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LAS CRUCES — Aggies 1, Adversity 0.

That was perhaps the biggest net outcome of the New Mexico State University football team’s jaw-dropping comeback Saturday night.

Saddled with the nation’s longest active losing streak (17 games) and trailing 30-7 in the third quarter, the short-handed Aggies stormed back to pull out a wild 55-48 overtime victory over Idaho at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

Running back Larry Rose III topped a long list of heroes for the home team, rushing 25 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns, including the final three scores of the game. The sophomore eclipsed 1,000 yards for the season and moved into sixth place on the school’s career rushing list.

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But all he wanted to talk about afterward was the victory.

“We’re on a winning streak now,” Rose said with a wide grin. “That’s all I can tell you.”

NMSU (1-7, 1-3 Sun Belt Conference) appeared buried several times, including when Idaho’s Elijhaa Penney scored on a short run and added a two-point conversion to give the Vandals (3-5, 2-3) a 48-34 lead with 4:42 left in regulation. Penney rushed for 194 yards of his own and scored three TDs.

But the Aggies created a Halloween memory for a sparse crowd announced at 7,546, climbing out of their collective coffin with a series of remarkable plays.

Sophomore quarterback Andrew Allen accounted for much of the drama with easily the best half of football in his brief career. He passed for 258 of his 300 yards and ran for all but 10 of his 92 yards after halftime.

Allen finished 22-of-38 passing with three touchdowns and one interception, but he ended up as part of the adversity NMSU had to overcome. Allen suffered a knee injury with his team driving for the tying touchdown when Idaho senior linebacker Marc Millan appeared to pull his leg sideways after a tackle.

Allen left the game and did not return. Aggies coach Doug Martin said he appeared to have an MCL injury but would be further examined early this week.

Rose’s third rushing touchdown on a fourth-and-one play pulled the Aggies even at 48 with 51 seconds left. Idaho was unable to move the ball on its ensuing possession, forcing overtime.

New Mexico State got the ball first with redshirt freshman Nick Jeanty taking over at quarterback. More adversity immediately reared its head as Jeanty appeared tentative and took a pair of sacks, leaving NMSU facing a fourth-and-22 situation outside of field-goal range.

“We had to go for it,” Martin said, “and I just told Nick, ‘You have to cut it loose and throw the ball on time. It’s now or never.'”

Geanty fired a fourth-down strike to Joshua Bowen for 23 yards and a first down that extended the drive and set up a go-ahead 2-yard TD run by Rose. It gave the Aggies their first lead of the night.

“That was a tremendous throw by Nick and a heck of a catch by Josh,” Martin said. “Unbelievable play on fourth-and-22.”

The Aggies, who trailed 20-0 in the second quarter and were coming off a 52-7 shellacking by Troy a week earlier, still needed a defensive stop to seal the win. Easier said than done for a defensive unit that surrendered 569 yards to Idaho.

But they got the stop they needed. Javahn Ferguson sacked Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan on the first play of the Vandals’ possession, and Terrill Hanks intercepted Linehan’s pass on the next snap, using the inside of his ankles ultimately to secure the deflected football, to send the Aggies racing onto the field in celebration.

“Ferguson and Hanks, those are a couple freshmen making plays,” Martin said. “We had so many sophomores and freshmen step up tonight, and seniors like Josh Bowen came up huge, too. That’s what it takes to win football games and boy, did these guys deserve it.”

Bowen, a Manzano High graduate, finished with career-best 10 catches for 106 yards.

In addition to Allen’s injury, NMSU was without several other key starters in the second half and overtime. Defensive back Jaden Wright, who had a first-half interception, left with a concussion. Linebackers Derek Ibekwe and Robert Wagner were both flagged for targeting in the first half and ejected.

Box score: New Mexico State 55, Idaho 48 (OT)