The New Mexico State football team took care of business Sunday afternoon, moving one step closer to reaching that ever elusive bowl appearance by taking down Idaho 17-10 behind a dominant defensive performance in what was an absolute must win situation for the Aggies.

NMSU (5-6, 3-4) entered Saturday’s matchup two wins away from reaching that magic number of six wins necessary to become bowl eligible and played with the urgency of a team that needs to win out.

“The way I looked at these last two games, it was win or go home,” senior linebacker Dalton Herrington said when addressing the high stakes of Saturday’s matchup against Idaho. “Next Saturday we have a really good team coming in and we’ll have to bring the same energy we had tonight.”

It’s impossible to ignore the chance of going to a bowl, but Head Coach Doug Martin is more concerned with the program finally earning some much deserved respect.

“It’s really not about the bowl game — it’s about respect. It’s about us getting respect from the Sun Belt, it’s about us getting respect from people across the country, it’s about us getting respect from the people here,” Martin said when asked about what the team’s goals are now that they’re in a win or go home situation. “I don’t think people understand just what these kids have done this year. I think they deserve some respect… I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The Aggies won despite quarterback Tyler Rogers not playing because of a shoulder injury. Redshirt junior backup Nick Jeanty managed the game well in his spot, not putting the team in bad situations and completing 25 of his 37 passes for 170 yards. Larry Rose carried the load offensively, picking up 72 yards on the ground and punching in two scores early in the first quarter.

The defense, though, is what really won this game for New Mexico State. Idaho dealt with their own quarterback issues, with the freshman Colton Richardson coming in early because of an injury to Mason Petrino, the backup that started the game. The Aggie D had no mercy on the young passer, sacking him for a school record 11 times and applying pressure on just about every play. The two touchdowns were also set up by two forced turnovers (a Leon McQuaker interception and a Shamad Lomax fumble recovery) that occurred in the first five minutes of the game, setting Jeanty and the NMSU offense top with good field position.

This bounce back defensive effort was huge for NMSU going forward, especially considering that they gave over 30 points in their last three games.

“We knew coming into the season that there were going to be some ups and downs,” redshirt sophomore defensive end Cedric Wilcots said when talking about the confidence level of the defense. “We’re constantly in the film room fixing and adjusting, and those adjustments have helped a lot. This last game is going to be big but we’re going to get the job done.”

The whole for NMSU season comes down to one more home game against South Alabama next Saturday, and with it being against a team that’s beaten two of the top Sun Belt opponents in Troy and Arkansas State, Martin invites all the help they can get from the fan base.

“I’d love to see the city of Las Cruces embrace these guys. We need a big crowd here to help these guys get over the hump,” Martin said. “I mean this is 57 years since [a bowl appearance] has happened. If you care anything at all about these kids, this university, this football program, get out here.”