management allowed NMSU to close to 17-15 at halftime.

The Lobos and Aggies exchanged timeouts in the final 43 seconds of the first half with the ball at the Aggies 19 yard line. The Lobos called timeout with 33 seconds left and sent the offense out, forcing a NMSU timeout. The UNM offense stayed on the field and took a delay of game penalty before Jason Sanders put the Lobos up 17-9 with a 41-yard field goal with 28 seconds left.

The Aggies offered little resistance on UNM’s first two drives. The Lobos rushed for 167 yards in the first half, taking a 14-3 lead on a 23-yard touchdown run on an Austin Apodaca quarterback keeper.

Herrington stripped UNM running back Richard McQuarley and grabbed the loose ball to give NMSU the ball at the UNM 19, but three straight incompletions forced the Aggies to settle for a 37-yard Davidson field goal to make it 14-9.

The Aggies finished the game 9 of 17 on third downs while the Lobos were 9 of 17.

“We felt like the whole game we could win,” Rogers said. “We just had that mindset.”

Sports Editor Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.