LAS CRUCES, N.M. - 63 points. Nine touchdowns from eight different Aggies. One heck of an offensive performance to close the regular season for NM State football. The Aggies lit up the scoreboard on Saturday afternoon in a 65-3 rout of the Valparaiso Beacons.
The offensive outburst marks the fourth time this season that NM State has scored 45+ points. The last time the Aggies achieved that feat came back in 1966.
"Getting that sixth game means a lot to our seniors. I want to thank Valparaiso for coming out and playing us. Today was Senior Day, and I don't think I'll ever forget it," NM State head coach
Jerry Kill stated postgame. "I want to thank everybody that was involved in putting this together from the college, doing all this. I think the seniors went out the way seniors should go out."
Diego Pavia had a monster first half for the Aggies. The reigning National Quarterback of the Week threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns in the opening half. The Albuquerque native added a 13-yard touchdown run with a 75-yard score called back for an illegal block in the back.
Pavia opened the game completing his first seven passes for 291 yards and all four touchdowns. The quarterback became the first NM State player to throw for four scores in a game since November 3, 2018.
On Senior Day,
Justice Powers notched his first NCAA touchdown in the first quarter. Powers hauled in 69-yard pass from Pavia, the longest career pass or reception for either Pavia or Powers.
"I was ready to cry because I've never scored an NCAA touchdown and today I finally got it on Senior Day," Powers joked. "I don't think it can be any better."
Pavia then topped his career-long pass just one drive later when he hit
Kordell David for a 70-yard score. David finished Saturday with 95 receiving yards, marking a career-high and the highest single-game total of an Aggie this season.
After catching his first career touchdown last week against Liberty, freshman
Jonathan Brady added two touchdowns against Valparaiso.
Senior linebacker
Chris Ojoh led the Aggies on Saturday with seven tackles, including one for a loss. Ojoh was closely followed by fellow senior
Trevor Brohard, who finished with five tackles.
NM State's defense managed to completely shut down the Valparaiso offense. As a team, the Aggies allowed just 28 rushing yards in the contest. The Aggie defense also allowed under 200 yards of offense for the first time October 4, 2008 (vs. Alcorn State).
Special teams played a huge factor for the Aggies on Saturday as well. After not blocking a punt since 2018, NM State blocked a pair in a three-drive span.
Josh Ferguson got credited with the first block, setting up
Jamoni Jones for a two-yard touchdown rush. On the following punt attempt,
Andre Seldon got a piece of the ball, setting up an Aggie drive from the Valpo 32.
NM State will find out its bowl game destination on Sunday afternoon. As news continues to develop surrounding the Aggies postseason bid, up to the minute information will be sent out on the NM State Football social media channels and nmstatesports.com
News and Notes
- Diego Pavia finished with career-highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and longest pass.
- Pavia became the first Aggie to throw for over 300 yards since Jonah Johnson on October 2, 2021
- With 621 total yards of offense, it marked the highest single-game total for NM State since November 27, 2021
- Jonathan Brady finished with his first multi-touchdown game
- Brady and Kordell David both tallied at least 90 receiving yards
- Josh Carlson averaged 47.7 yards per punt
- Weston Get tossed his first touchdown pass of the season
- With seven tackles in the win, Chris Ojoh now has 101 on the season.
- Before blocking two on Saturday, NM State's last punt block came on September 22, 2018
