Nick Session came flying in on the first play of the game, but was disappointed.
This should prove to be an issue for every New Mexico State coach and player.
The junior safety nearly intercepted a wide receiver screen pass for a pick-six touchdown. Instead, it was second-and-10 for Sam Houston. The Aggies forced a punt on their next drive and scored a field goal to take the lead in the first quarter, but it was all downhill from there.
NM State (1-3, 0-2 Conference USA) then lost slowly and painfully with a 31-11 loss to the Bearkats (3-1, 1-0). As if the offense wanted to challenge itself to perform even worse than last week’s 48-0 loss to Fresno State, the Aggies didn’t manage to cross the halfway line until their first drive of the fourth quarter after that field goal.
Every first down seemed like a major accomplishment, every completed pass a cause for celebration, and every play over five yards felt like the Aggies were breaking the space-time continuum. When the Aggies finally scored their first touchdown drive in seven quarters with 8:35 left, the game was already lost.
“It was really disappointing,” NM State coach Tony Sanchez said. “We struggled a lot most of the night until we got the drive together toward the end. It was a little too late for us.”
Sanchez tried to rejuvenate the momentum by giving junior quarterback Santino Marucci his first start ahead of sophomore Parker Awad. However, it seems the Aggies have not been able to get out of their offensive hole so far this season. The Aggies’ defense has made a number of stops, including their first two possessions since playing Southeast Missouri on August 30. However, both were followed by turnovers by NM State, rendering the possessions void.
Bad luck also reared its ugly head for the Aggies. Senior cornerback Keonte Gilton’s 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the third quarter was nullified after Sam Houston’s John Gentry’s knee barely touched the ground before the fumble happened. That score could have easily turned the score around to 21-3, but instead led to a Sam Houston punt and another ineffective offensive drive by NM State.
A lost fumble on the Aggies’ final drive capped off another subpar offensive performance. Nothing went in their favor in a game in which NM State managed just 152 total yards.
More: Gameday Central: Everything you need to know about New Mexico State vs. Sam Houston
“We had great opportunities and stalled,” Sanchez said. “We just didn’t capitalize on them.”
Another chance to get back on the road comes next Saturday at 6 p.m. at home against rival New Mexico (0-3). The Lobos (0-4) are also looking for their way and both teams desperately need a win, not only to boast about their Rio Grande Rivalry accomplishments, but also to potentially salvage their season.
If the Aggies fail to score on offense again, their cross-state rival may be celebrating on their home court next week.
“We’re going to break things down. We’re going to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly,” Sanchez said. “We’re going to go out on the field tomorrow and work on some stuff for New Mexico and then we’ll get going.”
Different quarterback, same results for Aggies
NM State started its third quarterback of the season in Marucci, a redshirt junior and transfer from Wake Forest.
The Aggies seemed to have more confidence in Marucci than Awad and senior quarterback Deuce Hogan, as they threw a season-high 29 passes. However, NM State’s air attack remained grounded.
Marucci showed signs of being out of his depth, but was unable to perform to his full potential. He completed 14 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Marucci was at fault for his first interception after a defender outran senior left tackle Shamarr Jackson on the sidelines and hit Marucci as he threw, resulting in a poor pass. But the second interception came after he threw too late to an open receiver, allowing Caleb Weaver of the Bearkats to outrun and intercept the pass.
Sanchez called Marucci “erratic” at the start, but was pleased with the way he ended the game with a touchdown pass.
“We have to get better at that, even though it was his first start,” Sanchez said. “I was proud of how he finished the game. I want to watch the film before I give a good review.”
Marucci played every offensive snap and finished with a passer rating of 67.3.
NM State gave the Bearkats quarterbacks free rein
The Aggies did a better job of containing their opponent’s best running back this week, but they may have forgotten about the quarterback.
Senior running back Jay Ducker managed just 38 rushing yards on 20 carries, but redshirt junior Hunter Watson made up for it. He finished the first half with 115 yards and his first two rushing touchdowns of the season before leaving the game. Redshirt junior Jase Bauer took his place and was also successful, managing 45 yards on five carries.
Because of their large lead, the Bearkats began to add more rushing yards to the scoresheet after halftime. After allowing 217 rushing yards to Liberty and 287 rushing yards to Fresno State the previous two weeks, the Aggies allowed 284 rushing yards to Sam Houston on Saturday.
“We knew they were going to do that,” said a frustrated Sanchez. “They’re a (quarterback) running team and we didn’t manage to stop that. We did a good job of shutting down the backs, but when (Sam Houston) plays an option game, that’s basically what it is. You can’t let the quarterback out.”
More: Every play that involved points from the game between New Mexico State and Sam Houston
Long Sam Houston drives Stunt Aggies
Sam Houston took more than six minutes off the clock on three possessions, all of which ended in one point.
The Bearkats’ first drive of the second quarter was a 17-play, 8:20-minute scrimmage that ended with an eight-yard run by Watson. The Aggies had two chances to recover a ball during that drive, but senior cornerback and former Sam Houston player Dakerric Hobbs dropped an interception — NM State failed to recover a Watson fumble two plays later.
Two of the Bearkats’ last three drives lasted just over six and a half minutes and ended with a touchdown and a field goal respectively. The Aggies did not manage a long drive of their own; all 13 drives lasted less than five minutes.
“We had to set up a running game, and they did,” Sanchez said. “They were like on overdrive… They did a really good job of running down the clock at the end. That… upends the entire time of possession in the game. We have to get off the field.”
NM State only managed 78 yards and averaged 2.8 yards per carry.
Aggies in familiar position
NM State entered the 2024 season with cautious optimism. The Aggies hoped to reach three consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history and reach the CUSA Championship Game in two consecutive years.
To get there, NM State will have to play catch-up like it did the previous two seasons. The Aggies started 1-5 in 2022, finished 7-6 with a win in the Quick Lane Bowl and 2-3 in 2023 before reeling off eight straight wins to reach the CUSA title game and the New Mexico Bowl.
Sanchez is confident that NM State can repeat this success in 2024.
“We’ve been through that before,” Sanchez said. “We just have to take it one game at a time. Next week we have New Mexico. It’s a big rivalry game with a great crowd. You can’t see yourself panicking … You just have to get back to work.”
