For the first time since September 22nd, 2018, the Aggies are wobbling on after a road win. Freshman Gavin Frakes got the QB1 spot this week for the UMass Minutemen, continuing to prove his young potential. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, their homecoming game did not go quite as planned as this Jerry Kill campaign overpowered them in a 23-13 win. 

The game that got off to a slow start with the Aggies not making any explosive plays in the first drive, resulting in Josh Carlson punting the ball away. UMass would take over at their 37-yard line with nothing going on their first drive either. The scoring would get started on UMass’s second drive at the NMSU 42 when Ellis Merriweather broke off a long run for 16 yards. However, NMSU would hold them to no gain on back-to-back plays before Merriweather broke off a seven-yard run to get to the 24. A false start would push UMass back to the 31, before Cameron Carson kicked it in from 41 yards.  

NM State continued to struggle in finding their niche as they would have to punt back and forth before the Minutemen would strike again. On a four-play, 83-yard drive. It’d consist mostly of Kay’Ron Adams after a face mask pushing the Minutemen up to their own 34-yard line. Kay’Ron would get on the run and score a 66-yard run for the first touchdown of the game. 

Once again forced to punt, Frakes and the squad couldn’t seem to find a rhythm. But Josh Carlson was having himself a day, as he pinned the Minutemen inside their own 25, UMass’s drive would start at their own 21. 

Before the Offense could get some water, Syrus Dumas would pick up his second interception of the season with a diving effort after a Brady Olson pass got tipped. The offense would come out with a Jordin Parker seven-yard run. A false start would push the Aggies back to the UMass 30 only to get pushed five yards further back after a delay of game. The drive would end with an Ethan Albertsons 41-yard field goal to put the Aggies on the board 10-3. 

The punts would continue back and forth before Diego Pavia would check into the game. Eventually, the Aggies offense got moving again, when Diego Pavia going 2-2 on the drive with a 30-yard pass to Justice Powers, followed by a 39-yard pass to Jamoni Jones for a touchdown. The minutemen would answer with a field goal before the half ended. 

The NM State defense would come out and forced a punt helping the offense get the ball back to work with a 6 play, 64-yard drive highlighted by a 14-yard pass from Diego Pavia to Thomaz Whitford. The play would end with Ethan Albertson making a 30-yard field goal. This Crimson Squad would go back down the field, and score another field goal, to go up 16-13, before the teams would punt back and forth again. Eventually the Aggies got the ball back, and claimed the ball game with a Diego Pavia pass to Terrell Warner for a 27-yard touchdown to go up 21-13.  

The Aggies come back home to a rest week, before they take on Lamar at home for Senior Day on November 12th at 2:00 p.m