It wasn’t just a random Tuesday night game for the Aggies. It was a make-or-break game for a team that was staring down the barrel of a 1-5 start and an overall losing season. But the prep for a tough game had to be just as tough during the week.
“I told the guys at the beginning of the week, the only way we were going to get out of this hole is by being a more disciplined football team, by doing everything right,” head coach Tony Sanchez said at a pre-game presser on Friday, Oct. 11. “I told them the story of the Aggie team two years ago being 1-5 and what they ended up doing…were laying in the dirt right now, we’re all bloodied up so now it’s time to get back up, strap our boots on and let’s go.”
The message from Sanchez seemed to get through to the team. Quarterback Parker Awad got a second chance as starter, with scouts from the Lions, Packers and Cowboys all watching closely. Defense controlled the game early, with no scoring in the first quarter. Penalties struck again for the Aggies with a delay of game and an unnecessary roughness call in addition to TJ Pride fumbling a punt return. Fortunately, Kale Edwards was able to pick up the slack with two sacks, but neither team was able to capitalize.
After a strong defensive output from the Aggies, Awad delivered a moment of magic to freshman wide receiver TJ Pride for a 53-yard touchdown. The Aggies went on the scoreboard first, with a 7-0 lead against the Bulldogs.
The Aggies were not alone on the scoreboard for long. A nearly seven-minute drive with four 3rd down conversions previewed touchdowns from wide receiver Tru Edwards and running back Omiri Wiggins. The Aggies, however, were able to get Abraham Montaño to kick a last second field goal as the first half ended with the Bulldogs up 14-10.
The fourth quarter was where all the magic happened. The strong red zone defense finally came back for the Aggies before LA Tech’s Tru Edwards ran in his second touchdown to put NMSU in a 24-17 hole with only a few minutes left.
Brandon Nuñez, the team’s fourth string quarterback, took the team down the field with the help of Seth McGowan before calling his own number and running into the end zone. But only tying the game instead of going for two. Something Coach Sanchez mentioned after the game.
“Had it been a deal where there was like 20 seconds left, we might have thought about it,” he said. “I felt like they needed to an opportunity to get a stop on [defense] and play in overtime.”
It almost didn’t matter though. Even with Kale Edwards getting his fourth sack of the night, the Bulldogs set up a short 27-yard field goal. At this point, the hopes of an Aggie win hung in the balance, as another loss, the sixth in a row, looked
inevitable.
In a twist straight from an M. Night Shyamalan movie, Malaki Ta’ase stepped up as the unlikely hero to block the 27-yarder and giving the Aggies a second chance for victory.
The Aggies start with the ball but only grab 3 points, leaving it up to the defense. They took care of business, swatting away a back shoulder touchdown on the first down and getting the game to a second overtime. But this was when Nuñez wrote a verbal check to his teammates he would have to cash.
“I was telling them, just get the stop and I promise you I’m going to go put that ball in the end zone no matter what it takes,” he said. “Once I knew we got that ball back and they only put up a field goal, we’re going to go win the game.”
Nuñez was true to his word. A pass inside the ten-yard line was all it took to set up Mike Washington on a rush to the right and into the end zone for the win as the sideline exploded with joy and the players began celebrating the end to the five-game losing streak.
“It feels great, just after that week one win and then going on a five-loss streak, I mean it was brutal,” Nuñez said. “It’s frustrating, but we have a group of resilient guys in this locker room that are willing to come in and fight every day and they’re not going to give up, and we’re going to keep fighting.”
The fight to save the season will continue on as the team hits the road to take on the Florida International University Panthers on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
