NM State Football drops three-game streak in loss to SEC Missouri Tigers

More stories from Joseph Settle

Riding a three-game win streak, the New Mexico State football team flew to a cold Columbia Missouri to take on the Missouri Tigers on their senior night. Playing in the 24-degree weather for the coldest game the Aggies have played in a long while. This would be the third power five conference team NM State would face of the season with an excruciating 14-45 loss.  

The game went about as expected when playing an SEC team on the road. The Aggies would start off with the ball at their own 25, and with Diego Pavia starting at quarterback. Pavia would come out slinging when he completed a pass to Kordell David for 15 yards, down to the NMSU 40. The Aggies would then try to run with Jamoni Jones for a single yard, before going back to the air with a completion to Jones for seven yards. Pavia would continue the drive with an eight-yard completion to Thomaz Whitford for eight more yards. Sadly, that drive would stall out at the Missouri 36 when NM State went for it on fourth and two, but the pass fell incomplete.  

Missouri on the other hand would come out focused on the run with a Luther Burden III run for seven yards. This would be followed by a 15-yard Brady Cook run to put the Tigers in Aggie territory. Eventually, the quarter would end 0-7 in favor of the Tigers while they were still driving. Cody Schrader would do the most damage on the drive getting four straight carries before he found the end zone to put the Tigers up 14-0. 

NM State would still struggle to find an answer as a seven play 10-yard drive would stall out forcing the Aggies to punt. The Tigers would still pound the ball as they only completed two passes on a seven play 66 yard drive that ended with Brady Cook throwing a 32-yard touchdown to Ryan Hoerstkamp. The Aggies then would punt on their last drive of the half after a nine-play 35-yard drive highlighted by a Diego Pavia pass to Jamoni Jones for 25 yards. However, on the following drive the Tigers would turn over the ball on downs, giving NM State another chance. 

However, the Tigers would continue to dominate in the second half scoring on their opening drive. NM State was able to go out and score as well on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that finished with a Star Thomas 10-yard run for a touchdown. Missouri would respond with a touchdown of their own, unravelling this NM State squad.  

The Aggies would have a six-play 14-yard drive halted when Daylan Carnell would step in front of a Diego Pavia pass and take it 40 yards the other way for a Tiger touchdown. The next possession didn’t get any better when Jamoni Jones ran for no yards, then Gavin Frakes would throw another interception. The second half wasn’t all negative though as the Aggies found the end zone one more time. 

The loss sadly drops NMSU to 4-6 while Missouri is now one win away from bowl eligibility. The Aggies will travel to Lynchburg Virginia next week to take on the Liberty Flames, before it becomes a conference game, with a 10 a.m. Mountain Time kick off. 

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